True and False Examples Contrasted. Bearing Witness of Christ

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1 (Continued from June issue). III. Let me sow you in te tird place, te portion wic Crist s people sall receive, wen e comes to purge is floor. Te text at te beginning of tis tract tells us tis in good and comfortable words. It tells us tat Crist sall gater is weat into is garner. Wen te Lord Jesus comes te second time, e sall collect is believing people into a place of safety. e will send is angels and gater tem from every quarter. Te sea sall give up te dead tat are in it, and te graves te dead tat are in tem, and te living sall be canged. Not one poor sinner of mankind wo as ever laid old on Crist by fait sall be wanting in tat company. Not one single grain of weat sall be (Continued on page 2) Weat or Caff? By Jon Carles Ryle ( ) True and False Examples Contrasted By Tom Ross of Sout Point, Oio Pilippians 3:17-21 Paul concludes te tird capter of Pilippians muc te same way e started it, by admonising te believers to follow te true example of oliness and piety e ad set for tem and reject te false example of worldliness and impiety exibited by te Judaizers. Under te inspiration of te oly Spirit e skillfully sets before tem te stark contrast between a true example of Cristian living and its final end, wit a false example of Cristianity. Te true example exemplified in te life of te apostle presses toward te mark of oliness, wereas te false example is occupied wit worldly tings and ends in destruction. As we examine tis passage it would (Continued on page 7) Bearing Witness of Crist By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. Tere is anoter tat bearet witness of me; and I know tat te witness wic e witnesset of me is true. Ye sent unto Jon, and e bare witness unto te trut. But I receive not testimony from man: but tese tings I say, tat ye migt be saved. e was a burning and a sining ligt: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in is ligt. But I ave greater witness tan tat of Jon: for te works wic te Fater at given me to finis, te same works tat I do, bear witness of me, tat te Fater at sent me. And te Fater imself, wic at sent me, at borne witness of me. Ye ave neiter eard is voice at any time, nor seen is (Continued on page 16) Te Evil of Sin PART ONE By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Teir feet run to evil, and tey make aste to sed innocent blood: Teir tougts are tougts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in teir pats. Te way of peace tey know not; and tere is no judgment in teir goings: tey ave made tem crooked pats: wosoever goet terein sall not know peace....for our transgressions are multiplied before tee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are wit us; and as for our iniquities, we know tem (Isa. 59:7-8, 12). Sin seems to be one of tose words irrelevant to modern society. Many ave substituted te word crime for sin. Muc of wat used to be sins against God ave been reduced to crimes against society and individuals. Still oters call sins social maladjustment, ignorance, ereditary deficiency, and immaturity. Look at te world today, and you will see sin abounding more tan ever before. Te sins of ippiedom and college campuses would put te antediluvians to same. In te ome, wife swapping and infidelity (Continued on page 20)

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 July 5, 2017 Volume XXXVII, Number 7 Wole Number 456 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. 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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. 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 KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM WPWT, Bristol, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m ,000 AM WPWT, Colonial eigts, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM WPWT, Kingsport, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM GONE 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 7/2017 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t fall asleep waiting for te mailman! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 1) missing and left outside, wen judgments fall upon a wicked world. Tere sall be a garner for te weat of te eart, and into tat garner all te weat sall be brougt. A! Reader, it is a sweet and comfortable tougt, tat te Lord caret for te rigteous. But ow muc te Lord cares for tem, I fear is little known, and dimly seen. Tey ave teir trials beyond question, and tese bot many and great. Te fles is weak. Te world is full of snares. Te cross is eavy. Te way is narrow. Te companions are few. But still tey ave strong consolations, if teir eyes were but open to see tem. Like agar tey ave a well of water near tem, even in te wilderness, toug tey often do not find it out. Like Mary, tey ave Jesus standing by teir side, toug often tey are not aware of it for very tears. Bear wit me, wile I try to tell you someting about Crist s care for poor sinners tat believe in im. Alas! indeed tat it sould be needful. But we live in a day of weak and feeble statements. Te danger of te state of nature is feebly exposed. Te privileges of te state of grace are feebly set fort. esitating souls are not encouraged. Disciples are not establised and confirmed. Te man out of Crist is not rigtly alarmed. Te man in Crist is not rigtly built up. Te one sleeps on, and seldom as is conscience pricked. Te oter creeps and crawls all is days, never torougly understands te rices of is ineritance. Truly tis is a sore disease, and one tat I would gladly elp to cure. Truly it is a melancoly ting tat te people of God sould never go up to mount Pisga, and never know te lengt and breadt of teir possessions. To be bretren of Crist, and sons of God by adoption; to ave full and perfect forgiveness, and te renewing of te oly Gost; to ave a place in te book of life, and a name on te breast-plate of te Great ig Priest in eaven; all tese are glorious tings indeed. But still tey are not te wole of a believer s portion. Tey are upper springs indeed, but still tere are neter springs beside. Te Lord takes pleasure in is believing people. Toug black in teir own eyes, tey are comely and onorable in is. Tey are all fair. e sees no spot in tem. Teir weakness and sortcomings do not break off te union between im and tem. e cose tem, knowing all teir earts. e took tem for is own wit a perfect understanding of all teir debts, liabilities, and infirmities, and e will never break is covenant and cast tem off. Wen tey fall, e will raise tem again. Wen tey wander, e will bring tem back. Teir prayers are pleasant to im. As a fater loves te first stammering efforts of is cild to speak, so te Lord loves te poor feeble petitions of is people. e endorses tem wit is own migty intercession, and gives tem power on ig. Teir services are pleasant to im. As a fater deligts in te first daisy tat is cild picks up and brings im, even so te Lord is pleased wit te weak attempts of is people to serve im. Not a cup of cold water sall lose its reward. Not a word spoken in love sall ever be forgotten. e told te ebrews of Noa s fait, but not of is drunkenness, of Raab s fait, but not of er lie. O! Reader, it is a blessed ting to (Continued on page 3)

3 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 2) be God s weat! Te Lord cares for is believing people in teir lives. Teir dwelling-place is well known. Te street, called strait, were Judas dwelt, and Paul lodged, te ouse by te sea-side were Peter prayed, were all familiar to teir Lord. None ave suc attendants as tey ave: angels rejoice wen tey are born again; angels minister to tem; and angels encamp around tem. None ave suc food: teir bread is given tem, and teir water is sure, and tey ave meat to eat of wic te world knows noting. None ave suc company as tey ave. Te Spirit dwellet wit tem. Te Fater and te Son come to tem, and make teir abode wit tem. Teir steps are all ordered from grace to glory. Tose tat persecute tem persecute Crist imself, and tose tat urt tem urt te apple of te Lord s eye. Teir trials and temptations are all measured out by a wise Pysician: not a grain of bitterness is ever mingled in teir cup, tat is not good for te ealt of teir souls. Teir temptations, like Job s, are all under God s control: Satan cannot touc a air of teir ead witout teir Lord s permission, nor even tempt tem above tat wic tey sall be able to bear. As a fater pitiet is own cildren, so does te Lord pity tem tat fear im. e never afflicts tem willingly. e leads tem by te rigt way. e witolds noting tat is really for teir good. Come wat will, tere is always a needs-be. Wen tey are placed in te furnace, it is tat tey may be purified. Wen tey are castened, it is tat tey may become more oly. Wen tey are pruned, it is to make tem more fruitful. Wen tey are transplanted from place to place, it is tat tey may bloom more brigtly. All tings are continually working togeter for teir good. Like te bee tey extract sweetness even out of te bitterest flowers. A! Reader, it is a blessed ting to be Crist s weat. Te Lord cares for is believing people in teir deats. Teir times are all in te Lord s and. Te airs of teir eads are all numbered, and not one can ever fall to te ground witout teir Fater. Tey are kept on eart till tey are ripe and ready for glory, and not one moment longer. Wen tey ave ad sun and rain enoug, wind and storm enoug, cold and eat enoug, wen te ear is perfected, ten, and not till ten, te sickle is put in. Tey are all immortal till teir work is done. Tere is not a disease tat can loosen te pins of teir tabernacle, until te Lord gives te word. A tousand may fall at teir rigt and, but tere is not a plague tat can touc tem till te Lord sees good. Tere is not a pysician tat can keep tem alive, wen te Lord gives te word. Wen tey come to teir deat-bed, te everlasting arms are round about tem, and make all teir bed in teir sickness. Wen tey die, tey die like Moses, according to te word of te Lord, at te rigt time and in te rigt way. And wen tey breate teir last, tey fall asleep in Crist, and are at once carried, like Lazarus, into Abraam s bosom. A! Reader, it is a blessed ting to be Crist s weat. Wen te sun of oter men is setting, te sun of te believer is rising. Wen oter men are laying aside teir onors, e is putting is on. Deat locks te door on te unbeliever, and suts im out from ope. But deat opens te door to te believer, and lets im into paradise. And te Lord will care for is believing people in te dreadful day of is appearing. Te flaming fire sall not come nig tem. Te voice of te Arc-angel and te trump of God sall proclaim no terrors to teir ears. Sleeping or waking, quick or dead, moldering in te coffin, or standing at te post of daily duty, believers sall be secure and unmoved. Tey sall lift up teir eads wit joy, wen tey see redemption drawing nig. Tey sall be canged, and put on teir beautiful garments in te twinkling of an eye. Tey sall be caugt up to meet te Lord in te air. Jesus will do noting to a sinladen world till all is people are safe. Tere was an ark for Noa wen te flood began. Tere was a Zoar for Lot wen te fire fell on Sodom. Tere was a Pella for early Cristians wen Jerusalem was besieged. Tere was a Zuric for Englis Reformers wen Popis Mary came to te trone. And tere will be a garner for all te weat of te eart in te last day. A! Reader, it is a blessed ting to be Crist s weat. I often wonder at te miserable faitlessness of tose among us wat are believers. Next to te ardness of te unconverted eart, I call it one of te greatest wonders in te world. I wonder tat wit suc migty reasons for confidence we can still be so full of doubts. I marvel above all tings, ow any can deny te doctrine tat Crist s people persevere unto te end, and can fancy tat e wo loved tem upon te cross will ever let tem be cast away. I cannot tink so. I do not believe te Lord Jesus will ever lose one of is flock. e will not let Satan pluck away from im so muc as one sick lamb. e will not allow one bone of is mystical body to be broken. e will not suffer one jewel to fall from is crown. e and is bride ave once been joined in an everlasting covenant, and tey sall never, never be put asunder. Te tropies won by eartly conquerors ave often been wrested from tem, and carried off; but tis sall never be said of te tropies of im, wo triumped for us on te cross. My seep, e says, sall never peris (Jon 10:28). I take my stand on tat text. I know not ow it can be evaded. If words ave any meaning, te perseverance of Crist s people is tere. I do not believe wen David ad rescued te lamb from te paws of te lion, tat e left it weak and wounded to peris in te wilderness. I cannot believe wen te Lord Jesus as delivered a soul from te snare of te devil, tat e will ever leave tat soul to take is cance, and wrestle on in is feebleness against sin, te devil, and te world. Reader, I dare be sure, if you were present at a sipwreck, and seeing some elpless cild tossing on te waves, were to plunge into te sea, and save im at te risk of your own life, I dare be sure you would not be content wit merely bringing tat cild safe to sore. You would not lay im down wen you ad reaced te land, and say, I will do no more; e is weak, e is insensible, e is cold; it matter not: I ave done enoug, I ave delivered im from te waters, e is not drowned. You would not do it. You would not say so. You would not treat tat cild in suc a manner. You would lift im in your arms. You would carry im to te nearest ouse. You would try to bring back warmt and animation. You would use every means to restore ealt and vigor. (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 3) You would never leave im till is recovery was a certain ting. And can you suppose te Lord Jesus Crist is less merciful, and less compassionate? Can you tink e would suffer on te cross and die, and yet leave it uncertain weter believers in im would be saved? Can you tink e would wrestle wit deat and ell and go down to te grave for our sakes, and yet allow our eternal life to ang on suc a tread as our poor miserable endeavors. O! No! e does not do so. e is a perfect and complete Saviour. Tose wom e loves, e loves unto te end. Tose wom e wases in is blood e never leaves nor forsakes. e puts is fear into teir earts, so tat tey sall not depart from im. Were e begins a work tere e also finises. All wom e plants in is garden enclosed on eart, e transplants sooner or later into paradise. All wom e quickens by is Spirit e will also bring wit im wen e enters is kingdom. Tere is a garner for every grain of te weat. All sall appear in Zion before God. From false grace man may fall, and tat bot finally and foully. I never doubt tis. I see proof of it continually. From true grace men never do fall totally. tey never did and tey never will. If tey commit sin like Peter tey sall repent and rise again. If tey err from te rigt way, like David, tey sall be brougt back. It is not any strengt or power of teir own, tat keeps tem from apostasy. Tey are kept because te power, and love, and promises of te Trinity are all engaged on teir side. Te election of God te Fater sall not be fruitless: te intercession of God te Son sall not be ineffectual: te love of God te Spirit sall not be labor in vain. Te Lord sall keep te feet of is saints. Tey sall all be more tan conquerors troug im tat loved tem. Tey sall all conquer and none die eternally. Blessed forever and ever be tat moter s cild wose fait at made im te cild of God. Te eart may sake, te pillars of te world may tremble under us, te countenance of te eaven may be applied, te sun may lose is ligt, te moon er beauty, te stars teir glory: but concerning te man tat trustet in God, wat is tere in te world tat sall cange is eart, overtrow is fait, alter is affection towards God, or te affection of God to im? (Ricard ooker, 1585). Reader, if you ave not yet taken up te cross and become Crist s disciple, you little know wat privileges you are missing. Peace wit God now and glory ereafter, te everlasting arms to keep you by te way, and te garner of safety in te end; all tese are freely offered to you witout money and witout price. You may say tat Cristians ave tribulations; you forget tat tey ave also consolations. You may say tey ave peculiar sorrows; you forget tey ave also peculiar joys. You see but alf te Cristian life. You see not all. You see te warfare; but not te meat and te wages. You see te tossing and conflict of te outward part of Cristianity; you see not te idden treasures wic lie deep witin. Like Elisa s servant, you see te enemies of God s cildren; but you do not, like Elisa, see te cariots and orses of fire wic protect tem. O! judge not by outward appearances. Be sure tat te least drop of te water of life is better tan all te rivers of te world. Remember te garner and te crown. Be wise in time. Reader, if you feel tat you are a weak disciple, tink not tat weakness suts you out from any of te privileges of wic I ave been speaking. Weak fait is true fait, and weak grace is true grace; and bot are te gift of im wo never gives in vain. Fear not, neiter be discouraged. Doubt not, neiter despair. Jesus will never break te bruised reed, nor quenc te smoking flax/ Te babes in a family are as muc loved and tougt of as te elder broters and sisters. Te tender seedlings in a garden are as diligently looked after as te old trees. Te lambs in te flock are as carefully tended by te good seperd as te old seep. O! rest assured it is just te same in Crist s family, in Crist s garden, in Crist s flock. All are loved. All are tenderly tougt of. All are cared for. And all sall be found in is garner at last. Reader, tink on tese tings. Remember my question at te beginning of a new year. Meditate upon it. Are you weat or caff? IV. Let me sow you, in te last place, te portion wic remains for all wo are not Crist s people. Te text at te beginning of tis tract describes tis in words wic sould make our ears tingle, Crist sall burn up te caff wit unquencable fire. Wen te Lord Jesus Crist comes to purge is floor, e sall punis all wo are not is disciples wit a fearful punisment. All wo are found impenitent and unbelieving, all wo ave eld te trut in unrigteousness---all wo ave clung to sin, stuck to te world and set teir affections on tings below, all wo are witout Crist, All suc sall come to an awful end. Crist sall burn up te caff. Teir punisment sall be most severe. Tere is no pain like tat of burning. Put your finger in te candle for a moment if you doubt tis and try. Fire is te most destructive and devouring of all elements. Look into te mout of a blast furnace and tink wat it would be to be tere. Fire is of all elements most opposed to life. Creatures can live in air, and eart, and water; but noting can live in fire. Yet fire is te portion to wic te Cristless and unbelieving will come. Crist will burn up te caff wit...fire. Teir punisment sall be eternal. Millions of ages sall pass away, and te fire into wic te caff is cast sall still burn on. Tat fire sall never burn low and become dim. te fuel of tat fire sall never waste away and become consumed. It is unquencable fire. O! reader, tese are sad and painful tings to speak of. I ave no pleasure in dwelling wit tem. I could rater say wit te Apostle Paul, I ave great sorrow. But tey are tings written for our learning, and it is good to consider tem. Tey are a part of tat Scripture wic is all profitable, and tey ougt to be eard. Painful as te subject of ell is, it is one about wic I dare not, cannot, must not be silent. Wo would desire to speak of ell-fire if God ad not spoken of it? Wen God as spoken of it so plainly, wo can safely old is peace? I dare not sut my eyes to te fact, tat a deep-rooted infidelity lurks in man s minds on te subject of ell. I see it coming out in te utter apaty of some: tey ear, and drink, and sleep as if tere was no wrat to come. I see it creeping fort in te coldness of oters about teir neigbors (Continued on page 5)

5 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 4) souls; tey sow little anxiety to pluck brands from te fire. I desire to denounce suc infidelity wit all my migt. Believing tat tere are terrors of te Lord, as well as te recompense of reward, I call on all wo profess to believe te Bible, to be on teir guard. I know tat some do not believe tere is any ell at all. Tey tink it impossible tere can be suc a place. Tey call it inconsistent wit te mercy of God. tey say it is too awful an idea to be really true. Te devil, of course, rejoices in te views of suc people. Tey elp is kingdom migtily. Tey are preacing up is old favorite doctrine, ye sall not surely die. I know, furtermore, tat some do not believe tat ell is eternal. Tey tell us it is incredible, tat a compassionate God will punis men forever. e will surely open te prison-doors at last. Tis also is a migty elp to te devil s cause. Take your ease, e wispers to sinners, if you do make a mistake, never mind, it is not forever. I know also tat some believe tere is a ell, but never allow tat anybody is going tere. All people wit tem are good as soon as tey die, all were sincere, all meant well, and all, tey ope, got to eaven. Alas! wat a common delusion is tis! I can well understand te feeling of te little girl wo asked er moter were all te wicked people were buried, for se found no mention on te gravestones of any except te good. And I know very well tat some believe tere is a ell, but never like it to be spoken of. It is a subject tat sould always be kept back in teir opinion. Tey see no profit in bringing it forward, and are rater socked wen it is mentioned. Tis also is an immense elp to te devil. us, us! says Satan, say noting about ell. Te fowler wises to ear no noise wen e lays is snares. Te wolf would like te seperd to sleep wic e prowls around te fold. Te devil rejoices wen Cristians are silent about ell. Reader, all tese notions are te opinions of man. Wat is it to you and me wat man tinks in religion? Man will not judge us at te last day. Man s fancies and traditions are not to be our guide in tis life. Tere is but one point to be settled, wat says te Word of God. Do you believe te Bible? Ten depend upon it, ell is real and true. It is as true as eaven, as true as justification by fait, as true as te fact tat Crist died upon te cross, as true as te Dead Sea. Tere is not a fact or doctrine wic you may not lawfully doubt if you doubt ell. Disbelieve ell, and you unscrew, unsettle, and unpin everyting in Scripture. You may as well trow your Bible aside at once. From no ell to no God tere is but a series of steps. Do you believe te Bible? Ten depend upon it ell will ave inabitants. Te wicked sall certainly be turned into ell, and all te people tat forget God. Tese sall go away into everlasting punisment. Te same blessed Saviour wo now sits on a trone of grace, will one day sit on a trone of judgment, and men will see tere is suc a ting as te wrat of te Lamb. Te same lips wic now say come, come unto me, will one day say depart, ye cursed! Alas! ow awful te tougt of being condemned by Crist imself, judged by te Saviour, sentenced to misery by te Lamb! Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). One Ting You MUST Know One ting I know, tat, wereas I was blind, now I see (Jon 9:25). Tese are te words of a blind man wom te Lord Jesus Crist gave sigt to. e did not know te answers to te questions e was being asked; but e knew tis one ting! We are approacing te commencements of many students. Tey ave spent a great deal of time and energy coming into knowledge of many tings. Some useful; some not so useful. But tere is one ting you MUST know: Jesus Crist as Lord and Savior! You must not know about Jesus, but you must know Jesus as YOUR Lord and Savior! Do you believe te Bible? Ten depend upon it, ell will be intense and unutterable woe. It is vain to talk of all te expressions about it being only figures of speec. Te pit, te prison, te worm, te fire, te tirst, te blackness, te darkness, te weeping, te gnasing of teet, te second deat, all tese may be figures of speec if you please. But Bible figures mean someting beyond all question, and ere tey mean someting wic man s mind can never fully conceive. O! reader, te miseries of mind and conscience are far worse tan tose of te body. Te wole extend of ell, te present suffering, te bitter recollection of te past, te opeless prospect of te future, will never be torougly known except by tose wo go tere. You must know im as your Redeemer (Job 19:25), your Rock, your Fortress, your Deliverer, your God (Psalm 18:2), your satisfying Sacrifice or Propitiation (I Jon 2:2), your Savior (Isa. 43:11). You must know Jesus as your Advocate (I Jon 2:1) and Intercessor (I Tim. 2:5) wo pleads is rigteousness and is blood on your bealf. Te blind man knew e could see, were before e could not. It was clearly evident. It was real. Is Jesus Crist known to you? Is e real to you? To gain te wole world and not know Crist is te greatest tragedy. Do you believe te Bible? Ten depend upon it, ell is eternal. It must be eternal, or words ave no meaning at all. Forever and ever, everlasting, unquencable, neverdying, all tese are expressions used about ell, are expressions tat cannot be explained away. It must be eternal, or te very foundations of eaven are cast down. If ell as an end, eaven as an end, too. Tey bot stand or fall togeter. It must be, or else every doctrine of te Gospel is undermined. If a man may escape ell at lengt witout fait in Crist, or sanctification of te Spirit, sin is no longer an infinite evil, and tere was no suc great need for Crist making an atonement. And were is tere warrant for saying tat ell can ever cange a eart, or make it fit (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 5) for eaven? It must be eternal, or ell would cease to be ell altogeter. Give a man ope, and e will bear anyting. Grant a ope of deliverance owever distant, and ell is but a drop of water. A! reader, tese are solemn tings. Well said old Caryl, FOREVER is te most solemn saying in te Bible. Alas! for tat day wic will ave no tomorrow, tat day wen men sall seek deat and not find it, and sall desire to die, but deat sall flee from tem! Wo sall dwell wit devouring fire! Wo sall dwell wit everlasting burnings! Do you believe te Bible? Ten depend upon it, ell is a subject tat ougt not to be kept back. It is striking to observe te many texts about it in Scripture. It is striking to observe tat none say so muc about it as our Lord Jesus Crist, tat gracious and merciful Saviour, and te Apostle Jon, wose eart seems full of love. Truly it may well be doubted weter we ministers speak of it as muc as we ougt. I cannot forget te words of a dying earer of Mr. Newton s, Sir, you often told me of Crist and salvation: wy did you not oftener remind me of ell and danger? Let oters old teir peace about ell if tey will: I dare not do so. I see it plainly in Scripture, and I must speak of it. I fear tat tousands are on tat broad way tat leads to it, and I would fain arouse tem to a sense of te peril before tem. Wat would you say of te man wo saw is neigbor s ouse in danger of being burned down, and never raised te cry of fire? Wat ougt to be said of us ministers if we call ourselves watcmen for souls, and yet see te fires of ell raging in te distance, and never give te alarm? Call it bad taste, if you like, to speak of ell. Call it carity to make tings pleasant, and speak smootly, and soote men wit constant lullaby of peace. From suc notions of taste and carity may I ever be delivered! My notion of carity is to warn men plainly of danger. My notion of taste in te ministerial office, is to declare all te counsel of God. If I never spoke of ell, I sould tink I ad kept back someting tat was profitable, and sould look on myself as an accomplice of te devil. Reader, I beseec you, in all tender affection, beware of false views of te subject on wic I ave been dwelling. Beware of new and strange doctrines about ell and te eternity of punisment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own---a God wo is all mercy but not just, a God wo is all love, but not oly, a God wo as a eaven for everybody, but a ell for none, a God wo can allow good and bad to be side by side in time, but will make no distinction between good and bad in eternity. Suc a God is an idol of your own, as really as Jupiter, or Juggernaut, as true an idol as any snake or crocodile in an Egyptian temple, as true an idol as was ever molded out of brass or clay. Te ands of your own fancy and sentimentality ave made im. e is not te God of te Bible, and beside te God of te Bible tere is no God at all. Your eaven would be no eaven at all. A eaven containing all sorts of caracters indiscriminately would be miserable discord indeed. Alas! for te eternity of suc a eaven. Tere would be little difference between it and ell. A! reader, tere is a ell! Tere is a fire for te caff! Take eed lest you find it out to your cost too late. Beware of being wise above tat wic is written. Beware of forming fanciful teories of your own, and ten trying to make te Bible square in wit tem. Beware of making selections from your Bible to suit your taste---refusing, like a spoilt cild, watever you tink bitter, seizing, like a spoilt cild, watever you tink sweet. Wat is all tis but taking Jeoiakim s penknife? Wat does it amount to but telling God, tat you, a poor sort-lived worm, know wat is good for you better tan e. It will not do. It will not do. You must take te Bible as it is. You must read it all, and believe it all. You must come to te reading of it in te spirit of a little cild. Dare not to say, I believe tis verse, for I like it. I reject tat, for I do not like it. I receive tis, for I can understand it. I refuse tat, for I cannot reconcile it wit my views. Nay but, O man, wo art tou tat repliest against God? By wat rigt do you talk in tis way. Surely it were better to say over every capter in te Word, Speak, Lord, for ty servant earet. A! reader, if men would do tis, tey would never deny ell, te caff, and te fire. Tink on tese tings once more. Meditate upon tem. Remember my question, Are you weat or caff. And now, reader, let me say four tings in conclusion, and ten I ave done. I ave sown you te two great classes of mankind, te weat and te caff. I ave sown you te separation wic will one day take place. I ave sown you te safety of te Lord s people. I ave sown you te fearful portion of te Cristless and unbelieving. I commend tese tings to your conscience as in te sigt of God. 1. And now settle it down in your mind tat te tings of wic I ave been speaking are all real and true. I do believe tat many never see te great truts of religion in tis ligt. I firmly believe tat many never listen to te tings tey ear from ministers as realities. Tey regard it all, like Galio, as a matter of names and words, and noting more, a uge sadow, a formal part-acting, a vast sam. Macauley s istory of England, Dickens s last Novel, te latest news from California, New Zealand, or New York, all tese are tings tey realize. Tey feel interested and excited about tem. But as to te Bible and eaven, and te kingdom of Crist, and te judgment-day, tese are subjects tat tey ear unmoved. Tey do not really believe tem. If Layard ad dug up at Nineve anyting damaging te trut and autority of te Old Testament Scriptures, it would not ave interfered wit teir peace for an our. Reader, if you ave unappily gotten into tis frame of mind, I carge you to cast it off forever. Weter you mean to ear or forbear, awaken to te toroug conviction tat te tings I ave brougt before you are real and true. Te weat, te caff, te separation, te garner, te fire, all tese are great realities, as real as te sun in eaven, as real as te paper wic your eyes beold. For my part, I believe in eaven, and I believe in ell. I believe in a coming judgment. I believe in a day of sifting. I am not asamed to say so. I believe tem all, and terefore write as I do. O! reader, take a friend s advice, live as if tese tings were true. 2. Settle it down in your mind, in te second place, tat te tings of wic I write concern yourself. Tey are your business, (Continued on page 7)

7 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Weat or Caff? (Continued from page 6) your affair, and your concern. Many, I am satisfied, never look on religion as a matter tat concerns temselves. Tey attend on its outward part, as a decent and proper fasion. Tey ear sermons. Tey read religious books. Tey ave teir cildren cristened. But all te time tey never ask temselves, Wat is all tis to me? Tey sit in our curces like spectators in a teatre or court of law. Tey read our writings as if tey were reading a report of an interesting trial, or of some event far away. But tey do not say to temselves, I am tis man. Reader, if you ave tis kind of feeling, depend upon it, it will never do. Tere must be an end of all tis if ever you are to be saved. You are te man I write to, woever you may be tat reads tis tract. I write not specially to te ric. I write not specially to te poor. I write to everybody wo will read, watever is rank may be. It is on your soul s account tat I am pleading, and not anoter s. You are spoken of in te text tat begins tis tract. You are tis very day eiter among te weat or among te caff. Your portion will one day eiter be te garner or te fire. O! tat men were wise, and would lay tese tings to eart! O,1 tat tey would not trifle, daily, linger, live on alfand-alf Cristian, meaning well, but never acting boldly, and at last awake wen it is too late. 3. Settle it down in your mind in te tird place, tat if you are willing to be one of te weat of te eart, te Lord Jesus Crist is willing to receive you. Does any man suppose tat Jesus is not willing to see is garner filled? Do you tink e does not desire to bring many sons to glory? O! but you little know te dept of is mercy and compassion, if you tink suc a tougt. e wept over unbelieving Jerusalem. e mourns over te impenitent and te tougtless in te present day. e sends you invitations by my mout tis our. e invites you to ear and live, to forsake te way of te foolis, and go to te pats of understanding. As I live, e says, I ave no pleasure in te deat of im tat diet. Turn ye, turn ye, wy will ye die? O! reader, if you never came to Crist for life before, come to im tis very year. Come to im wit te penitent s prayer for mercy and grace. Come to im witout delay. Come to im wile te name of te new year is still strange to you. Come to im before te winter is past, and let te spring find you a new creature. If you are determined to ave te world, and te tings of te world, its pleasures and its rewards, its follies and its sins; if you must ave your own way, and cannot give up anyting for Crist and your soul; if tis be your case, tere is but one end before you. I fairly warn you. I plainly tell you. You will sooner or later come to te unquencable fire. But if any man is willing to be saved, te Lord Jesus Crist stands ready to save im. Come unto me, e says, weary soul, and I will give you rest. Come, guilty and sinful soul, and I will give you free pardon. Come, lost and ruined soul, and I will give you eternal life. O! reader, let tis message be a word in season. Arise and call upon te Lord. Let te angels of God rejoice over one more saved soul. Let te courts of eaven ear te good tidings tat one more lost seep is found. 4. Settle it down in your mind last of all tat if you ave committed your soul to Crist, Crist will never allow tat soul to peris. Te everlasting arms are round about you. Lean back in tem and know your safety. Te same and tat was nailed to te cross is olding you. Te same wisdom tat framed te eavens and te eart is engaged to maintain your cause. Te same power tat redeemed te tribes from te ouse of bondage is on your side. Te same love tat bore wit and carried Israel from Egypt to Canaan is pledged to keep you. A! reader, tey are well kept wom Crist keeps. Our fait may repose calmly on suc a bed as Crist s omnipotence. Take comfort, doubting believer. Wy are you cast down? Te love of Jesus is no summer-day fountain: no man ever yet saw its bottom. Te compassion of Jesus is a fire tat never yet burned low; te cold, gray ases of tat fire ave never yet been seen. Take comfort. In your own eart you may find little cause for rejoicing. But you may always rejoice in te Lord. You say your fait is so small. But were is it said tat none sall be saved except teir fait be great? And after all, wo gave tee any fait at all? Te very fact tat your ave any fait is a token for good. You say your sins are so many. But were is te sin, or eap of sins tat te blood of Jesus cannot was away? And after all, wo told tee tou adst any sins? Tat feeling never came from tyself. Blessed indeed is tat moter s cild wo really knows and feels tat e is a sinner. Take comfort, I say once more, if you ave really come to Crist. Take comfort, and know your privileges. Cast every care on Jesus. Tell every want to Jesus. Roll every burden on Jesus, sins, unbelief, doubts, fears, anxieties, lay tem all on Crist. e loves to see you doing so. e loves to be employed as your ig priest. e loves to be trusted. e loves to see is people ceasing from te vain effort to carry teir burdens for temselves. I commend tese tings to your notice. Only be among Crist s weat now, and ten as sure as te Bible is true, you sall be in Crist s garner ereafter. Reader, I eartily pray tat tis tract may do you good. If it does, I ave one request to make. Name te writer before te trone of grace. Pray for me. I remain, your affectionate friend, J. C. Ryle True and False (Continued from page 1) be wise for every reader to searc teir eart to determine weter or not tey are following te example of te true or te example of te false. II Peter 1:8-11 declares: For if tese tings be in you, and abound, tey make you tat ye sall neiter be barren nor unfruitful in te knowledge of our Lord Jesus Crist. But e tat lacket tese tings is blind, and cannot see afar off, and at forgotten tat e was purged from is old sins. Werefore te rater, bretren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do tese tings, ye sall never fall: For so an entrance sall be ministered unto you abundantly into te everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Crist. (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 TE DISCONTENTED ORSE-SOE A well-saped orse-soe, as it ung against te wall in a blacksmit s sop, bitterly complained of te ill-usage to wic it ad been subjected. No one, said te soe, in a wining tone, as endured te fiery trials troug wic I ave passed, witout any respite being allowed me. Te ard-earted sledge-ammer and anvil were my enemies, and between te two I was cruelly treated, and found no pity. I was beaten by tem unmercifully, and te blows I received at teir ands would ave killed an ox; as I said before, no one as endured te fiery trials troug wic I ave passed. old your foolis tongue, said a plougsare, wic ad been sent to be repaired, unless you can talk more wisely. Bot you and I ave been greatly benefited by te ordeal troug wic we ave passed, and are valued igly by tose wo once migt ave despised us. Once we were useless pieces of iron, but now you are a useful orse-soe, and I a plougsare. Tus seasonably admonised, te orse-soe became silent, and was never afterwards eard to complain. We seldom commit a greater error tan tat of repining at our trials and afflictions; for our eavenly Fater often renders tese te medium of is greatest mercies....no castening for te present seemet to be joyous, but grievous; neverteless afterward it yieldet te peaceable fruit of rigteousness unto tem wic are exercised tereby (eb. Gleanings for te Young & Old 12:11). Te complaining orse-soe, toug a fiction in te fable, is a fact wen applied to mankind, for multitudes of repiners ave become dumb, wen experience as proved te value of teir bitterest trials. Fear te Lord, love im, and trust im and ten, If properly improved, ty grief and pains And eaviest losses all will turn to gains; ope, peace, and joy from trouble will arise, To bless tee, and prepare tee for te skies. A CLAY POT Now, it don t matter a bit wat sort of clay a pot s made of, if wen it s been tried in te fire it turns out sound and rings well wen it s struck. If I m only common red ware, witout even a bit of glaze on me, and yet answer te purpose well for wic I m made, wy I m a good pot, ain t I, even if I only old water? But wat I ate is tis to see te pots tat we come against every day of our lives all on te grumble and murmur system, and never satisfied. Te pot of common clay wises e was glazed, and te glazed pot wises e was blue crockery, and te blue crock pot wises e was gilt, and te gilt pot ain t satisfied because e ain t cina; and one and all are regularly blind to te good tey ave temselves, and tink teir neigbors ave all te pleasures of tis world. All us pots need to learn tat, in watsoever state I am, terewit to be content (Pil. 4:11). LAME AND LAZY Two beggars, Lame and Lazy, were in want of bread. One leaned on is crutc, te oter reclined on is couc. Lame called on Carity, and umbly asked for a cracker. Instead of a cracker, e received a loaf. Lazy, seeing te gift of Carity, exclaimed, Wat, ask a cracker and receive a loaf? Well, I will ask for a loaf. Lazy now applied to Carity, and called for a loaf of bread. Your demanding a loaf, said Carity, proves you a loafer. You are of tat class and caracter wo ask and receive not; you ask amiss. Lazy, wo always found fault, and ad rater wine tan work, complained of ill treatment, and even accused Carity of a breac of an exceeding great and precious promise, Ask, and you sall receive. Carity pointed im to a painting in er room, wic presented to is vision tree personages, Fait, ope, and Carity. Carity appeared larger and fairer tan er sisters. e noticed tat er rigt and eld a pot of oney, wic fed a bee disabled, aving lost its wings. er left and was armed wit a wip to keep off te drones. Don t understand it, said Lazy. Carity replied, It means, tat Carity feeds te lame and flogs te lazy. Lazy turned to go. Stop, said Carity, instead of coin I will give you counsel. Do not go and live on your poor moter, for I will send you to a ric ant. Ric aunt? ecoed Lazy. Were sall I find er? You will find er in Proverbs, 6t capter and 6t verse. Moral. Instead of waiting and wising a ric uncle to die, go and see ow a ric ant lives. True and False (Continued from page 7) TE TRUE EXAMPLE SET FORT v. 17 Bretren, be followers togeter of me, and mark tem wic walk so as ye ave us for an ensample (Pil. 3:17). 1. Paul exorts te Pilippian believers to follow te example of piety and oliness tat e ad set before tem. Tis was not a self-rigteous boast, but rater an inspired exortation. Paul could make tis statement because e knew tat e was following God. e ad previously told te saints at Corint: Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Crist (I Cor. 11:1). Every true minister of te Gospel wo is wort is salt sould be able to onestly exort tose e ministers too to follow is example as e follows te Lord. If a man is not committed to following Crist and submitting to is claims e as no business standing beind te sacred desk and preacing. No preacer is perfect, but e must live an exemplary life before is earers so as not to bring reproac upon Crist or te ministry (Titus 1:6-9). 2. Paul s example and standard of piety is clearly outlined in te tird capter of Pilippians and it is certainly a testimony tat is worty of imitation because of is sincere desire to resemble Crist and please im in all tings. A true example of oliness is marked by...rejoicing in te Lord (v. 1); worsipping God in te spirit...and aving no confidence in te fles (v. 3); renouncing all te glamour and glory of te world...tat I may win Crist (v. 4-8); trusting only te rigteousness of Crist, desiring to be conformed to is (Continued on page 9)

9 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 True and False (Continued from page 8) image watever te cost, and be a partaker in te first resurrection (v. 9-11); and finally confessing our present imperfection but earnestly pressing toward te mark for te prize of te ig calling of God in Crist Jesus (v ). 3. Paul ten tells is readers tat tere were oters witin te Pilippian curc wose example was worty of imitation. e exorts tem to mark or look on tose wit a testimony of oliness and follow tem as tey follow te Lord. Witin every curc tere are generally two classes of members, tose wo desire to follow te Lord in faitfulness and tose wo are apatetic and indifferent to te claims of Crist. We sould set before our minds te best examples, and endeavor to imitate te most oly men and women. Proverbs 13:20 declares: e tat walket wit wise men sall be wise: but a companion of fools sall be destroyed. I like wat Albert Barnes wrote:...young Cristians sould set before teir minds for imitation, and associate wit, te purest and most spiritual members of te curc. Our religion takes its form and complexion muc from tose wit wom we associate; and e will usually be te most oly man wo associates wit te most oly companions. (1) 4. Tere is a oly responsibility set before every true cild of God in tis verse. Every genuine believer sould aspire to live so as to be te rigt kind of example to oters. Can we, wit Paul, onestly exort oters to follow our example because we are striving wit all our migt to follow and please te Lord? Let us never forget tat te eyes of oters are always upon us examining our way of life and testimony. May God elp all believers to recognize te solemn importance of being te rigt kind of example to oters. Are our attitudes, speec, dress, study abits, spiritual aspirations, and way of life bringing glory to te Lord and terefore worty of imitation? Or are we more concerned wit pleasing te world, catering to te fles, and compromising te trut? May God elp us all to searc our earts and enable us to obey te admonition of II Timoty 2:19 wic declares: Neverteless te foundation of God standet sure, aving tis seal, Te Lord knowet tem tat are is. And, Let every one tat namet te name of Crist depart from iniquity. TE FALSE EXAMPLE EXPOSED v (For many walk, of wom I ave told you often, and now tell you even weeping, tat tey are te enemies of te cross of Crist: Wose end is destruction, wose God is teir belly, and wose glory is in teir same, wo mind eartly tings) (Pil. 3:18-19). 1. Paul was never basful about exposing falseood. e ad faitfully warned te members of te Pilippian curc of te false teacers wo were promoting te pernicious errors of legalism on te one and and antinomianism on te oter. Every faitful minister must meet eresy ead on and warn oters of te dangers of being influenced by it. Just as te believers were to mark tose wo set fort an example of piety and oliness, tey were likewise to mark tose wo were guilty of perverting te trut. Romans 16:17-18 declares: Now I beseec you, bretren, mark tem wic cause divisions and offences contrary to te doctrine wic ye ave learned; and avoid tem. For tey tat are suc serve not our Lord Jesus Crist, but teir own belly; and by good words and fair speeces deceive te earts of te simple. 2. Tose wo were setting fort an example of impiety grieved te eart of te apostle. is eart was so affected by teir error tat it moved im to tears. Paul literally wept as e witnessed te ypocrisy of tose wo professed Crist but disonored is oly name by te way in wic tey lived. We sould likewise weep and be burdened for tose wo are false professors of Cristianity because tey bring reproac upon te name of te Altogeter Lovely One and tey are destroying teir own souls. O, tat we would be as tender earted as Paul was! Jeremia 9:1 states: 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! 3. Paul s weeping did not prevent im from faitfully exposing te true nature of te false professors of is day. e labels tem as enemies of te cross of Crist. Tey were promoting a religion of flesly trust, rater tan dependence upon te finised work of Jesus Crist. Te Judaizers were guilty of teacing salvation by works rater tan by free grace troug fait in te blood of Jesus. Anyone wo teaces tat salvation is troug works, eiter in wole or in part, is te worst sort of eretic and sould be exposed as suc. Tose wo despise te cross as te only means of acceptance wit God are not friends of Crist, but rater is enemies. It is sad, but true, tat in our day many wo profess to represent Jesus Crist are in reality revealed to be is enemies wen wat tey believe and practice are carefully examined in ligt of Scripture. True preacers sould follow te admonition of Titus 1:9 wic declares: olding fast te faitful word as e at been taugt, tat e may be able by sound doctrine bot to exort and to convince te gainsayers. 4. Doctrinal eresy usually is followed by immortality. Tese enemies of te cross were practicing antinomians wo set teir own standard of morality rater tan following God s laws and commands as a rule of conduct. Tey were idolaters wo were given over to te pursuit of flesly lusts and sensual gratification wose God is teir belly. Rater tan being asamed and convicted of teir sinful conduct tey gloried in teir same. It is sad indeed wen tose wo profess to know Crist glory in teir immortality. Tey will say tat tey are free and ave liberty to do as tey please because of teir supposed position of justification, but in reality tey are blinded by Satan and in bondage to sin. I tend to doubt te sincerity of anyone wo can consistently practice immortality witout being convicted. Genuine Cristian liberty is not te freedom to sin witout te consequence of condemnation, but rater te ability to bring fort fruits of oliness because of our justified position in Crist (Rom. 6:15-22). Tese false examples were also marked by minding eartly tings. Teir affections and desires were directed toward te tings of te world rater tan te tings of God. O, tat God would deliver is curces from te scourge of eartly idolaters wo glory in tat wic tey (Continued on page 11)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Te Noted Pastor By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama ave We Departed from Biblical Preacing Witout Realizing It? Sanctify tem troug ty trut: ty word is trut (Jon 17:17). It appens all too often. A preacer is invited to speak at a revival meeting or Bible conference. Te ope of te ost curc and pastor is tat te speaker will ignite a flame in te people of God to serve im wit more zeal. As te song service ends, e ascends into te pulpit wit Bible in and. Te crowd is prepared as e asks tem to open teir Bibles. Te curc reads along as a few verses are read verses inspired by te oly Spirit of God literally breated out by God (II Timoty 3:16). God as placed tese verses in te middle of context in te book. And e as placed te book into te middle of context witin te Bible as a wole. Tere is a full message contained in tis powerful passage maybe a weeklong series. Te foundation is prepared. Now te preacing commences. Wat appens next is puzzling. Te speaker focuses only on a word or two in a sentence. Noting is said of te setting of te passage. Noting is said of te main subject of te book. Noting is said of eiter te autor or te recipients. Noting is even mentioned concerning te point of te specific passage. It becomes apparent quickly tat te passage was not read as a foundational text. It was read because it contained a word or two tat te pastor needed to preac a sermon tat e ad in mind prior to ever locating te passage. It is as toug te speaker ad a tougt, a message, if you will, and ten located a passage simply to use as a springboard for is own tougts. And oddly, following te sermon, te people are awed and amazed tat a man can preac suc a powerful sermon from only two words. But tat is not Biblical preacing. It is not te way te Word of God sould be approaced. We, as pastors, become little more tan motivational speakers wen we sow suc disdain for te text of God s Word. Now, do not misunderstand. Tis message may be rater full of Biblical trut maybe. But tat does not justify suc a flippant use of God s Word. We must realize tat a passage (or in tis case, part of a passage) can never mean to us today wat it did not mean to te original audience. Tere is one meaning of a Bible text and only one. Tat is te meaning tat God breated out troug te original autor to is intended audience. We ave no leeway and no rigt, if you will, to use te passage oterwise. And wy would we? In is ig priestly prayer, Jesus said, Sanctify tem troug ty trut: ty word is trut. If we are to be sanctified, it must be wit trut. Were do we find trut? We find it in God s Word te Bible. And lest we misunderstand, tis means God s Word as originally intended to te original audience in context. It does not mean you ave your interpretation and I ave mine and tat is OK. It is not OK. We may bot be wrong. Terefore, we must do our absolute best to find God s message troug te text of Scripture. Study to sew tyself approved unto God, a workman tat needet not to be asamed, rigtly dividing te word of trut (II Tim. 2:15). Preacer, if you ave a Biblical message, tere will be a passage tat teaces it. If your main idea must pull passages and prases out of teir context for proof, ten your main idea is not Biblical and it needs to be discarded. Te Bible is not a book written in some mysterious way wereby we must searc and searc for a idden meaning. Te Bible is written in plain language tat we can understand. I do not mean tat some truts are not difficult to wrap your ead around. Tat is not te point at all. But we can understand te words on te page. We do not need to spend great amounts of time trying to draw out new truts. If you are aving difficulty finding a passage tat teaces your point, you probably ave a point tat needs muc more consideration. It may even be tat your message is unscriptural. Let me stress once more, if you ave a Biblical message, tere will be a passage to preac it from, and a passage full of context, wic carried te same meaning to te original audience, tat you are trying to convey to te congregation you are speaking to. Wen we rip passages kicking and screaming out of teir context, we are not preacing te Word. We are using te Word to promote our own tougts. We, as preacers, need to understand fully tat te message of te Biblical text is far more beneficial to a congregation tan our own ideas and tougts. Preacers need to ide beind te text of te Bible. We need to make sure tat te text is doing te speaking. We need to make sure tat te Bible is foundational in our preacing. Paul told Timoty, I carge tee terefore before God, and te Lord Jesus Crist, wo sall judge te quick and te dead at is appearing and is kingdom; Preac te word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exort wit all longsuffering and doctrine. For te time will come wen tey will not endure sound doctrine; but after teir own lusts sall tey eap to temselves teacers, aving itcing ears; And tey sall turn away teir ears from te trut, and sall be turned unto fables (II Tim. 4:1-4). Tis is te preacer s carge. We, as curc leaders, need to open te Bibles to te people muc like tey did in te days of Neemia. So tey read in te book in te law of God distinctly, and gave te sense, and caused tem to understand te reading (Ne. 8:8). Simple, rigt? Read te Bible and tell te people wat it means. Tis is te same idea Paul stressed to Timoty. Wy did Paul stress so strongly tat Timoty (and all preacers, for tat matter) needed to preac te word? We are not left in te dark ere. We need to preac te Word because te time is coming wen people will not endure sound doctrine. By te autority of tis text, if pastors andle te Word of God in a flippant sort of way, te congregation will ultimately turn away teir ears from te trut, and sall be turned unto fables. It is impossible for an assembly of believers to view te Word of God as a book wic merely proves our own tougts witout departing from te trut. And it is te duty of pastors to make sure te curc as great respect for te Word of God. Tis is not done, necessarily, (Continued on page 11)

11 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Te Noted Pastor (Continued from page 10) by standing to reverence te book or by defending a manuscript tradition. Tis is done by te repetitive preacing of te Word of God, week after week after week, year after year after year. Only wen te Word of God is approaced in tis way will te congregation ave te proper respect for te Word of God. Only ten will we understand rigtly tat, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rigteousness: Tat te man of God may be perfect, trougly furnised unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16-17). Preacer, if you want to mature te people God as placed you over, you must teac tem te Bible. Tis will never be done by using a word or two to preac a 45-minute sermon full of your own ideas even if many of tose ideas are Scriptural. Suc an approac will only furter te idea tat te Bible is just tere to support our own tougts. And a curc tat views te Bible in tis way is doomed to turn away from listening to te trut. We know tis because God s Word is trut trut tat God uses to sanctify is people. We, as curc leaders, must preac te text of Scripture. We must preac it as intended to te original audience. We must preac it in context. We must make te meaning clear. Only wen we do tis are we faitfully laboring as God as called us to. And only ten can we be assured tat te curc we ave been called to lead will be grounded in te trut. True and False (Continued from page 9) sould be asamed of! I agree wit B.. Carroll, te Texas Baptist of te nineteent century, wo wrote: I do not know any worse enemies to te cross of Crist tan te Antinomians...To me te most orrible ting in te world is for a man to profess belief in te ig doctrines of grace and ten live an evil life. God calls men to good works; God regenerates men, creates tem unto good works, and wom e calls e not only justifies but sanctifies, and I am sure tat te unsanctified man will never enter eaven. (1) 5. Paul makes it clear tat te enemies of te cross are eading for certain judgment by stating Wose end is destruction. Tose wo are trusting in teir own fles or living immoral lives sould not expect to reac eaven at last. Yet, tere are literally multitudes of men and women wo make some sort of profession of religion wo ave deceived temselves into tinking tat tey are alrigt. Proverbs 14:12 is a solemn warning for all false professors of religion: Tere is a way wic seemet rigt unto a man, but te end tereof are te ways of deat. A mere profession of fait witout any evidence of piety and oliness is vain and wortless. ebrews 12:14 makes tis clear by stating: Follow peace wit all men, AND OLINESS, WITOUT WIC NO MAN SALL SEE TE LORD (emp. TR). Wat terror will strike te eart of all false professors of religion wen tey stand before Jesus Crist and ear im pronounce teir sentence of eternal judgment by saying: I never knew you: depart from me, ye tat work iniquity (Matt. 7:23). TE FOCUS AND OPE OF A TRUE EXAMPLE v For our conversation is in eaven; from wence also we look for te Saviour, te Lord Jesus Crist: Wo sall cange our vile body, tat it may be fasioned like unto is glorious body, according to te working wereby e is able even to subdue all tings unto imself (Pil. 3:20-21). 1. Te true example of a Cristian testimony is very muc unlike te false example set by te false professors of religion in several respects. Tose wo are truly saved ave a ig and oly citizensip in eaven. Teir names were written in te Lamb s Book of Life before te foundation of te world in te decree of election (Rev. 13:8; 17:8). Tey are positionally seated in eavenly places in Crist Jesus and entitled to all spiritual blessings tat flow from union to im (Ep. 1:3; 2:6). Tey ave gladly submitted to te laws of eaven as loyal citizens committed to obeying and following Jesus Crist. Teir affections are focused upon eavenly tings as Colossians 3:1-2 declares: If ye ten be risen wit Crist, seek tose tings wic are above, were Crist sittet on te rigt and of God. Set your affection on tings above, not on tings on te eart. 2. In every respect te genuine believer is diametrically opposed to te enemies of te cross by virtue of is calling and conduct. Te false professors were still under te dominion of Satan and citizens of a world tat is in opposition to God. Te genuine Cristian, on te oter and, is united to Crist and as been translated out of te darkness of Satan s kingdom into te kingdom of God s dear Son (Col. 1:13). Te false professor continues to mind eartly tings, wereas te true believer confesses e is a pilgrim and a stranger in tis world and is longing to be transported into te land of glory. Praise God if you are one of tose of wom it can be said For our conversation is in eaven Te owner of a true testimony of Cristianity also is looking for te coming of te Lord Jesus Crist. is ome is not set upon te world and its wealt. Rater, e is found anxiously anticipating and longing for te day wen Jesus comes again to deliver im from te presence of sin. Tis as been te expected ope of te saints of God ever since Jesus ascended into eaven after is resurrection. 4. Te reason wy te believer is intently Looking for tat blessed ope, and te glorious appearing of te great God and our Saviour Jesus Crist (Titus 2:13) is because of te glorious transformation tat will occur at tat moment in time. Wen Jesus returns in te air all believers are going to experience te cange of glorification wen teir vile body of sin and umiliation will be excanged for a glorious body of incorruption and immortality. I Corintians 15:51-53 declares: Beold, I sew you a mystery; We sall not all sleep, but we sall all be canged, In a moment, in te twinkling of an eye, at te last trump: for te trumpet sall sound, and te dead sall be raised incorruptible, and we sall be canged. For tis corruptible must put on incorruption, and tis mortal must put on immortality. 5. Wat is even more amazing is tat every believer will be entirely conformed to te image of Jesus (Continued on page 15)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Wat Old Testament propet best compares to your ministry as a pastor (i.e. are you a Jona or an Elija)? Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Tat is really a big leap, to compare our ministries to te Bible eroes of yore. Te propets of God ad a sanctified responsibility to proclaim God s Word to te people of teir generation, and it is a very sobering tougt, tat we pastors ave te same accountability to our God and our flocks tat e as given us carge of in Sela! Tink about it! As I compiled a list of te Old Testament saints, and made notations of wat migt summate teir ministries, I did find some kindred spirit and circumstances between tem and my pastorate ere at Big Creek Baptist Curc. I do not believe tat any preacer s ministry is completely confined to is flock, but also to te community environment and lost circumstances tat our curces find ourselves witnessing unto. Isaac is te first propet tat I found I could relate somewat unto. aving to follow in is fater s footsteps would ave been a difficult callenge. is fater was Abraam, te fater of te faitful! ow could Isaac ave ever lived up to tat? As I ave grown older, I ave constantly been amazed at te strengt and faitfulness of my fater, Elder Dan Stepp. And wile e may not ave te world-wide acclaim of fater Abraam, Daniel Stepp is te fles and blood saint tat I ave come to trust for wisdom, fait, and love for our Lord Jesus Crist. Following my fater, as e followed Crist, as been a callenge, but wat a blessing for me, as I am sure it was for Isaac (Gen. 26:24, I Kings 3:7-9, Lev. 19:3). In some of te same ecoes of inadequacy, I found myself feeling like Josua, too. Wat big soes I ave ad to fill ere at Big Creek Baptist Curc. Te pastors gone on before were oly servants of God, like Moses ad been. Josua was used to just being a elper, and tat is all I ever imagined myself to be wen I taugt te adult Bible class at eritage Landmark Baptist Curc, were my fater, and ten broter Elder Benjamin Stepp pastored. To feel, and ten to know te call of te Lord to pastor one of is precious bodies, was a daunting feeling. I was able to take comfort wit Josua, in our great God, to be able to fill te soes of Elders Clyde ancock, George Serman, Mike Cannell, Doyal Tomas, and Bobby Lakes among oters. I can not be tem, any more tan Josua could be a Moses, but our God is able to use us in our own unique ways to still fulfill is decrees and exort te people of God (Jos.1:5-9). I guess I can not leave out Amos. Amos, te erdsman of Tekoa, e identifies imself. Not as Paul te apostle, nor as Solomon te king. Just a seperd, rancer, or farmer. No public scooling, unlearned like te fiserman Crist surrounded imself wit in Galilee, but taugt by Crist, imself. If Amos were used of God to utter Tus sait te LORD, I also ave found tat God does not care about my background as installer for Stepp & Sons Garage Doors, and I ave not te ability to quenc te fire of God s Word in my bones, (yes, Jeremia, too!). In fact, te Lord rejoices to use my baseness, to exalt is own oliness (I Cor. 1:26-31). I tougt I was going to use Jeremia as a kindred minister in a time wen God was arsly judging is beloved Juda/my beloved America, as recently as October of last year, But wen God performed a miracle on Election Day, and as continued to sow is mercy in so many ways since, tat point toward a possible reprieve of sorts, I ave incorporated also, Isaia (1:18-20). Sort of a calm before te storm. Unquestionably te judgment is certain and coming, but maybe not as imminent as I ad feared. Isaia and I are looking for te coming Messia to rescue us (PreTrib!) from te inescapable verdict of deat upon tis world, and te time may be sort, but let us be about te work of proclaiming te Lord Jesus Crist wile we yet ave a day or two to serve. Jeremia, Isaia, and I must make known A relevant God! Surprisingly to me, Mica migt be te propet tat best corresponds to my ministry. is book could be titled: An Exortation to Be a Good Servant in Evil Times (6:8). Tat is wat my ministry summed up feels like. A pastor needs to exort is flock to be oly, and to be aware of te dangers, but also point tem toward ope, victory and te Lord Saviour of te World! May we all continue to be about tat labor. Preac te Gospel and ceris te trut eld by is peculiar people! 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 I would ave to say tat Moses, Jona, and Jeremia compare to my ministry. I say tis about Moses (Exodus 3 and 4) and Jeremia (Jer. 1:6) because tey bot made excuses for not wanting to be te one to speak unto God s cosen people. Moses ad a temper I believe, wic at one point e lost wen e smote te rock. I, too, ave a temper but ave never lost my temper wit any of God s people, but I ave been close. And Moses made many excuses to convince God e was not te man for te job. is main excuse was a question to God Wo am I? (Ex. 3:11). My question was similar! Tis timid, stammering, reluctant Moses went away from tat burning bus to become te great emancipator of God s people and leader of a great nation. Tis same man wo began by asking, Wo am I? is last seen in Scripture on te Mount of Transfiguration amidst te glory of Jesus imself. I was timid, stammering, and reluctant. I am still tat way today, but wen God called me to preac, I used all te excuses I could tink of. Now, I am not nearly te man Moses was, I am not worty, just a worm of te eart, and was not fit to carry (Continued on page 14)

13 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page Wit te Muslim religion being te fastest growing currently in te world, could it also be te one world religion spoken of during te tribulation? It seems to be taking over everywere, even in parts of America. 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 Muslim religion is growing. As of 2012 te estimated aderents to Islam were 1.6 billion split into two factions, Sunni and Siite. Te same year estimated tat tere were 2.2 billion under te umbrella of Cristianity, but tat number is not really accurate. I would estimate tat is really a muc smaller minority witin te umbrella of Cristianity wo are genuinely saved followers of te Lord Jesus Crist. Te bulk of wat most people would define as Cristianity would be tose wo belong to te Roman or Greek Ortodox Catolic Curc and te various Protestant sects tat trace teir existence back to Rome. Witout getting into te weeds of an escatological dissertation, I believe tat te Anticrist is a real person wo will be revealed during te Tribulation Period, immediately after te Rapture of te saints (I Tess. 4:13-18; II Tess. 2:1-12). e will be aided by te ministry of te False Propet, wo I believe will be woever te Pope is at te time. Tey will combine forces to ead up te global religion and lead teir aderents to persecute te Jews and any people wo are converted during te Tribulation Period wo will refuse to take te mark of te Beast (Rev. 13:12-18). I am of te old scool of interpreters wo see tat te Roman Catolic Curc is te Moter of arlots revealed in Revelation 17, wose commercial interests and spiritual influence are worldwide. I preaced a series of messages entitled Not Cristian as an exposé of te errors of Romanism in February and Marc of Wat I found interesting is tat tere are many tenets and practices of Roman Catolicism tat are duplicated in Islam, and vice versa. Terefore, I do not tink it will be tat muc of a leap to believe tat Romanism and Islam will combine forces during te Tribulation under te direction of te Anticrist. Troug te centuries tey bot ave a istory of persecuting tose wo do not believe teir errors. Tey bot believe in works salvation. Tey bot are governed by singular rulers wo are deified by teir aderents. Tey bot believe in some form of coercion and intimidation to advance teir religion. I tink it is interesting to note tat te current Pope is making an ecumenical effort to appeal to Protestants and Muslims alike. I am not saying te current Pope is te False Propet. I do not believe in trying to fit every current event into a propetic fulfillment. I do tink tat Islam will come under te umbrella of te Anticrist and te False Propet during te Tribulation, so in some sense tey will compromise wit te one world religion led by te Pope. TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV And te angel of te LORD said unto er, I will multiply ty seed exceedingly, tat it sall not be numbered for multitude. Beold, tou art wit cild, and salt bear a son, and salt call is name Ismael; And e will be a wild man; is and will be against every man, and every man s and against im; and e sall dwell in te presence of all is bretren (Gen. 16:10-12). Ismael, according to tis direct propecy, will be te fater of te Arabs, wandering wild men, in eternal conflict wit oter nations, tat will not go away from is bretren s presence until te end of te Great Tribulation, at te end of time. Sela! Tink about it! Tree reasons wy te Arabs, and teir primary religion of Islam, instituted by Muammad ( AD) will NOT be te one world religion of te Anti- Crist: 1) Muslims are not very tolerant, ecumenical-type worsippers. Too many peoples and religions are/will be eiter a) Anti-Muslim because of teir arrogant infidel proclamations or b) resist because te Muslims ave made tem a target of teir Jiad persecution, sowing no desire to ecumenicalize tese factions. Tis is evident as a fulfillment of te Angel s propecy to agar: is and will be against every man, and every man s and against im (Gen. 16:12). Te Arabs and Muslims will ALWAYS be at odds wit te rest of te world. God as stated tusly. 2) Te one world religion will incorporate modern Cristianity in its body, wic Islam is really INCAPABLE of, And I eard anoter voice from eaven, saying, Come out of er, my people, tat ye be not partakers of er sins, and tat ye receive not of er plagues (Rev. 18:4). In tis propecy of te judgment of te Great Wore, te Spiritual religion of te Anti-Crist, God gives departure warning to te saved people tat migt be in er midst! So evidently, some semblance of Cristianity is REQUIRED of tis pervasive religion, taking in citizens of every rank and denomination. Some ave called Pope Francis te Protestant Pope, in tat e is paving te way for Catolicism to re-assimilate er arlot daugters in te future. Tat leads to 3) Te appellations wore/arlot speak of apostasy, not rivalry or even paganism, wic is te categories tat Islam must fall under....come iter; I will sew unto tee te judgment of te great wore tat sittet upon many waters: Wit wom te kings of te eart ave committed fornication, and te inabitants of te eart ave been made drunk wit te wine of er fornication. and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blaspemy, aving seven eads and ten orns. And te woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked wit gold and precious stones and pearls, aving a golden cup in er and full of abominations and filtiness of er fornication: And upon er foreead was (Continued on page 14)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) God s Word to is people, but e gave me everyting I needed to do te work e called me to do as e did Moses. I am still not worty, te worst of te worst, but it is by God s Sovereign Grace tat I am able to do wat I do. Jeremia said e was just a cild. I feel like a cild tat knows noting at all. But again, by te grace of God and te leading of te oly Spirit I am able. Jeremia ad to speak toug words to God s people and I feel I do te same, I speak wat God says, I do not try and sugarcoat it. Jeremia was in te midst of false propets. I am in te midst of 17 so-called (false) curces tat do not preac te trut. But te one I really can relate to is Jona. Tere was only one Jona but certain tings e did I ave also done. Wen te Lord called me to te ministry I did not want anyting to do wit it (still do not in many ways). I ran for four years, trying to convince God and myself tat I was te wrong guy. I could no more get up in front of people ten te man in te moon and ad not te tongue to speak as Moses argued. Also, I sometimes get upset tat we preac and preac te Gospel for long periods were no one is saved. I ave argued wit God (does not do me any good) and say I know you are not going to save everyone so wy do you not just send your elect to ave te Gospel preaced to tem? Jona got upset wit God because e knew God would eventually destroy Nineve. But at tis time God wanted salvation for tis generation of Ninevites. Ten I ave to stop and realize I do not know wo is elect are and e will bring tem to te saving knowledge of Jesus Crist in is time and tose tat e cose before te foundation of te world will be saved. So as it was wit Jona, God questions me Doest tou well to be angry (Jona 4:4)? And I ave to always answer no! I am sure tere are oter tings, but tis sould suffice to answer te questioner s question. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O I wis I could even be in te conversation as being like one of te propets of te Old Testament. Witout trying to sound falsely umble or overly modest, I fear tat I am not nearly as devoted, courageous, spiritual, or powerful in preacing as tose men of God were. In fact, as I pondered tis question I began to get convicted of te many deficiencies I see in my ministry. I would love to always be as bold as Natan was wen e rebuked David (II Sam. 12:7-14), or as fearless as Elija was wen e slew te propets of Baal (I Kings 18:15-40). Sadly, tere ave been times wen I ave been as melancoly as Elija wen e took refuge under te juniper bus (I Kings 19:3-8). I know tat I ave been separated and consecrated to te work of te ministry by Divine appointment as Jeremia was (Jer. 1:4-6). Tere ave been times wen I get in a rut, or feel sorry for myself, tat I ave to repent of my selfisness and recognize God s call on my life and te purpose for wic I ave been called, to glorify God! In tose times I can say wit Jeremia: But is word was in mine eart as a burning fire sut up in my bones ( Jer. 20:9). Tank God tat e always brings me back were I sould be, preacing te Word in season and out of season. I pray tat God will give me a burden and concern for sinners like e did Jeremia wo often wept over te wicked wo rejected te Word. I ave often admired te discipline, consecration, spiritual discernment, and fait of Daniel. e was a captive in Babylon but e would not allow is eart to be captivated by te worldly wickedness and idolatry of Babylon. e stayed true to God no matter wo te eartly ruler was. e prayed just as faitfully wen e knew te consequences would be spending a nigt in te den of lions. God trusted Daniel wit some of te most important propetic declarations in te Word. We used to sing a song in Vacation Bible Scool, Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand Alone! Yet e was never alone, te presence and power of God was always wit im. In te days in wic we live were so many ave forsaken te ouse of God and te tings of God, I pray tat God will give me grace to preac wit boldness like e did aggai of old: Consider your ways (ag. 1:5-11). God did a migty work and stirred te people to repent, obey, and do te work of te Lord. ow I long to see God stir up is people in our day to be entirely devoted to te work of te Lord and te glory of is name! I realize I ave not answered te question in a precise manner. I find myself desiring to emulate te good qualities of te propets, but identifying more wit teir collective flaws. My ultimate desire is to be conformed to te image of te Propet Moses wrote of: I will raise tem up a Propet from among teir bretren, like unto tee, and will put my words in is mout: and e sall speak unto tem all tat I sall command im (Deut. 18:18). O, to be more like Crist! O, to be entirely devoted to im and te Word e as called me to preac in is name! May God stir all te preacers, elders, and pastors e as called to proclaim te trut wit te power of te oly Spirit, and a burden to serve and minister to te lost and te saved in tese last days. TOM ROSS Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON TE GREAT, TE MOTER OF ARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF TE EART. And I saw te woman drunken wit te blood of te saints, and wit te blood of te martyrs of Jesus (Rev. 17:1-6). Te Roman Catolic curc fits te propesies as perfectly now, as tey did in te Dark Ages wen tey atrociously persecuted our AnaBaptist forefaters (and moters). A religious city on seven ills tat reigns over te kings of te Eart? No Islam city or cief potentate can fulfill te position like te Roman Catolic curc and er infallible pope! Revelation 13:11-16 sows te rise of te false propet, te tird part of te unoly triumverate of Satan, te Anti-Crist, and te Pope. e will be capable of calling down fire from eaven, and great (Continued on page 15)

15 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #2 (Continued from page 14) signs and wonders, tat Jesus Crist predicted in Mattew 24:24, et al. Sela! Tink about it! Te one world religion is tied by propecy inextricably wit te one world government of te End Times. Rome and a future revived Roman Empire is wat te books of Daniel and Revelation are unmistakably referencing. Isaia 47 is a parallel passage wit Revelation 18, were te queen of eaven is destroyed in one day, even one our. Daniel s propecies from capter 7 to te end of is book ave multiplied references to Rome and te fourt empire tat will return wit even deadlier destruction. Concerning Islam, I believe it is going to continue to gain influence, but tat power will be wielded by te king of te sout, as te four corners of te eart trow teir armies at Jerusalem in te End Time battles. From te nort will come Magog (Russia), te east will send Cina, te west te revived Roman Empire, and te sout, te ordes of Arabs/Islam. But te second advent of Jesus Crist will overtrow te dark powers of tis eart wit a resounding victory tat terminates te Battle of Armageddon (Rev , Joel 1-3, Zec , etc) and users in te ascendancy of is personal 1000-year Millennial Reign. 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 I will answer no to tis question. Muslim religion is not, or will not, become te one world religion. Wy I believe tis is as follows. First, I believe te same as Baptists ave believed for centuries tat te one world curc is te Great Wore found in Revelation 17 and 18. Of course we are talking about te Catolic Curc and er arlot daugters (Rev. 17:1) And tere came one of te seven angels wic ad te seven vials, and talked wit me, saying unto me, Come iter; I will sew unto tee te judgment of te great wore tat sittet upon many waters (Rev. 17:1). And upon er foreead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON TE GREAT, TE MOTER OF ARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF TE EART (Rev. 17:5). Second, Muslims are te descendants of Ismael. After Abraam cast out agar and Ismael, God promised agar tat e would make Ismael a great nation. And God eard te voice of te lad; and te angel of God called to agar out of eaven, and said unto er, Wat ailet tee, agar? fear not; for God at eard te voice of te lad were e is. Arise, lift up te lad, and old im in tine and; for I will make im a great nation (Gen. 21:17-18). From tat we ave te Arab nation or Ismaelites (eventually Islam). Now I ave not studied tis to te fullest but it is wat I believe and it is very controversial. But tis is wy bot Jews and Arabs ave been figting over te land over tere for tousands of years because te Arabs (Ismaelites) claim tat Abraam is teir fater also. Again tis is very controversial, but it is wat I believe! Wit tat said, tere are no arlot daugters of te Arab (Islam) fait tat I know of. But te great wore, te Catolic Curc as many arlot daugters wic I believe are all te curces tat are te reformed curces tat came out of te reformation, te ones tat ave come out of te Catolic Curc and brougt many of er teacings wit tem. Tey are Luterans, Presbyterians, Metodists, etc. But te main reason I believe tat Muslims cannot be te one world religion is because of te Dome of te Rock (an Islamic srine) tat now sits on te site were te Temple tat Solomon built once was. In Jerusalem, it will be replaced by te rebuilding of te Temple tat was destroyed by te Romans in 70 A.D. I will not take te time ere to go into details, all one as to do is searc te Internet or go to te library, or get a Bible dictionary and look it up. I will close wit tis; Baptists believe tat capters of te book of Ezekiel tell us tat te temple will be rebuilt during te start of te seven-year tribulation period. Tis is were te anticrist will attempt to sit. But is reign will be sort-lived. Most Muslims view te movement for te building of a Tird Temple on te Temple Mount as an affront to Islam due to te presence of te Al-Aqsa Mosque and te Dome of te Rock in te stead of te former oly Temple. Today te area is regarded by te majority of Muslims as te tird oliest site in Islam. Furtermore, te mosque and te srine ave been on te mountain for a greater lengt of time tan te Temples were. Tus, Muslims [wic?] are resolute in calling for recognition of teir exclusive rigts over te site and demand tat it be wolly transferred to Muslim sovereignty; furtermore, some Muslims deny any association wit te Mount to te former Jewis Temples wic stood at te site. (copied from te Internet). Again tis is very controversial, but I believe te Bible to be very clear on te matter. Te one world religion will be a Cristian based religion (false religion) and peace will be establised by te anticrist but oly terror will be on te face of all te eart and many will be deceived. Muslims want to see all Cristians anniilated. So, dear reader, I ave told you wy I believe Muslims will not be te one world religion, you decide! God Bless! ROGER REED True and False (Continued from page 11) Crist as revealed in Pilippians 3:21. Wat a glorious excange, our body of sin and corruption for a body like unto te Lord Jesus Crist s! No wonder Jon exclaimed: Beloved, now are we te sons of God, and it dot not yet appear wat we sall be: but we know tat, wen e sall appear, we sall be like im; for we sall see im as e is (I Jon 3:2). Our earts sould beat wit oly anticipation for te glorious day wen we sall be delivered from our present state of sin to inerit te joys of glory. O, ow I long for te day wen I sall be eternally canged so as to never again commit or even tink about a sinful act. I long to see te One wo loved me and gave imself for me, so tat I can worsip im trougout eternity in te perfection of purity. 6. Te glorification described in (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 True and False (Continued from page 15) tese verses will be accomplised by te almigty power of God. Just as God subdued our stubborn nature and slew te natural enmity of our will wen e saved us, e will exercise tat same power wen e glorifies us and puts away our flesly nature for ever. Noting less tan te seer power of te Lord could accomplis te task of completely conforming us to te oly image of Jesus Crist. Because God predestinated every believer to be conformed to te image of is Son we can say wit Paul: Being confident of tis very ting, tat e wic at begun a good work in your will perform it until te day of Jesus Crist (Pil. 1:6). Wat we could not accomplis in a lifetime, our omnipotent God will accomplis in a moment, in te twinkling of an eye. We sould be umbled and amazed as we consider te awesome power of te God wo as saved us and wo will one day glorify us! Certainly we owe it to im to live oly lives as citizens of eaven, setting fort an example of godliness tat is true to te standards of Scripture! Bearing Witness (Continued from page 1) sape. And ye ave not is word abiding in you: for wom e at sent, im ye believe not. Searc te scriptures; for in tem ye tink ye ave eternal life: and tey are tey wic testify of me. And ye will not come to me, tat ye migt ave life. I receive not onour from men. But I know you, tat ye ave not te love of God in you. I am come in my Fater s name, and ye receive me not: if anoter sall come in is own name, im ye will receive. ow can ye believe, wic receive onour one of anoter, and seek not te onour tat comet from God only? Do not tink tat I will accuse you to te Fater: tere is one tat accuset you, even Moses, in wom ye trust. For ad ye believed Moses, ye would ave believed me: for e wrote of me. But if ye believe not is writings, ow sall ye believe my words (Jon 5:31-47)? Wen te Lord Jesus Crist took upon im fles, e inabited te world of men, and e sielded te glory tat was is in eaven, and e mixed and mingled, in a umble fasion, wit te men and women wo were a part of te Creation tat e ad made, and for wic e was responsible. And yet, as God manifest in te fles, te deity and te glory of Jesus Crist could not be utterly id, and would not be sielded in its entirety. During te course of is eartly ministry tere were some ways in wic e and is glory were revealed. During (and after) te course of is eartly ministry tere were witnesses wo proclaimed and asserted te person, te glory, and te mission of Jesus Crist. Our text uses Jon te Baptist as an example: Tere is anoter tat bearet witness of me; and I know tat te witness wic e witnesset of me is true. Ye sent unto Jon, and e bare witness unto te trut. But I receive not testimony from man: but tese tings I say, tat ye migt be saved. e was a burning and a sining ligt: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in is ligt (Jon 5:32-35). Let us consider some ways in wic Crist is made known to te world some persons and means tat bear witness of Jesus Crist. TE WORKS OF CRIST Toug te Lord Jesus Crist did not often use plain words to claim is deity and is identity as Saviour of te world, te works tat e performed did daily proclaim im and is person and commission. Te works tat e did could not ave been performed by any oter tan te Son of God; te duty and te responsibility tat e came to perform, could not ave been accomplised by any oter tan te ordained Saviour of men. We already noticed tat Jon te Baptist was a renowned witness of Jesus Crist. Notice te words of Jesus Crist in our text passage: But I ave greater witness tan tat of Jon: for te works wic te Fater at given me to finis, te same works tat I do, bear witness of me, tat te Fater at sent me (Jon 5:36). Te works of Jesus Crist were an evidence of is Godood and mission. Te works of Jesus Crist were an even greater witness tan tat wic Jon te Baptist afforded. Ten came te Jews round about im, and said unto im, ow long dost tou make us to doubt? If tou be te Crist, tell us plainly. Jesus answered tem, I told you, and ye believed not: te works tat I do in my Fater s name, tey bear witness of me (Jon 10:24-25). If I do not te works of my Fater, believe me not. But if I do, toug ye believe not me, believe te works: tat ye may know, and believe, tat te Fater is in me, and I in im (Jon 10:37-38). Jesus Crist went about doing good. Jesus Crist went about saying words, and doing works, tat no oter man could say or do. And from tence e arose, and went into te borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an ouse, and would ave no man know it: but e could not be id (Mark 7:24). GOD TE FATER Our text passage also reminds us tat te Fater in eaven was a witness to te person of te Lord and Saviour, Jesus Crist. And te Fater imself, wic at sent me, at borne witness of me. Ye ave neiter eard is voice at any time, nor seen is sape. And ye ave not is word abiding in you: for wom e at sent, im ye believe not (Jon 5:37-38). Wen God te Fater lays claim to a person and a work, wat furter proof do men need? Wo greater to bear witness of Jesus Crist, ten te very God and Fater of all? Jesus said, I am come in my Fater s name, and ye receive me not: if anoter sall come in is own name, im ye will receive (Jon 5:43). And lo a voice from eaven, saying, Tis is my beloved Son, in wom I am well pleased (Matt. 3:17). Wile e yet spake, beold, a brigt cloud oversadowed tem: and beold a voice out of te cloud, wic said, Tis is my beloved Son, in wom I am well pleased; ear ye im (Matt. 17:5). Fater, glorify ty name. Ten came tere a voice from eaven, saying, I ave bot glorified it, and will glorify it again. Te people terefore, tat stood by, and eard it, said tat it tundered: oters said, An angel spake to im. Jesus answered and said, Tis voice came not because of me, but for your sakes (Jon 12:28-30). I know tat te Scriptures do tell us tat te Son of God did bear witness of imself. But, in a sense, tis, too, was te witness (Continued on page 17)

17 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Bearing Witness (Continued from page 16) of God te Fater since te two are inseparable. Ten spake Jesus again unto tem, saying, I am te ligt of te world: e tat followet me sall not walk in darkness, but sall ave te ligt of life. Te Parisees terefore said unto im, Tou bearest record of tyself; ty record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto tem, Toug I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know wence I came, and witer I go; but ye cannot tell wence I come, and witer I go. Ye judge after te fles; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and te Fater tat sent me. It is also written in your law, tat te testimony of two men is true. I am one tat bear witness of myself, and te Fater tat sent me bearet witness of me. Ten said tey unto im, Were is ty Fater? Jesus answered, Ye neiter know me, nor my Fater: if ye ad known me, ye sould ave known my Fater also. Tese words spake Jesus in te treasury, as e taugt in te temple: and no man laid ands on im; for is our was not yet come (Jon 8:12-20). TE WORD OF GOD Te oly Scriptures bear witness from beginning to end, from front cover to back cover of te person and work of Jesus Crist. Te Old Testament saints propesied of, and believed in te coming of te Saviour. Te writings of tese men te inspired writings wic we ave contained in te oly Bible bear witness of a Saviour and God manifest in te fles. In te New Testament, we ave furter writings of men wic are inspired by te oly Spirit, wic proclaim te Saviour, and identify im as Jesus te Crist. Te Word of God, in fact, is meant to point men s attention to Jesus Crist. Jesus Crist, imself, is known as Te Word of God. Men must ear of im, and must believe in im, in order for any to be saved. Te Word of God presents Jesus Crist bearing witness of im as te only ope and te only Saviour of men. And yet, men will refuse im, and neglect im, and even ridicule im and is Word. In our text passage, te Lord Jesus Crist spoke to te Jews tis way: And ye ave not is word abiding in you: for wom e at sent, im ye believe not. Searc te scriptures; for in tem ye tink ye ave eternal life: and tey are tey wic testify of me (Jon 5:38-39). Witin our text passage, te Lord Jesus Crist makes mention of Moses, wo penned te Pentateuc, and wom te Jews revered. Te Lord Jesus Crist told te Jews tat tis man, Moses, witnessed of is coming, and of is salvation tat e would accomplis on bealf of tose wo are ordained unto salvation. Do not tink tat I will accuse you to te Fater: tere is one tat accuset you, even Moses, in wom ye trust. For ad ye believed Moses, ye would ave believed me: for e wrote of me. But if ye believe not is writings, ow sall ye believe my words (Jon 5:45-47)? One time, Moses even appeared on te Mount of Transfiguration (along wit Elija) to meet wit Jesus te Crist. Tere, Moses and Elija spoke wit Jesus Crist about te deat of Crist, and about te accomplisments of Crist, even in is deat. I suppose tat tey were aware of te salvation tat Jesus Crist was, even ten, in te process of accomplising. Is it any wonder tat te words and te writings of suc men of God, would testify and witness of Jesus Crist and is accomplisments? Te Word of God stands alone, and unrivaled, as te witness and te testimony of Jesus Crist and te need tat men ave for suc a Saviour. Te Apostle Peter, wo also was at te Mount of Transfiguration, ad tis to say about te witness of Jesus Crist and te Word of God: For we ave not followed cunningly devised fables, wen we made known unto you te power and coming of our Lord Jesus Crist, but were eyewitnesses of is majesty. For e received from God te Fater onour and glory, wen tere came suc a voice to im from te excellent glory, Tis is my beloved Son, in wom I am well pleased. And tis voice wic came from eaven we eard, wen we were wit im in te oly mount. We ave also a more sure word of propecy; wereunto ye do well tat ye take eed, as unto a ligt tat sinet in a dark place, until te day dawn, and te day star arise in your earts: Knowing tis first, tat no propecy of te scripture is of any private interpretation. For te propecy came not in old time by te will of man: but oly men of God spake as tey were moved by te oly Gost (II Peter 1:16-21). Peter considered te written Word of God to be a more sure word, and a more sure testimony, tan any eyewitness account. You, I, and te world would do well tat ye take eed, as unto a ligt tat sinet in a dark place! Tis is te Word of God. A ligt for a dark place. A guide for lost and wandering souls. A beacon tat proclaims Jesus Crist to te world. TE SERVANTS OF CRIST Finally, I want to remind eac of us tat we, too, ave a responsibility to bear witness of Jesus Crist. By tis I mean tat we ave te responsibility to tell oters about te Saviour to warn men concerning teir sinfulness, and to point men to Jesus Crist as te Saviour and Salvation of mankind. Tose of us tat are saved are entrusted wit tis beautiful, glorious, and necessary task. But wen te Comforter is come, wom I will send unto you from te Fater, even te Spirit of trut, wic proceedet from te Fater, e sall testify of me: And ye also sall bear witness, because ye ave been wit me from te beginning (Jon 15:26-27). Wat e as done for us from te beginning we sould bear witness and proclaim unto oters. To reveal to te world of men te beauty and te wonders of God, and is Son, Jesus Crist. In many ways, our witness of Crist is only so effective as is our knowledge of, and love for, te Word of God. And tis gospel of te kingdom sall be preaced in all te world for a witness unto all nations; and ten sall te end come (Matt. 24:14). Our witness of Jesus Crist is intimately involved wit te preacing and proclaiming of te Word of God, and wit te strengt and leadersip of te oly Spirit. And wit great power gave te apostles witness of te resurrection of te Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon tem all (Acts 4:33). To im give all te propets witness, tat troug is name wosoever believet in im sall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43). (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Bearing Witness (Continued from page 17) If we receive te witness of men, te witness of God is greater: for tis is te witness of God wic e at testified of is Son. e tat believet on te Son of God at te witness in imself: e tat believet not God at made im a liar; because e believet not te record tat God gave of is Son (I Jon 5:9-10). Jon te Baptist was an example. In our text, Jesus Crist said of Jon, e was a burning and a sining ligt: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in is ligt (Jon 5:35). e was a burning and a sining ligt. But, is was not a random ligt. Nor was is a ligt tat gave no direction. is ligt pointed men towards Crist.... Beold, te Lamb of God (Jon 1:36)! Beold, te Lamb of God, wic taket away te sin of te world (Jon 1:29). is ligt was brigt, because of is diligence, is fervor, is fait, and even is sense of urgency. We would do well to imitate suc a man, and suc a witness of Jesus Crist. No man, wen e at ligted a candle, puttet it in a secret place, neiter under a busel, but on a candlestick, tat tey wic come in may see te ligt. Te ligt of te body is te eye: terefore wen tine eye is single, ty wole body also is full of ligt; but wen tine eye is evil, ty body also is full of darkness. Take eed terefore tat te ligt wic is in tee be not darkness. If ty wole body terefore be full of ligt, aving no part dark, te wole sall be full of ligt, as wen te brigt sining of a candle dot give tee ligt (Luke 11:33-36). 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 Public scool pulls Bible elective after lawsuit (WNS)--A West Virginia scool district as suspended its optional Bible class for elementary scool students following a lawsuit filed by te Freedom From Religion Foundation. Last week, te Mercer County board of education voted to alt te Bible in te Scools program for one year wile it reviews te curriculum. ig scool students can still sign up for Te Bible and Its Influence, a course used for academic study tat as broad acceptance in te educational community, according to Superintendent Debora Akers. Te Freedom From Religion Foundation wants to see all Bible-related classes removed from public scools. Mercer County offers te courses in 15 elementary scools and tree middle scools. Te classes are financed by donations but administered by te district. West Virginia scools gained permission to teac classes about te Bible in 1985 wen ten Attorney General Carlie Brown declared tem constitutional, as long as tey focus on istorical and literary qualities and do not try to produce a personal religious commitment. First Liberty Institute is representing te scool district in te lawsuit. Tis scool asn t got a prayer (WNS)--Toni Ricardson, wo works for te Augusta Scool Department in Augusta, Maine, recently told a co-worker in a private conversation over an apparent conflict tat se would pray for im. Tat crossed a line only scool administrators could see. In a coacing memorandum, Ricardson s superiors said er turn of a prase constituted public scoolsponsored religious expression tat must end. Tey claimed it violated te First Amendment s Establisment Clause. First Liberty Institute filed a complaint wit te U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Ricardson s bealf, carging te district wit religious discrimination and retaliation. Not just for college students (WNS)--Te Constitution s free speec protections do not just apply to college students. Anoter team of Cristian lawyers, tis time from First Liberty Institute, is reminding a Pennsylvania public scool district it cannot censor students asked to speak during graduation ceremonies. Earlier tis year, te Beaver ig Scool senior class president asked Moria Bridges to give te closing remarks at te scool s commencement. Wen Bridges submitted er planned speec in writing to te Beaver Areas Scool District, Superintendent Carrie Rowe demanded se remove all religious references. Rowe told Bridges er comments could not include references to er fait and insisted se could not recite a prayer tat excludes oter religions. Bridges modified er speec for te June 2 ceremony but wants to make sure oter students do not face similar censorsip. First Liberty is asking te scool district to acknowledge its error and come up wit a process for protecting students free speec and religious liberty in te future. More abortions, more money, less real support for women (WNS)--Despite a significant decrease in clients, decrease in contraceptive services, and increase in te number of abortions it performs, Planned Parentood still claims abortions make up only 3 percent of its overall business. According to te abortion giant s annual report it performed 328,348 abortions and 9,494,977 total services. Te report came out about six monts later tan normal, prompting speculation about wat it migt contain. Kristi amrick, a spokeswoman for Americans United for Life, suspects Planned Parentood released its report in May rater tan December because it plays against teir narrative. Everyting tey fundraise on, tey do less of all te time. But wen it comes to just simply ending life, tat is teir business, se said. Cristian farmers banned from city market over marriage views (WNS)--Like many business people today, Steve and Bridget Tennes rely on multiple streams of income to pay te bills. Tey run an orcard called Country Mill Farm in Carlotte, Mic., tat doubles as a wedding venue. Wen te city of East Lansing learned te Tenneses only ost eterosexual weddings, it banned tem from te town s farmers market. On May 31, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed suit on bealf of te Tennes family. ADF senior counsel Jeremy Tedesco said te city found out (Continued on page 19)

19 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 18) about te family s religious beliefs in August. Steve Tennes was selling organic corn, apples, blueberries, and pumpkins at te farmers market, as e ad for seven years. Te city pressured Tennes not to come back to te market, citing concerns over protests and disruptions. e kept going, and no disruptions or protests disturbed te market s peace. Wen pressuring Tennes did not work, te city adopted a new policy and began enforcing it tis year. Te policy requires farmers market vendors to comply wit te city s uman Relations Ordinance and its public policy against discrimination wile at te market and as a general business practice. Justice Samuel Alito s first freedom fears (WNS)-- Tis case is an ominous sign. Tat is te opening salvo of Justice Samuel Alito s dissent in te U.S. Supreme Court s decision last June not to ear te case of Stormans v. Wiesman. Te owners of a Wasington parmacy sougt an exemption from te state s mandate tat all parmacies dispense abortion-inducing drugs. Citing First Amendment protections, te Storman family objected on religious grounds. State and appellate courts disagreed. If tis is a sign of ow religious liberty claims will be treated in te years aead, tose wo value religious freedom ave cause for great concern, Alito wrote. On-campus abortion (WNS)--California state Sen. Connie Leyva introduced a bill tis year tat would require California State University campuses and California Community Colleges to cover abortion in student and faculty ealt insurance plans and to provide abortion pills and abortion counseling services at on-campus ealt centers. Te ealt centers also would be required to employ staff wo are trained and licensed to provide abortion by medication. Te bill aims to elp students seeking abortion save time and money. It claims te travel and expense of getting an abortion are burdens tat urt students grades and mental ealt. A club by any oter name (WNS)--Some public scool administrators still do not get it: Students do not leave teir constitutional rigts at te scool door. For tose wo need reminding, like Parkland ig Scool in Allentown, Pa., te Tomas More Society stands ready to send a legal notice wit remedial lessons on te First Amendment, te Federal Equal Access Act, and for good measure te scool s own policy andbook. Parkland ig Scool students jumped troug te requisite oops last fall to launc a pro-life student group, only to ave an assistant principal reject te club as too political and controversial. Tose concerns apparently were not an issue for te Gay Straigt Alliance Club and te Political Science Club. Tomas More attorneys sent administrators a letter May 17 demanding a reversal of teir decision. Oter public scools tat ave tried to similarly censor prolife groups reversed course after receiving teir own legal warning letters. Kentucky appeals court sides wit Cristian print sop (WNS)--Te owner of ands on Originals, a Lexington, Ky., print sop, did not violate a local nondiscrimination ordinance wen e refused to create T-sirts for an annual gay pride festival, te Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled on May 12. Te 2-1 decision is te second to upold Blaine Adamson s rigt to engage in viewpoint or message censorsip. A local gay and lesbian advocacy organization asked Adamson to create T-sirts promoting te organization s 2012 Pride Festival. Adamson declined, saying e could not promote tat message as a Cristian. Te organization filed a complaint against ands on Originals wit te Fayette County uman Rigts Commission, wic ruled in 2014 te company violated a county ordinance proibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Married lesbians sue Tennessee over spousal definitions (WNS)--Four married lesbian couples in Tennessee are figting a new state law tey say denies teir parental rigts. Te couples, eac expecting a baby tis year, filed a lawsuit last week against a law mandating tat undefined words in state statutes be interpreted to ave natural and ordinary meanings. Tennessee Gov. Bill aslam signed te measure into law May 5. Advocates say te simple law mandates words in state legal codes not be extended or canged beyond teir natural definition. One of te bill s sponsors, Republican state Rep. Andrew Farmer, told NBC News te legislation ad noting to do wit same sex-marriage or gender. But LGBT activists are calling te law sneaky, arguing it clearly targets LGBTQ Tennesseans by requiring words like usband, wife, moter, and fater in state law apply only to opposite-sex couples. Tennessee passes viability test for abortions after 20 weeks (WNS)--Tennessee Gov. Bill aslam signed a bill May 12 tat requires abortionists to evaluate unborn babies for teir ability to live outside te womb after 20 weeks gestation. Te new law bans abortions on unborn babies sown to be viable and requires medical opinions from two abortionists. Violators could be slapped wit possible felony carges, sent to prison for up to tree years, and ave teir medical licenses revoked. Te law makes exceptions for cases in wic carrying a baby to term endangers te moter s life or vital organs. Tennessee s new law follows te example of Oio s 2011 ban on abortions after 20 weeks unless a doctor proves te baby is not viable. A switc too far (WNS)--Two gender canges is enoug, according to administrators at a Long Island ig scool. Earlier tis scool year, Valley Stream Sout ig Scool required a female student, wo asked to remain anonymous, to sign a contract barring er from switcing er gender identity because se ad already switced it twice, according to te New York Post. Te student, born a girl, asked tat te scool recognize er as male wit a new name last year, er sopomore year. Teacers and students addressed er by er new male name in class and se canged clotes in te nurse s office for privacy. But tis year se asked to revert to being treated as a female. er guidance counselor agreed to te cange, but required er to sign a contract promising se would no longer switc gender identities wile at te scool. A student sould feel safe to figure teir identity out no matter ow many times tey cange wo tey are, te student told te Post. But se now says se will likely continue to identify as female for te foreseeable future: I just came to te realization tat gender is not a big (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 19) deal eiter way. Pro-life campus group gets zero dollars (WNS)--Despite granting nearly $300,000 to LGBT groups to ost speakers and put on events, California State University San Marcos denied money to te Students for Life group on campus and now te scool faces a lawsuit. Te pro-life organization requested $500, te capped amount granted to student groups from a cace of mandatory student fees, to ost a speaker on te topic of Abortion and uman Equality. Te scool allegedly denied te request, and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on bealf of te group and its president, Natan Apodaca. Tis is yet anoter example of a university using teir power, along wit student fees, to restrict speec tey do not agree wit or particularly like, giving credence to te emerging fact tat tolerance does not apply to pro-life or conservative speec, said Kristan awkins, president of Students for Life of America. Creationist barred from studying Grand Canyon rocks (WNS)--Andrew Snelling, an Australian geologist, as spent nearly four years attempting to get a permit to gater about 60 alf-pound rock samples from four locations in te Grand Canyon for geological researc. Te National Park Service as responded wit unnecessary delays and stall tactics, according to is attorney Gary McCaleb. Now Snelling is suing te park service for discriminating against im because of is creationist worldview. Snelling as a P.D. in geology from te University of Sydney and over 45 years laboratory and field experience in geological researc, according to te official complaint, filed May 9. Snelling as publised numerous professional articles in peer-reviewed geology journals and as served as te geologic interpreter on more tan 30 river trips troug te Grand Canyon since Despite Snelling s credentials, te park service refused to grant im a permit because e does not ave a credible scientific track record. Fostering confusion (WNS)--Illinois s cild welfare agency now requires tat any individual working wit a cild in its system support LGBT rigts. Te new policy, signed and implemented May 6 by Illinois Department of Cild and Family Services (DCFS) director George Seldon, is intended to promote te well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) cildren and yout in te department s care. Effectively immediately, te DCFS will not tolerate exposing LGBTQ cildren and yout to staff/ providers wo are not supportive of cildren and youts rigt to selfdetermination of sexual/gender identity. Under te new policy, staff and volunteers must affirm cildren s exploration of sexuality and provide affirming care regardless of one s personal attitudes, beliefs, preconceptions and/or judgments, if any, surrounding matters of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Scottis Episcopal Curc votes to allow gay marriage (WNS)--Te Scottis Episcopal Curc voted June 8 to allow clergy to marry same-sex couples, te first Anglican branc in Britain to permit gay marriage. Curc members voted to remove te doctrinal clause describing marriage as a union of one man and one woman, putting te Scottis Curc at odds wit te official stance of te Anglican Communion. Te decision required te backing of at least two-tirds of eac ouse of bisops, clergy, and laity at te annual synod meeting in Edinburg. Opponents of te decision announced tey will appoint a missionary bisop to serve te needs of tose wo oppose gay marriage, according to te BBC. At last year s synod, curc members agreed to send te issue for discussion to te seven dioceses of te Scottis Episcopal Curc. Six of tem voted in favor of amending te law. Study: Less sex education leads to less SEX (WNS)--Teen pregnancies in England fell dramatically after cuts to sex education program funding, according to a new study. Te analysis, publised in May in te Journal of ealt Economics, examined te effect of budget cuts to government-run teen pregnancyprevention programs including sex education, free condoms, and access to te morning after pill in te last decade. Te results surprised te autors and frustrated sex-ed advocates. Is opposition to te LGBT agenda cild abuse? (WNS)--Canadian parents are pusing back against a cild welfare bill recently passed in Ontario tat elevates gay rigts over parental prerogative. Opponents say te measure, called te Supporting Cildren, Yout, and Families Act, or Bill 89, would give te state te power to remove cildren from families wo oppose LGBT and gender ideology, as well as disqualify couples from fostering or adopting. Te bill, passed by a vote of 63 to 23 late last week, repeals and replaces te previous act governing cild protective services, foster care, and adoption. Under te new law, bot gender identity and gender expression are factors government officials must consider wen examining a cild s best interest. Te act also removes parents religious fait as a factor and says only te cild s own creed or religion can be considered. Te Evil of Sin (Continued from page 1) are growing in popularity. In business, fraud, larceny, ceating, and swindling are te general rule. In government, tere is coverup, income tax evasion, bribery, lying, cursing, omosexuality, adultery, and oter evils to be seen in ig places. People s attitudes toward sin as certainly canged in te last twenty years. Modern man as attempted to de-empasize te importance of sin. Wat was formerly untinkable is now tinkable. Wat was once orrible and wrong is now not so bad. Wat would ave gotten you put in jail twenty years ago is accepted in religious circles. Wat was at one time considered evil is now acceptable. Society once condemned omosexuality and passed laws against it. Now it as won acceptance in society. Premarital sex was formerly denounced. Now it as many advocates---even te National Council of Curces. Nudity and pornograpy were once intolerable, but at present it is common in movies, magazines, and teaters. We ave arrived at a day of unrestrained immorality. Sin may ave canged in te mind of man, but sin as not undergone any cange in te mind of God. God still ates all (Continued on page 21)

21 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Te Evil of Sin (Continued from page 20) te workers of iniquity (Ps. 5:5). God will not be mocked. Every sin will be exposed and every offense paid for. Be sure your sin will find you out (Num. 32:23). But e tat doet wrong sall receive for te wrong wic e at done: and tere is no respect of persons (Col. 3:24). FAMILY OF SIN Wat is sin? To tis question one can get a variety of answers. Some would say, sin is wat ever you believe is wrong. Oters would state: Sin is watever backfires in your face. Still oters migt reply: It was te bombing of Cambodia and te war in Vietnam. All suc answers come sort of giving te correct definition of sin. Te word sin is armartia in te Greek, and it means a failing to it te mark. Te word in its original sense is found in Judges 20:16: Among all tis people tere were seven undred cosen men leftanded; every one could sling stones at an air breadt, and not miss. Te sense of tis passage is tat tese men could sling stones at a air breadt, and not miss te mark. ence sin is any moral deviation from te divine goal, eiter in going beyond or falling sort. TRANSGRESSION OF LAW Te underlying idea of sin is tat of a law and of a lawgiver. For were no law is, tere is no transgression (Rom. 4:15). Te Bible reveals God is man s lawgiver: Tere is one lawgiver, wo is able to save and to destroy ( James 4:12). ence sin is everyting tat is contrary to te expressed will of God: Wosoever committet sin transgresset also te law: for sin is te transgression of te law (I Jon 3:4). All sin is lawbreaking, and e wo commits it is a transgressor in te eyes of God. Sin is rejecting God s autority and consequently, rejecting God imself. ALL UNRIGTEOUSNESS All unrigteousness is sin (I Jon 5:17). God is rigteous: Te LORD is rigteous in all is ways, and oly in all is works (Ps. 145:17). Any want of conformity on te part of te creature to te caracter of God weter it be in act, disposition, or state, is sin. To sin is to be unlike God; terefore sin displeases God. LACK OF FAIT Romans 14:23 declares: For watsoever is not of fait is sin. ere we see tat questionable indulgence is sin. Watever is done wit a conviction tat it is disagreeable to te will of God is sinful to te doer. Often te minister is asked, Is it rigt to dance, smoke, drink, etc. Te very fact tat one doubts God will approve of is actions is enoug to tell te questioner te answer to is query. FOOLIS TOUGTS Te tougt of foolisness is sin (Prov. 24:9). We become guilty of sin not only by foolis acts, but also by foolis tougts. We pass off many tings wit a jest wic are really sin. VAIN CONVERSATION In te multitude of words tere wantet not sin (Prov. 10:19). In muc speaking tere is often muc sinning. Generally tose wo speak muc speak muc amiss. Jesus Crist said: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for watsoever is more tan tese comet of evil (Matt. 5:37). e again declared: Every idle word tat men sall speak, tey sall give account tereof in te day of judgment (Matt. 12:36). NEGLECT OF GOOD Terefore to im tat knowet to do good, and doet it not, to im it is sin ( James 4:17). Tis Scripture discloses tat omission of known good is wrong. For a Cristian to miss curc or fail to pray is to commit sin. Many saved people are guilty of te sins of omission more tan of commission. But let us not forget tat sin is still sin in God s sigt. UNBELIEF And wen e is come, e will reprove te world of sin, and of rigteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because tey believe not on me (Jon 16:8-9). Unbelief is beind all sins to some degree. It is te taproot of all our sinning. Unbelief separates one from te cure of sin, Jesus Crist. It is te work of te oly Spirit to convict men of sin by sowing tem teir unbelief in Crist. e uses te sin of unbelief to intensify our sense of all oter sins. FACT OF SIN e wo doubts te existence of sin is a fool: Fools make a mock at sin (Prov. 14:9). Sin is no lauging matter; it is a sad and awful reality. Tere are four very conclusive proofs of te existence of sin in te world. TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURES Of tis terrible ting te Bible gives no uncertain sound. For tere is no man tat sinnet not (I Kings 8:46). For tere is not a just man upon eart, tat doet good, and sinnet not (Eccl. 7:20). Te LORD looked down from eaven upon te cildren of men, to see if tere were any tat did understand, and seek God. Tey are all gone aside, tey are all togeter become filty; tere is none tat doet good, no, not one (Ps. 14:2-3). For all ave sinned, and come sort of te glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But te scripture at concluded all under sin (Gal. 3:22). For in many tings we all stumble (James 3:2 ASV). If we say tat we ave no sin, we deceive ourselves, and te trut is not in us....if we say tat we ave not sinned, we make im a liar, and is word is not in us (I Jon 1:8, 10). TEACING OF ENVIRONMENT Do you know wy we possess weak, sick, aging, and dying bodies? Because we are all sinners: For te wages of sin is deat (Rom. 6:23). Do you know wy our world is war-torn? Because men are sinners: From wence come wars and figtings among you? come tey not ence, even of your lusts tat war in your members (James 4:1)? Do you know wy tere is crime, divorce, and poverty in te world? It is because te eart of te sons of men is fully set in tem to do evil (Eccl. 8:11). DECLARATION OF CONSCIENCE Man s consciousness gives witness to te fact of sin: Wic sow te work of te law written in teir earts, teir conscience also bearing witness, and teir tougts te mean wile accusing or else excusing one anoter (Rom. 2:15). Every person knows e is a sinner. No mortal as ever lived a life free from te sense of personal guilt. Eac son of Adam is aunted by te remorse of conscience for wrong doing. WITNESS OF MEN Te propet Isaia said: Woe is me! for I am undone (Isa. 6:5). Simon Peter declared: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord (Luke 5:8). Wen speaking of sinners te Apostle Paul would say: Of wom I am cief (I Tim. 1:15). Verily every man at is best state is altogeter vanity (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 Te Evil of Sin (Continued from page 21) (Ps. 39:5). Wen we do our best for God as Isaia, Peter, and Paul did, we remain unprofitable servants (Luke 17:10). uman governments give teir testimony to te reality of sin by enacting laws against it. Even false religions and secular literature reflects it to some degree. Seneca, te Roman pilosoper, said: We ave all sinned, some more, and some less. Te German poet and pilosoper, Goete declared: I see no fault in oters wic I myself migt not ave committed. An old Cinese proverb reads: Tere are two good men: one is dead and te oter is not yet born. FOUNTAIN OF SIN Sin originated wit Satan. Wen pride entered te eart of Lucifer, e sougt to exalt imself above God (Isa. 14:12-17). e fell by committing te sin of pride. Not a novice, lest being lifted up wit pride e fall into te condemnation of te devil (I Tim. 3:6). Tis is te first entrance of sin into te universe. Sin entered te uman race troug Satan s deception and man s disobedience. Te Devil in te form of a serpent tempted Eve to eat of te forbidden fruit. Bot our first parents partook of tis tree. And Adam was not deceived, but te woman being deceived was in te transgression (I Tim. 2:14). Werefore, as by one man sin entered into te world....for as by one man s disobedience many were made sinners... (Rom. 5:12, 19). Ever since Adam ate te forbidden fruit, te Adamic race as been fond of forbidden pats. At present sin proceeds from man s corrupt nature. Te psalmist disclosed: Beold, I was sapen in iniquity; and in sin did my moter conceive me (Ps. 51:5). Sin is in our bodies as soon as we come out of te loins of our parents. We come into te world wit a wretcedly degenerated nature. We ave from birt te snares of sin in our bodies, te seed of sin in our souls, and te stain of sin upon bot. Tis is te foolisness bound in te eart of a cild. Jeremia te propet said: Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it (Jer. 17:9)? Tere is more wickedness in our earts tan we want to tink about, more tan any of us suspect to be tere. Te uman eart is subtle and false; it is apt to supplant. It is prone to call evil good and good evil. It puts false colors upon tings and cries peace to tose to wom no peace belongs. Tis means men are selfdeceivers and self-destroyers since teir earts are incurably wicked. Jesus Crist, wo knew te earts of all men, said: For out of te eart proceed evil tougts, murders, adulteries, fornications, tefts, false witness, blaspemies (Matt. 15:19). Wat orrible creatures lurk in te eart of man! Wat a corrupt stress wic flows from te fountain of man s being! Teir awful sins are te outward fruits of tat wickedness wic resides in te eart. Nowadays you ear preacers wo tell te sinner to give is eart to Jesus Crist. ow foolis and unscriptural. Crist does not want te old defiled, corrupt, polluted eart of te natural man. For te sinner to be delivered from is sins e must ave a new eart. God only can give tis to im by efficacious grace. Te Lord promised: A new eart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put witin you: and I will take away te stony eart out of your fles, and I will give you an eart of fles (Ezek. 36:26). I pray not tat you sall open up your eart and let Jesus in as modern evangelists plead. Instead, I pray tat te God of all grace will open your eart tat you migt believe in Jesus Crist to be your Savior. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of te city of Tyatira, wic worsipped God, eard us: wose eart te Lord opened, tat se attended unto te tings wic were spoken of Paul (Acts 16:14). O may God work in you bot to will and to do is good pleasure. (To be continued in August issue) Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug A NEW BIRT NEEDED In order to be saved a person must be born again. Jesus said so in Jon 3:6-7. is words were: Tat wic is born of te fles is fles; and tat wic is born of te Spirit is spirit. Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again. Te reason eac person needs a new birt is because eac of us was born of flesly parents and we are fles. We lack spiritual life, aving only received a natural or flesly life from our parents. Paul wrote tese words about imself and te members of te congregation in Epesus: Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved (Ep. 2:5). Te question is tis: just ow bad off are we because of our flesly or natural birt? Being descended from Adam and all te generations of sinners between im and us, we are like our ancestors: sinners! Romans 3:10-11 sums up our natural born condition in tese words: As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God. In our natural born condition men do not seek after God. Tey may seek religion in order to feel good. Tey may seek to escape eternal punisment by doing religious tings, but tey do not seek God. People tink tat tere is someting religious tat tey can do wic will please God and motivate im to save tem. But tat is impossible. Te Bible says: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). Go aead and pray te so-called sinner s prayer. Go forward in a religious meeting. Make a public profession of your ome-made fait in Crist. Get baptized. Try keeping te Old Testament Law of God. Do your best. Tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. Noting tat people in te fles can do pleases God. Your efforts will not motivate im to save you! You are lost! It is obvious tat te Lord Jesus was rigt. Ye must be born again. Sinners need to be born of te oly Spirit. e must work first by making te dead spirit alive else te natural man remains forever dead spiritually. Te oly Spirit, being God, is sovereign. Tat means, e does as e pleases. Jesus likened te Spirit to te wind saying Te wind blowet (Continued on page 23)

23 July 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 22) were it listet, and tou earest te sound tereof, but canst not tell wence it comet, and witer it goet: so is every one tat is born of te Spirit (Jon 3:8). Men do not control te wind. Tey can only observe it by its evidences. Neiter can man control te Spirit. umble yourselves terefore under te migty and of God, tat e may exalt you in due time (I Peter 5:6). WEN GRACE IS NOT GRACE Most religious folk tink tat tere are certain tings tat you must do to qualify for God s grace. In oter words, tey say, God saves by grace but in order to get God to be gracious to you you must be do tis or tat or te oter ting. Te popular idea is tat tere is some religious exercise or work tat a sinner must do in order to please God and get im to dispense saving grace. At least four tings are wrong wit tat approac. First of all, if tere is anyting a person must do in order to obtain God s grace ten grace is not grace. We know tat, because God s Word says, And if by grace, ten is it no more of works: oterwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, ten is it no more grace: oterwise work is no more work (Rom. 11:6). Te context of tis verse as to do wit God s election (coice) of wom e will save, but te principle extends to all matters of grace. Wat te verse says is tat grace and works cannot be mixed. Eiter a ting is a matter of grace or a matter of works. Obtaining salvation is eiter a matter of works or a matter of grace. It cannot be a matter of bot works and grace. If you ave done someting in order to be saved, you ave canged grace into works. You ave earned God s favor. Grace means unearned favor. Te second ting wrong wit te idea tat a sinner can do someting to qualify for grace is tis: tere is absolutely noting tat a lost person can do to please God. Proof: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). Lost sinners are so bad off because of teir flesly minds teir corrupt sinful minds tat tey cannot do anyting pleasing to God. Selfisness and greed enter into teir motives and are unacceptable to God. Plain words from God s Word, tese: and true ones. Te tird and fourt tings wrong wit tis approac are tat no one naturally understands is lost condition and no one seeks after God. Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:11). Te oly Spirit must first regenerate te sinner before e or se can understand is or er opeless and elpless condition. Only in a regenerate condition will a sinner seek after God. Tat is wy te Lord Jesus told Nicodemus...Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). Being born spiritually as absolutely noting to do wit a uman act of te will. It is...not of blood, nor of te will of te fles, nor of te will of man, but of God (Jon 1:13). Remember:...Ye must be born again. ASSURANCE OF SALVATION It is a wonderful ting to know you are saved! Some people tink tat it is not possible to know tat you are saved. Some say you cannot know until wat tey call judgment day. owever, te Bible teaces tat God s cildren know wo tey are. We read, Beloved, now are we te sons of God, and it dot not yet appear wat we sall be: but we know tat, wen e sall appear, we sall be like im; for we sall see im as e is (I Jon 3:2). And again we read, Tese tings ave I written unto you tat believe on te name of te Son of God; tat ye may know tat ye ave eternal life, and tat ye may believe on te name of te Son of God (I Jon 5:13). Eternal life being a cild of God is a present possession, not someting awaiting te future. Note te Bible says...tat ye may know tat ye ave eternal life... and now are we te sons of God... - ye ave and now are - important words! But just ow can a sinner know tat e or se is saved? Some people believe tey are saved tat tey are a cild of God because someone told tem tat tey are. Many people tink tey are saved because tey ave done someting. Tey prayed a magical prayer, or went forward in a religious meeting, or got baptized, or some suc ting. But tat makes salvation based upon works and te Bible says tat salvation is not of works, lest any man sould boast (Ep. 2:9). Oters tink tey are saved because tey believe in God and tat te Bible is true, etc., but te Bible says, Tou believest tat tere is one God; tou doest well: te devils also believe, and tremble (James 2:19). So ten tere is a kind of fait tat is like te demons ave wic is not at all te fait of God s elect (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $1, RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX B. C. of Brimfield, Brimfield, IL Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS...1, Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Bruce Allen, Fairmont, GA Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Fait B. C., Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Rural all, NC Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL 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 Parkway L. B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumerville, AR Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Nortport, AL Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous... 1, Dividing cecks Sub Total... $4, TOTAL... $5, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Supplies Dividing cecks Bank Carge Total Expenditures... $4, ENDING BALANCE... $1, BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $5, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek, B. C., Williamsburg, KY Calvary I. B. C., Everson, WA TOTAL...5, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time TOTAL EXPENDITURES , Interest ENDING BALANCE... $4,944.68

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2017 ANNOUNCEMENTS Te Sovereign Grace Baptist Curc of Nortport, AL, and Pastor Todd Bryant would like to announce teir 2017 Bible Conference is sceduled for July 21st tru 23rd. Te sceduled speakers are Elders Lewis Kiger, Mark Campbell, Brian Farley and Pastor Todd Bryant. Te teme of te conference is Te Glory of God Service times are Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday at 10:00 a.m. wit lunc following, and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. wit lunc following. All are invited to attend. Te Windsor Baptist Curc in Windsor, IL is seeking a qualified candidate for pastor. We are a sovereign grace independent Baptist curc, small in number but ric in trut. We are seeking a candidate qualified for te position as described in I Timoty 3. Any interested potential candidate please contact Broter Jon Gregory at windsorbaptist. grace@gmail.com or pone 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 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. 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 Sort Pews (Continued from page 23) (Titus 1:1). Being born again or regenerated is a work of te oly Spirit. You cannot birt yourself into God s family by praying, being baptized, or any oter work. It is someting te Spirit does. And real assurance of salvation of te new birt is a work of te Spirit also. Te Bible says, Te Spirit itself bearet witness wit our spirit, tat we are te cildren of God (Rom. 8:16). Te Bible teaces tat wenever a sinner is born again te oly Spirit comes to dwell in or indwell te newborn one. Te Bible tells us te difference between lost sinners and born again cildren of God: So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. But ye are not in te fles, but in te Spirit, if so be tat te Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man ave not te Spirit of Crist, e is none of is (Rom. 8:8-9). Does te Spirit of God dwell in you? TE WASP IN TE PEAR It was near to te close of an autumn day, Wen Willy ran into te orcard to play; Or rater, to look if percance tere migt be A pear tat ad dropped from is favorite tree. So titer e scampered, and presently found A beautiful one, wic lay tere on te ground. Its colors were ric, and e knew it was sweet; So e seized it wit joy, and began it to eat. O, ow appy was e tus its juices to taste; But alas, is enjoyment was speedily cased, For a wasp was concealed in te pulp of te pear, And Willy soon painfully found it was tere; For, pressed in is mout, te passionate ting Pierced is tongue and is lips wit its venomous sting. Wit screams and wit tears to is moter e ran, Wo at once to reprove and relieve im began; And te means wic a moter knows ow to employ, Soon abated te pain of er muc-beloved boy. But se tougt an event wic suc anguis ad caused, Bestowed an occasion too good to be lost, For storing wit cautions te mind of er son, Wic migt guide and preserve im as life sould roll on. A, Willy, se said, tere are undreds of tings Tat are lovely witout, but witin ave teir stings. Wen pleasure allures tee, take eed of er snare, Else, oft tou wilt find tere s a wasp in te pear. Tus te pleasure of sin dot tousands entice; ow transient te pleasure, ow fearful its price! ealt, money, friends, peace, are but part of te cost; Reputation and life, and te soul, too, are lost. Te joy of an our or two, after it brings Guilt, piercing te conscience wit terrible stings. In tis world te anguis is oftentimes great; But a doom far more dreadful dot sinners await. O ten, Willy, wen tempted to taste it, beware; And always remember te wasp in te pear. ARTICLE INDEX Bearing Witness of Crist by Paul Stepp... p. 1 Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 18 Te Evil of Sin-Part One by Milburn Cockrell... 1 Forum... pp Gleanings for te Young & Old... p. 8 Little ills by Nataniel ille... p. 5 Te Noted Pastor by Todd Bryant... p. 10 Te Sort Pews... p. 22 True and False Examples Contrasted by Tom Ross... p. 1 Weat or Caff? by Jon C. Ryle... p. 1