The Quickening and Conversion of A Thief

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1 Scriptual Proofs of A PreTrib Rapture By Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia Watc ye terefore, and pray always, tat ye may be accounted worty to escape all tese tings tat sall come to pass, and to stand before te Son of man (Luke 21:36). I remember at an ordination some years ago, te question of a PreTrib Rapture came up, as versus a PostTrib Rapture. As at most ordinations, te curc convened a peculiar group of dedicated pastors, tat ave studied and preaced te messages God as given tem for many decades and we were all unanimously PreTrib. Tis fact obviously does not make a PreTrib Rapture conclusive, but is certainly is a weigty consideration, tat I ope young preacers and beloved readers will not cast immediately aside. Every one of us ave come to te point wen we were ordained, as aving grown up wit tis PreTrib doctrine being taugt by our local ouse of God, wic is te curc of te living God, te pillar and ground of te trut (I Tim. 3:15), and ave actually set out to study te subject wit just as muc purpose and askance as one would expect young know-it-all preacers (suc as I was!). I remember very well, my first years at (Continued on page 2) Te Quickening and Conversion of A Tief By Lucien J. LeSage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana Years ago I asked a man ow e tougt e would make it to eaven. e replied tus, I ope my good works will outweig my bad. So, wat if a man ad lived a life of tievery? Would e need to pay back all tat e ad stolen, wic would be a just ting to do? Would tat get im into eaven? Or wat if e did enoug positive works te rest of is days, could tat offset te evil tat e ad committed? Wat if e found imself in a situation because of circumstances tat it was impossible for im to ever do one kind act toward any man? Is e witout ope? Te Bible tells us about suc a man wo was a tief. A malefactor as e was called in Luke 23:32. Wen I was very young, te religious leaders wo were at tat time giving me religious training taugt me tat tere was a good tief and a bad tief tat were crucified along wit Jesus. owever, Jesus said tat tere is none good but one, tat is God (Matt. 19:17). Paul says, tere is none tat doet good, no, not one (Rom. 3:12). Even all te rigteousness tat we can produce in te fles is called filty rags (Isa. 64:6). So ow could we call one good and one bad? Was (Continued on page 11) ow te U.S.A. Got Tis Way A Look at Some Causes of Our Present Great Wickedness By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma Introduction All knowledgeable people will agree tat tese United States as a country was founded upon te moral principles set fort in te Bible. Along wit oter ancient lawgivers, God s man Moses and God s Ten Commandments are repeatedly found in statue form even on our Supreme Court building. Jon Adams, second President of tis nation said, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wolly inadequate to te government of any oter. Te U. S. as failed many times to live up to tose standards. Se as a istory demonstrating tat se as not always acted as a moral nation sould: tat is witout question also. But from te earliest days preacers of various groups in tis country sounded fort tose Biblical standards of conduct and influenced many people. Some of tese preacers may ave been regenerate and obeyed God from te eart wile oters may ave been legalistic works mongers oping to please God in teir fles. At any rate, we (Continued on page 18) Brick by brick ouses are built. Steady plodding will accomplis anyting. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; ere a little, and tere a little (Isaia 28:10).

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 November 5, 2016 Volume XXXVII, Number 11 Wole Number 448 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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Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM Berea Baptist Banner PO Box 39 Mantacie, Mississippi (662) request@bereabaptistcurc.org bbcurc@nexband.com Planning a move? Please let us know your new address. Te post office carges us $.59 for eac returned wrong address. PLANNING TO MOVE? Notify us tree weeks in advance. Te post office will only forward periodical mail for 90 days. Tey carge us $.70 for eac cange of address tey ave to send us. Please save us tis expense and te post office time. BUNDLES TO ONE ADDRESS: Tese are sent for $4 per paper for a year. An example: 10 papers for one year at $40 or 20 papers for one year at $ LOCATION OF PUBLISING CURC: Our curc is located on state igway 363 about one mile sout of Mantacie, Mississippi. Readers are always welcome to visit our services. CURC PONE: A PAPER WITOUT SUBSCRIPTION: Some times people write to us and say tat tey did not subscribe for te BBB. Tey are receiving our paper because someone else as paid for teir subscription. We trust te BBB will be received as an outstretced and to you. Take wat you find elpful and discard wat you cannot use.if you do not want to receive suc a gift subscription, please write to us. We are appy to cancel suc a subscription. We do not want to go were we are not wanted. DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. PAPER GONE OUT TO SEA WIT TE TIDE? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 11/2016 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t tink your paper as gone out wit te tide! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 1) Big Creek, wen I went to te Bible alone to go troug Revelation and te end times. I did not want to be influenced by anyone. And every one of tose convened elders witout exception found tat: 1) Our local pillar and ground of te trut ad taugt us correctly, and 2) tat we certainly found for ourselves tat te Bible teaces a PreTrib Rapture of God s precious saints. God certainly did not reveal anyting else to me. WY I BELIEVE TE LORD S CURCES (AND NEW TESTAMENT SAINTS) ARE NOT APPOINTED TO GOD S WRAT Witout going troug te proof texts tat God s people will suffer (even great) tribulation in every age, an onest interpretation of te Bible and particularly te book of Revelation will reveal tat te end times contain a specific time of world-wide tribulation, unlike any oter. And e sall confirm te covenant wit many for one week (specific seven years-tms): and in te midst of te week (3.5yrs-tms) e sall cause te sacrifice and te oblation to cease, and for te overspreading of abominations e sall make it desolate, even until te consummation, and tat determined sall be poured upon te desolate (Dan. 9:27). Daniel propesies ere tat for a specific seven-year period, tere will be a time of desolation poured out. Linking Daniel s propesy concerning Israel s future to Jeremia 30:3-7, For, lo, te days come, sait te LORD, tat I will bring again te captivity of my people Israel and Juda, sait te LORD: and I will cause tem to return to te land tat I gave to teir faters, and tey sall possess it. And tese are te words tat te LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Juda. For tus sait te LORD; We ave eard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see weter a man dot travail wit cild? werefore do I see every man wit is ands on is loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for tat day is great, so tat none is like it: it is even te time of Jacob s trouble; but e sall be saved out of it. Wit te combination of Israel and Juda being re-consolidated (not just te Jews) tis endtime propecy specifically speaks of tat day of great tribulation, wic Jeremia claims so tat none is like it. Not your ordinary tribulation! NONE is like it! If you are looking for a title, like te Great Tribulation, you certainly cannot deny te title Jeremia uses, te time of Jacob s trouble. Tis is furter validated by our Lord (bot te linking wit Daniel s propecy and an extraordinary tribulation of specific lengt) in Mattew 24:15-21, Wen ye terefore sall see te abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel te propet, stand in te oly place, (woso readet, let im understand:) Ten let tem wic be in Judaea flee into te mountains: Let im wic is on te ousetop not come down to take any ting out of is ouse: Neiter let im wic is in te field return back to take is clotes. And woe unto tem tat are wit cild, and to tem tat give suck in tose days! But pray ye tat your fligt be not in te winter, neiter on te sabbat day: For ten sall be great tribulation, suc as was (Continued on page 3)

3 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 2) not since te beginning of te world to tis time, no, nor ever sall be. We could quote muc of te book of Revelation to (not assume, but) prove tat tere are seven years of great tribulation coming, wic will be broken down into two 3.5 year segments (42 monts or 1,260 days). It will be on God s timetable of is oly wrat (not Satan s or even te Anti-Crist!) being poured out upon te entire eart. One woe is past; and, beold, tere come two woes more ereafter (Rev. 9:12). Te second woe is past; and, beold, te tird woe comet quickly (Rev. 11:14). But te court wic is witout te temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto te Gentiles: and te oly city sall tey tread under foot forty and two monts. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and tey sall propesy a tousand two undred and treescore days, cloted in sackclot (Rev.1:2-3). Tat tere is a specific time (3.5 or 7 yrs) of God s rigteous and judgmental wrat being poured upon te eart is just simply too obvious in Scripture to pass off as an assumption. Two explicit passages from our Lord tat proclaim a PreTribulational Rapture OUT OF tat time of wrat are te following passages, And take eed to yourselves, lest at any time your earts be overcarged wit surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of tis life, and so tat day come upon you unawares. For as a snare sall it come on all tem tat dwell on te face of te wole eart. Watc ye terefore, and pray always, tat ye may be accounted worty to escape all tese tings tat sall come to pass, and to stand before te Son of man (Luke 21:34-36). Tis is te Lord, imself proclaiming tat tose worty saints in is curces will find an escape from tis surely propesied snare...on all... te wole eart. Crist furter amplifies tis rescue to te Piladelpia curc in Revelation 3:10, Because tou ast kept te word of my patience, I also will keep tee from te our of temptation, wic sall come upon all te world, to try tem tat dwell upon te eart. God s curces WILL NOT go troug te great tribulation of Jacob s trouble. Israel is condemned to tat fate, as we ave already noted, but never does te Lord tell is curces to be ready to suffer is oly wrat, but ONLY te tribulations of te fles and Satan s minions. Te Apostle Paul also verifies tat we are not appointed to wrat (wat else can e mean?) in I Tessaloians 5:1-9, But of te times and te seasons, bretren, ye ave no need tat I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly tat te day of te Lord so comet as a tief in te nigt. For wen tey sall say, Peace and safety; ten sudden destruction comet upon tem, as travail upon a woman wit cild; and tey sall not escape. But ye, bretren, are not in darkness, tat tat day sould overtake you as a tief. Ye are all te cildren of ligt, and te cildren of te day: we are not of te nigt, nor of darkness. Terefore let us not sleep, as do oters; but let us watc and be sober. For tey tat sleep sleep in te nigt; and tey tat be drunken are drunken in te nigt. But let us, wo are of te day, be sober, putting on te breastplate of fait and love; Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Te New Birt #8 Evidences of aving Been Born Again Part 1 Wen a person is born of God tey become a new creation. Terefore if any man be in Crist, e is a new creature; old tings are passed away; beold, all tings are become new (II Cor. 5:17). Tey are now alive spiritually And you at e quickened (made alive), wo were dead in trespasses and in sins (Ep. 2:1). Just as tere is evidence of pysical life, tere is evidence of spiritual life, or tis new creation. One evidence of our new birt is tat we are laying aside sin, Werefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and ypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings and for an elmet, te ope of salvation. For God at not appointed us to wrat, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Crist. Wen te day of te Lord comet, sudden destruction comet upon tem not te Tessalonian curc. For God at not appointed us to wrat. To make te Apostle Paul to be speaking of ell, is to wrenc tis verse and DOCTRINE out of te context of tis particular book detailing te end times, te Rapture and te coming of Crist! 1. GOD S BAPTIST CURCES WILL NOT BE FOUND IN TE GREAT TRIBULATION. Te next argument for te Lord s New Testament curces being raptured BEFORE Daniel s 70 t week, is often referred to as te (I Peter 2:1). Te new birt must be evidenced. We do so by laying aside tese sins. NOTE: it is in te present tense laying aside, not past tense laid aside. It is an ever battle of te cild of God to lay aside or cast off sin. Tose wo are saved will be constantly laying aside tese sins and oter sins. You will not find a sinless cild of God tis side of eaven, yet te saved will be laying aside sins. Te absence of laying aside sin tells us tat one is not born again, but still dead in trespasses and in sins (Ep. 2:1). Are you laying aside sin? If not, te Scriptures indicate it is because you are still dead in your sins. You must be born-again. silence argument. Considering tat te New Testament is particularly written by Baptists, for Baptists, to Baptists and to make Baptists, it is surely a weigty argument tat for 15 capters detailing te eart of te endtimes propecy, no mention is made of surely te most important entity upon te face of te entire eart, te Body of Crist, te Lord s New Testament Baptist curces. Actually, it is not essentially a silence argument. It is an absent argument. Te book of Revelation pulls no punces as Jon writes about te particular caracters and precise events tey are associated wit. e gives lots of information about Israel, Jerusalem and te sealed 144,000. e writes prolifically (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 3) about te Beast/AntiCrist, Satan and te False Propet. e mentions eatens, Catolics, kings, kingdoms, reprobates, angels and two witnesses. e even tabulates tribulation martyrs and gives instructions to tose godly folk tat must suffer for is Name sake. But were is te curc? Te curces tat were given suc detailed instructions in te first tree capters? Wy would God suddenly (yes, after we receive a picture of te Rapture in Revelation 4:1) not care to ave Jon te revelator involve tem in is propetic accounting of tis period of time? Are we really desiring to consider tis onestly? Or just trying to prove a point, preconceived or oterwise? onestly, if te PostTrib view were true, ten te Lord s curces sould be mentioned. But, if te PreTrib view is true, ten te Lord s curces sould not be mentioned, and tey are not. Tey are absent, because te Lord as already raptured tem, pretribulationally! Jon to te seven curces wic are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace I Jesus ave sent mine angel to testify unto you tese tings in te curces (Rev. 1:4, 22:16). It is not because Jesus and is revelator Jon are not aware of te curces. Te apocalyptic nook opens and closes wit specific words to my curc wic te gates of ell sall not prevail against! But te seven year gap, were te Lord is going to deal wit Daniel s Israel, as no revelation involving Baptists, except as spectators from te present and ten from eaven s glory! 2. TE SILENT, TIEF- LIKE PRETRIBULATIONAL RAPTURE. Te ones tat are caugt unaware at te PreTrib Rapture will be te lost reprobates. An exorted faitful and wise servant will not be surprised tat te Rapture occurs! Excited and joyous at te unknown timing, but te PreTrib Rapture is indeed te blessed ope of God s people. Te context of te Scriptures predicting tat te return of te King will be tief-like are more speaking of te unexpected excursion into our realm, tan to do wit te tieving activities of stealing and covetousness. Certainly, Crist Jesus will not steal nor covet anoter person s belongings! But te breaking and entering aspect is wat is primarily being alluded to. But if I cast out devils by te Spirit of God, ten te kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else ow can one enter into a strong man s ouse, and spoil is goods, except e first bind te strong man? and ten e will spoil is ouse (Matt. 12:28-29). Not even Satan will be able to inder te Lord s return for is people at te Rapture! Several verses bring out tis point very clearly, of Crist coming for is own, and catcing te world unawares. But of tat day and our knowet no man, no, not te angels of eaven, but my Fater only. But as te days of Noe were, so sall also te coming of te Son of man be. For as in te days tat were before te flood tey were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until te day tat Noe entered into te ark, And knew not until te flood came, and took tem all away; so sall also te coming of te Son of man be. Ten sall two be in te field; te one sall be taken, and te oter left. Two women sall be grinding at te mill; te one sall be taken, and te oter left. Watc terefore: for ye know not wat our your Lord dot come. But know tis, tat if te goodman of te ouse ad known in wat watc te tief would come, e would ave watced, and would not ave suffered is ouse to be broken up. Terefore be ye also ready: for in suc an our as ye tink not te Son of man comet (Matt. 24:36-44). As te world continues teir merry parties (as in Noa s day), te Lord will come suddenly and silently and snatc away is elect from teir everyday activities in te fields, at te mills, or in teir beds. Certainly, te Rapture is not silent for is people, for tey sall ear te promised sout, Come up iter!, but te world will know noting of wat as occurred, until tey feel te first scattered raindrops upon teir eads of te imminent coming judgment. Sela! Tink about it! One of te errors of a PostTrib view, is tat folks are not exorted to watc for te imminent return of our Lord, but will still be watcing for signs, wen te Lord comes. Our Master and Saviour as more to speak of is imminent, tieflike coming tan any oter writer in te New Testament. More on te imminent nature of is return in a bit, but it is inextricably tied to is silent, tief-like aspect of te PreTrib Rapture and is return. Te context of bot Mattew 24:32-51 and all of I Tessalonians 4-5 is perfectly in tune wit a PreTrib Rapture. Exortations to te saints to watc and be ready, to find comfort and joy in te expectations, wile te lost and undone can expect only Judgment and te wrat of God. Take ye eed, watc and pray: for ye know not wen te time is. For te Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, wo left is ouse, and gave autority to is servants, and to every man is work, and commanded te porter to watc. Watc ye terefore: for ye know not wen te master of te ouse comet, at even, or at midnigt, or at te cockcrowing, or in te morning: Lest coming suddenly e find you sleeping. And wat I say unto you I say unto all, Watc (Mark 13:33-37). Seeing it is a rigteous ting wit God to recompense tribulation to tem tat trouble you; And to you wo are troubled rest wit us, wen te Lord Jesus sall be revealed from eaven... (II Tess. 1:6-7). Salvation, deliverance, rescue, rest and redemption are te key words describing te saints future at te Rapture. Let your loins be girded about, and your ligts burning; And ye yourselves like unto men tat wait for teir lord, wen e will return from te wedding; tat wen e comet and knocket, tey may open unto im immediately. Blessed are tose servants, wom te lord wen e comet sall find watcing: verily I say unto you, tat e sall gird imself, and make tem to sit down to meat, and will come fort and serve tem. And if e sall come in te second watc, or come in te tird watc, and find tem so, blessed are tose servants. And tis know, tat if te goodman of te ouse ad known wat our te tief would come, e would ave watced, and not ave suffered is ouse to be broken troug. Be ye terefore ready also: for te Son of man comet at an our wen ye tink not (Luke 12:35-40). Tat last prase could very well be a condemnation of PostTribbers, but cannot be of imminent PreTribbers! (Continued on page 5)

5 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Watering te Tulips By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama Paul Tirteen books in te New Testament begin tis way. is description of imself may vary. e may be writing along wit oter men in some letters. But, Paul is credited wit being te primary autor, or sole autor, of tirteen of te books in te Bible. Tis is all many people know about tis man. Paul (or Saul, in ebrew) was born around te same time Jesus was born, toug tere is no indication tey ever met prior to is conversion. e was a Roman citizen by birt (Acts 22:25-28). is early years were spent in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 22:3). Undoubtedly, Paul was raised as a ric kid. One of is predecessors ad clearly purcased is citizensip. Tis was costly. Not only so, but te annual tax in te city of Tarsus was 18 monts wages for te average working class person at tis time. Te inabitants of tis city were wealty and refined. But Paul s family was not influenced by Greco-Roman culture. Tey were devout Jews. e was an ebrew of ebrews; as toucing te law, a Parisee (Pil. 3:5). In fact, Paul states tat e was te son of a Parisee (Acts 23:6). Paul was simply te latest devout Jew in a long line of devout Jews. Like is family before im, e was a zealous advocate of all tings Jewis. Being from a seemingly wealty family, Paul was able (and no doubt encouraged) to study at te feet of one of te most respected rabbis of te first century, Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Wen te Misna was written, referring back to Gamaliel tey wrote, Wen Rabbi Gamaliel te elder died, te glory of te Law ceased, and purity and abstinence died. e was a brilliant, committed Parisee te greatest teacer of te first century, and Paul was is student. Paul advanced in Judaism beyond tose around is age (Gal. 1:14). e was a leader of men. Tis led im to ravage te curc as e saw Te Way to be in complete opposition to all tat e knew Judaism to be (Acts 8:3). In recalling is early life to King Agrippa, Paul said, Wic ting I also did in Jerusalem: and many of te saints did I sut up in prison, aving received autority from te cief priests; and wen tey were put to deat, I gave my voice against tem (Acts 26:10). One day, as e was on is way to persecute more believers, e was stopped in is tracks by te risen Crist (Acts 9:1-9). From tis moment forward, Paul became te greatest missionary tis world as ever known (save Jesus, of course). All of is family istory all of is learning is entire career, e left beind. e later wrote, But wat tings were gain to me, tose I counted loss for Crist. Yea doubtless, and I count all tings but loss for te excellency of te knowledge of Crist Jesus my Lord: for wom I ave suffered te loss of all tings, and do count tem but dung, tat I may win Crist (Pil. 3:7-8). Paul s conversion proves tat God is te Autor of salvation. Paul certainly was not seeking Jesus. On te contrary, Jesus sougt im. Secondly, God can save anybody. Tirdly, te resurrection of Jesus Crist is a reality. Te man wo fougt so stauncly against te resurrection could only be canged aving seen te risen Crist. Lastly, te Gospel as transforming power. ave you seen today tat religion is not te way? Are you willing to forsake all for Crist? Like Paul, you must see tat Jesus is your only ope into eaven. PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 4) Te remainder of te references concerning te tief-like return of te Lord do indeed ave many connotations concerning Armageddon and oter events located at te end of te Great Tribulation s seven years, but tey also ave many allusions to events during and after te Millennial Reign. But tat does not mean te Rapture will be PostMillennial, eiter. Tese passages are speaking of te day of te Lord or te day of Crist as te culmination of ALL propecies concerning te end times, and te context bears tat out in eac portion of Scripture. 3. TE IMMINENT RETURN OF OUR LORD IS TE TEME OF TE NEW TESTAMENT. Te coming Rapture is nig/ imminent, even at te doors. Crist Jesus our Lord gives us a promise tat is return is so imminent, tat e could walk troug te doors and be ere. Now learn a parable of te fig tree; Wen er branc is yet tender, and puttet fort leaves, ye know tat summer is near: So ye in like manner, wen ye sall see tese tings come to pass, know tat it is nig, even at te doors. Verily I say unto you, tat tis generation sall not pass, till all tese tings be done. eaven and eart sall pass away: but my words sall not pass away. But of tat day and tat our knowet no man, no, not te angels wic are in eaven, neiter te Son, but te Fater (Mark 13:28-32). Many of te verses tat speak of te imminent return ave already been quoted in te section on te tief-like coming, as tey are inextricably related to eac oter. Luke 12 & 21, Mattew 24-25, numerous passages in te epistles of Paul and oters. Te New Testament is full of constant exortations to be looking for our Blessed ope tat could come at any moment. I do not deny te fact tat tere are signs to be aware of, but tese merely amplify te expectation of te opening eavens to reveal our Saviour. And tat, knowing te time, tat now it is ig time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer tan wen we believed. Te nigt is far spent, te day is at and: let us terefore cast off te works of darkness, and let us put on te armour of ligt. Let us walk onestly, as in te day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in cambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on te Lord Jesus Crist (Rom. 13:11-14). Certainly, tis passage of te apostle is not referring to a PostTrib Rapture out of great tribulation, but instead is referring to te very real possibility, tat apostasy is making some of te saints, sleepy and unaware tat te day of Jesus Crist is at and. Actually, I will not argue tat (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 5) te Lord could not ave come back in te Apostle Peter or Paul s lifetime. But tat is only because e did not. We ave a luxury of indsigt, tat can now see te fulfillment of many propecies and signs concerning: 1) te spread of te world-wide Gospel, 2) Peter s propesied end as a martyr, 3) Paul s trip to Rome and beyond, 4) Pentecost empowering, 5) te sack and destruction of Jerusalem, etc, etc, etc. But even wit te fact of knowing tat te Lord ad all tings planned to fulfill is oly Word, denies not tat te Lord could ave come, ad e so desired. Time can old no restraints upon our Lord and we cannot presume upon is longsuffering and grace. Our only responsibility is to be watcing and waiting in te labors tat e as prescribed for us until is glorious return. Our responsibilities are never negated by te expectation of propecy. Peter ad no rigt to ignore te commandment of te Lord to watc for is return, by telling oters, Well, I know e will not come until after I die, because e propesied. So do not start watcing until after I die. Baloney! A more proper lifestyle for Peter was portrayed constantly, tat if te Lord tarry, I expect to die a martyr s deat, but I am looking for is return every day. Let me illustrate tat tougt of te sovereignty of God over temporal matters. Woe unto tee, Corazin! woe unto tee, Betsaida! for if te migty works, wic were done in you, ad been done in Tyre and Sidon, tey would ave repented long ago in sackclot and ases (Matt. 11:21). Te proclamation ere from Crist concerns matters tat never appened...if te migty works ad been done in Tyre tey would ave repented. Now, if tis was Jon or James speaking, we migt ave cause to say tat tey were speculating wat migt ave appened. but it is Crist speaking. Matter-of-factly, e supremely states tat Tyre would ave repented. No doubt about it at all. Te city would ave decked temselves out in sackclot and ases. But, tey never ad te blessing of Betsaida s migty works exibited. We migt term tis an alternate reality of science fiction or fantasy, but for te fact of te Lord s being te Autor and Speaker of tese words. e knew wat would ave appened in Tyre and Sidon witout a doubt. And our Lord knew wat would appen to te Apostle Peter, if te Second Coming was delayed, and it was. So for us to say tat Crist could not ave come before Peter s deat, etc, is to deny te open commandments of Crist Jesus imself to Watc ye terefore: for ye know not wen te master of te ouse comet, at even, or at midnigt, or at te cockcrowing, or in te morning: Lest coming suddenly e find you sleeping. And wat I say unto you I say unto all, Watc (Mark 13:35-37). We do not ave te liberty of Scripture to take a propecy of God and claim tat it absolves us from obeying open commandments. Crist, imself claims tat is return/rapture is imminent, and so te apostles wrote teir epistles in expectation of tat coming gatering. Te Apostle Paul was expecting to be raptured in is lifetime. For tis we say unto you by te word of te Lord, tat we wic are alive and remain unto te coming of te Lord sall not prevent tem wic are asleep. For te Lord imself sall descend from eaven wit a sout, wit te voice of te arcangel, and wit te trump of God: and te dead in Crist sall rise first: Ten we wic are alive and remain sall be caugt up togeter wit tem in te clouds, to meet te Lord in te air: and so sall we ever be wit te Lord. Werefore comfort one anoter wit tese words (I Tess. 4:15-18). Four times in tis passage e refers to te we wic are alive and remain sall be witnesses to Crist s coming rapture and te resurrection of te saints. Tese verses alone are Scriptural proof of te imminent return of Crist. But te wole tenor of te New Testament is an exciting expectation of our Saviour s promise to return. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive YOU unto myself; tat were I am, tere ye may be also (Jon 14:3) (emp. TMS). Muc as we must reconcile uman responsibility in salvation wit te total inability of te trut of total depravity, as someting tat we must carefully leave in te ands of te omnipotent One, so we cannot restrict God to uman time and measurements in any matter, including is coming. If te Lord says tat it is imminent in is own words, ten it most surely is. Let us look at tis matter Scripturally. First, as te Apostle Paul writes to te Corintian Baptist Curc: So tat ye come beind in no gift; waiting for te coming of our Lord Jesus Crist: Wo sall also confirm you unto te end, tat ye may be blameless in te day of our Lord Jesus Crist (I Cor. 1:7-8). Paul told tem to wait for te coming of our Lord. Yet, if you go to Corint today, you will not find tis curc waiting patiently. It as since gone out of existence, except as troug mission works it perpetuated te Lord s curces elsewere. But, if tere is no imminent ope, wy would Paul tell tem to wait for te Rapture? It was not coming during teir lifetimes. God s purpose for te doctrine of te imminent return, is simply so tat we migt labor wit ope. Crist said But of tat day and our knowet no man, no, not te angels of eaven, but my Fater only (Matt. 24:36). Was tat to cause tem to despair? ( No one knows wen. You will never know. aaaa!!) Of course not! It was stated/revealed tat way, so tat every generation would ave ope. Terefore be ye also ready: for in suc an our as ye tink not te Son of man comet (Matt. 24:44). Paul did not lie to te Baptists in Corint. e was rigt to tell tem to ope for an imminent coming. e was following te pattern of Crist. For tey temselves sew of us wat manner of entering in we ad unto you, and ow ye turned to God from idols to serve te living and true God; And to wait for is Son from eaven, wom e raised from te dead, even Jesus, wic delivered us from te wrat to come (I Tess. 1:9-10). Always a personal waiting, expectation and deliverance from te wrat to come. Not looking for an anti-crist/man of sin, but deliverance in te person of Crist. Ceck out I Corintians 11:26, For as often as ye eat tis bread, and drink tis cup, ye do sew te Lord s deat till e come. Vibrant ope of being ere wen te Lord comes back. Are te actual recipients of te letter still tere? No? Does tat negate Scripture? Absolutely not! For our conversation is in eaven; (Continued on page 7)

7 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 6) 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). 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. So wen tis corruptible sall ave put on incorruption, and tis mortal sall ave put on immortality, ten sall be brougt to pass te saying tat is written, Deat is swallowed up in victory (I Cor. 15:51-54). Only a belief in te imminent return of Crist could cause an autor to write in suc a manner. Te Apostle Paul expected, tat not only imself, but te members of te curces would sare in te wonder of a PreTrib Rapture and tat instantaneous transformation of deat into life everlasting. For lack of space, I will but list a few of te multiplied references tat mandate an imminent ope of seeing Crist return at any moment. I Tessaloians 2:19, 3:13, Colossians 3:4, like Corint, te oter curces are rigt to expect to see Crist. I Tessaloians 5:1-11, not looking for wrat, but Crist s imminent coming. I Timoty 6:14-15, a personal carge to a man, Timoty, to be ready for Crist s visible return. Did Timoty die too soon? Was e deceived by te apostle by departing tis world troug deat, not rapture? No! Te carge is to live in expectation of God s glory. II Timoty 4:1, speaks of two pases of Jesus coming: 1) for te quick and 2) for te dead. 1) Appearing at te Rapture and 2) Setting up is Kingdom at te advent. Titus 2:13, tis now dead man, also was told to be watcing/ waiting for a blessed ope. ebrews 9:28, promise exclusively to tem tat look for im, is te 2 nd coming. I Jon 2:28, we at is appearance. Revelation 3:11, promised te Piladelpia curc tat I come quickly/suddenly. owever, aving said all tat, because I see it as a scriptural trut, I do believe tat te Lord would not ave come during tat first century, even toug all of te saints, even Jon te beloved apostle expected it. e wic testifiet tese tings sait, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20). Te reason being is tat Jesus Crist, imself laid out te outline of occurrences tat would appen over te next few centuries (two millennia?) before is return in Mattew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. As we read troug tese wonderful passages, we can ceck off tese signs of te times and live our lives in expectation of is imminent return, for wic we can for sure say in our day and age tat tere are no propesies tat would inder is coming today in For ow long tat as been able to ave been assuredly said, only God truly knows, because only God knows te extent to wic te signs must be fulfilled, including te Gospel going to all te world, and us being a witness to all nations. TE CLEAREST PRETRIB OUTLINE IN TE BIBLE IS MATTEW 24 Te Grand End Times Outline of Mattew 24 and te oter synoptic Gospels, starts wit te apostles question in Mattew 24:3, And as e sat upon te mount of Olives, te disciples came unto im privately, saying, Tell us, wen sall tese tings be? and wat sall be te sign of ty coming, and of te end of te world? Te Lord proceeds to answer tese two questions as clearly as can be. No better outline of te end times is found in Scripture. Verses 4-14 provide a detailed analysis of current events in our time of te end is not yet (vs. 6). Te time of apostasy predicted by te Apostle Paul in II Tessaloians 2:3, Let no man deceive you by any means: for tat day sall not come, except tere come a falling away first Crist says tere will be false curces (vs. 5), wars and rumors of wars (vs. 6), famines, pestilences, eartquakes (vs. 7), persecutions from witout (vs. 9) and from witin (vs. 10), false propets and televangelists (vs. 11) and cold-earts amid apostasy (vs. 12). Te 10 t and final sign given by Crist before te Rapture will occur is vs. 14, 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. Tis is wat I made mention of earlier, in tat te extent of te witness is God s prerogative, and is pertinent for every generation because all nations could be all known nations at te time of te First or Second Century (Surely you can see te Apostle Paul s urgency in traveling to far off Spain and Wales. After tose trips, e migt well be tinking, now, te Lord can come.), it could be all nations decreed and elected, or it could be all nations witout exception, all of wic certainly is fulfilled in our time in te 21 st Century. Te most important part of tis grand outline for te current topic is verses Te disciples question was and wat sall be te sign of ty coming, and of te end of te world? Te Lord tells tem in verse 6, see tat ye be not troubled: for all tese tings must come to pass, but te end is not yet. Wars are insufficient of a sign for te end. Te end comes precisely wen te Lord comes. Te end equals is coming in tese two precious verses. But e tat sall endure unto te end (is coming), te same sall be saved (delivered/snatced away). And tis gospel of te kingdom sall be preaced in all te world for a witness unto all nations; and ten sall te end (is coming) come (Matt. 24:13-14). Te Lord ere promises tat e tat sall endure unto te end, te same sall be saved / rescued/delivered/raptured. Obviously, te Lord is not talking about salvation by works, in tis verse, but just like Mattew 10:22, e is speaking about a deliverance: from te power, penalty and now te presence of sin. Te rest of te grand end times outline continues wit Daniel s 70 t week and te time of Jacob s trouble in verses Exactly cronologically in order, but long before te abomination of desolation (at te 3.5 year midpoint), long before ten sall be great tribulation (vs. 21), te Lord, imself as already sown te end of te age for te disciples and us. Our end is te Rapture. After te Great Tribulation s seven years run teir course, te 2 nd advent will occur (vs ) and te Battle of Armageddon and te Judgment of te Nations (vs. 31) will user in te Millennial Reign. All perfectly predicted by te Son of God. And perfectly in (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 7) armony wit all of Scripture. Tat verses can only be speaking about te PreTrib Rapture is also validated in te parallel passage in Luke 21:16-19, And ye sall be betrayed bot by parents, and bretren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you sall tey cause to be put to deat. And ye sall be ated of all men for my name s sake. But tere sall not an air of your ead peris. In your patience possess ye your souls. Tis last verse is te counterpart to our Rapture text in bot Mattew and Mark. In your patience/ endurance (e tat endures to te end) possess ye your souls/ lies your salvation. But more tan tat, it is a prase tat is used in Revelation 13:10 and 14:12 to point out te end for tose saints life s journey as well. In Revelation 13:10 it refers to martyrdom, but in Revelation 14, we ave TE CLEAREST PICTURE IN TE BIBLE of TWO PASES of te Lord s 2 nd Coming. Revelation 14:12-16 refers to te Rapture, ere is te patience of te saints: ere are tey tat keep te commandments of God, and te fait of Jesus. And I eard a voice from eaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are te dead wic die in te Lord from encefort: Yea, sait te Spirit, tat tey may rest from teir labours; and teir works do follow tem. And I looked, and beold a wite cloud, and upon te cloud one sat like unto te Son of man, aving on is ead a golden crown, and in is and a sarp sickle. And anoter angel came out of te temple, crying wit a loud voice to im tat sat on te cloud, Trust in ty sickle, and reap: for te time is come for tee to reap; for te arvest of te eart is ripe. And e tat sat on te cloud trust in is sickle on te eart; and te eart was reaped. Te first pase of te Lord s coming is propesied ere, wit te patience of te saints interposed. Crist, te Son of Man is on a cloud (coming in te clouds, cf. Acts 1:9) and te Lord imself (not te angels) reaps te elect from te eart wit is sarp sickle. Te PreTrib Rapture! And e never leaves is cloud! Revelation 14:17-20 refers to te Second Advent/Armadeddon at te end of te Daniel s 70 t week, were (not te elect, but) te vine of te eart is reaped. And anoter angel came out of te temple wic is in eaven, e also aving a sarp sickle. And anoter angel came out from te altar, wic ad power over fire; and cried wit a loud cry to im tat ad te sarp sickle, saying, Trust in ty sarp sickle, and gater te clusters of te vine of te eart; for er grapes are fully ripe. And te angel trust in is sickle into te eart, and gatered te vine of te eart, and cast it into te great winepress of te wrat of God. And te winepress was trodden witout te city, and blood came out of te winepress, even unto te orse bridles, by te space of a tousand and six undred furlongs. Clearly a propecy of a PostTrib advent and te Battle of Armageddon! (Joel 3:9-16, Zec. 12, Rev. 16:12-19:21). Interesting in tis context is Joel 2:32, And it sall come to pass, tat wosoever sall call on te name of te LORD sall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem sall be deliverance, as te LORD at said, and in te remnant wom te LORD sall call. Te familiar New Testament reference Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13 says tat wosoever sall call upon te name of te Lord sall be saved. e tat enduret to te end sall be saved (Matt. 10:22). Joel, in te original caption uses te word delivered. Raptured, or snatced away to safety. Seized by te almigty love of God. Te Luke 21 reference expands on te Mattew 24 and Mark 13 passages, in tat te Lord witin te Great Tribulation passage of vs , actually as a promise tat only tribulation saints can grab old of (primarily Israelites, of course, in Daniel s 70 t week) Men s earts failing tem for fear, and for looking after tose tings wic are coming on te eart: for te powers of eaven sall be saken. And ten sall tey see te Son of man coming in a cloud wit power and great glory. And wen tese tings begin to come to pass, ten look up, and lift up your eads; for your redemption drawet nig (Luke 21:26-28). Special note must be taken of II Tessaloians 2, as te next clearest PreTrib outline in te Bible, were te Apostle Paul follows Crist s outline wit a few more revelations tat parallel a study of te book of Daniel. I ave written an entire article on tis capter, so I would not do more tan just mention tat te capter starts wit te Rapture, and all of te events of te man of sin and is revelation follow after, just like every oter end time passage in te Bible. SPECIFIC ANSWERS TO POSTTRIB POSTULATIONS 1. Te sign of te man of sin is not necessary before te rapture. Te only signs necessary before te Rapture to occur are te ones listed in Mattew 24:3-14 and parallel passages concerning apostasy, etc. All oter signs occur during te Great Tribulation and are noted as landmarks of tat time period associated wit Israel. 2. Two comings or tree? Revelation 14:14-20 sows te scriptural picture of Crist coming for is elect in a first reaping, ten te angels gatering te wicked (Rev. 16:12-16) for te second reaping of te vine of te eart. Tis also fulfills te requirement of Crist coming for is Bride, ten coming a second time wit is Bride. Muc like te first coming of Crist was a fulfillment of two types of propesy (born of a virgin) and (a sacrificial lamb for our sin), so, too, is Scripture replete wit propesies of a coming Bridegroom (rapturing out is people) and a furious King (judging te quick and te dead). Two separate comings were never mentioned in te Old Testament, eiter. Te Jews did not see Crist s first advent coming in wit at least a 2000 year iatus before e comes to set up is kingdom (Acts 1:8), and neiter do PostTrib ascribers see te necessity of te 7-year iatus to separate te Rapture from te 2 nd advent. But clearly from Old Testament propecies, tere is now seen a necessity for two trips. Even so, it is evident from Bible studying tat tere are propesies of te Rapture and also propesies tat cannot occur at te Rapture, but must of necessity require a 2 nd pase (or 3 rd coming, as it were). Just because te Bible does not call it a tird coming, does not invalidate clear propecy, any more tan not speaking of two comings in te Old Testament, can force te Lord s and into setting up is kingdom in te First Century A.D. 3. Wic is te Last Trump? Te sevent trumpet of te Great Tribulation in Revelation 11:15 is never referred to as a last (Continued on page 9)

9 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 8) trump, but it is te last of te seven. Seven of seven being more important tan te terminology of last. Te last trump of I Corintians 15:52, does indeed signal te end for te Gentiles, during tis curc age, in a book tat is specifically addressed to Gentile (& Jewis) curc members (te New Testament Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:2, etc). Daniel 12:1 and I Tessalonians 4:16 is were te clock starts ticking again for Israel. It is te last trump for te Lord s curces, but it eralds great woe for Israel, altoug God as tempered tat great woe wit is perpetual promises for is peculiar nation. Te Mattew 24:31 trumpet again is a pivotal trump sounding te beginning of te Millennial Reign, but also te end of te seventiet week. It is never termed a last trump in Scripture, so it is not to be confused wit te New Testament s last trump in I Corintians 15 seven years earlier. Tat te I Corintians 15 trump is designated so, is peculiar in itself, because trumps typically erald a coming action, not a finising action. 4. Te Timing of te Two Resurrections? Te first to be resurrected are te Saints. Te reprobates, almost witout exception (Revelation 19:20 as two souls at least participating in a first pase of tis second type of resurrection) will not be resurrected to stand for judgment, until te great wite trone judgment of Revelation 20: Interestingly, te Bible never actually calls tis te second resurrection. It is only referred to as te second deat. Specifically, as juxtaposed wit te first deat pysically. Daniel and Jon (again) refer to distinct resurrections for te good/evil. Marvel not at tis: for te our is coming, in te wic all tat are in te graves sall ear is voice, And sall come fort; tey tat ave done good, unto te resurrection of life; and tey tat ave done evil, unto te resurrection of damnation (Jon 5:28-29). Dan.12:1-2- And at tat time (tms-pretrib rapture of I Tess. 4:16) sall Micael stand up, te great prince wic standet for te cildren of ty people: and tere sall be a time of trouble (obviously again a specific time/7 year Great Tribulation/Time of Jacob s Trouble), suc as never was since tere was a nation even to tat same time: and at tat time ty people sall be delivered, every one tat sall be found written in te book. And many of tem tat sleep in te dust of te eart sall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to same and everlasting contempt (Dan. 12:1-2). So, if te second resurrection is never termed tusly, we can tell tat te first resurrection is not a cronological first, but a first type of resurrection. Namely, te one to everlasting life. Te second is simply referred to as a second deat or everlasting contempt, tat none of te saints will ever experience. It could ave been referred to as te second (type of) resurrection, but te point is more important to contrast deat wit te life of te first (type of) resurrection. Certainly, tere is noting wrong wit calling it te second resurrection, because it obviously and evidently is, bot cronologically and in species. 5. Te Last Day Te day of te Lord, day of Crist, etc, are indeed speaking about time periods usually longer tan one 24-our day. Te context will determine weter to take it literally or propetically of a larger period of time. Most of te Old Testament references to one day, particularly in Zecaria and Isaia, tat probably actually do refer to a 24-our day, are references to Armageddon and te fall of Babylon, were te second advent of te Lord on te Mount of Olives will render swift justice (Isa. 47; Zec. 12, 14; Rev. 18; Joel 2; etc.). Tis is One of te most compelling arguments for a two pase 2 nd coming. So many propecies of te coming of Crist are so diverse and diametrically opposite, tat tey cannot be fulfilled wit just one coming, eiter PreTrib or PostTrib. Te Bible requires two returns: a rapture for is saints, and ten it requires a glorious return wit is saints in battle (Rev. 19:14, et al). Te prase last days is used Biblically to speak of everyting from te present current era of apostasy and cold earts (I Jon 2:18), to a PostMillennial resurrection of te dead at te great wite trone. Contextually ten, we must take te term last days to simply exort us to always be looking forward, for tese events are imminent. We ave no time of reprieve to be looking for signs and telling oters tat Crist cannot yet return. Tat is anatema to Scripture. Tis know also, tat in te last days perilous times sall come (II Tim. 3:1). Te signs are never te goal, but tey always point to te supreme goal of Crist and is coming! 6. Te Timing of God s Wrat Te Bible makes no distinction between te tree woes of Revelation, te seals, trumpets and vials. All are part of te same judgment and are worldwide catastropes. One woe is past; and, beold, tere come two woes more ereafter (Rev. 9:12). Te second woe is past; and, beold, te tird woe comet quickly (Rev. 11:14). Wit a studious reading of tese calamities in Revelation, te credulity is strained to call part of tem Great Tribulation like te eart as never seen before, no nor ever sall and pass te first six seals off as current events (I ad one PostTrib pastor tell me tat e tougt te sixt seal was occurring before our eyes in 2013! Wonder wat e tinks now?). Te extent of te catastropic scale of te fourt seal alone is unimaginable. And wen e ad opened te fourt seal, I eard te voice of te fourt beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and beold a pale orse: and is name tat sat on im was Deat, and ell followed wit im. And power was given unto tem over te fourt part of te eart, to kill wit sword, and wit unger, and wit deat, and wit te beasts of te eart (Rev. 6:7-8). Wit a total eart population of 6 billion souls, tat would mean tat 1.5 billion men, women, boys and girls are killed wit tis one seal. If an 8 billion population is projected, two billion folks are taken out of tis eart in one fell swoop. ow anyone can envisage tat te eart is currently undergoing tat is beyond me. Te sixt trumpet follows not muc later wit anoter potential 2 billion casualties as one-tird of te remaining eart s population is destroyed furter. A sincere searcer for te trut will certainly find te Bible teaces a great tribulation, wit te last of te Israeli saints being saved on te 1,260 t day of te time of Jacob s trouble Armageddon (Zec. 12; Matt. 24:31, 25:31-40). (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 9) 7. armony of Scripture I tink tis armony of te Scripture is an essential point to make. As we examine passages from Noa s ark, to Lot s Sodom, from Enoc s rapture to Jon s visions, tere are so many pictures and examples of te PreTrib, PreMill Biblical doctrine. A PostTrib view is incomplete and incompatible wit so muc contemporary Scripture and parallel passages tat I could never be comfortable wit it. Te passage tat is most parallel to Mattew 24:30-31 is Revelation 19:11-16 and oter Armageddon passages in Joel, Isaia and Zecaria, et al. Te Mattew 24:30 passage concerns itself wit world judgment and can in no way be seen as a comforting passage, as te Pauline ones concern temselves wit. Te Rapture passages in Tessalonians/Corintians are muc more comfortable togeter in teir 1) Imminence, 2) Suddenness, 3) Peculiar attention to saints alone, 4) Resurrection focus, etc. SOME CONCLUSIONS Overall, te greatest errors of a PostTrib view are: 1) Te ignoring te importance of Daniel s 70 t week, were God declares tat e will again restore te nation of Israel to prominence at te expense of te Gentile nations. 2) Ignoring (or denying) te imminence factor in our current lives to be watcing/waiting for te Lord to come for us. 3) Te many clear pictures in te Bible of a PreTribulational deliverance from te world s judgment and a PostTribulational destruction of te enemies of God. 1. Israel s Importance in Daniel s 70 t Week Israel is not, nor ever will be confused wit te Lord s New Testament Baptist curces. For I would not, bretren, tat ye sould be ignorant of tis mystery, lest ye sould be wise in your own conceits; tat blindness in part is appened to Israel, until te fulness of te Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel sall be saved: as it is written, Tere sall come out of Sion te Deliverer, and sall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For tis is my covenant unto tem, wen I sall take away teir sins (Rom. 11:25-27). A patent propesy is revealed tat partial blindness as appened to Israel, until a particular time occurs wen te fulness of te Gentiles be come in. Ten te clock will start again for Israel, and te multitude of Old Testament propesies will come to fruition, including te peace treaty covenant, temple worsip and sacrifices (including te man of sin s abomination of desolation), and finally te great outpouring of grace and salvation at te end of te last week, during te Battle of Armageddon. And it sall come to pass in tat day, tat I will seek to destroy all te nations tat come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon te ouse of David, and upon te inabitants of Jerusalem, te spirit of grace and of supplications: and tey sall look upon me wom tey ave pierced, and tey sall mourn for im, as one mournet for is only son, and sall be in bitterness for im, as one tat is in bitterness for is firstborn. In tat day sall tere be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as te mourning of adadrimmon in te valley of Megiddon (Zec. 12:9-11). I say ten, at God cast away is people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of te seed of Abraam, of te tribe of Benjamin. God at not cast away is people wic e foreknew... (Rom. 11:1-2). Any dealing wit end time propecy ad better seriously take into account te nation of Israel. So many folk I ave eard leaving te ranks of PreTrib, ave not stopped at PostTrib, but ave ended up in Preterism or Amillennialism. Tey ave also left te ranks of Landmarkism, because teir teories saw no place for a distinction between te Lord s curc and Israel, so tey ave combined tem into one, necessitating a universal, invisible entity, known alternately as te curc or Israel, but te promises to Israel and te Baptist curces ave always been different. 2. Te Imminence of te Lord s Return And as it was in te days of Noe, so sall it be also in te days of te Son of man. Tey did eat, tey drank, tey married wives, tey were given in marriage, until te day tat Noe entered into te ark, and te flood came, and destroyed tem all. Likewise also as it was in te days of Lot; tey did eat, tey drank, tey bougt, tey sold, tey planted, tey builded; But te same day tat Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from eaven, and destroyed tem all. Even tus sall it be in te day wen te Son of man is revealed. In tat day, e wic sall be upon te ousetop, and is stuff in te ouse, let im not come down to take it away: and e tat is in te field, let im likewise not return back. Remember Lot s wife. Wosoever sall seek to save is life sall lose it; and wosoever sall lose is life sall preserve it. I tell you, in tat nigt tere sall be two men in one bed; te one sall be taken, and te oter sall be left. Two women sall be grinding togeter; te one sall be taken, and te oter left. Two men sall be in te field; te one sall be taken, and te oter left (Luke 17:26-36). Te imminence and surprise factor is incontrovertibly a PreTrib testament. All PostTribbers eventually must turn Scripture upside down to make provision for one simple statement, But of tat day and our knowet no man, no, not te angels of eaven, but my Fater only (Matt. 24:36). Simply put, wen te Great Tribulation starts, te meticulous counting of 1260 days begins. Te two witnesses will die at te midpoint and te abomination of desolation will occur on scedule, and finally, 42 monts later, Crist will come. Noting about te PostTrib return of te Lord will be surprising. Tere are verses tat indicate eaven s window will be open to eartly view and reprobate men will sake teir fists up at God s trone and blaspeme is oly name. But tey will not be able to stop te inexorable ticking of te clock of Daniel s 70 t week. And te eaven departed as a scroll wen it is rolled togeter; and every mountain and island were moved out of teir places. And te kings of te eart, and te great men, and te ric men, and te cief captains, and te migty men, and every bondman, and every free man, id temselves in te dens and in te rocks of te mountains; And said to te mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and ide us from te face of im tat sittet on te trone, and from te wrat of te Lamb: For te great day of is wrat is come; (Continued on page 11)

11 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 PreTrib Rapture (Continued from page 10) and wo sall be able to stand? And men were scorced wit great eat, and blaspemed te name of God, wic at power over tese plagues: and tey repented not to give im glory (Rev. 6:14-17, 16:9). 3. PreTrib Pictures Abound in Scriptural Types and Propecies (Matt. 24:37) As it was in te days of Noa, were Enoc (picturing te curces) was translated out (Gen. 5:24), but Noa (picturing Israel) ad to weater out te coming judgment. (Gen. 7:10) Wy did God wait seven days, after Noa entered te ark, before te 40-day rain began? A picture/propesy of te Great Tribulation/Daniel s 70 t Week. (Luke 17:28) As it was in te days of Lot and Sodom/ Gomorra: Lot and te saved are raptured/snatced out before te coming judgment. (Mattew 25:1-13) Te 10 virgins parable sows an imminent return, and te Bridegroom coming for te bride before te coming judgment. (Luke 19:11-27) Te 10 pounds parable sows an imminent, tieflike, silent rapture and reckoning of te saints, followed by a separate judgment of te wicked sometime after (7 years!). (Revelation 4:1/11:12) Te words come up iter are spoken from eaven to God s saints and speak of an exclusive gatering of te saints/elect. (Joel 2:1-11, et al) sows an invincible army pouring troug te city of Jerusalem at Armageddon. A 2 nd advent event, wic cannot be reconciled wit te many propecies of te Rapture seven years earlier. Little cildren, it is te last time: and as ye ave eard tat anticrist sall come, even now are tere many anticrists; wereby we know tat it is te last time (I Jon 2:18). Jon knows te man of sin is coming, but as e concludes is tougts in tis capter, is exortation is not to look for te Anti-Crist and ten Crist. e simply expects te Lord to come quickly. And now, little cildren, abide in im; tat, wen e sall appear, we may ave confidence, and not be asamed before im at is coming (I Jon 2:28). 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). Obviously, if you ave read Elder Milburn Cockrell s 101 Reasons for a PreTrib Rapture, you know tat pictures of it abound in Scripture, if you do not ave a personal bias against it. Sure, not all of tem may be clear, stand-alone pictures, but taken as a wole, it is easy to see wat te saints of yore expected. It is wat te oly Gost-inspired writers reported. And I ave never felt a twinge of uneasiness in all te writings of any PostTrib expositor. Even as I try to onestly understand wy friends of mine tink te Bible teaces it. Te PostTrib support is just not tere in context. It as to take obscure verses ere and tere, and string tem togeter in inviable lines. And tat is not onest exegesis. It is just too clear wat God is propesying, PreMil and PreTrib. May God bless tese words, tougts and time-onored Bible doctrines to your eart. Please Lord give us instruction and knowledge from your Word. Te Quickening (Continued from page 1) one better tan te oter? I tink not. Let us see ow bot of tese tieves reacted to te presence of Jesus Crist wo was placed between tem at te first. Ten were tere two tieves crucified wit im, one on te rigt and, and anoter on te left. And tey tat passed by reviled im, wagging teir eads, And saying, Tou tat destroyest te temple, and buildest it in tree days, save tyself. If tou be te Son of God, come down from te cross. Likewise also te cief priests mocking im, wit te scribes and elders, said, e saved oters; imself e cannot save. If e be te King of Israel, let im now come down from te cross, and we will believe im. e trusted in God; let im deliver im now, if e will ave im: for e said, I am te Son of God. Te tieves also, wic were crucified wit im, cast te same in is teet (Matt. 27:38-44). Notice te tieves also cast te same in is teet. Tey bot joined in te mocking. Tere were only two and tey bot joined in wit te cief priests and te scribes and elders of Israel in mocking Jesus. Mark s gospel verifies te same wen e says And tey tat were crucified wit im reviled im (Mark 15:32). So we see from tese passages tat bot tieves were te same in te beginning. Is it possible for a man in suc a situation as tis and wo was joining in wit te religious leaders in mocking te very Son of God, to be saved? A man wo ad no ope of ever getting down from tat cross and undoing wat e ad done. Is it even possible for im to obtain eaven? Wen te disciples of Jesus asked im, Wo ten can be saved? e answered and said, Wit men it is impossible, but not wit God: for wit God all tings are possible (Mark 10:26, 27). Yes, it is possible for God to save even one or bot of tese two malefactors if e so pleased. e did save one as we sall see. One was different in te end, but wy? Was e just more rigteous tan te oter? Was e a better or good tief? If one was different in te end, ten wo made te difference? Was it te tief? Paul gives us te answer wen e asks a retorical question of te Corintians. For wo maket tee to differ from anoter? and wat ast tou tat tou didst not receive? now if tou didst receive it, wy dost tou glory, as if tou adst not received it? (I Cor. 4:7). Bot tieves ad eard someting about tis Jesus but in a mocking way. Te mockers were repeating wat Jesus ad said and claimed during is eartly ministry, suc as, if tou be te Son of God and e saved oters and if e be te King of Israel and for e said, I am te Son of God and someting about te raising of a temple in tree days, etc. Tere was even a superscription of is accusation written over im, TE KING OF TE JEWS, wic tese tieves surely ad seen. Te mockers even said, Let Crist te King of Israel descend now from te cross, tat we may see and believe (Mark 15:32). And ten we read in tat same verse of bot tieves, And tey tat were crucified wit im reviled im. Te Bible is very clear tat tere were only two and tey bot reviled Crist. But wat te tieves ad eard about Jesus being te Crist, and a savior, and te Son of God in a (Continued on page 14)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Wat is te meaning of Isaia 65:8? Idao Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio I believe we can see two tings in tis verse tat pertain to God s people, but mainly Israel. Te new wine tat is found in te cluster is te remnant 1) Israel, more specifically te 144 tousand, and 2) te curc, and saints of God tat are living now. Tis is Isaia s propecy of tem bot. If you know anyting at all about a cluster of grapes, you will know tat not every single grape in tat cluster is a perfect grape. Some, te birds ave picked at, and oters te bugs ave eaten, and still oters never really ave formed. Remember Paul told te local curc in Rome and reminded tem in Romans 9:6-9, Not as toug te word of God at taken none effect. For tey are not all Israel, wic are of Israel: Neiter, because tey are te seed of Abraam, are tey all cildren: but, In Isaac sall ty seed be called. Tat is, Tey wic are te cildren of te fles, tese are not te cildren of God: but te cildren of te promise are counted for te seed. Te promise was for tose Jews tat come to te saving knowledge of Jesus Crist, wic is te remnant 144 tousand (Revelation 7 & 14). Also, Paul told te curc at Epesus in Acts 20:29, For I know tis, tat after my departing sall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing te flock. Tere are more Scriptures concerning tis, but te point is, not all te Jews will be destroyed (144 tousand) and not all tat are in te curc and of te true Cristians (not te professing ones but te possessing) will be raptured out. After te battle of Armageddon all te saved Jews during te 7 years tribulation will walk into te Millennial Kingdom (tere will be no lost people, tey will all be destroyed). And again te Bride (te true curc, wic I believe is te remnant ere on eart rigt now) and te true saints in Crist will be raptured out before te 7 years. So it is my belief te new wine are all te elect of God tat are ere rigt now, tat are in te cluster of Israel and in te cluster of te religion of tis world. In oter words, God s elect people will not be destroyed. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O From te context it seems to indicate tat in te midst of God s judgments upon Israel for teir idolatry and immorality tere is a promise of redemption, restoration, and refresment for an elect remnant of te cosen nation. Just as tere is te promise of new wine in te cluster of grapes, so also tere is a promise of a time of refresing and restoration for God s cosen nation. Te picture drawn by te oly Spirit ere is tat God is burning te corrupt and wasted vines in Israel tat are no longer fruitful due to sin. One vine tat is discovered wic as a single cluster of grapes wit te promise of new wine in tem is spared. So God as promised to never forsake entirely is cosen nation of Israel, but will spare a remnant from judgment wen e regenerates, restores, and redeems is elect. Te two verses following Isaia 65:9 support tis conclusion: And I will bring fort a seed out of Jacob, and out of Juda an ineritor of my mountains: and mine elect sall inerit it, and my servants sall dwell tere. And Saron sall be a fold of flocks, and te valley of Acor a place for te erds to lie down in, for my people tat ave sougt me. It seems to give us a glimpse of te promise of refresment and fruitfulness of te Millennium wen Crist sall reign upon te eart wit is elect and te restored nation of Israel. TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Isaia 65 is a propetic capter tat looks forward troug many years to te end times far beyond Isaia 53 s propecy of a coming Messia, to a coming King of Kings. Witin tis capter are precise details of bot Armageddon and te Millennial Reign, wit even a glimpse into te Eternal Ages in vs. 17. But as I re-studied tis capter for te question, I was reminded tat te central teme is always sovereign grace. Sela! Tink about it! Te main focus of te capter is God s dealing wit Israel, as a peculiar nation and people of God. Te secondary focus is tat God s people (woever tey may be) will continue to persevere as God wondrously preserves tem- te P s in te TULIP of sovereign grace. In vs. 1-7, God reveals tat e will ave grace upon te Gentiles, as Israel finds erself rejecting er Messia and King. I am sougt of tem tat asked not for me; I am found of tem tat sougt me not: I said, Beold me, beold me, unto a nation tat was not called by my name. I ave spread out my ands all te day unto a rebellious people, wic walket in a way tat was not good, after teir own tougts; Wic say, Stand by tyself, come not near to me; for I am olier tan tou (Isa. 65:1-5). Tis rejection is not limited to te Parisaic element in te Lord s 1 st Century, but it is openly displayed tere. olier tan tou te Jews tougt. Tat te Lord as turned is sovereign grace toward te Gentiles is openly demonstrated by te New Testament in Romans 11:25, For I would not, bretren, tat ye sould be ignorant of tis mystery, lest ye sould be wise in your own conceits; tat blindness in part is appened to Israel, until te fulness of te Gentiles be come in. Verse 8 is a two-fold propecy concerning bot te Gentiles and Israel. Te PreTribulational Rapture can be seen ere, as you compare te two reapings of Revelation 14:16 & 19. Te first reaping is te saving reaping of (Continued on page 14)

13 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 13 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 2. Wo are te some people mentioned in I Timoty 4:1-3? Idao Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Tis capter deals wit te pastor s spiritual life and labors. It indicates tat a true minister will ave tree qualities. e will be a good minister preacing te Word (4:1-6). Te danger in verses 1-3 is wat te Epesian curc ad been warned already about- te coming of false doctrines (Acts 20:29-30). Trougout Paul s letters, te Spirit speaks in stated words (expressly) tat te curc will see apostasy, a falling away from te true fait (see II Tessalonians 2). Te word depart in te Greek gives us our Englis word apostasy. Paul points out, too, tat te cause for te apostasy not te growing intelligence of scolars, but te satanic influence of demons so tat professed believers deny te basic doctrines of te Bible. Notice I said professed believers. For I believe tey are not saved. Te problem is not wit te ead, but wit te eart! Wat are te marks of tese false teacers? (Tese are te some people mentioned) tat is being asked. Tey are false teacers! And to take it one step furter, it is te teacing of Catolicism tat as infiltrated religion for almost two tousand years wit doctrines of devils (v. 1). For one ting, tey preac one ting, but practice anoter. Tey are suc ypocrites tat tey even brand seared wit a ot iron (v. 2) teir own consciences by teir willful disobedience to God s Word! Tey read te Word but explain it away troug teir self-serving lies. Tey teac a false piety namely, asceticism, tat is, abstaining from marriage and certain foods. Tere are some so-called Cristian groups (Catolics and oters) tat ave never studied Colossians 2 to discover tat bodily disciplines do not automatically advance spiritual life. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Since te latter times or last days began wit te ministry of te Lord Jesus Crist (eb. 1:1-3, I Peter 1:19-21) te some could certainly include a wole ost of individuals and ecclesiastical organizations tat ave departed from te fait once delivered unto te saints. I tink te precise nature of te passage clearly as reference to te Roman Catolic Curc wo olds devilis doctrines, lies to its congregants every time te supposed transubstantiation of te mass takes place, forbids its clergy to marry wic as led to te atrocities of sexual abuse and pedopilia, forbidding te eating of meat during te pagan celebration of lent, and a ost of oter eresies spawned by te Moter of arlots. Application could be made to a wole ost of individuals and false religious systems wo despise te Lord s curc and te doctrines it stands for. PETA, political progressives, feminists, omosexuals, are all against te truts of Scripture, coosing rater to embrace doctrines of devils. Even so come Lord Jesus! TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Now te Spirit speaket expressly, tat in te latter times some sall depart from te fait, giving eed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (I Tim. 4:1). If tere are some tat depart from te fait, it must be referring to Baptists. Sela! Tink about it! One as to ave te one fait, before tey can depart from tat fait! Jude 3, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exort you tat ye sould earnestly contend for te fait wic was once delivered unto te saints. Speaking lies in ypocrisy; aving teir conscience seared wit a ot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, wic God at created to be received wit tanksgiving of tem wic believe and know te trut (I Tim. 4:2-3). Tese verses are obviously propesying of some Romis/Catolic errors some years before tey even occur. ow any Bible-reading denomination could blindly go down one of tese routes is beyond me but peraps tat adjective Bible-reading is key. Most folks just do not READ TE WORD OF GOD. And tat is were apostasy comes in. Sela! Tink about it! Apostasy is relevant to every generation. In eac new generation, our young folk must be inculcated and catecized wit te fait and bated in te trut to enable a progression of te Lord s Baptist curces being te pillar and ground of God s trut te Bible! But if I tarry long, tat tou mayest know ow tou ougtest to beave tyself in te ouse of God, wic is te curc of te living God, te pillar and ground of te trut (I Tim. 3:15). Apostasy, at its root is cange or a departing from te previous stance for te trut. Cange is really NOT a good ting for God s curces (and curc members) Standing is good. Werefore take unto you te wole armour of God, tat ye may be able to witstand in te evil day, and aving done all, to stand. Stand terefore (Ep. 6:13-14). Being rooted in te previous generations stand for te immutable and uncanging Word of God. It becomes ten a very valid point in ANY argument to ceck Baptist curc istory for your doctrine. It as always been te Bible for Baptist doctrine, so te reverse is similarly true tat Baptist doctrine stands for te Bible. Except were apostasy comes in, some Baptist curces ave departed from te fait. Of course te Apostle Paul predicts it. Some will stop teacing sovereign grace and will call temselves Free (Continued on page 14)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) te Rapture signaling te end of te Curc Age- vs. 16- And e tat sat on te cloud trust in is sickle on te eart; and te eart was reaped. Wereas te reaping of verse 19 is te Second Advent, were te angel is separating te goats of Mattew 25:33, 41 and Revelation 16:12-16 unto te Battle of Armageddonvs. 19, And te angel trust in is sickle into te eart, and gatered te vine of te eart, and cast it into te great winepress of te wrat of God. Our verse 8 ere in Isaia 65 is partially referring to tat new wine of te sovereign grace of te Gentiles Rapture. Sela! Tink about it! owever, as we connect Isaia 65:8-10, Tus sait te LORD, As te new wine is found in te cluster, and one sait, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants sakes, tat I may not destroy tem all. And I will bring fort a seed out of Jacob, and out of Juda an ineritor of my mountains: and mine elect sall inerit it, and my servants sall dwell tere. And Saron sall be a fold of flocks, and te valley of Acor a place for te erds to lie down in, for my people tat ave sougt me. God as NOT forsaken is beloved Israelites. Tere will be sovereign grace bestowed upon te Jews and te Epraimites during Daniel s Seventiet Week (Dan. 9:24-27). Alas! for tat day is great, so tat none is like it: it is even te time of Jacob s trouble; but e sall be saved out of it ( Jer. 30:7). Revelation 7 & 14 speak of 144,000 to be separated, sealed and redeemed out of all 12 tribes of Jacob. Zecaria 12 speaks of te spirit of grace tat will be poured upon te remnant tat will look upon me wom tey ave pierced and finally believe! Verses enscribe te time of Jacob s trouble, leading up to Armageddon. Tat grace is sown upon tese wretced rejecters of God in verses 15-16, truly defines te word grace as unmerited favor. As we stated at te outset, te primary focus of te capter is God s dealing wit Israel, and tat dealing is judgment tempered wit grace. Sovereign Grace alone can explain te end times and te fact tat eaven will be inabited by ell-deserving sinners going tere by God s gift of grace troug te blood of Jesus Crist! Verses are some of te most famous descriptions of te Millennial Reign tat will follow te Great Tribulation, wen Crist will set up is eartly kingdom wit power and great glory- te power and glory of sovereign grace! For, beold, I create new eavens and a new eart: and Te wolf and te lamb sall feed togeter, and te lion sall eat straw like te bullock: and dust sall be te serpent s meat. Tey sall not urt nor destroy in all my oly mountain, sait te LORD (Isa. 65:17-25). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) Will Baptists. Ever wonder wy tose curces do not just call temselves Baptist? Tey want to make sure everyone knows tat tey do not believe in Sovereign Grace. No TULIP Calvinism taugt ere, not anymore. Just departing from te fait. Sela! Tink about it! Some Baptist curces ave stopped using wine in te Lord s Supper. Again Paul s appropriate eupemism, departed. Really, does it matter wat Catolics and Protestants do? Tey ave centuries ago left apostasy beind and become irrelevant to God. Candlesticks? Wat is tat? tey ask! But Baptist curces today are fulfilling te latter days propesy even more by stopping te teacing of te woman s eadcovering in public worsip services. All Baptist curces used to teac and practice it. Now some do not. It is not part of TE FAIT anymore. Wy do not folks stand for te trut? Let no man deceive you by any means: for tat day sall not come, except tere come a falling away first (II Tes. 2:3). Some ave departed from curc autority and landmarkism. Some ave departed on alien immersion and do not give a fig about te Baptist Bride. Going to te curc of teir coice instead of te curc of God s coice! Te key element ere is to see tat at some point in time, te modern curces ave decided amongst temselves to stop doing wat tey previously ad done, and to now start doing it a different way. To start letting Metodist preacers preac in teir pulpits. To start letting Presbyterians join te curc witout requiring anabaptism. To start tinking it is sexist for women to ave to wear a eadcovering, but not men. If tese modern start s are good, wy not start your own curc? Please take Baptist off from over your doors, toug. God is putting Icabod on tere for you, because se named te cild Icabod, saying, Te glory is departed (I Sam. 4:21). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Te Quickening (Continued from page 11) mocking way was absolute trut. Tey bot rejected te trut of te gospel. I am reminded tat Paul said tat te gospel was id to tem tat are lost. Witout a doubt te message of te gospel concerns tat Jesus is te Crist and tat e died for is people s sins in a substituting way and was buried and rose again te tird day according to te Scriptures as Paul tells us in I Corintians 15:1-4. Now concerning tat message Paul also tells us tis, For te preacing of te cross is to tem tat peris foolisness; but unto us wic are saved it is te power of God (I Cor. 1:18). And again e said, But we preac Crist crucified, unto te Jews a stumblingblock, and unto te Greeks foolisness; But unto tem wic are called, bot Jews and Greeks, Crist te power of God, and te wisdom of God (I Cor. 1: 23-24). So we see from Paul s testimony tat te gospel by itself cannot cause men to believe it. Someting else must take place and it as noting to do wit men s free will. Notice tat Paul said it was te power of God unto tem wic are called. Tese are te called according to is purpose (Rom. 8:28). Paul said tat te gospel was te power of God unto salvation, but e did not stop tere. For I am not asamed of te gospel of Crist: for it is te power of God unto salvation to every one tat believet; to te Jew first, and also to te Greek (Rom. 1:16). It is power to tose tat believe, but to believe it a man must ave a spiritual mind. Te carnal mind will not receive it. Te eart tat all men are born wit will not receive it. Someting must appen to te eart in order (Continued on page 15)

15 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Te Quickening (Continued from page 14) to receive it. In te Gospels we read of a parable tat our Lord spoke concerning te sowing of seed wic illustrates te point I am making. In tis parable te Lord tells us exactly wat it means so tere is no doubt about its meaning. A sower went out to sow is seed: and as e sowed, some fell by te way side; and it was trodden down, and te fowls of te air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it witered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among torns; and te torns sprang up wit it, and coked it. And oter fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an undredfold. And wen e ad said tese tings, e cried, e tat at ears to ear, let im ear. (Luke 8:5-8) Now we must ask. Wat is meant by te seed tat te sower is sowing? And wat is meant by te good ground wic is te only one tat produces any fruit? Well te Lord tells us. e says tat te seed is te word of God (Luke 8:11). But it is te Word of God tat is preaced indiscriminately wic is different tan te voice of Crist. Wen Crist said, let tere be ligt tere was ligt. Wen Crist said, Lazarus come fort we read tat e tat was dead came fort. Wen Crist calls te dead tey will ear is voice and live. Wen Crist commands tat te eart be opened it is opened. Now wat is te good ground? I ave said in te past tat te good ground was plowed ground and tat it was plowed up by te oly Spirit. Wile tat may ave a ring of trut to it let us see wat te Lord said te good ground was, for e tells us, But tat on te good ground are tey, wic in an onest and good eart, aving eard te word, keep it, and bring fort fruit wit patience (Luke 8:15). Tey, wic in an onest and GOOD EART...? Please notice tat te seed, wic was te preaced Word of God, did not make te ground good but fell on ground tat was already good or was made good by someting oter tan te seed tat fell on it. So, te Lord did not use te seed to make te ground good but made te ground good apart from te seed and ten because te ground was made good by is grace te seed brougt fort fruit. Te same seed fell on tree oter types of ground and no fruit was ever produced. Only wen it fell on good ground was any fruit produced. Only te voice of te Son of God can make te ground good. ere is te great blunder of gospel preacing regeneration. But please, I am not saying tat te oly Spirit works apart from te preaced Word. I am simply trying to sow cause and effect. If wat Jesus says is true and I do not dare doubt it, ten according to tose tat old to te preacing of te gospel as causing regeneration, te gospel only regenerates good people. As we ave already pointed out te sowing of te seed did not make te ground good. So ow is te ground good wen Jesus said tat tere is none good but one, tat is, God (Matt. 19:17)? And did not Paul say tat tere is none tat doet good? Well, tat is absolutely correct. Now notice in Luke s account of tis parable Jesus spoke of te eart being onest and good and yet Jeremia says Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it ( Jer. 17:9)? Do we ave a contradiction ere? No, a tousand times no! A. W. Pink said, Te eart is te same to te soul as te eye is to te body. Terefore just as a blinded eye cannot see natural ligt, te blinded eart cannot see spiritual ligt. So we read of Paul saying, aving te understanding darkened, being alienated from te life of God troug te ignorance tat is in tem, because of te blindness of teir eart (Ep. 4:18). Now if tis is true ten wat as to appen in te eart? Well Jeremia did say, Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it, but e also said concerning te Lord, And I will give tem an eart to know me, tat I am te LORD: and tey sall be my people, and I will be teir God: for tey sall return unto me wit teir wole eart (Jer. 24:7). Again te Lord said troug te propet, And I will give tem one eart, and one way, tat tey may fear me for ever, for te good of tem, and of teir cildren after tem (Jer. 32:39). Ten we read of Ezekiel declaring te words of te Lord. And I will give tem one eart, and I will put a new spirit witin you; and I will take te stony eart out of teir fles, and will give tem an eart of fles (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26). Now notice in te book of Acts we are told about a certain woman named Lydia tat eard te preacing of Paul. Tis is wat is said concerning er. 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). It does not say tat te Lord used te preacing of Paul to open er eart but opened er eart tat se eard is preacing in te eart wit te understanding. You see quickening or regeneration is te opening of te eart wile conversion is te response of an opened eart to te Word of God. Someone will certainly ask, wat about I Peter 1:23 were Peter said, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by te word of God, wic livet and abidet for ever. Well Peter uses a different Greek word tan Jon does. I would like to quote Elder Curtis Pug on tis point. Jesus used te word gennao bot times tat we ave te word born in tese two verses (Jon capter 3). e speaks of te work of te Spirit in infusing life into a spiritually dead sinner. But Peter in is statement used a different word. e uses anagennao - a related word, but wit an important difference in meaning and in a different tense. Surely every Baptist knows wat te prefix ana means. It as to do wit redoing someting suc as baptism. Our anabapist forefaters always denied tat tey re-baptized saying tat tey only baptized arigt for te first time tose wo ad been baptized by oter sects. Te tense is clear in te Englis for it says being. It does not say aving been, (in te past), but present tense, being - an ongoing birting. Jesus spoke of regeneration as a birt. Peter spoke of te Cristian s ongoing conversion or sanctification. Jesus said regeneration is a work of te oly Spirit. Peter said conversion is a work of te Word of God. It is important to remember tat it is te spirit of man tat is dead prior to regeneration. Te spirit of man is tat wic, if alive, is capable of knowing God. is soul is very muc alive for by a man s soul e (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 Te Quickening (Continued from page 15) is self conscious and conscious of is natural surroundings. A man s soul does not need life, is spirit does. A man s spirit does not need conversion, it needs regeneration. It is a man s soulis life is life as a natural man tat needs conversion. And so, rigtly understood, tere is no conflict between te Lord Jesus and Peter. (end of quote). Ten tere is te verse in James tat will be called into question. Of is own will begat e us wit te word of trut, tat we sould be a kind of firstfruits of is creatures (James 1:18). But tis word speaks of being brougt fort or delivered wic is exactly ow te word was translated in James 1:15 were we read Ten wen lust at conceived, it bringet fort sin: and sin, wen it is finised, bringet fort deat. So tere was a conception of lust wic brougt fort or begat deat. So again James is speaking of te Word of God delivering te quickened sinner. Converting is soul and fasioning te new creature in Crist by te Word of God. In Jesus parable witout te seed tat was sown tere would ave never been any fruit. Before we get to te tief I would like to point out one more account concerning te parable of te sower. In Mattew s account it is te understanding tat is different. Te difference was tat te good ground earer is e tat understandet (Matt. 13:23). But again we read, Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:11). So ow is understanding brougt about? We read in Luke, Ten opened e teir understanding, tat tey migt understand te scriptures (Luke 24:45). It does not say tat e used te scriptures to open teir understanding. Te potential to understand must be given first. A spiritual mind is necessary first and tat is given in regeneration or quickening. Te Scriptures give understanding but tey do not open it. Spiritual understanding involves te eart as well for Jesus said, For tis people s eart is waxed gross, and teir ears are dull of earing, and teir eyes tey ave closed; lest at any time tey sould see wit teir eyes, and ear wit teir ears, and sould understand wit teir eart, and sould be converted, and I sould eal tem (Matt. 13:15). Notice understanding wit an opened eart and ten conversion. Listen to Paul, Now we ave received, not te spirit of te world, but te spirit wic is of God; tat we migt know te tings tat are freely given to us of God. Wic tings also we speak, not in te words wic man s wisdom teacet, but wic te oly Gost teacet; comparing spiritual tings wit spiritual. But te natural man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, because tey are spiritually discerned (I Cor. 2:12). Being quickened by te spirit of God is wat enabled us to know. Concerning te seed tat was sown let us point out again tat wile it was not te seed tat made te ground good yet it was te seed tat caused te good ground to bring fort fruit. Witout te seed tere is no fruit. Witout te gospel tere is no object for our fait. We are not yper-calvinist. We believe tat te oly Spirit always works in connection wit te preacing of te gospel. ow ten sall tey call on im in wom tey ave not believed? and ow sall tey believe in im of wom tey ave not eard? and ow sall tey ear witout a preacer (Rom. 10:14)? But before tey can ear tat spiritual message tey need to ave teir spiritual ears opened. A blinded eye cannot see ligt but a seeing eye cannot see witout ligt. Bot must be present for sigt. A earing ear and sound must bot be present for earing. In te parable of te sower te Lord also said: e tat at ears to ear, let im ear (Luke 8:8). So I ask, wat is needed first, te earing or te earing ear? A man needs a earing ear before e can ear. Tis is true in te natural world and is true in te spiritual world as well or else Jesus would ave never used it as an example. One must be present before te oter can take place. Te potential to ear must be present in order to ear. Were does te earing ear come from? Were does te seeing eye come from? Te earing ear, and te seeing eye, te LORD at made even bot of tem (Pro. 20:12). Bot pysical and spiritual. Let me add a couple of statements by Milburn Cockrell and W. E. Best before returning to te tief. Broter Cockrell said tat, Te oly Spirit regenerates or quickens te spirit of man. Te spirit of man - wen made alive by regeneration is tat wic can know and experience God. Te Word of God converts te soul of man. Te soul of man is tat by wic man as self consciousness and is also aware of natural surroundings. W. E. Best said tat Regeneration is not in itself an experience; conversion is a series of Cristian experiences... A person knows noting of te beginning of is existence. Conversion, owever, is always an awareness of wat is taking place; terefore, it is experimental. Repentance and fait are experiences known to te person born of God. I would add tat te Word of God is wat gives knowledge and brings fort and delivers te sinner out of darkness into ligt, but it is te oly Spirit tat quickens te dead sinner. Only te oly Spirit can bring spiritual life. As we ave endeavored to demonstrate, a blind man needs to ave is blindness cured before e can see but witout ligt e still sees noting. Now let us get back to te tief on te cross. I ave labored to sow tat wat appened to tis tief was not te result of is making a decision for Jesus any more tan Paul s experience on te road to Damascus. Paul was appreended by te Lord Jesus. It was not tat tis tief decided to turn over a new leaf in life. No, as we ave sown e was te same as te oter in te beginning and ten someting appened. I contend tat wen it did it was immediate and wat followed was is conversion. It was someting from witout tat worked witin im. It was wrougt by te oly Spirit of God resulting in is conversion wic was an experience. Let us now look at te progression tat took place in tis tief tat Luke gives account of. No man will be saved apart from repentance and fait in te gospel. Repentance is always first. Testifying bot to te Jews, and also to te Greeks, repentance toward God, and fait toward our Lord Jesus Crist (Acts 20:21). And again, And saying, te time is fulfilled, and te kingdom of God is at and: repent ye, and believe te (Continued on page 17)

17 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Te Quickening (Continued from page 16) gospel (Mark 1:15). Men must repent and as Jesus said, except ye repent, ye sall all likewise peris. But tere is someting tat worket repentance. Paul tells us, For godly sorrow worket repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but te sorrow of te world worket deat (II Cor. 7:10). I would like to sow you all of tis in te tief on te cross. Wat now follows is a manifestation of te instantaneous event tat came witin im but from witout. It was wrougt in im by te oly Spirit. Remember te good ground is e tat understandet and as a good and onest eart and receives te word as Jesus tells us. I read in Proverbs 9:10 tat te fear of te LORD is te beginning of wisdom and te knowledge of te oly is understanding. In Proverbs 1:7 it is te beginning of knowledge. Remember also tat te mocking tat e ad eard and joined in wit was trut. Now, wat does Luke tell us about wat appened first? Instead of joining te oter tief as e ad done in mocking Crist e now tells im, Dost not tou fear God, seeing tou art in te same condemnation (Luke 23:40)? e is experiencing te beginning of knowledge and understanding. Te oly Spirit as opened is understanding and now e as godly sorrow wic will bring about repentance. e may ave feared Roman justice but e now fears te God of eaven wo will judge te living and te dead (Acts 10:42). Next we see is repentance toward God for e now says, And we indeed justly; for we receive te due reward of our deeds (Luke 23:41). Justly before God wo is to be feared, not simply te law of te land. Te tief was now convinced of sin, rigteousness, and judgment to come as a result of te work of te oly Spirit. TE OLY SPIRIT AS MADE TE GROUND GOOD TO RECIEVE TE WORDS TAT AT FIRST E MOCKED. All tose mocking words, e saved oters, and if tou be te Son of God, and if e be te King of Israel, and for e said, I am te Son of God was suddenly trut to is eart. Te Lord troug te work of te oly Spirit as taken away te stony eart and given im a eart of fles. e now sees te rigteousness of Crist and now believes all tat ad been said about im in a mocking way. e says but tis man at done noting amiss (Luke 23:41). e now believes tat Jesus is te Son of God, te King of Israel, and te Lord of te kingdom else e would ave never said wat comes next. e knows tat Jesus is witout sin. e believes tat e is te sinless Son of God. e now as no place to turn but te LORD Jesus Crist. e is sut up to te mercy of God. e is anging on a tree wit no way out. e can never come down and try to undo te wrong e as done. Wat an awful predicament e found imself to be in! e ad eard te mockers say e saved oters and indeed e needed to be saved. e knew for wat sall it profit a man, if e sall gain te wole world, and lose is own soul (Mark 8:36)? e now seeks mercy from Crist. Tis is a plea for mercy and not a demand or a rigt tat e tougt e ad. e now says, Lord, remember me wen tou comest into ty kingdom (Luke 23:42). It is a plea because te Lord is not under obligation to remember im and e knows tat if te Lord does not, ten e is toast and doomed to eternal damnation. Notice, e knows Jesus as Lord and King before e knows im as is personal savior. Ten wat comes next must ave been beyond is compreension. e now receives suc a statement from te Lord tat it must ave been unfatomable to is lost soul. e receives te assurance of salvation from te Lord s promise. Jesus cannot lie. And Jesus said unto im, Verily I say unto tee, Today salt tou be wit me in paradise (Luke 23:43). O te peace tat must ave flooded is soul. Grace ad taugt is eart to fear God and now grace ad relieved tat fear of eternal damnation as te song writer wrote in Amazing Grace. Now e knows im experimentally as savior. e now as rest and wat a rest it was! A rest in te promise of Crist. e is saved from is sins. e is safe for evermore. Deat cannot separate im from te love tat is in Crist Jesus. e as Jesus promise. is Lord was taking care of is sin problem at tat very time in istory by te sacrifice of imself. Somewere in tere between is mocking of Crist and is question to te oter tief wen e asked dost not tou fear God e was quickened by te oly Spirit and ten is soul was converted by te trut e ad eard. Multitudes sing Amazing Grace in gaterings across tis land. ow many ave experienced wat tis tief as experienced? We cannot simply trust in an experience but salvation is an experience. ow many are trusting in a prayer tey ave prayed and ave never experienced conversion as a result of being quickened? And you at e quickened, wo were dead in trespasses and sins; Werein in time past ye walked according to te course of tis world, according to te prince of te power of te air, te spirit tat now worket in te cildren of disobedience: Among wom also we all ad our conversation in times past in te lusts of our fles, fulfilling te desires of te fles and of te mind; and were by nature te cildren of wrat, even as oters. But God, wo is ric in mercy, for is great love werewit e loved us, Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved) (Ep. 2:1-5). You see it is not you or me anyting. It is but God. We were dead in our sins, even as oters, but God at quickened us, oterwise we would continue to reject te work of Crist for salvation wit te rest of te lost and dying world. A quick note on responsibility. Men are responsible to keep all te moral law of God not only in te letter, but also in te spirit. Tey are responsible to love te Lord God wit all teir eart and neigbor as temselves. Tey are responsible to live as toug tey ave spiritual life because men were alive in Adam, but wen Adam fell we all fell in im. but God s requirements did not cange. owever, tey are not responsible to give temselves life for only God can give life. For if tere ad been a law given wic could ave given life, verily rigteousness sould ave been by te law (Gal. 3:21). Tere is no command tat can be obeyed tat will grant life. Te Bible does say, Believe on te Lord Jesus Crist, and tou salt be saved (Acts 16:31), but wen it comes (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 Te Quickening (Continued from page 17) to regeneration tat is from above we read tat Wosoever believet tat Jesus is te Crist is born of God (I Jon 5:1), tat is already, IS born, not sall be born. Repentance and fait are te evidences of regeneration. W. E. Best said, Since regeneration is presented as te act of te sovereign God, it is never presented as a duty of te sinner. Te demands of te gospel upon sinners are limited to te terms of repentance and fait. Testifying bot to te Jews, and also to te Greeks, repentance toward God, and fait toward our Lord Jesus Crist (Acts 20:21). Broter Wilbur Jonson wen asked wat man s responsibility was, said, To believe every word tat God as said. To love te Lord wit all your eart and soul and mind and your neigbor as yourself, but it won t get you tere. ow do we know tat we ave been regenerated or are mere professors? Well, are we trusting in te Lord Jesus wit all of our being? Is is substitutionary work on te cross te object of our ope? ave we believed in te eart as well as te mind (Rom. 10:9-10)? ave we been converted like te tief and seen our own sinfulness and lostness wit no place to go but te rigteousness of Crist? Does God s Spirit witness wit our spirit tat we are te sons of God (Rom. 8:16)? Do we love te bretren (I Jon 3:14)? You say, Broter Lucien, Yes! Ten God gave all tat to you and it started wit te quickening of your dead spirit and te converting of your soul by is grace troug te preacing of te Gospel. Give im te Glory! ow te U.S.A. (Continued from page 1) see tat a significant number of people in te past adered to tose principles. Baptists especially were a separate people: separated for te most part from wicked living, and certainly separated from te arlot and er daugters. But tings are vastly different now. Today we see not only te approval and participation in all sorts of immorality and oter sins by our countrymen, but also a definite anti-biblical stand by politicians and government. Wile liberal and compromising Baptists go along wit most everyting, sound Baptists sall eventually be refugees pilgrims once again in tis world unless taken out soon - if tis preacer sees arigt. Wat is it, according to te Bible, tat as caused tis departure from good morals tat we see all around us? Wy are most people in tis country living in te cesspool of sin? Witout a doubt we ave as a country departed from living moral lives. I: Te Cessation of Preacing te God of te Bible Wit te Consequence tat te Populace Ceased Fearing God Te following quotation includes te KJV marginal note missing from most Bibles. Were tere is no vision, te people peris: but e tat keepet te law, appy is e. {peris: or, is made naked } (Prov. 29:18). (Some disparage te KJV marginal readings, but tey ave been a part of te translation from its origin). Te importance of tese marginal renderings in te view of te translators is insisted upon by tem in teir introductory information to te reader. And just as tose men insisted on te importance of tese notes, tis preacer insists tat every serious Bible student ougt to ave a Bible wit bot te introduction to te reader and te marginal notes and be familiar wit bot, (but I am a dying breed it seems). Sadly, some wo claim to love te King James Version love only a part of it because tey only ave a part of wat te King James translators left to us. First of all let us go back to te above text and deal wit te meaning of te word vision. Pentecostal and carismatic eretics are so popular and teir presence so influential on te media tat even Baptist folk sometimes are influenced by tem. Tese cultists use te word to mean dreams and tat sort of ting. By means of suc tings tey claim to receive added revelations to te Bible. Tey claim tat God speaks to tem in tis way. On te oter and, some take tis word vision and speak, for instance, of a pastor s vision for te congregation e serves. Teir idea is tat if te leader does not ave a dream or vision as to wat e wants is congregation to become tey will not increase weter numerically or spiritually. Surely every pastor ougt to want is flock to progress in knowledge, oliness and spiritual maturity, as well as being energetically involved at ome and abroad in carrying out te great commission. owever, I doubt tat God reveals to pastors is foreordained plan for te congregation e serves. If we really believe tat revelation ceased wit te completion of te Book of Revelation ten suc visions ceased wen te old Apostle Jon finised is writing about A. D During te Old Testament period from wic we ave drawn our text, from time to time God ad a propetic ministry. But tere were oter times wen God s preacers were absent from tis world! Suc a time existed between te Testaments. Tose four undred silent years from te completion of te Old Testament until te preacing of Jon te Baptist were witout a public vision or preacing ministry. No men were gifted by God wit propecy during tis time. Te word propecy can mean eiter or bot a forttelling of God s Word as well as a fore-telling of future events. Not all books written by te propets contain revelations about future events. We ougt to remember tese last two statements wen we read te word propecy or propesied, etc., in te Bible weter in te Old or New Testaments. But let us deal wit tis word vision. Consider te following verses as to te Biblical usage of te word. First: Naum 1:1: Te burden of Nineve. Te book of te vision of Naum te Elkosite. Tis statement is te Propet Naum s introduction to is book. e tells us it was a burden because it was a stern message for Nineve and was on is eart as a eaviness. Tat city ad backslidden after it was spared troug te preacing of Jona. It is a vision, not because e was transported to eaven and saw unspeakable tings, but rater because is vision was te message God ad given im. Second: anoter introductory statement: Te vision of Isaia te son of Amoz, wic e saw concerning Juda and Jerusalem... (Isa. 1:1). Again te propet tis time Isaia introduces is book calling it (Continued on page 18)

19 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 ow te U.S.A. (Continued from page 18) a vision. It was te message of God to Juda and Jerusalem given to im to proclaim. Tird: Take note of one oter suc statement: And te cild Samuel ministered unto te LORD before Eli. And te word of te LORD was precious in tose days; tere was no open vision (I Sam. 3:1). Regarding te last prase in tis statement Barnes says in is commentary: Tere was no vision promulgated or publised. e furter notes: Te song of anna, and te propecy of te man of God (I Sam. 2:27 ) are te only instances of propecy since Debora. Samuel is mentioned as te first of te series of propets (See Acts 3:24). Tese are te only two instances of any preacing ministry during te entire time of te judges (See Judges 4:4; 6:8). Te word of te Lord was precious or rare in tat day: seldom eard. Surely tese verses are enoug to demonstrate witout a doubt tat te word vision as used in tem means te preacing of God s message to men. So let us go back to te first part of our text. Were tere is no vision... Were tere is no open or public preacing of God s message is te meaning of tis first prase. But wat of te second prase? ow are we to understand te prase, te people peris? First of all notice te KJV alternative reading: peris: or, is made naked. Young s Literal Translation translates te prase tus: a people made naked. Barnes comments saying te prase means te people peris, are let loose, are left to run wild. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary says, first of all, Compare Margin referring to te KJV marginal note wic is furnised above in tis article. Tey go on to say tat te prase te people peris means are deprived of moral restraints. II. Te Populace as Trown Off All Moral Restraint Like te cildren of Israel in Exodus capter tirty-two. Wile Moses was upon te mountain receiving te Law te cildren of Israel trew off all moral restraint. Tey made temselves naked. It is written:...te people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play, (Exodus 32:6). God said to Moses, ty people, wic tou brougtest out of te land of Egypt, ave corrupted temselves (Ex. 32:7). Wy? Tere was not yet among te Israelites even te Law let alone an open preacing of God s message. So wat did te people do in Moses absence? Tey celebrated Cristmas as most of te world does! Well, at least tey did te same tings tat most of te world does not only at Cristmas but at all te oter pagan celebrations we call olidays. Tey ate and drank and made merry just like pagans and nominal Cristians do at Winter Solstice time. Tink me wrong? Stepen preaced tese words: And tey made a calf in tose days, and offered sacrifice unto te idol, and rejoiced in te works of teir own ands (Acts 7:41). Tey made te very ting wic tey danced around and onored. Because tere was no open or public preacing of te Word of God te Israelites made merry in singing, lewd dancing, eating and drinking. Teirs was bot te spirit and actions of paganism. And tey suffered for teir actions wen Moses returned to te camp, but we ave not time or space for tat ere. aving establised tat God said te people ad corrupted temselves, by engaging in lewdness, drunkenness, feasting, and rejoicing in typical idolatrous worsip we ask tis: as not te population of te United States done te same? At every oliday opportunity are not te people of tis nation te vast majority of tem doing tese very tings. And ave not te majority of God s people Baptists included joined in te frolic? Are not tese tings viewed by most people as not only armless, but even good especially good fun for te kiddies as well as te adults? as not paganism been brougt into te meeting ouses of Baptists? ave we not corrupted generation after generation wo are now conditioned to expect and relis tese pagan celebrations as a part of Cristianity? Are not most of our citizens involved in paganism? Are not most of tem living immoral lives wic is always associated wit paganism? Do we tink God does not take note of suc magnitude of sin? Are tere not consequences for sin and especially for suc depraved and anti-god tings as ave in te past, and presently are going on in our country? Fanatic! Bigot! Crazy! Tese and oter epitets may be urled my way extremest! ard-line Cristian! Wat else? Tis preacer cares not for suc name-calling if e is faitful in telling te trut weter men ear or weter tey forebear. III. Most of America s Preacers ave Compromised or Are Afraid to Preac te Trut A majority of tis country s preacers, ten, are to blame in large measure for our present condition. If we may allude to Acts 2:23: preacers in tis country - altoug te determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God was involved as it is in all tings tese preacers: men and women ave by wicked ands propesied falsely to te arm of teir earers. We do not mean te faitful men of God wo preac te burdens laid upon tem by God. We do not refer to tose wo faitfully guard and feed te flock God as given tem to serve. We mean te liberals, denominational acks, mercenary Reverends, Doctors, motivational speakers, sowmen - works-mongers all wo pervert te Word of God by substituting a false gospel, entertainment, activities, giveaways and all te oter uman metods used to gater and keep a crowd. Our nation s corruption is now found around te world due to missionaries from our country. As it was in te days of Jeremia it is wit us. God said to tat propet: Te propets propesy falsely, and te priests bear rule by teir means; and my people love to ave it so: and wat will ye do in te end tereof (Jer. 5:31)? Are we not in te same situation today ere in te United States? Isaia was told to write tese words as a testimonial against Israel: Tat tis is a rebellious people, lying cildren, cildren tat will not ear te law of te LORD: Wic say to te seers, See not; and to te propets, Propesy not unto us rigt tings, speak unto us smoot tings, propesy deceits (Isa. 30:9-10). Te majority of preacers are feeding teir goats te tings tat goats find tasty: torns and briars! So ow did te U. S. A. get tis way? Because te preacers (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 ow te U.S.A. (Continued from page 19) ave failed in large measure to preac te wole counsel of God. Self-reliant Arminians old te field. Te Protestant daugters of te arlot and te cultist abominations of te eart are in te majority. Baptists ave largely apostatized from te grand old truts tey once faitfully proclaimed. Many among tose Protestants wo claim to preac te sovereign grace of God still old to infant baptism: pillar of Popery as it is. IV. Te Departure of Most Baptists From Biblical Doctrine and Practice Furtermore, many among te people called Baptists ave been so anxious to see folk saved and baptized tat tey ave resorted to eliciting wat tey call a profession of fait from emotionally immature little cildren not even yet of independent maturity. Tis is done witout Biblical precept or example! (Tere is not one verse in te New Testament tat indicates tat cildren or teenagers were members of te curces of tat era!) We mean tose so young as to ave not given evidence of regeneration. Tey lack te experience of godly sorrow wic works repentance. Get em down te aisle and get em in te water! Get teir names on te membersip roll! And tese little cildren are so tender as to be easily enticed into professing fait so tey can go to eaven. O tey claim to believe, but most often teir kind of fait is not te result of an experience of grace. Tis is demonstrated in many cases of two sorts: (1) in later life many of tese converts fall away, or (2) tey are genuinely converted later in life and repudiate teir earlier profession. So among most Baptist curces are many unregenerate members not yet fallen away and not yet genuinely converted wo, like te cildren of Israel cry out, Propesy not unto us rigt tings, speak unto us smoot tings, propesy deceits (Isa. 30:10). Most Baptist curces need to do wat Israel did as recorded in Neemia 13:3: Now it came to pass, wen tey ad eard te law, tat tey separated from Israel all te mixed multitude. (A multitude of mixed nationalities left Egypt wit Israel: Exodus 12:38). Wat? Te average Baptist cries? Purge our membersip rolls? Wy we do not even do tat wen somebody dies. Te reason some organized Baptists can claim suc large membersips is because often teir people are members of more tan one of teir curces at te same time. People move to a new place and join anoter curc and teir previous curc eiter is not notified or for watever reason keep tem on teir rolls too. Tis preacer as observed in more tan one instance tat obituaries publised in te local papers ereabouts will state tat a person was te member of more tan one curc: one a Baptist curc and te oter someting else often carismatic or Freewill Baptist. It is te mixed-multitude witin te membersip of most curces tat cause te problems. It was carnality tat caused te problems in te congregation in Corint and tose yet in te fles today ave no interest in spiritual tings, being yet dead in teir sins, even if tey are on te rolls of a Baptist curc. We can only conclude tat preacers and members alike in te various sorts of curces along wit te apostasy of most modern Baptists are a great part in te reason te U. S, as come down, down, down morally to were se is today. Tey may not be solely responsible, but are neverteless culpable in te matter. Te lying propets were certainly cited by God as te corrupters of Israel and we see a great parallel between tem and te ungodly preacers of our day and nation. V. Te Prospect of Spiritual Prosperity for Tose Faitful to te Word of God But wait! Our text as great ope for us: not for national revival, but for spiritual well being and blessing upon individuals and by extension, faitful congregations of Crist. Te last of our text says, but e tat keepet te law, appy is e. Being mindful tat a part of te Old Testament or law was all tat te writer of our text in Proverbs ad in is day, tere is surely an application for us today. Tat application is tis: even in times of no vision - in times and in places were tere is a famine for earing te Word of God blessing will come to tose wo treasure, guard and obey te Word of God. Circumstances need not deprive te cild of God of blessing and fellowsip wit is Fater! Is tere no sound Baptist congregation in your area? You ougt to be a member of a sound Baptist curc somewere. You ougt to support it financially, attend te preacing of te Word tere wenever possible, pray for its pastor and members faitfully, and serve te Lord were you are. You may ave been called upon to ave a dual testimony: (1) a testimony for te Lord and is salvation and (2) anoter one against te apostate Baptists, te arlot and er daugters in your place by aving noting to do wit teir corrupt organizations. Your unwillingness to participate in false curces will doubtless give you opportunity to speak te trut to oters. (We do not say tat you ougt not to fellowsip individually wit believers around te Lord as you can so tat you migt minister to tem, but we speak of ecclesiastical and moral separation.) But you must stay in te Word! Your blessing depends upon it! Te fatness (well being or ealt) of your soul depends on it! Your joy must be found in te Lord and in is Word. God s people wo lived during times wen tere was no vision (public preacing of God s message) walked wit God, served im and prospered spiritually. Weter or not you find yourself far from one of te Lord s congregations consider tis warning from te Lord Jesus: And e said unto tem, Take eed wat ye ear (Mark 4:24). Tere are some tings tat a cild of God ougt not to ear. Tere are some ideas e sould not even entertain. Tere are many preacers today of te same class as tose of wom Paul wrote. e said, For suc are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming temselves into te apostles of Crist. And no marvel; for Satan imself is transformed into an angel of ligt. Terefore it is no great ting if is ministers also be transformed as te ministers of rigteousness; wose end sall be according to teir works (II Cor. 11:13-15). Tese wolves in seep s cloting and teir dangerous doctrines and practices are to be avoided! Remember te illustration and warning of Paul to Timoty: But in a great ouse tere are not (Continued on page 21)

21 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 ow te U.S.A. (Continued from page 20) only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of eart; and some to onour, and some to disonour. If a man terefore purge imself from tese, e sall be a vessel unto onour, sanctified, and meet for te master s use, and prepared unto every good work (II Tim. 2:20-21). Just because some preacer is a nice guy and as a nice curc and does nice tings in te community does not mean e as God s endorsement. Probably most of suc men wo are nice and about wom te population as good tings to say are in reality Satan s ministers. Conclusion Te terrible spiritual and moral condition in wic tese United States now are sall be remedied, but at wat cost! Some of te population will be found to be vessels of mercy wic God as before prepared for saring is glory. Tese sall be taken out of tis world for tey ave escaped judgment troug te Lord Jesus Crist. Oters te vast majority will be found to be vessels of wrat made up (KJV margin) to destruction. (See Romans 9:22-23). God as determined te time wen te cup of iniquity allotted to tis nation as become full God will straigten out tis corrupt immoral mess. And we te citizenry of tis country ave made it suc a stink ole of corruption tat only Crist personally ruling tis world sall make tings rigt and pure and oly. For tere as come one wo is presently in eaven: a man cild, wo was to rule all nations wit a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5). e is our only ope! 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 Suits in Oio, Minnesota join list of Title IX callenges (WNS)--Lawsuits recently filed in Oio and Minnesota ave joined te burgeoning docket of cases callenging te Obama administration s Title IX guidance on gender identity and restroom use in public scools. Te suits illustrate te issue s divisiveness te Oio scool district refuses to accept te federal government s demands, wile te Minnesota district accepted te redefinition of sex, prompting parents to sue. Families in Virginia also are callenging a local scool district s decision to adopt new definitions of gender and sex, and last week te state supreme court agreed to ear tat case in te coming monts. An unidentified student and tat student s parents, along wit a scool district resident, sued te Fairfax County Scool Board after it voted to include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in its nondiscrimination policy. A lower court upeld te policy, and te families appealed. Education secretary s comments rattle omescoolers (WNS)--U.S. Education Secretary Jon King created a flurry of frustration and fear among omescool advocates recently wit comments viewed as ignorant at best or, at worst, ostile toward alternative education. Students wo are omescooled are not getting kind of te rapid instructional experience tey would get in scool, King said in a press conference osted by te Cristian Science Monitor, adding tat s true unless parents are very intentional about it. But omescool advocates say students performance proves omescooling s success omescoolers perform better tan average on standardized tests and in college. Curces in te civil rigts crossairs (WNS)--Massacusetts as become te latest state to approve protected class status for transgender persons, and curces sould not expect any exemption from te law tat goes into effect Oct. 1. According to te Gender Identity Guidance report by te Massacusetts Commission Against Discrimination, curces be can considered places of public accommodation and subjected to fines and penalties for not accommodating transgender persons in accordance wit teir gender identity. Te pus to revoke religious liberty protections for curces and fait-based organizations tat object to te new definitions of sexuality and gender extends to te federal government, wic recently issued its own report about ways to enforce te new cultural order. Were s te priority to elp genocide victims? (WNS)--A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Sept. 22 bemoaned te Obama administration s lack of action since acknowledging te ongoing genocide of religious and etnic minorities in te Middle East. Tey made te genocide declaration and we are glad tey finally did but now wat? And te now wat as been a big zero, said Rep. Cris Smit, R-N.J., wo leads Te elsinki Commission, an independent government agency wic works to advance uman rigts around te world. Secretary of State Jon Kerry admitted in Marc te Islamic State (ISIS) is committing genocide against Cristians, Yazidis, and oter minorities witin Iraq and Syria. Advocates ad asked te State Department to make te determination for years. But today, lawmakers on te elsinki Commission accused te Obama administration of saying te rigt tings but not making genocide victims a foreign policy priority. Navy ready to train sailors on transgender acceptance (WNS)--Te U.S. Navy as announced its plan for training all personnel on te Pentagon s new policy allowing transgender service members to serve openly. Te announcement, delivered by Cief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke, outlines te service s strategy to prepare bot senior leaders and rank-and-file sailors for te canges, according to Military.com. Tis training will empasize policies and expectations of personal beavior, te all-navy message stated. Te first pase of te training starts Nov. 1. Mobile training teams will present face-to-face briefings to senior Navy officers and enlisted leaders te command triad of commanders, executive officers, and command master ciefs, according to Military. com. Te training teams will include Navy fleet representatives as well as subject matter experts. Commanders will ten be responsible for (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2016 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 21) administering te training to te rest of te fleet. appy 40t birtday, yde Amendment (WNS)--Forty years ago, te yde Amendment, a spending proibition banning federal funding for most abortions, became one of te pro-life movement s first major legislative victories. But after decades of bipartisan support, te life-saving policy is in jeopardy. Lives are literally at stake in tis election, said Mallory Quigley, spokeswoman for te Susan B. Antony List. Tis is for te soul of our nation. Congress ratified te first yde Amendment on September 30, 1976, and lawmakers ave included te language in spending bills eac year since. Te policy rider bars taxpayers from paying for abortions troug Medicaid and is responsible for saving as many as 60,000 babies eac year. But despite years of wide-ranging support, te yde Amendment s survival could inge on te election in November. For te first time ever, te Democratic Party committed in its platform to dismantling te long-standing legislation during te party s convention in July. Cristian scool sues for rigt to pregame prayer (WNS)--Wen Cambridge Cristian and University Cristian ig scools met for te Florida Class 2A campionsip football game last December, announcers used te Camping World Stadium public address system to introduce te players, make announcements, advertise sponsors, and play music for te ceerleading squads. But one form of speec prayer was banned from te PA system. To allow a pregame prayer for two Cristian scools and teir fans would violate te Constitution, argued attorneys for te Florida ig Scool Atletic Association (FSAA). Bot scools disagreed, and on Sept. 27, one of tem sued. First Liberty and local Florida attorneys filed suit on bealf of Cambridge Cristian Scool following a monts-long effort to convince te FSAA, wic governs ig scool atletics in Florida, tat its policy and interpretation of te Constitution were in error. Te FSAA rejected Cambridge s request for prayer specifically because it was religious in nature, said Jeremy Dys, First Liberty Institute senior counsel. Navy drops job titles in pus for gender neutrality (WNS)--In a decision te Navy Times called a tectonic sift in te Navy s personnel system, te service recently abandoned te time-onored tradition of referring to enlisted sailors by teir rating, or job title, as well as teir rank. Ratings suc as Gunner s Mate, Boatswain s Mate, and Quartermaster ave a lineage going back undreds of years to te Continental Navy and te Britis Royal Navy. Even more recently establised rates, suc as Information Systems Tecnician Second Class (IT2) or Electronics Tecnician Tird Class (ET3), give many sailors reason to be proud of teir naval eritage. Te move to eliminate te rating system follows Secretary of te Navy Ray Mabus decision in January to eliminate use of te word man in any Navy or Marine Corps job titles. Te Marines ave removed man from 19 occupational titles but were, as yet, unable to find suitable genderneutral terms for rifleman or mortarman. D.C. pysician-assisted deat bill moves aead (WNS)--A District of Columbia city council committee voted Oct. 5 to advance a pysician-assisted suicide bill. Te 3-2 vote by te Committee on ealt and uman Services sends te bill to te entire city council for a tentative Oct. 18 earing. Wile supporters celebrated te narrow victory, critics of te legislation called on te council to vote down te measure, saying te legislation arms doctors, patients, caretakers, and communities, and is ripe for abuse. Te law, called te Deat wit Dignity Act, is modeled after Oregon s pysicianassisted suicide law, enacted in If passed, te nation s capital would join Oregon and four oter states Wasington, Montana, Vermont, and California wit legal pysician-assisted suicide. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Belgian lawmaker confirms teen s deat by assisted suicide (WNS)--A terminally ill 17-yearold, te first minor approved for legally assisted suicide in Belgium, died recently. Te Belgian lawmaker wo elped craft te 2014 law legalizing eutanasia for all minors confirmed te teen s deat to te media on Sept. 17 but declined to provide details to protect te grieving family. Wile Liberal Senator Jean-Jacques De Guct and oter supporters ailed te cild s deat as umane, opponents call suc lax attitudes toward life worrisome. In recent years, efforts to legalize eutanasia ave gained ground in te United States, but pro-life advocates do not expect Americans to follow Belgium s example any time soon. Norway allows cildren to legally cange gender (WNS)--Norwegians as young as 6 can now legally cange teir gender using an online form witout a doctor s approval, counseling, or surgery. Te law, adopted wit a vote by te Norwegian parliament in June, makes Norway te fift country in te world to pass a similar law, and te second beind Malta to include cildren. Wile te process in Malta requires a parent to seek court approval for te gender cange, cildren in Norway apply for te cange using te same process and paperwork as adults. Wile transgender activists celebrated te new law, experts warn treating gender dysporia so ligtly could multiply arm for cildren wo most likely will sed feelings of confusion as tey become adults. France plans ban on prolife websites (WNS)--Te Frenc government announced in September tat it plans to ban pro-life websites found guilty of deliberately deceiving women wit te appearance of neutrality. Under an amendment to a current Equality and Citizensip law, owners of pro-life sites could face a 30,000 euro fine (about $33,600) and two years in prison, te same penalties tat currently apply to te offense of obstruction to abortion, wic as been illegal since Being ostile to abortion is an opinion protected by te civil liberties in France, Laurence Rossignol, minister of families, cildren, and women s rigts, told Rue89. But creating websites tat ave all official appearances to actually give biased information designed to deter, guilt, traumatize is not acceptable. Arcaeologists uncover city gate destroyed by ezekia (WNS)--King ezekia aborred te idol worsip rampant in Juda. Wen e began is reign as te nation s 12t king, ezekia removed te ig places and broke te pillars and cut down te (Continued on page 23)

23 November 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 22) Asera, according to te biblical narrative in II Kings 18:4. Now, te Israel Antiquities Autority reports arcaeologists ave uncovered a city gate-srine tey believe ezekia s men demolised at te city of Lacis in te eigt century B.C. Before our very eyes tese new finds become te biblical verses temselves and speak in teir voice, said Ze ev Elkin, minister of Jerusalem and eritage and environmental protection. Lacis, a walled city tat guarded a main road between Jerusalem and Egypt, was te second most important fortified city in te kingdom of Juda, second only to Jerusalem. It fell to Assyria during King Sennacerib s siege in 701 B.C. Te siege is documented in several sources, including te Bible, Assyrian documents, and in a series of reliefs tat once decorated King Sennacerib s palace at Nineve. Poland punts proposed abortion ban after protests (WNS)--Following street protests in te country s major cities, Poland s parliament voted on Oct. 6 to reject a total abortion ban it previously agreed to consider. Members of parliament struck down te citizens initiative in response to tousands of women across te country wearing black, refusing to work or attend scool, and marcing troug te streets wit signs protesting te bill. We are dealing ere wit a giant misunderstanding, said Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of te ruling Law and Justice Party. We ave te utmost respect for tose wo signed te proposal. But we ave come to te conclusion, observing te social situation, tat tis would be a factor leading to protests. Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug BIBLICAL CRISTIANITY A REVEALED RELIGION Most groups professing to be followers of te Lord Jesus Crist assume a dangerous ting. Tey assume tat man is capable of reading and understanding te Bible apart from Divine intervention. Stated anoter way, tey tink tat God as revealed is mind in is Word, te Bible, and tat is all tat is needed. Tey tink tey can know God, is will, and ow God saves sinners just by reading te Bible. Now we grant tat te Bible is a unique and magnificent collection of Books. We certainly believe tat te 66 Books of te Bible are in fact te Word and Words of God. We know tat it is by te Scriptures tat te way of salvation is known. As Paul wrote to Timoty, And tat from a cild tou ast known te oly scriptures, wic are able to make tee wise unto salvation troug fait wic is in Crist Jesus (II Tim. 3:15). So we want to be careful not to take away anyting from te written Word of God. But tere is more. Tere is a work of te oly Spirit in wic e opens te eyes of te spiritually blind. Tere is a work in wic e quickens te dead. Tere is a work of te oly Spirit by wic e birts people anew into te family of God. Along wit tis comes te ability to understand te Bible in a spiritually profitable way. Proof of tis is in te following: At tat time Jesus answered and said, I tank tee, O Fater, Lord of eaven and eart, because tou ast id tese tings from te wise and prudent, and ast revealed tem unto babes. Even so, Fater: for so it seemed good in ty sigt. All tings are delivered unto me of my Fater: and no man knowet te Son, but te Fater; neiter knowet any man te Fater, save te Son, and e to womsoever te Son will reveal im (Matt. 11:25-27). Te Scribes were Parisees (religious fundamentalists or conservatives) wo copied te Old Testament in tose days before printing was invented. By repeatedly copying te Old Testament Scriptures tey came to know tem. Sometimes tey were called lawyers because of teir knowledge of te law - anoter name for te Old Testament. Even toug tey knew te Book of God, God ad id tese tings from te wise and prudent, and ast revealed tem unto babes. Te Lord Jesus made it clear: no one can know God unless te Son reveals im. Tat was true back ten and it is true today. Terefore we titled tis article, Biblical Cristianity is a Revealed Religion. We could cite oter Scriptures, but we want to get on to te personal revelation God makes to individuals. Even toug we ave te complete revelation of te Bible, it is still necessary tat God take te initiative and make imself known to individuals. In is first letter to te congregation in te city of Corint, Paul goes to great lengt to teac tem tat God must inwardly work in an individual to make im or er know te trut. Just reading te Bible as a spiritually dead sinner is not enoug to understand te Bible in a spiritually profitable way. Paul quoted te Old Testament as proof and went on from tere (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $4, RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX B. C. of Brimfield, Brimfield, IL Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Emmanuel B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. C., Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Corbin, KY Grace B. C., Rual all, NC Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL Grace M B. C., Tulsa, OK Indore B. C., Indore, WV Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN 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 Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous Sub Total... $2, TOTAL... $6, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Total Expenditures... $3, ENDING BALANCE... $2, BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $6, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Calvary B. C., Sumas, WA Grace B. C., Corbin, KY TOTAL...7, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time TOTAL EXPENDITURES Interest ENDING BALANCE... $6,665.24