Christ Despised and Rejected of Men. By Milburn R. Cockrell ( )

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1 Volunteers For Jesus By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma Crist Despised and Rejected of Men By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) From Our Moter s Womb By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia Most so-called evangelical Cristians preac and practice wat tey erroneously call soul winning. Tey can be likened to recruiters for te military service. Tey ave a sales pitc prepared by wic tey try to get sinners to volunteer for salvation: watever it takes, by ook or by crook! If tese religious recruiting officers can just get sinners to make a move tey can turn it in on teir report. Tey can carve anoter notc on teir gospel gun. A one-time prayer for salvation is all it takes wit most of tem. Oters try to include making some kind of commitment wic tey often call making Crist Lord. Still oters ave in teir recruitment sceme a necessary step tey call baptism. Watever teir requirements, teir aim is to secure volunteers for Jesus: ence our title. Tey tink by teir metods to make disciples for Crist. Tey tink teir sceme produces genuine Cristians eaded for eaven. As a boy growing up in Oklaoma I attended various singings, community omecomings, cemetery decoration days and revival services as well as regular curc meetings. I (Continued on page 2) About 700 years before te birt of Crist te Propet Isaia wrote, e is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted wit grief: and we id as it were our faces from im; e was despised, and we esteemed im not (Isa. 53:3). We are not at a loss to know wo is referred to in tese words. Te New Testament indicates tat te Messia fulfilled tis propecy (Jon 12:38; Rom. 10:16). Students of te Scripture old tat Isaia 53 treats of te appearance of Crist in uman nature. Tings are said of tis caracter wic are true of Crist alone. Tey cannot refer to any oter being in te universe. WO IS DESPISED AND REJECTED? I would answer: it is te Man of Sorrow. Wen e appeared on eart, men saw no beauty in im. Instead of being attracted to Crist, tey were repelled by im. Te carnal mind saw no excellency in te Lord Jesus Crist. Tey abandoned and aborred im. e was te Stone wic te builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). Tis Person Wo is despised and rejected (Continued on page 4) For tou ast possessed my reins: tou ast covered me in my moter s womb. I will praise tee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are ty works; and tat my soul knowet rigt well. My substance was not id from tee, wen I was made in secret, and curiously wrougt in te lowest parts of te eart. Tine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in ty book all my members were written, wic in continuance were fasioned, wen as yet tere was none of tem (Ps. 139:13-16). Our God is sovereign in all tings. e is in control of all of te affairs of men, just as e is in control of all of te affairs of te universe. It may seem a marvelous ting, but God as deigned to notice man, and to even take an interest in te affairs of men. I want us to consider te fates of men, and ow tat, even from our moter s womb God as determined our end. As we proceed, I want us to notice te general condition tat pervades all of umanity, and te terrible woe to wic we are born. Furter, I want us to notice ow God as already made (Continued on page 7) Crist is a great Saviour for great sinners. Tis is a faitful saying, and worty of all acceptation, tat Crist Jesus came into te world to save sinners; of wom I am cief (I Timoty 1:15).

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 October 5, 2016 Volume XXXVII, Number 10 Wole Number 447 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. COPYING PRIVILEGES: Unless oterwise stated any article publised in tis paper may be copied by oter publications, provided tey give proper credit line stating tat suc was copied from tis publication, and te date of publication; provided tat suc materials are not publised for profit. If we are not on an excange list wit te publication copying, it is requested tat a copy of te issue containing te article be sent to our address. All copyrigted materials may not be copied witout written consent. PUBLISED MONTLY wit paid circulation in most states in te U.S.A. and some foreign countries. SUBSCRIPTION RATES - U.S. One year...$6.00 Two years...$10.00 Five years...$24.00 SUBSCRIPTION RATES - FOREIGN One Year $45 Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:30-10:00 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM 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 10/2016 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. Volunteers For (Continued from page 1) remember singing te song As A Volunteer. Te corus of tat song goes A volunteer for Jesus, A soldier true, Oters ave enlisted, Wy not you? Jesus is te Captain, We will never fear, Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? Tat song is probably out of fasion today as so called gospel music as gone troug various pases in its downgrade. But te pilosopy beind tat song is as popular as ever. After all te Bible says evil men and seducers sall [continue to] wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived (II Tim. 3:13 brackets added). And volunteerism for Jesus is a deception! All tis volunteerism, of course, is based upon te notion tat sinners are capable of volunteering. We say again: volunteering for Jesus is based upon te misconception tat sinners ave te ability to come to Crist in a saving way witout any interference from God. Today, most of wat is called evangelical Cristianity as done away wit te draft. Tey no longer believe tat God as a conscription policy by wic e selects and inducts into is service wom e pleases. Various objections as to te fairness of God s conscription program continue to be raised by tose wo believe individuals ave te ability to volunteer for Jesus. God s answer to suc as object to te way e drafts is soldiers was written by Paul in Romans 9:20-21: Nay but, O man, wo art tou tat repliest against God? Sall te ting formed say to im tat formed it, Wy ast tou made me tus? at not te potter power over te clay, of te same lump to make one vessel unto onour, and anoter unto disonour? In oter words, if we may paraprase, Paul says to all tose volunteers for Jesus, Just wo do you tink you are, daring to question God? God as te rigt to do watever e wants wit is creation. Paul ad just previously stated tese words: Wat sall we say ten? Is tere unrigteousness wit God? God forbid. For e sait to Moses, I will ave mercy on wom I will ave mercy, and I will ave compassion on wom I will ave compassion. So ten it is not of im tat willet, nor of im tat runnet, but of God tat sewet mercy (Rom. 9:14-16). But modern Cristianity as espoused te idea of individuals volunteering for Jesus. Tey will not be divorced from tat notion even by God s Word! Tey tink te new birt comes about by an act of man s will. It matters not to tem tat te Bible says, it is not of im tat willet. Is tere Scripture to substantiate our claim tat God does not accept volunteers? We believe tat tere is. Crist s rejection of volunteers was complete. As far as te New Testament record is concerned, tere is not a single instance of Crist accepting a volunteer. Let us look at four instances of volunteerism in te Gospels. In eac of tese te Lord Jesus spoke words demanding words wic caused te volunteer to go away from im. Jesus did not mistakenly say tings tat caused tese men to give up teir volunteerism. We can say tat wit full assurance because te Lord Jesus needed not tat any sould testify of man: for e knew wat was in man (Jon 2:25). is words were direct, pointed and acieved wat e intended tem to accomplis. (Continued on page 3)

3 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Volunteers For (Continued from page 2) First consider tese excerpts from te meeting of te ric young ruler wit Jesus. And, beold, one came and said unto im, Good Master, wat good ting sall I do, tat I may ave eternal life?... Jesus said unto im, If tou wilt be perfect, go and sell tat tou ast, and give to te poor, and tou salt ave treasure in eaven: and come and follow me. But wen te young man eard tat saying, e went away sorrowful: for e ad great possessions (Matt. 19:16, 21-22). Tis young man claimed to be blameless as far as te Old Testament law was concerned. (Paul made tat same claim in Pilippians 3:6). e was no doubt a fine young man. e was volunteering to do watever Jesus told im to do e tougt. But te Lord Jesus, knowing is eart, told im to do tat wic te young man could not bear to do. Crist told im to sell all tat e owned, give te proceeds to te poor and ten come and follow im. Te young man s volunteerism was sort lived. Te Scripture says e went away sorrowful. Crist never required any oter person in te Scripture to sell all teir possessions. But e pointed is words at te true love of te young man: is rices. Many professing Cristians today volunteers are willing to follow te Lord as long as tey can keep teir comfortable affluent lifestyle. As long as teir kind of following after Crist does not affect wat tey ave, tey are willing to volunteer for Jesus. But Crist did not accept tat kind of volunteerism ten and we ave no reason to believe tat e accepts it today. Anoter instance of volunteerism wic Jesus rejected is seen in tese verses: And it came to pass, tat, as tey went in te way, a certain man said unto im, Lord, I will follow tee witersoever tou goest. And Jesus said unto im, Foxes ave oles, and birds of te air ave nests; but te Son of man at not were to lay is ead (Luke 9:57-58). ere was a man wo seemed quite entusiastic. e openly declared tat e would follow te Lord werever it took im. But e seemed to tink tat following te Lord would eventually result in ease. Peraps e was expecting te Lord to immediately receive is kingdom. Peraps e tougt e would be elevated to a iger position: one of power and wealt. Te Lord s pointed words about is own poverty seem intended to cause tis man to reconsider and leave. Te context gives us every reason to believe tat tis man gave up is volunteerism. In proximity to te last two quoted verses we ave anoter two wic tell of a similar volunteer. We read: And anoter also said, Lord, I will follow tee; but let me first go bid tem farewell, wic are at ome at my ouse. And Jesus said unto im, No man, aving put is and to te ploug, and looking back, is fit for te kingdom of God (Luke 9:61-62). Tis man ad suc ties wit family and friends tat e was willing to put off following te Lord for a time of farewells wit tem. Peraps e expected a going-away feast or party. Again we point out tat te Lord Jesus knew all about tis man. And based upon wat e knew, e spoke pointed words of rebuke to im. It seems clear tat tis was te end of is volunteerism. A fourt instance of volunteerism in wic te Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Te OW of te New Birt? Part 3 #7 ow can a man be born wen e is old (Jon 3:4)? Jesus replied, Except a man be born of water AND of te Spirit, e cannot enter into te kingdom of God ( Jon 3:5) (emp. N). Te word and is very significant! It teaces us tat one must be born bot of water AND of te Spirit! Jesus is speaking about a birt. In order for tere to be a birt it requires two tings: 1) a seed AND 2) a begetter (one wo generates te offspring). Te Word of God is te seed (I Jon 3:9); Te oly Spirit is te begetter (Jon 3:6; Jon 6:63). As everyone knows, not every seed sown grows. Wy? Because words of Jesus caused would-be followers to leave im is seen in tis passage: But tere are some of you tat believe not. For Jesus knew from te beginning wo tey were tat believed not, and wo sould betray im. And e said, Terefore said I unto you, tat no man can come unto me, except it were given unto im of my Fater. From tat time many of is disciples went back, and walked no more wit im (Jon 6:64-66). Tese words of Jesus were spoken to some wo were actually viewed as is disciples. Tey are called tat. Again te supernatural knowledge of te Son of God is stated. Jesus knew not only tat Judas would betray im, but e also knew from te beginning wo believed not. Some of tese unbelievers were viewed God must give te increase (I Cor. 3:6). Te same is true in te spiritual realm. Every time te Word of God is preaced it does not mean sinners will be saved. Te preacer, te missionary, te Sunday scool teacer are all powerless to make te Word of God effective unto te regeneration of lost souls. Tis work is solely te work of God te oly Spirit. Begging sinners to walk te aisle, to give teir earts to Jesus and suc like will not bring about te new birt, wic alone makes one fit to enter God s kingdom. Only te Word of God AND te Spirit of God can do it. ave you been born of bot te Word AND te Spirit? Ye must be born again! as disciples of is, but tey were not true believers. No doubt tey considered temselves to be followers of te Lamb. Notice te word terefore. Te adage is wenever you read a werefore or a terefore ask yourself wat is it tere for. Te word terefore connects wat Jesus said wit wat e knew in tis case. In oter words, it was because Jesus knew tose wo were unbelievers tat e aimed is words at tem. e knew wat te results of is words would be. And e said tem in ligt of tat knowledge. And wat were te results of Jesus speaking of man s inability to volunteer to be is disciple? Tey left im and never came back! Volunteers for Jesus do not stick! Tey are not genuine! (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Volunteers For (Continued from page 3) Revelation 17:14 speaks of tose wo will be victorious over te ten kings. It says tey tat are wit im [Crist] are called, and cosen, and faitful. (Brackets added). No volunteers in tat army! God called tem. God cose tem. And as a result of is working in tem tey are steadfast! Neiter do Paul s words speak of volunteering for Jesus. e wrote in II Timoty 2:4: No man tat warret entanglet imself wit te affairs of tis life; tat e may please im wo at cosen im to be a soldier. No volunteering for Jesus in tis army eiter! Paul wrote tat God s soldiers are cosen: cosen by God. To te congregation at Rome Paul wrote: Among wom are ye also te called of Jesus Crist (Rom. 1:6). Te saints at Rome ad not volunteered for Jesus. Tey ad been called! Teir call ad been effective it resulted in teir true disciplesip. Te words of assurance in te first part of Romans 8:28 are to tem wo are te called according to is purpose. Volunteers for Jesus ave no assurance tat all tings work togeter for good to tem! Te words of te Lord imself in Mattew 20:16 are tese: So te last sall be first, and te first last: for many be called, but few cosen. No volunteers for Jesus among tose wo sall be first. Tey are cosen! Paul imself certainly was not a volunteer for Jesus. God spoke about Paul to Ananias saying, Go ty way: for e is a cosen vessel unto me... (Acts 9:15). Anyone wo reads te account of Paul s arrest on te Damascus road cannot seriously attempt to say tat Paul was a volunteer for Jesus! God told Ananias tat e (God) ad cosen Paul! Furtermore tere was not a single volunteer for Jesus wo saw im after is resurrection. Proof: im God raised up te tird day, and sewed im openly; Not to all te people, but unto witnesses cosen before of God, even to us, wo did eat and drink wit im after e rose from te dead (Acts 10:40-41). All te witnesses of Crist s resurrection were before tat time cosen by God! Te disciple Rufus was not a volunteer for Jesus for we read Paul s words: Salute Rufus cosen in te Lord, and is moter and mine (Rom. 16:13). In fact, as far as bot Paul and Peter are concerned, tose wo are saved are not volunteers for Jesus. Tey are all cosen ones! Paul wrote in Epesians 1:4: According as e at cosen us in im before te foundation of te world, tat we sould be oly and witout blame before im in love. Peter s words are similar in I Peter 2:9 were e wrote: But ye are a cosen generation, a royal priestood, an oly nation, a peculiar people; tat ye sould sew fort te praises of im wo at called you out of darkness into is marvellous ligt. Jude summed it up tus in te first verse of is letter: Jude, te servant of Jesus Crist, and broter of James, to tem tat are sanctified by God te Fater, and preserved in Jesus Crist, and called. Jude wrote to Cristians, saying tat tey were set apart, preserved, and ten called. No volunteers for Jesus tere! God called tem! Can tere be anyting plainer tan te words of Crist imself in Jon 6:44-45? e said: No man can come to me, except te Fater wic at sent me draw im: and I will raise im up at te last day. It is written in te propets, And tey sall be all taugt of God. Every man terefore tat at eard, and at learned of te Fater, comet unto me. A sinner can volunteer to go forward. e can voluntarily pray te sinner s prayer. e can volunteer to be baptized. e can volunteer to preac. e can volunteer to teac, and to witness, and to pass out tracts. e can volunteer to be a missionary. e can voluntarily do a lot of tings. But e cannot be a volunteer for Jesus. e migt tink tat e can. But e cannot! Unless God draws im, e will not, and cannot come to Crist in a saving way. Only tose wo ave eard te effectual (effective) call of God wic gives life to te spiritually dead unless e as learned of te Fater unless God as cosen to teac im - to deal wit im e will be just a volunteer for religion. e may tink e as volunteered for Jesus. e may sing about it. e may go to ear preacing tat tells im tat e can be a volunteer. But te trut is, e cannot! Merriam Webster defines te word volunteer as a person wo voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. No sinner ever did tat relative to Crist! Not apart from te working of God in im. No sinner ever came in a saving way to Crist of is own accord tat is, apart from te work of God in is eart te work of regeneration. In tis ting te teologians call regeneration te new birt a oly disposition is given to te mind. Tat mind of man wic by natural birt is enmity against God must be canged so as to cause te sinner to see imself as opeless, and elpless, and to sorrow for is sins. Te sinner comes to see imself as an offense to God! Tat godly sorrow results in repentance toward God and fait toward te Lord Jesus Crist. (See Rom. 8:7-8; II Cor. 7:20; Acts 20:21). So it is God wo takes te initiative in tose wo come to Jesus. If tere is any volunteerism in te new birt, it is tat te triune God volunteers to save unworty sinners. If you, reader, are only a volunteer for Jesus you are yet in your sins. Cease trusting in wat you ave done. Your prayers, decision, religious rituals, self confidence, and all tat goes along wit volunteerism cast it upon te dung-eap! Te only ope of any sinner is Crist! Cast yourself upon te grace of God! Trust only in te finised work of Crist! If you are able if you are enabled to do so come to Crist as you are, trusting only in is finised work it will be God working in you. Consider:...ow tat Crist died for our sins according to te scriptures; And tat e was buried, and tat e rose again te tird day according to te scriptures (I Cor. 15:3-4). And may te Lord give tee understanding in all tings (II Tim. 2:7). Crist Despised and (Continued from page 1) is te Son of God. Tis prase is of frequent occurrence in te Bible, especially in te Joannine writings of te New Testament. It denotes a special relation to God not sared by tose wo are sons of God by regeneration and adoption. Te Son is denominated te only begotten of te Fater (Jon 1:14). e is God s own Son, te Son of te same nature wit im, begotten by im in an inconceivable and (Continued on page 5)

5 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Watering te Tulips By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama I Know My Redeemer Lives For I know tat my redeemer livet, and tat e sall stand at te latter day upon te eart (Job 19:25). Most Bible scolars believe tat Job is te oldest book in te Bible. Some even affirm tat Noa ad a copy of te Book of Job on te ark. Wo knows for sure? Tere is one ting we can be sure of toug; Job was trusting in Jesus Crist as is personal Savior. e believed tat Jesus was alive and tis before e was ever born. Surely, In te beginning was te Word, and te Word was wit God, and te Word was God (Jon 1:1). Jesus as always been te Savior of men. Some believe Old Testament saints were saved by te Law wile we are saved by grace. owever, tis is not true. Te Old Testament saints merely looked forward to te coming of te Redeemer wile we look back (and forward to te 2nd coming). Te Law as never done anyting oter tan condemn men. Galatians 3:10 says, For as many as are of te works of te law are under te curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one tat continuet not in all tings wic are written in te book of te law to do tem. Te Law condemns all tose before te coming of Crist and tose after. Looking in te mirror of te Law, we can clearly see tat, we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags; (Isa. 64:6). Job realized e was a sinner. e knew e was dead in is own sins (Ep. 2:1). e knew e merited eternal damnation on is own. is confidence was in a coming Redeemer. Surely, Crist at redeemed us from te curse of te law, being made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). Do you see your own sinfulness? Or, are you trying to work yourself into fellowsip wit God? If te Bible is true (and it is), tere is not one ting you can do to earn your way into eaven. Te best you ave is as filty rags (Isa. 64:6). Tere is only one way into fellowsip wit te Creator. Tere is only one way to come to te Fater troug te Son (Jon 14:6). Do you stand wit Job in is trust in Crist? Do you believe te words of te old ymn, Jesus paid it all. All to im I owe. Sin ad left a crimson stain, e wased it wite as snow? If you do, tanks be to God. e as saved you by is sovereign grace. Crist Despised and (Continued from page 4) inexpressible way. Jesus Crist is te expressed image of God s Person, and is Son by an eternal generation. e is te Son of God in te exalted sense wic implies all Divine perfections are is. In is Person dwell all te fulness of te Godead bodily (Col. 2:9). Tis despised and rejected Person is also te Son of man. Tis prase denotes a uman relation as certainly as te prase, Son of God, expresses a Divine relation. Crist is te Son of Mary, made of a woman (Gal. 4:4), a woman belonging to te uman race. is assumption of our nature places im on an equality wit oter men in te possession of a common nature. ere te equality ceases for as to is caracter e is separate from sinners (eb. 7:26). But let us ever remember tat e is all uman and all Divine---te Godman. Tis despised and rejected Person is te Saviour of sinners. Te Son of God became te Son of man to be te Saviour of sinful men. Te Mediator of te Covenant of Grace must be a man in order to die, and e must be God to die as a substitute for is people. Because e tus died e is a Saviour, te only Saviour of sinners. It is tis Being Wo is despised and rejected---te Son of God, te Son of man, te Saviour of sinners. WY IS E REJECTED? Tere are a number of reasons for is rejection given ere in Isaia 53. Te first reason is unbelief as seen in verse 1: Wo at believed our report? Crist was despised and rejected during te days of is fles. Wen e taugt in te synagogue of is own country many earing im were astonised, saying, From wence at tis man tese tings? and wat wisdom is tis wic is given unto im, tat even suc migty works are wrougt by is ands? Is not tis te carpenter, te son of Mary, te broter of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not is sisters ere wit us? And tey were offended at im. But Jesus said unto tem, A propet is not witout onor, but in is own country, and among is own kin, and in is own ouse... And e marveled because of teir unbelief (Mark 6:2-6). Wen Crist preaced te doctrines of is Fater unto te people of is day, tey declared: Tis is a ard saying; wo can ear it? (Jon 6:60). Te unbelieving Jews accused im of blaspemy and sougt to stone im because e made imself equal wit God (Jon 5:18). To suc Jesus said on one occasion: I am come in my Fater s name, and ye receive me not (Jon 5:43). Again e uttered tese words: But I said unto you, Tat ye also ave seen me, and believe not (Jon 6:36). To prove is Deity Crist performed many miracles by te power of te oly Spirit. But toug e ad done so many miracles before tem, yet tey believed not on im (Jon 12:37). Once wen e ealed a blind and dumb person is critics cried: Tis fellow dot not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub te prince of devils (Matt. 12:24). Anoter time tey said: e at a devil, and is mad; wy ear ye im? (Jon 10:20). Wen e would upbraid tem for teir unbelief, tey would reply: Say we not well tat tou art a Samaritan, and ast a devil? (Jon 8:48). Suc malicious suggestions reveal a dept of uman depravity unequaled in te istory of our race. Anoter reason for is rejection was is lowly origin and mysterious growt: For e sall grow up before im as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground (Isa. 53:2). Crist came into te world witout muc notice; e came like a little sucker out of te root of a tree. is appearance as a babe was as unpromising as a tender (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Crist Despised and (Continued from page 5) plant wic migt be crused in dayligt or frostbitten at nigt. Te entrance of te Son of God was as a root out of dry ground. e was to be te Son of David, a family tat ad a great name, like unto te name of te great men tat were in te eart (II Sam. 7:9). But tis royal family ad now been reduced to a low condition wen e was born of it. is foster fater was a carpenter and is moter a poor virgin in Nazaret. e ad no formal education (Jon 7:15), and e never owned a ome (Matt. 8:20). Tose wo believed on im were a few fisermen, women, and arlots. e did not appear to be te great and noble Messia tey expected! Men despised and rejected im because of is ignominious sufferings and deat. In te eyes of te multitudes e died as a common criminal wo was guilty of blaspemy and treason. Te Apostle said: Crist at redeemed us from te curse of te law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one tat anget on a tree (Gal. 3:13). Crist was made a little lower tan te angels for te suffering of deat (eb. 2:9). Our Saviour endured te cross, despising te same (eb. 12:2). O, may we consider im tat endured suc contradiction of sinners against imself (eb.12:3). Still anoter reason wy e was despised and rejected was is lack of beauty: e at no form nor comeliness; and wen we sall see im, tere is no beauty tat we sould desire im (Isa. 53:2). Te Jews expected te Messia to posses some uncommon beauty in is face as possessed by Moses and David. But te Son of man was not fairer tan te cildren of men. e was born of despicable parents, lived in a town out of wic no good ad come, dwelt in a poor man s ome, and worked in a carpenter s sop. e looked and lived like any oter Jew of is day. e could pass troug a crowd witout being noticed. Crist was so despised and ated tat tey treated im as a leper: We id as it were our faces from im (Isa. 53:3). Men sunned im as a person wit an infectious disease (Lam. 4:15). Tey ad an aversion to im and scorned im as unworty of notice. Te rulers and priests treated im as a mean man and rejected im as a fanatic and madman. Wen tey met im on te street tey would turn and look te oter way. Never did any man know more disonor and disgrace tan our Saviour did. Tis was all to appen according to God s eternal purpose. Jesus said: Te Son of man must suffer many tings, and be rejected of te elders, and of te cief Priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after tree days rise again (Mark 8:31). BY WOM IS E DESPISED AND REJECTED? Te text says of men. Crist s deligts were wit te sons of men, but tese sons of men despised and rejected im. Tis great sin of rejecting te Son of God can be committed by uman beings only. Te Devil and demons ate Crist, but tey do not reject im. To reject implies an offer wic is refused. Crist is not offered as a saviour to Satan and is angels. To umans alone belong tis awful sin. Te men of is day saw is migty miracles wic revealed is Deity. Tey eard is wonderful sermons as tey ecoed over te ills and valleys of Judea. Tey witnessed is profound teacings in te cities and market places. Tey saw im raise te dead to life again, yet tey despised im in teir earts and rejected im in teir minds. Wen tey asked: Art tou te Crist? tell us (Luke 22:67), e replied: If I tell you, ye will not believe. Tere came upon tese rejecters te judgment Moses spoke of: Beold, ye despisers, and wonder, and peris: for I work a work in your days, a work wic ye sall in no wise believe, toug a man declare it unto you (Acts 13:41). Men ave no regard for te Person and work of Jesus Crist in teir natural state. Tey see no beauty in im and ave no desire for im because of te blindness of teir eart! By nature tey reject God s Word: Tey ave rejected te work of te LORD (Jer. 8:9). Tey reject God s law: And tey rejected is statutes, and is covenant tat e made wit teir faters, and is testimonies wic e testified against tem; and tey followed vanity (II Kings 17:15). Tey despise is ordinance of baptism: But te Parisees and lawyers rejected te counsel of God against temselves, being not baptized of im (Luke 7:30). Wy would a person want to reject Jesus Crist Wo as a combination of Divine and uman excellencies? To despise suc a caracter and reject suc a Being is a most unreasonable and wicked set. It is to despise infinite loveliness and to reject im in Wom loveliness is exemplified. Men are responsible for teir ating te Ligt of te Word and loving darkness rater tan Ligt (Jon 3:19-20). e tat rejectet me, and receivet not my words, at one tat judget im: te word tat I ave spoken, te same sall judge im in te last day ( Jon 12:48). Crist as commissioned is curc to make disciples in all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). e as sent fort is ambassadors into all te world to preac te gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Te Crist of God as ordained tat repentance and remission of sins sould be preaced in is name among all nations (Luke 24:47). By te preacing of te Word of God men come to see tat God now commandet all men every were to repent (Acts 17:30). It is te duty of tose wo ear te Word preaced to repent and believe te gospel (Mark. 1:15). And tis is is commandment, Tat we sould believe on te name of is Son Jesus Crist (I Jon 3:23). But some will not believe te gospel wen it is preaced. Some despise and reject te Saviour it presents. Tey ave an aversion to te ministers of reconciliation. Wat about tese people? Crist answers: e tat earet you earet me! and e tat despiset you despiset me; and e tat despiset me despiset im tat sent me (Luke 10:16). Again e said: And wosoever sall not receive you, nor ear your words, wen ye depart out of tat ouse or city, sake off te dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It sall be more tolerable for te land of Sodom and Gomorra in te day of judgment, tan for tat city (Matt. 10:14-15). It is not our business to unt te seep. Te Seperd will do tis. It is not our business to go around picking out God s elect. e did (Continued on page 7)

7 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Crist Despised and (Continued from page 6) tat in eternity past. But it is our business to see tat te gospel is preaced to every creature. We are to make known Crist s invitation to sinners. Referring to imself as te source of were flows te water of salvation e says: If ANY MAN tirst, let im come unto me, and drink (Jon 7:37) (emp. MRC). Again referring to imself as te way of salvation e says: I am te door: by me if ANY MAN enter in, e sall be saved ( Jon 10:9) (emp. MRC). Still again referring to imself as te giver of spiritual rest, e says: Come unto me, all ye tat labour and are eavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28). Verily te gospel is te power of God unto salvation to EVERY ONE tat believet (Rom. 1:16) (emp. MRC). WAT ARE TE CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM TIS? ow wicked for men to despise and reject te Son of God. If te despising and te rejection are persisted in, wat will follow? Wat sall te end be of tem tat obey not te gospel of God? And if te rigteous scarcely be saved, were sall te ungodly and te sinner appear? (I Pet. 4:17-18). e wo despises and rejects te Crist of te gospel remains unsaved. e is condemned already: e tat believet not is condemned already, because e at not believed in te name of te only begotten Son of God (Jon 3:18). e sall never see eternal life if e remains in tis condition: e tat believet not te Son sall not see life; but te wrat of God abidet on im (Jon 3:36). e sall die in is sins. Jesus said: If ye believe not tat I am e, ye sall die in your sins (Jon 8:24). Tere is no way of deliverance but troug Crist. If a man despises and rejects im, tere is no deliverance from te guilt of sin. All suc despisers and rejecters of Crist remain unsaved. Tis means te unbeliever is for ever lost. Tis means a Cristless deat, a Cristless coffin, a Cristless funeral, and a Cristless eternity! All wo die a despiser and rejecter of Jesus Crist will be damned. Te Lord imself said: e tat believet not sall be damned (Mark 16:16). But te fearful, and UNBELIEVING, and te abominable, and murderers, and woremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, sall ave teir part in te lake wic burnet wit fire and brimstone: wic is te second deat (Rev. 21:8) (emp. MRC). Divine wrat in its severest manifestation awaits all suc individuals wo obey not te gospel. Te Apostle Paul said tat all wo obey not te gospel of our Lord Jesus Crist sall be punised wit everlasting destruction from te presence of te Lord, and from te glory of is power (II Tess. 8-9). Wat will sinners do wen God calls tem to account for rejecting is Son? Wat answer can tey give? Tey will stand witout excuse and be responsible for teir rejection of te gospel. Are you guilty of tis sin? If you are, may God te oly Spirit reveal to you te awfulness of te sin of unbelief? (Jon 16:8-9). May te God of all grace grant you repentance tat you say, Lord, I believe; elp tou mine unbelief (Mark 9:24). From Our Moter s (Continued from page 1) a difference, by setting is love upon some of us, as e sees fit. And ten, finally, we will consider ow God s love being bestowed upon us, grants us ope, favor, and even te opportunity to serve our God, bot in tis life, and in te life to come. All of tis was determined before we were born. All of tis is in te ands of God, from te time tat we were in te wombs of our moters, even until now. Really, tese were all in te ands of God from eternity past, even into eternity future. ALL ARE SINNERS From te womb, all men are sinners. Witout exception, all naturally born men are born into te world as sinners. Remember, Adam was created from te dust of te ground; Eve was formed from te rib of Adam; Jesus Crist was born from Mary, but is Fater was in eaven. Wen a cild is born, we know tat e is a sinner. Tis is an inerited trait from our fater, Adam, wo fell into sin, and plunged all mankind into utter and total depravity. Do ye indeed speak rigteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprigtly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in eart ye work wickedness; ye weig te violence of your ands in te eart. Te wicked are estranged from te womb: tey go astray as soon as tey be born, speaking lies. Teir poison is like te poison of a serpent: tey are like te deaf adder tat stoppet er ear; Wic will not earken to te voice of carmers, carming never so wisely (Ps. 58:1-5). One would tink, umanly speaking, tat te newborns, te infants, te young cildren tese must be innocent. Surely, if we can point to any wo would be sinless, and any wo would be worty of God s affection, it must be te babies and te very young. ow can tese be considered evil and depraved? Yea, tou eardest not; yea, tou knewest not; yea, from tat time tat tine ear was not opened: for I knew tat tou wouldest deal very treacerously, and wast called a transgressor from te womb (Isa. 48:8). Instead, te Scriptures (and experience) teac us tat Adam and sin ave broken us. We are all sinners, even from our moter s womb. We are transgressors, and offenders of te Law of God. I do ope, and I believe, tat te unborn babies wo die in te womb (including tose wo are purposely aborted), and te infants wo die as babies, and even tose wo die as young cildren, are saved, someow, by te miraculous grace of God. owever, I believe tat in order for tese babies and very young cildren to be saved, tey must still be te recipients of God s grace. In oter words, tey ave no claim on God s blessings, nor do tey stand as pure and innocent before im, based on teir own merits. Instead, someow, God gives tem te fait to repent and believe and trust in Jesus Crist as teir Saviour. owever, as to te matter of te souls of tese very young, I will leave te eternal destination of tese in te ands of God. I do know, toug, tat all of mankind is born into tis world as sinners. As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God. Tey are all gone out of te way, tey are togeter become unprofitable; tere is none tat doet good, (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 From Our Moter s (Continued from page 7) no, not one. Teir troat is an open sepulcre; wit teir tongues tey ave used deceit; te poison of asps is under teir lips: Wose mout is full of cursing and bitterness: Teir feet are swift to sed blood: Destruction and misery are in teir ways: And te way of peace ave tey not known: Tere is no fear of God before teir eyes (Rom. 3:10-18). Left to our own, we will live our lives in sin, and we will forever disobey and disonor te God Wo as made us. Left to our own, we will devise wickedness, and pursue unrigteousness trougout our days ere on eart. We read an account of te state of affairs amongst men, in te book of Isaia, Tere is none to guide er among all te sons wom se at brougt fort; neiter is tere any tat taket er by te and of all te sons tat se at brougt up (Isa. 51:18). As men and women, boys and girls, we are wicked sinners, and we are liars and unrigteous before God. We ave no rigt to God s kindness. We ave no claim on is mercy. We are not entitled to is grace. From our moters wombs, we are all guilty and we are all sinners. GOD LOVES IS PEOPLE So, we ave seen tat, from our moter s womb we are all sinners and false and wicked before God. We carry te curse of Adam and of sin upon us; and we ave te sinful blood of Adam coursing troug our veins. And yet, tere is an equally astonising (indeed, even more astonising) fact tat te Scriptures relate to us, concerning te ruined mankind of wic we are a part: from te womb, God loves is people. Tis is a great mystery, and a stupendous appening tat God would love sinners. We, wo are te cosen of God, wo are mere wicked mortal beings, ave ad te love of God bestowed upon us. Trougout our lives, even from our moter s womb, we are loved by God. Ten te word of te LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed tee in te belly I knew tee; and before tou camest fort out of te womb I sanctified tee, and I ordained tee a propet unto te nations (Jer. 1:4-5). In te salvation of te souls of te sons and daugters of God, we ave displayed for us te mercy and te grace of God, in te love tat e as for is undeserving people. We do not even deserve to live, and yet e brings us fort from te wombs of our moters, and e crowns us wit is perfect and unfettered love. Toug we are oblivious to tis love before we are saved; and toug is love for us is not apparent until we repent and believe; still, tat love is an ever present sield, and a protecting, preserving, and invincible force, wic brings us, ultimately, to Jesus Crist as our Saviour. Te Apostle Paul is an example of a sinner wo was loved by God even from is moter s womb (similar to te words of te propet Jeremia): But wen it pleased God, wo separated me from my moter s womb, and called me by is grace, To reveal is Son in me, tat I migt preac im among te eaten; immediately I conferred not wit fles and blood (Gal. 1:15-16). e was still God s despite wat e did as a yout, and as an adult, in te ways and te traditions of te Parisees. e was still a recipient of God s love despite te rebellion and te utter atred tat e displayed for Jesus Crist, and for tose wo would follow after Crist. Te love of God does not excuse Paul or is actions. Rater, te love of God is magnified, wen cast upon te backdrop of te life and times of suc a rebellious man. Te love of God is sown to be powerful and all-conquering wen it is sown fort in te life of suc a man as Saul of Tarsus. Of course, you and I ave no room to boast; you and I ave no reason to point fingers at Saul of Tarsus. We were rebels, too. And, if we were deposited in te same set of circumstances as Saul of Tarsus, except God would ave intervened, we would ave beaved just as poorly, and just as wickedly, and just as viciously as did te man wo would become te Apostle Paul. We ave also, in te Old Testament, te example of Isaia, as a man wom te Lord loved, even from is moter s womb. Listen, O isles, unto me; and earken, ye people, from far; Te LORD at called me from te womb; from te bowels of my moter at e made mention of my name (Isa. 49:1). Tis passage may ave Messianic implications, but, I believe tat tere can be at least an application made to te propet Isaia. During is lifetime, e was made to know tat God ad loved im from te very beginning. Anoter Old Testament example of te love of God is Jacob. Te Scriptures use Jacob and Esau to present to us te contrast tat exists between te love of God, and te atred of God. Jacob was loved of God; Esau was ated of God. And tese are te generations of Isaac, Abraam s son: Abraam begat Isaac: And Isaac was forty years old wen e took Rebeka to wife, te daugter of Betuel te Syrian of Padanaram, te sister to Laban te Syrian. And Isaac intreated te LORD for is wife, because se was barren: and te LORD was intreated of im, and Rebeka is wife conceived. And te cildren struggled togeter witin er; and se said, If it be so, wy am I tus? And se went to enquire of te LORD. And te LORD said unto er, Two nations are in ty womb, and two manner of people sall be separated from ty bowels; and te one people sall be stronger tan te oter people; and te elder sall serve te younger. And wen er days to be delivered were fulfilled, beold, tere were twins in er womb. And te first came out red, all over like an airy garment; and tey called is name Esau. And after tat came is broter out, and is and took old on Esau s eel; and is name was called Jacob: and Isaac was treescore years old wen se bare tem (Gen. 25:19-26). ere is an example of two cildren born in te same womb, at te same time, wit te same fater. And yet, all tings (umanly speaking) being equal, God loved te one, and did not love te oter. Te world of religion takes great offense at te tougt tat we, as Baptists, present to te world tat is, tat God loves some, and ates oters. To me, tis seems te best way to describe tis contrast between Jacob and Esau, and between te elect and reprobate: God loved Jacob, and e did not love Esau. Really, tese are te only two conditions in wic men find temselves. Tose wo are loved by God, are te recipients of a love wic tey do not deserve, and to wic tey never aspired on teir own. Tese blessed cildren of (Continued on page 9)

9 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 Sela! Tink About It! by Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia Ten tey went out to see wat was done; and came to Jesus, and found te man, out of wom te devils were departed, sitting at te feet of Jesus, cloted, and in is rigt mind: and tey were afraid. Now te man out of wom te devils were departed besougt im tat e migt be wit im: but Jesus sent im away, saying, Return to tine own ouse, and sew ow great tings God at done unto tee. And e went is way, and publised trougout te wole city ow great tings Jesus ad done unto im (Luke 8:35, 38-39). Wat a marvelous mission Jesus Crist ad wen e became Emmanuel (God wit us!) and came to seek and to save tat wic was lost (Luke 19:10). e came to save is people from teir sins (Matt. 1:21). God ad a plan to provide is lost seep wit a Saviour from before te foundation of te Eart. But was it God s plan to save men, or to cange men? Sela! Tink about it! I ave likened te salvation of men to rescue missions, like te Carpatia steaming across te icy Atlantic to rescue te Titanic survivors. It is pictured in rescuing folks opelessly lost in te wilderness, te forest, or as Scripture puts it in Psalm 40:2, e brougt me up also out of an orrible pit, out of te miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and establised my goings. Salvation is undoubtedly a rescue operation, were our omnipotent God in sovereign grace reaces down and redeems us from te slave block of sin. e rescues us from te orrible fate of te ric man in Luke 16:22-23, And it came to pass te ric man also died, and was buried; And in ell e lift up is eyes, being in torments. If we go a step furter and look into te future of tose tus plucked as burning brands from te fire (Zec.3:2) we will see tat teir glorious future olds te splendor of eaven. Salvation is portrayed from so many pulpits today as a rescue from ell and a ticket to eaven. And it most certainly is, but is tat te plan of God? To save men? Or is is plan to cange men? I beseec you terefore, bretren, by te mercies of God, tat ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, oly, acceptable unto God, wic is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to tis world: but be ye transformed (Rom. 12:1-2). Te salvation tat God gave te demoniac of Gadara was so muc more tan just a release from ell s destiny, or a sining ticket to eaven, was it not. Te Son of God transformed im from a savage beast-man crying and cutting imself into a sane Cristian sitting docilely and lovingly at te feet of Crist. Te salvation tat Jesus brougt transformed is very nature. e is most certainly NOT wat te gatering spectators ad come expecting to see. Te old nature of savage carnality is GONE. It as been replaced wit love, joy, peace and all te oter fruits of an indwelling oly Spirit. Te new abilities of repentance and fait ave been granted to tis cild of God. You see, salvation transformation is wat EVERY cild of te regeneration receives. It canges our person, our conduct and every aspect of our life. Anyting sort of tat is not really God s plan of salvation for us. Sela! Tink about it! So many well-intentioned evangelists today are asking folks to make a decision for Crist and promise to and out tickets to eaven and absolution from ell, but tey ave no autority from God to do so. Wat te wretced sinners of tis world (you and I) need is not a dotted line of a curc card to sign our agreement upon, but we need te transforming power of te oly Spirit to completely renovate our lives. 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). Modern curces are full of listless, saved professors of religion, tat need te transformation inside tat only comes from God. For to be carnally minded is deat; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. But ye are not in te fles, but in te Spirit, if so be tat te Spirit of God dwell in you (Rom. 8:6-9). May God grant our curces tis saving/ transforming grace. Sela! Tink about it! From Our Moter s (Continued from page 8) God ave all of te love of God bestowed upon tem. Jacob is, in many ways, representative of tese undeserving sinners wo ave been loved by God. On te oter and, Esau is representative of tat oter class of persons tose wo are ated of God. I believe tat atred, as it pertains to God s relationsip wit men, is simply te total and complete lack of love. In oter words, tose wo are loved by God are completely loved by God. Tose wo are not loved by God (ated by God) simply ave exactly none of God s love. O, ow wonderful it is to ave te love of God, undeservingly bestowed upon us! O, ow awful it is to ave none of God s love, and to be te object of is disdain! Tese are te conditions of men. Every man will find imself in one of tese two conditions. Witout te grace of God, we would all of us eac and every uman being wo as ever been born find ourselves in te position (condition) of God s disdain, and te total absence of is love. To furter explore te condition of Jacob and Esau from teir moter s womb, let us read in Malaci and in te Book of Romans. Te burden of te word of te LORD to Israel by Malaci. I ave loved you, sait te LORD. Yet ye say, Werein ast tou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob s broter? sait te LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I ated Esau, and laid is mountains and is eritage waste for te dragons of te wilderness. (Mal 1:1-3) And not only tis; but wen Rebecca also ad conceived by one, even by our fater Isaac; (For te cildren being not yet born, neiter aving done any good or evil, tat te purpose of God according to election migt stand, not of works, but of im tat callet;) It was said unto er, Te elder sall serve te younger. As it is written, Jacob ave I loved, but Esau ave I ated (Rom. 9:10-13). ow could tis be, tat persons wo (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 From Our Moter s (Continued from page 9) are born witout any redeeming qualities, are yet loved and known unto God? Tis simple observation sould attract our attention, and our praise, and our worsip! O, ow gracious and loving our God is, in tat e would notice and care for any of suc a wretced and fallen umanity! But, instead, tose tat decry te sovereignty of God in salvation prefer to spend teir time, and expend teir efforts vainly attempting to cast blame on God for te undisputed fact tat men are sinners; and tat, left uncecked, tey will continue forever in teir wicked ways. Someow tey want to blame God for Adam s sin, and tey want to blame God for te wickedness of men and te sinfulness tat as nearly overwelmed te eart. Men would rater blame God for te fact tat e does not save all, instead of glorifying God tat e as saved any. We do not deserve is love! We stand as sinners and unrigteous men and women worty of ellfire and brimstone and yet we dare to label our God as an unjust God, or an unfeeling God, wen not all souls are redeemed and saved. Instead, we sould magnify is grace and love in te salvation of even one wretced soul. Surely, tis love tat we ave is a product of is mercy! Surely, tis love is a statement made by is grace! Or, migt we rater say tat tis mercy and tis grace are a result of is love, wic e ad for us before te world began? I suppose tat it is safe to say tat if te Lord loves us now, e must ave loved us forever. After all, our God cannot cange. For I am te LORD, I cange not; terefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed (Mal. 3:6). We generally use tis verse to teac tat, despite our own failings, God will not cease in is love toward us. owever, we could also use tis verse to teac tat God, Wo cannot cange, if e loves us now, must ave loved us forever in te past. e is cangeless, unwavering, and witout any variation in is Person and in is caracteristics. Jesus Crist te same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (eb. 13:8). e gives is love to is people, not just in a total and all-encompassing manner, but also in an eternal and everlasting way. We ave many examples in Scripture of te enduring and lasting love tat God as for is people we ave noticed just a few. We cannot put a beginning on God ow can we put a beginning on is love? We cannot put an end to God ow can we imagine an end to is love? Can a woman forget er sucking cild, tat se sould not ave compassion on te son of er womb? yea, tey may forget, yet will I not forget tee. Beold, I ave graven tee upon te palms of my ands; ty walls are continually before me (Isa. 49:15-16). ere tere is an allusion to te verses at te beginning of te capter, were we are told tat te Lord knew us and loved us from te womb of our moters. Now, te Lord is reminding us tat tose same moters, may, on occasion, forget teir cildren. But, e will not cease to love us. IS PEOPLE AVE OPE Finally, I want you to know tat from te womb, te people of God ave a sure ope. As we are born into tis world, we are not immediately aware of tis ope just as we may live many years unaware of te love tat God as for us in is Son Jesus Crist. But, te ope will one day become our assurance, and te basis of our service and worsip of God. Indeed, as we consider tis love and knowledge tat God as for us, we, wo are is cildren, must admit tat te ope tat te cildren of God ave, is a remarkable and satisfying and enduring ope. Since tere are persons wom te Lord loves from te womb, tese persons are blessed wit a ope and wit a strengt tat oters do not ave. From te beginning of our lives, we ave a certainty to our destiny. As I ave said, we surely do not know tese tings from te beginning of our lives; but, te Lord as taken us to im. We are bound to im now wit cords and bands of love. Te Lord as bestowed ope upon us. At some point in our lives we will taste of tis ope, and our lives will be forever canged. From tat time of our salvation, we will eagerly anticipate te fulfillment of our salvation we will eagerly anticipate te coming of te Lord. From tat time of our salvation, we will ope in te Lord, we will pursue is rigteousness, and we will be forever inclined to te eavenly, rater tan te eartly and mortal. David said, But tou art e tat took me out of te womb: tou didst make me ope wen I was upon my moter s breasts. I was cast upon tee from te womb: tou art my God from my moter s belly (Ps. 22:9-10). Later on, te Psalmist said, Deliver me, O my God, out of te and of te wicked, out of te and of te unrigteous and cruel man. For tou art my ope, O Lord GOD: tou art my trust from my yout. By tee ave I been olden up from te womb: tou art e tat took me out of my moter s bowels: my praise sall be continually of tee (Ps. 71:4-6). As tese verses in te book of te Psalms teac us, te ope tat we ave sould inspire us to praise and service. Te world can be a frigtening place. And yet, equipped wit a knowledge of te blessed fact tat God loves us; and fitted wit te ope tat God as bestowed upon us; you and I and eac of te cildren of God can live our lives trusting and oping in im Wo as saved us, and finding relief from te fears wic consume so many in tis life. Yet now ear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, wom I ave cosen: Tus sait te LORD tat made tee, and formed tee from te womb, wic will elp tee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and tou, Jesurun, wom I ave cosen (Isa. 44:1-2). Te ope tat we ave in Jesus Crist is able to conquer our fears. Te love of God and te accompanying ope and trust tat is delivered to us, will inspire us and enable us to live above and beyond te troubles, trials, and fears of tis life. As cildren of God, we ave an opportunity, a privilege, and an obligation to worsip and serve our Saviour and te One Wo as loved us from our moter s womb. And now, sait te LORD tat formed me from te womb to be is servant, to bring Jacob again to im, Toug Israel be not gatered, yet sall I be glorious in te eyes of te LORD, and my God sall be my strengt (Isa. 49:5). Te ope tat we ave sould lead us to worsip im, and to assign to im all te glory. is strengt is ours; our worsip sould be is. We were loved by God from our moter s womb and te Lord God intended for us to serve im. e did not just love us and save us to live unto (Continued on page 11)

11 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 From Our Moter s (Continued from page 10) ourselves; e always intended for us to be a reflection of is love and grace in tis world of men. I know tat tis world can be a place tat will bring about despair, sadness, and terrible travails. And yet, as we consider God s unfailing love for us; and as we consider te ope tat is set before us; and as we rejoice in te strengt and te succor tat is ours from God; we sould be te appiest and te most joyful persons on te face of te eart! And tou salt ave joy and gladness; and many sall rejoice at is birt. For e sall be great in te sigt of te Lord, and sall drink neiter wine nor strong drink; and e sall be filled wit te oly Gost, even from is moter s womb. And many of te cildren of Israel sall e turn to te Lord teir God (Luke 1:14-16). I know I ave lifted tis passage a little out of context; but, ere, at te propesying of te birt of Jon te Baptist, te Lord God promises joy and gladness for tose wo are appy to see is will being accomplised on te face of te eart. Surely, tis world is a wicked place, and we, too often, waste our time and effort lamenting te fact tat te world is growing more and more wicked. Instead, we sould rejoice tat te will of God is being accomplised! Sure, tere are times of sorrow. Sure, tere are days and nigts of weeping and sadness. But, tese sould not detract from, nor diminis, te joy and te gladness tat we ave in te salvation tat God as accomplised for us! We sould sing praises unto God as we see te signs of te coming of te Lord being fulfilled! In our lives, we, as cosen and blessed cildren of God, sould sow fort joy and gladness. Despite te wickedness wic surrounds us, we sould rejoice in te service and in te worsip of our God, Wo as loved us, and protected us from our moter s womb, until now, and even into eaven. Signs of A Dying Age By Roy Mason ( ) (MATT. 24:7-12) I want to speak today on te subject, Signs of a Dying Age, and I want to read from te 24t capter of Mattew, beginning wit verse 7, For nation sall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and tere sall be famines, and pestilences, and eartquakes, in divers places. All tese are te beginning of sorrows. Ten sall tey deliver you up to be afflicted, and sall kill you: and ye sall be ated of all nations for my name s sake. And ten sall many be offended, and sall betray one anoter, and sall ate one anoter. And many false propets sall rise, and sall deceive many. And because iniquity sall abound, te love of many sall wax cold. Now I want to use for a text tat 8t verse, All tese are but te beginning of sorrows. My text does not ave an adequate rendering in our King James version. ere it says, All tese are but te beginning of sorrows, but in te Greek, of wic tis is but te translation, it says, A ll of tese are but te beginning of birt pangs. Te picture drawn ere in tis passage is te picture of an old age dying and a new age being born, and it says tat te tings tat are mentioned ere as to take place are to be to us not only signs of a passing age, but te birt pangs of a new age tat is to come into existence. Now, God as divided time, all time, into orderly ages. We speak of te end of time, but I do not find anyting of tat kind mentioned ere in te Bible. It is true tat we ave suc a ting mentioned once in a very bad translation, mistranslation, I migt say, in te Book of Revelation, but wen you look on te margin of te Bible and get te marginal rendering, you ll find tat it is not te end of time tat is referred to at all. So far as I know, and so far as te Bible discloses, duration may be measured in terms of time forever and ever. Te longest period of duration tat te Bible speaks of is ages rolled upon top of ages. And let me repeat tat God as divided time into ages. Tere was te age of innocency back tere in te Garden, tere was te age of te Law, and we re now living in te Age of Grace, but tis age was predicted by te Lord Jesus imself to come to an end. e said to is Disciples, and e was speaking to tem in organized capacity as is curc, Lo, I am wit you alway, even unto te end of te age. Tat signified tat te age begun back at te cross would one day come to a conclusion, and tat conclusion is to be at te return of Crist to tis eart. Now God s purpose and plan for tis age in wic we live is for is people to spread te Gospel trougout te world. Tis is te age of out-calling, during wic God is calling out of te world a people for is name, wo will live wit im and rule te eart in te age to come. And te next age tat is to come we migt call te Kingdom age. It will be eart s Golden Age of perfect peace and contentment and plenty, during wic tis old world will be restored to wat te Lord wants it to be, and Jesus foretells ere in tis Scripture te signs tat would accompany te end of te age. I read someting a few monts ago, to te effect tat te age migt be illustrated by te body of a man, first, strong and stalwart and youtful, but declining until finally a condition of decrepitude is reaced. Tis age started out strong and vigorous, Cristianity in a sort time ad penetrated to te lengt and breadt of te great Roman Empire, and during tis age, we ave ad great governments to rise and great tings to take place, but te age as grown old, and it looks as if we ave just about reaced te twiligt, te period of decline and decay. I believe tat we are living in a fast-dying age. I believe tat we are swiftly coming to te closing days of tis dispensation, and to te dawn of a new day for tis old world. And my belief is based upon te correspondence between te signs tat are mentioned ere in te Bible, and te tings tat I see taking place out ere in te world about me. Now let us go to te Scriptures and let us note some of te signs of te end of te age. Te first ting tat I mention is wars. In Mattew 24:7, we read, For nation sall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. But someone immediately points out tat we ave ad wars all along down troug te centuries, and tat s quite true, and tat s exactly (Continued on page 16)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. In I Corintians 11:10 we read, For tis cause ougt te woman to ave power on er ead because of te angels. Wat is te meaning of te verse and te significance or meaning of because of te angels? Kentucky Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Elect angels are present in te worsip services of te Lord s curces (Psa. 138:1; I Cor. 4:9; Ep. 3:10; I Tim. 5:21; eb. 1:13-14). Because te woman is from te man (11:8-9) and because elect angels observe our worsip services and take a keen interest in our fait, practice, and order (I Pet. 1:12-16). As suc, te woman is to ave er ead covered or veiled. Would Paul tell a woman se ougt to ave air on er ead because of te angels? I seriously doubt it since long air on women as always been te accepted norm in almost every society as a means of distinguising tem from men. Paul is plainly stating under te inspiration of te oly Spirit, tat a woman sould ave te symbol of submission, te artificial ead covering on er ead because of te angels. By so doing se is declaring er agreement wit te teacing tat se is to be in submission to te man. Wen te Word of God plainly states tat you ougt to wear a ead covering, you ougt to do it ceerfully and in umble obedience. Te desire of te eart sould be loving obedience to God s commands no matter ow unpopular or unfasionable it may be in te eyes of men. I like te comment of Jon Gill, te Baptist expositor and teologian: Te generality of interpreters, by power, understand te veil, or covering on te woman s ead, as a sign of te man s power over er, and er subjection to im... Te Greek word exousia more properly signifies te power se ad of putting on and off er covering as se pleased, according as times, places and persons make it necessary (Vol. 8, pg. 685). TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV If any Bible student wants to know wat te woman s eadcovering is for, tey ave come to te rigt verse. By te simple prepositional prase initiating tis verse of paramount importance, we can indeed know te cause of women aving power/exousia or a sign of autority upon teir ead. Regardless of wat we mere mortals migt tink te covering migt be, or any speculation on extra-scriptural customs or usage, tis verse boldly proclaims te Scripture s igest autority by defining tis doctrine itself For tis cause ougt te woman to ave power on er ead. Always let te Bible interpret itself. If we do not get anyting else, let us listen to tis verse. If your cause for wearing or not wearing (preacing/not preacing) te covering is found anywere else, please rein in your observations to te merits of tis verse. For tis cause says te Apostle writing wit te autority of te oly Spirit. Sela! Tink about it! So wat does it say? Wat is te cause? For a man indeed ougt not to cover is ead, forasmuc as e is te image and glory of God: but te woman is te glory of te man. For te man is not of te woman; but te woman of te man. Neiter was te man created for te woman; but te woman for te man. For tis cause ougt te woman to ave power on er ead because of te angels. Neverteless neiter is te man witout te woman, neiter te woman witout te man, in te Lord (I Cor. 11:7-11). Tis striking verse is saturated in a pitting contrast between men and women. Before and after tis polarizing verse it is stated tat men are to ave sort air and women to ave long air. Men are to be uncovered and women are to be covered, because of te eadsip order of God. Women are to ave a sign upon teir ead, and te angels are watcing to see ow diligently our worsip services are kept. Despite claims of modern Cristians tat te veiled woman of Corint was in contrast to te world s women, te Apostle Paul never uses tat argument. It is always in contrast wit te genders tat e makes is points and drives tem ome. Te man (not woman) was created first. Te man (not woman) is to avoid long air. Te man (not woman) is to pray uncovered. Te man (not woman) is te image of God. And for tis cause, te woman is to ave a sign of autority upon er ead in public worsip services. Sela! Tink about it! A couple of quotes from te past (tat can be multiplied by 100!) to commentate on tis verse. First, te tougts of Carles Spurgeon ( ) on te subject: Do you tink you and I ave sufficiently considered tat we are always looked upon by angels, and tat tey desire to learn by us te wisdom of God? Te reason wy our sisters appear in te ouse of God wit teir eads covered is because of te angels. Te apostle says tat a woman is to ave a covering upon er ead, because of te angels, since te angels are present in te assembly and tey mark every act of indecorum, and terefore everyting is to be conducted wit decency and order in te presence of te angelic spirits. Also William Greenill ( ), a member of te Westminster Assembly remarks: Tey (te angels) reverence te greatness and majesty of Crist. Toug tey be ig and glorious, yet tey see so vast a distance between Crist and temselves, tat tey cover teir faces, Isa. 6 and teir bodies, ere; tey come not into is presence rudely, but wit great respect and reverence. Women are to be veiled in te assemblies, because of te angels, 1 Cor.11:10, to sow teir reverence and subjection to tem being present; and angels are covered, to sow teir reverence and subjection to Crist. It is an onour to te angels, tat in reverence to tem te women are to be veiled; and it is a great onour to Crist, tat angels reverence and adore im. Even if te reference to angels was a Greek angelos/messenger reference to te pastor of te local curc (suc as Rev.1:20/2:1), it would not cange te meaning of te passage, because te pastor, (Continued on page 14)

13 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page Wat similarities or comparisons can be seen between a curc service and eaven? Mississippi Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Te question is, Wat similarities or comparisons can be seen between a curc service and eaven? Sorry to say, not many! And te reason is, we are depraved creatures still aving tat old sin nature. In eaven we will be perfect and be as e is. Tis vile body will be canged in te twinkling of an eye and we will be like Jesus. 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. O deat, were is ty sting? O grave, were is ty victory? Te sting of deat is sin; and te strengt of sin is te law. But tanks be to God, wic givet us te victory troug our Lord Jesus Crist (I Cor. 15:52-57). One of my pet peeves is tat wen a cild or baby is doing someting cute or even fussing, all eyes go to tat cild, tere goes te sermon, we may as well pack up and go ome because te distraction as killed te oly Spirit and anyting tat was just said is lost and not eard. I could go on but most know tat we are not as reverent in te ouse of God as we will be in eaven, mainly because we will ave new bodies in eaven. Tere will not be any distractions in eaven! On te oter and if tere are any similarities or comparisons tey would be te worsiping of God (Revelation 7:11-12). As God, Jesus Crist, and te oly Spirit are wit us in te curc services now wen we come into te ouse of worsip, tey will always be present wit us in eaven. Te singing tat we do, And tey sing te song of Moses te servant of God, and te song of te Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are ty works, Lord God Almigty; just and true are ty ways, tou King of saints (Rev. 15:3). I wis I could say tere are more similarities or comparisons, but in reality you can not compare te curc services we ave now wit eaven. I see uge differences. It sould not be tat way but sadly it is (in my opinion). Paul said, For I reckon tat te sufferings of tis present time are not worty to be compared wit te glory wic sall be revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). Praise God for is grace and mercy, I can not wait to get to eaven. God Bless! ROGER REED Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Were is Crist? e is seated on te rigt and of te trone of God. Were are te elect of God? Entroned wit Crist in te eavenly places. ow did te elect come to be in suc a position? By te resurrection of Crist. e raised us from te dead. Were are te similarities? Singing, worsipping. MIKE DEWITT Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O I tink Revelation 5:9-12 may give us a glimpse of te glory of eavenly worsip: And tey sung a new song, saying, Tou art worty to take te book, and to open te seals tereof: for tou wast slain, and ast redeemed us to God by ty blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And ast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we sall reign on te eart. And I beeld, and I eard te voice of many angels round about te trone and te beasts and te elders: and te number of tem was ten tousand times ten tousand, and tousands of tousands; Saying wit a loud voice, Worty is te Lamb tat was slain to receive power, and rices, and wisdom, and strengt, and onour, and glory, and blessing. Tere are several similarities between te eavenly scene described above and wat ougt to be present in our curc services: 1. Te central focus of worsip is around te redemptive work of te Lord Jesus Crist wo sed is precious blood in order to redeem te elect. Te saints in eaven are directing all of teir praise to te Lamb tat was slain. Teir earts are filled to overflowing wit love and praise for te only Person qualified and able to save teir unworty souls. Tey ad exalted tougts of te Lord Jesus Crist as tey worsipped and adored im. Teir minds were not distracted by te world, te fles, te devil, politics, money, personal prestige, or peer pressure. Tey were completely focused on glorying in te Lord Jesus. Tis ougt to be te central focus in every curc service, to exalt and worsip te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. Te saints in eaven understand completely ow and wy tey are in glory. Tey did not attribute ordinances, good works, or religious ceremonies as te means of saving tem or keeping tem saved. Tey understood tere was no power in tose tings to cange tem from wicked, unworty sinners to priests and kings. Tey acknowledged tat tere is only power in te blood of Jesus Crist to redeem poor sinners. Tey were acknowledging is merits, is justifying rigteousness, and is sacrifice as te only means wereby tey are able to stand in te presence of a oly God! Wen we worsip God in our curc services we must do so in Spirit and in trut! Tere ougt to be no room for spurious teacing or false doctrine in our services. All (Continued on page 15)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) just like te eavenly angels, will be watcing to see tat God s order of veiled women is carried out, for te cause of eadsip and familial order. Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Te word power ere is te symbol of autority on er ead. And it symbolizes tat te women is under te autority of te (man) and er usband as God as ordained to be so. But I would ave you know, tat te ead of every man is Crist; and te ead of te woman is te man; and te ead of Crist is God (I Cor. 11:3). At tis point is wen I ear many women say, I am not under te autority of my usband, and many women are not, tat is a fact (I believe because tey do not want to mess up teir air or fool wit a covering). But I do not care, do it anyway; if a woman does not want to be in subjection to teir own usband ten take tat up wit God. But tat is not wat te verse says te ead of te woman is te man. For if te woman be not covered, let er also be sorn: but if it be a same for a woman to be sorn or saven, let er be covered. For a man indeed ougt not to cover is ead, forasmuc as e is te image and glory of God: but te woman is te glory of te man. For te man is not of te woman; but te woman of te man. Neiter was te man created for te woman; but te woman for te man. (I Cor. 11:6-9). Quoting te late Elder Milburn Cockrell, God as placed te woman in te position of subordination. er ead must be covered. We ave two sisters in our congregation tat are widows; tey ave no usband to be under subjection too, but tey wear te ead covering none te less. We ave two oter sisters tat teir usbands are not members and do not come to te services. So to sow subjection to teir usbands in te assembly would not make any sense. So I tink tat for tis cause, wat cause? (vv. 7-9). For tis cause ougt te woman to ave power on er ead because of te angels (I Cor. 11:10). So by aving a cover on se is sowing se is under te power ( autority ) of man and in te position God as placed er. To quote Elder Doyal Tomas, Woman is to be covered (veiled) in te assembly to demonstrate tat se is under te power (autority) of er usband, in order tat te angels wo meet wit te saints may be taugt tat te curc is subject to Crist in all tings. Te angels are actually met in body wit te saints. Wat kind of teacing does te curc provide for tem? Do tey see a submissive curc? Do tey see an unfaitful, rebellious curc? Jon Gill as tis to say of angels, because of te angels; wo attend te assemblies of te saints, and observe te air and beaviour of te worsippers werefore women sould cover teir eads wit respect to tem, and not give offence to tose pure spirits, by an indecent appearance: it is agreeable to te notions of te Jews, tat angels attend public prayers, and at te expounding of te word; tey often speak of an angel. Angels ten are in our worsip services and are ever learning and are paying very close attention to our reverence and subordination in te ouse of God. Tese words are taken from Wat Te Bible Teaces and I quote, Tey too cover temselves in te presence of God, Above it stood te serapims: eac one ad six wings; wit twain e covered is face, and wit twain e covered is feet, and wit twain e did fly (Isa. 6:2). Tey too are engaged in carrying out te will of God; tey too are guardians of te divine order in te spere of teir administration; tey were present at creation and observed te divine order as to te sexes; tey are learning te manifold wisdom of God in te wole curc, To te intent tat now unto te principalities and powers in eavenly places migt be known by te curc te manifold wisdom of God (Ep. 3:10), so are also interested in its local manifestation; tey are te representative of te elect angels tat kept teir order of subordination, in contrast to te angels tat sinned in leaving teir own estate, A nd te angels wic kept not teir first estate, but left teir own abitation, e at reserved in everlasting cains under darkness unto te judgment of te great day (Jude 1:6). Just remember Crist was in subjection in all tings to te Fater, and e is our perfect example, sould we not do te same? God Bless! ROGER REED Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR I will say tat an onest searc of tis verse will conclude to one fact, it refers to te veil tat ougt to be worn by females wo propesy or pray. Wy is te word power used? onestly, I do not know. Context is always te best metod to understand wat is being said by te autor. Te veil is a sign of autority man as over te woman. Te beginning of te capter clearly establises tis fact. Are tey not all ministering spirits, sent fort to minister for tem wo sall be eirs of salvation (eb 1:14)? Jesus is present wen is curces meet togeter to worsip te Fater, wy would it be any surprise at all if te angels be present? Te significance is tis, respect God s order, do not be offensive to te angels wo cover teir faces in te presence of God. MIKE DEWITT Quotes from Broter Ritecus N. Dignation by Josep arris It seems folks are always searcing and searcing for trut, yet constantly reject it wen found, usually because it is inconvenient or doesn t fit teir agenda. Rater tan trying to find new trut, we just need te people wo already know te trut to stand on it witout compromise.

15 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) te participants in real worsip ougt to be saints wo ave been miraculously saved by sovereign grace and know it! 3. Te saints in eaven were in armony as tey worsipped te Lord. Tere is no int of division, dissension, or derision in teir worsip. Tey are glad to be in te company of te redeemed! O, ow tis kind of armony and unity of purpose ougt to be evident in our curc services! Every desire for te praise of men, self promotion and a mean spirit sould ave no place in our worsip. 4. Godly singing, praise, and rejoicing according to te trut as it is in Jesus caracterizes te worsip of eaven. May it be said of our worsip services tat we sing songs tat exalt our Lord and are according to trut! May our song services be free of any flesly desires and irreverent tones. 5. Interestingly enoug te glorified saints wo ad been redeemed by te blood of te Lamb were looking forward to te day wen tey would leave te portals of eaven to reign wit Crist te King on eart. Tey looked forward to te millennial glory tat would be revealed. As we worsip te Lord our earts sould be encouraged by te glories tat are yet to be fulfilled. We ougt to anticipate wit great joy te coming of te Lord and our reign wit im. 6. Te saints in eaven also recognized tat tere are a great number wo are redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. God s elect are scattered all over te world. Tey are redeemed by te blood of te Lamb according to is good pleasure and purpose witout regard for race, culture, government, or language. O tat we would worsip te Lord wit a desire to take te Gospel to sinners te world over regardless of race, culture, or political creed. ow I long for te day wen te sackles of my depraved nature will be completely and forever cast off and I am able to see te Lord Jesus in all is glory and worsip im wit te praise e alone is worty of! TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto te city of te living God, te eavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To te general assembly and curc of te firstborn, wic are written in eaven, and to God te Judge of all, and to te spirits of just men made perfect (eb. 12:22-23). Te Lord s curc (ekklesia) is a called-out assembly of saints to worsip God. Our regularly sceduled services are to be filled wit singing, praying, teacing, learning, preacing, glorying and reading of God s Word. From te glimpses we see into te alls of eaven, tat is wat is going on up tere, too! (Luke 2:16, Isa. 6:65-66, Rev. 4-5, Ezek. 1, etc). Sela! Tink about it! Similar structures of sedate order and worsip, similar goals of glorifying and praising God, and similar commandments to abase ourselves will make eaven seem like an extension of our greatest ours spent on Eart in oly Spirit-filled curc services and Bible conferences. I ave often eard it said tat our time on Eart is spent preparing ourselves for eternity and we are just practicing for eaven. But as we Sela, tink about it, tat is really wat we need to see tat we are doing, practicing for eaven and our God. My youngest daugter, Abigail is aving practice after scool today for Middle Scool volleyball. As se works so very ard at it, se still makes many mistakes, and even as te team assembles on te floor tere is often confusion, and te oter team gets just as many points per game (it seems) from our costly errors, as from teir own perfection of teir volleyball skills. Te ig Scool girls smile condescendingly at tese younger girls practicing to someday make te varsity squad. Te picture I ave in my mind after tis, is tat peraps tere is more comparison of (even) our Baptist curc services and worsip in eaven by contrast, rater tan similarities I am sure as te eavenly angels (varsity) watc our services, tere are many times tat tey migt smile condescendingly at our feeble efforts, obtuse blunders and misguided entusiasm. But ow many more times will tey ide teir faces in same as we allow eresy, uncovered women, catolic oly days, apaty, scismatic jealousy, and outrigt irreverence to invade and pervade our sanctified curc services. Sela! Tink about it! I tink we forget tat te sekina glory of God cased out Moses (Ex. 40:35) and te priests (I Kings 8:11) from te Tabernacle and Temple by te seer OLINESS of Eloim God Almigty. Sure, te Apostle Jon leaned is ead upon te Saviour s breast at te Lord s Supper, but wen Jesus Crist was revealed in is eavenly glory, were was Jon? Falling at is feet, as one tat was dead (Matt. 17:6, Rev. 1:17). I realize tat ten, we, too, will ave our glorified bodies, and we sall see im wit sinless eyes and raise glorified earts and tongues to is Glory, but I wonder ow muc of eternity will be spent on our knees and faces?!?! Sela! Tink about it! I go past a curc in town tat advertises a contemporary service as Java, Jeans and Jesus, were tey serve coffee and dougnuts to te 9 a.m. worsippers. Tey also ave a traditional service afterwards. I wonder if tis pus for casual worsip is directed more for God s glory, or to encourage and patronize worldly members into coming to curc? I can turn on my TV and see Bible conferences were te preacers wear polo sirts and te curc and pastor try to empasize a casual, comfortable atmospere for visitors and invited guests. I can not elp but wonder wat te varsity squad (of visitors/guests) would tink of suc perversions of worsip services to be transformed into so-called praise services were te adulation of singers and preacers seem to be te norm? Tere sould be similarities between eaven and our Baptist curc services. Rigt now, I migt just make a joyful noise (Ps. 100:1), but wen I get tere, we will all it te rigt notes every time. Tere will be no pysical indrances of disease, weariness and carnal lusts. It will be impossible for us to be distracted by te clock, rambunctious pewmates, boring preacers, or carnal tougts. I tink it is good for us to compare and see ow far (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Forum #2 (Continued from page 15) sort we are falling, wile we are practicing for glory. At best, we migt say. And let us close wit tat empasis: it is te best and closest we will get to eaven on Eart rigt ere in our curc pews at our local Baptist curc! Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Signs of A Dying (Continued from page 11) wat Jesus predicted as te wole course of tis age to te very end. In te last tree centuries, tere ave been 286 wars in Europe, from te year 1500 B. C. to 1860 A.D. more tan 8,000 treaties of peace ave been signed, and tese were supposed to be forever, and yet tey remained in force for an average of two years. It s just foolis nonsense for men today to talk of aving permanent, universal peace. People are babbling tat sort of stuff today in te ligt of te fact tat over 8,000 peace treaties ave been in vain. Wen people talk about te world abolising war, and aving permanent peace by uman means, tey are not only going contrary to wat te Bible says, but contrary to reason; to reason, and I migt add, experience and plain common sense. No, tere will never be permanent peace until te Prince of Peace comes and takes carge. Leaving beind te many wars of times gone by, let us come down to te climactic wars of our day. Te four years of war from 1914 troug 1918, cost approximately four undred billion dollars. Tat s simply more tan our little brains can take in unless we compute it in terms to make it more concrete. We ll ave to be like my cildren wen tey were very small, and tey came to realize tat a nickel would buy an ice cream cone, and an ice cream cone became teir standard of measurement in value. Wen we got to talking about te wort of money, tey couldn t understand unless I translated it into ice cream cones. If I spoke about a dollar, tey d say, ow muc is tat, Daddy. Well, cildren, it s wort twenty ice cream cones. Ten tey could understand. And now let s see wat four undred billion dollars would do. Tat would build a ouse wort $2,500.00, equip it wit $1, wort of furniture, and place it on five acres of land wort $ an acre, for every family in eleven countries, I d say, of te leading countries of te world. Not only tat, but tere would be enoug left over to present every city in tese countries of twenty tousand or more population, wit a five million dollar library and a ten million dollar university. Tink of tat, will you? Tat first World War cost enoug to put every family in te leading nations of te world in good financial condition. Wat folly, wat Devilis folly is war, wen it saps te wealt of te world and reduces people to poverty and utter want! And World War I didn t cost anyting compared to World War II, and didn t stop wit tat. Since te war, we ve poured billions and billions of dollars into Europe, and now we re embarking on te business of seeking to finance a good portion of te world. Personally, I just don t see ow tis country can stand up under it. We ave already te biggest national debt tat any country as ever ad in uman istory. But now, te second sign of te dying of tis age is eartquakes. Verse 7 says, eartquakes in divers places. We ve surely ad tese troug tis age, and as te age as run along towards its close, I believe te number of tese as greatly increased. I believe tat wile te signs mentioned ere are to caracterize tis wole Gospel age, or age of Grace, tey are to increase in size and proportion, and are to find teir climax as te age comes to an end. I ave ere a table tat gives te increase in eartquakes since te 14t century. Let me read it. In te 14t century, 137 eartquakes; 15t century, 174; 16t century 253; 17t century 378; 18t century 640; 19t century 2,119. But now reading on down into te 24t capter of Mattew, we find oter signs of te end of te age. One of tese signs is, conditions suc as existed in Noa s day. We know tat tese conditions must ave been bad indeed, for God sent te flood and swept corrupt umanity from te face of te eart. Wat are some of te conditions tat exist today tat serve to give us te caracteristics of Noa s day? One ting, I am sure, is drunkenness. We can see te wreckage caused by drink all around us all te time. Now in te ligt of tis, people can be found tat justify te sale of liquor is more tan I can possibly understand. Judge Josep Kitali, of Boston Municipal Court, made te statement back some time ago tat for every dollar taken in for liquor, we ave to spend $8.00 to take care of wat liquor does for tose wo drink it. In oter words, wen a dealer sells a dollar s wort of liquor, te rest of us wo compose society are taxed $8.00 to take care of te wreckage caused by tat one dollar s wort of drink, because in te final analysis, it s te general public tat pays, always. Wat conditions existed in Noa s day, I ask again? And I answer by saying, widespread crime. Te Bible tells us tat back tere violence filled te eart. Do we ave anyting like tat now? Te answer is found in te fact tat in te past tirty years, crime as increased 500%, and it s claimed tat 40% of te crime is caused by drink. ow can we expect anyting different wen we ave turned our dollars into foreign aids? Te last time I saw any statistics back several years ago, tere were 440,000 American girls in Colleges, and 1,350,000 tending bars, selling liquor, and you can look in te want ads in our city papers and you can find tat liquor places openly advertise for bar maids. As it was in te days of Noa! Wat else caracterized te days of Noa tat s common today? Well, I m sure tat immorality was one of te tings. Dr. William Carey, a noted pysical wo specializes in women s diseases, made te statement sometime ago tat girls are becoming less caste tan men, and alcool is largely responsible for increased feminine immorality. As in te days of Noa, says te Scriptures. Wat were tey doing back tere? Well, it says, tey were marrying and giving in marriage until te day tat God swept tem away wit te flood. And I dare say tat along wit te marrying, went divorce, and today tat s one of te evils tat s sweeping our nation to ruin. Tis loose idea of marriage and divorce results in people aving no constancy, no trueness to anybody. I recall te account tat appeared in te newspapers back during te last war. I read about a young woman wo was on te way to Tampa to marry a young (Continued on page 17)

17 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Signs of A Dying (Continued from page 16) lieutenant, and se met anoter soldier on te train, and wen se got to Tampa, se married tis fellow instead. Some friends coming down on te train from Tennessee told me about seeing a young woman wo d been to an army camp to see er usband, and se was returning, and wile on te train, se got into conversation wit a soldier and soon tey were drinking wiskey and beer togeter, and se was alf drunk, and tere se was kissing tat man wom se d never met until a few ours before, sleeping on is soulder. Tere you ave two illustrations of wat I m talking about, exactly. We are in a time wen marriage doesn t mean anyting to many people, and tis means te wole structure of society is undermined. Let me give you some statistics on te divorce question. In 1870, tere was one divorce to every 32 marriages; in 1900, one divorce to every twelve marriages; in 1928, one divorce to every six marriages; in 1935, one divorce to every five marriages, and now te divorce rate is about one to every four marriages. Excuse me for being plain---somebody needs to be plain rigt ere. In addition to tese conditions wic I ve just mentioned, we ave tis to tink about. Every year, 65,000 or more girls are swept into te red ligt districts of our cities. Institutions report 50,000 unmarried moters. As it was in te days of Noa! All of tis means tat society as rotted. Te termites of sin and wickedness are eating down te structure. Tese tings are all symptoms of a dying age. In our nation, we are coming more and more under dictatorsip, you all know tat, and soon we ll be almost as completely dominated as were te countries of Europe back several years ago. In trying to save democracy, we sall give up democracy and go to dictatorsip ourselves. Weter tis is necessary or not, I m not taking te time now to say, but te ting tat I m pointing out is tat we re getting into suc a condition tat it will make possible for Anticrist to come and to completely dominate and dictate everyting, until none can do anyting witout is mark. Tis eart is going to go on becoming more and more putrid. Te evil tings tat ave been in existence trougout all tis age will wax worse and worse in teir manifestation until wen te cup of iniquity is full, te God of eaven will take a and. e will send back is Son, wo wen e was ere before, was despised and rejected, and tat Son will completely smas and overtrow te governments of men and te order of society tat tey ve built, and will begin is own reign. Read in te Book of Daniel te story of te smiting stone, and if you want to picture tis, read te 19t capter of te Revelation. God as written it, and it s as certain to come to pass as tat God lives. Te great question is, wat are we going to do about all tis? We are living in a dying age, we are living in a time wen sin and wickedness is reacing a climax, we are living in a time wen it is te popular ting to drink and carouse and revel and curse God and belittle religion, and go to te Devil generally. Are we going to join te procession? onestly, people are more interested in most anyting today tan tey are in eternal life. Te tings of te body ave taken te place of tat wic is for te welfare of te soul. I say, are we joining in tat procession? Listen, tere are two tings tat everyone of us need to do. Wat are tey? First, we need to make sure of te salvation of our own souls. We are living in a dying age tat will soon be over, we are living in a body tat sall soon be in te grave, soon ell sall dawn for every soul out of Crist. Wat about your condition? Do you know tat you re a Cristian, do you know you re saved? In tese times of dread uncertainty, you can t afford to fail to know tat you re a Cristian. ow can you know it? You can know it by turning to Crist, by committing te welfare and future of your soul into is ands, suc tat you can say at any moment, I know tat Crist is my Savior, and tat e is my Sinbearer, for I ave all of my trust and fait in im. You can t know all te time tat you re a Cristian by your feelings, you can t know tat you re a Cristian all te time by tis or tat sign, but you can know by knowing in Wom your trust is reposed. O, if today, you re not a Cristian, you need te Lord so badly, and I want to urge you to receive im. Don t let anyting old you back from becoming a Cristian, for if you fail, tat spells your doom. But I ve said tere are two tings tat we need to do, and I ve mentioned te first one. Wat is te second? It s tis. Every one of us ougt to separate ourselves from tis world of sin and madness. We re in te world, but tat doesn t mean tat we re to be of te world. Te sponge diver is down tere in te water, but e s not of te water, for e gets oxygen tat e breates troug te tube tat comes down into te water from above. e literally breates te atmospere tat comes from above, and tat s ow it ougt to be wit every one of us. We wile ere in te world, can be sustained by te atmospere of eaven tat God gives. Listen, we re living in a dying age, but let it die! God as a brigt, glorious, new age aead for is people. Did you ever see a day filled wit gloom, covered over wit dark clouds? As te evening approaced, te clouds seemed to get ticker. A tick fog crept in over te landscape and twiligt came dismal and dull, but te next morning wen you awoke, it was to beold a new world entirely. In te nigt time te clouds ad cleared away, te fog ad been dispelled, and wen te golden sun broke over te orizon, it was a sky tat was perfect. Now, te clouds are gatering tick. Te fog is around us, te twiligt of tis age is creeping in upon us, but if we are Cristians, we can know tat wen God s tomorrow dawns, te sky will be cloudless, and our very earts will sing for joy. Folks, I want you to ave a sare in God s great tomorrow. I want you to be tere wen te sun rises, I want you to live in tat morning witout clouds. Tere isn t any suc future for you apart from Crist, wo makes suc possible. Terefore, I am pointing you to im. Tat s wat I want to be trougout life, a sign-post to point men and women to Crist. O, let me point you to im. Let me point you to im, and say, Tere s te one wo can make you live forever. Let me point you to im and say, Tere s te One wo will rule our world in te age to come. Let me point you to im and say, Tere s One wo can save you and give your life meaning and purpose if you ll but receive im. Will you let me point you to im? Not to myself, but to im! Forget me, but please, for te good of your own soul, see Crist, and give your soul into is keeping.

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 From te Pen of a Country Preacer Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Crist s Ability To Save Werefore e is able also to save tem to te uttermost tat come unto God by im, seeing e ever livet to make intercession for tem (eb. 7:25). Te sevent capter of ebrews contains an impressive contrast between te Levitical priestood and te priestood of Jesus Crist. Te general teme of te capter is te superiority of Crist s priestood. Tere is under te New Covenant a cange in te priestood. Tere is a cange as to te tribe officiating--- formerly Levi, now Juda. Tere is a cange as to te manner of consecration to te office, not by carnal commandment, but by an oat. Tere is a cange as to te moral qualifications for office. Te sons of Aaron were men of infirmity; Crist is oly, armless, undefiled. Tere is a cange as to te duration of te priestood. Levitical priests were removed by pysical deat, but Crist continuet for ever. Our text contains five truts. First, tere is te Savior--- e. Second, te salvation--- is able to save. Tird, te security--- save tem to te uttermost. Fourt, te saved--- tat come unto God by im. Fift, te sustentation- -- seeing e ever livet to make intercession for tem. TE SAVIOR Te only Savior of sinners is te Lord Jesus Crist. Te very name Jesus means savior or Deliverer. is foster fater was told before is birt: Tou salt call is name JESUS; for e sall save is people from teir sins (Matt. 1:21). An angel said to te seperds wen e was born in Betleem: For unto you is born tis day in te city of David a Saviour, wic is Crist te Lord (Luke 2:11). Of is own mission into te world, Crist said: For te Son of man is come to seek and to save tat wic was lost (Luke 19:10). After is ascension, Peter declared: im at God exalted wit is rigt and to be a Priest and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31). At Antioc Paul preaced on a Saviour, Jesus (Acts 13:23). Wen e returns to tis world, e will come as te great God and our Saviour Jesus Crist (Tit. 2:13). Outside of Jesus Crist tere is no Savior. Jeova in te Old Testament said: I, even I, am te LORD; and beside me tere is no saviour (Isa. 43:11). Te same sound is eard in te New Testament: Neiter is tere salvation in any oter: for tere is none oter name under eaven given among men, wereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Te only ope of te world is Jesus Crist. Saving favor is ours solely upon account of Crist and for is sake alone. We cannot save ourselves, we must be saved by One greater tan we are. Under eaven among men tere is no Savior but Jesus Crist. Religionists speak of multitudes of ways of salvation. Water dogs believe water saves te soul. Workmongers old tat good morals can redeem a man s soul. Lawworkers contend for salvation by keeping te law. Baptists are in agreement wit te Scriptures wic predicate salvation entirely upon te Lord Jesus Crist. TE SALVATION Te text said: e is able also to save tem. Te general teme of bot testaments is: salvation is of te LORD (Jona 2:9). Psalms 3:8 declares: Salvation belonget unto te LORD. Psalms 37:39 reads: But te salvation of te rigteous is of te LORD. Man is unable to save imself. Wen te Lord asked: Wo ten can be saved, e replied, Wit men it is impossible (Mark 10:26-27). No man can forgive is own sins. Forgiveness must come from God. It is written in Psalms 86:5: For tou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all tem tat call upon tee. Te Bible denies tat man can save imself in any way from te guilt and penalty of sin. We are told in Epesians 2:8-9 tese words: For by grace are ye saved troug fait; and tat not of yourselves: it is te gift of God: Not of works, lest any man sould boast. If one could be saved by baptism or curc membersip, ten salvation would be of man, not of te Lord. Tis would contradict te teacing of te Scriptures. Someone says: Paul spoke of law works in Epesians 2:8-9. No, e did not. e did use te expression, te works of te law at oter times in is writings, but e made no suc limitation to te word works in Epesians 2:8-9. Arminians say salvation is not of law works, but by Divine inspiration. Paul said: Not of works, meaning not of any kind of works wic man may perform. Still some oter objector cries: But fait is a work. No, it is not. Fait works as seen in ebrews 11, but fait is not a work. Galatians 5:6 speaks of fait wic worket by love. Te objector continues: But fait is called a work in Jon 6:29 wic reads: Tis is te work of God, tat ye believe on im wom e at sent. Notice te verse actually said: Tis is te work of God tat ye believe, it did not say, Tis is te work of man tat ye believe. Fait is a God-given ability: For unto you it is given in te bealf of Crist, not only to believe on im, but also to suffer for is sake (Pil. 1:29). Since God gives te sinner fait, salvation is entirely of te Lord as te Bible says. Wat saving ability our Lord Jesus Crist possesses! Our text says: e is able to save! ebrews 2:18 declares: e is able to succour tem tat are tempted. Pilippians 3:21 reads: e is able even to subdue all tings unto imself. Of Crist Jude writes: Now unto im tat is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before te presence of is glory wit exceeding joy (Jude 24). Tot e Epesians Paul said: Now unto im tat is able to do exceeding abundantly above all tat we ask or tink, according to te power tat worket in us (Ep. 3:20). Wile on eart Crist demonstrated is ability to save sinners by removing all legal obstructions out of te way. By legal obstructions I mean te indrances imposed by te law (Continued on page 19)

19 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Crist s Ability To (Continued from page 18) of God. Man ad broken te law and incurred its penalty. Te law demanded eiter te execution of its penalty wic is deat, or te adoption of some measure tat would be recognized by God as an equivalent. Suc a measure was te obedience and deat of Crist. Te deat of Crist satisfied te justice of God for te believer. is deat, by reason of te dignity of is person, onored te law infinitely more tan te punisment of sinners. Te atonement of Crist obviates every legal difficulty in te way of te salvation of sinners. Jesus Crist also removed te moral obstruction out of te way of sinners. Tese obstructions were te depravity of te eart and its opposition to God and oliness. Man s eart is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9) and te carnal mind is enmity against God (Rom. 8:7). Unless tese are removed tey would ave prevented te salvation of sinners. In te providence of God and on te basis of Crist s atonement, te oly Spirit removes tese moral obstacles. Tis life-giving work of te Spirit is indispensable. Wat e does in renewing te eart is referred to as a creation and a resurrection. Suc tings as tese are only possible to Divine power. Crist s ability to save can be seen in te myriads wo are te subjects of is saving grace. Tere were countless multitudes saved by im before is incarnation. Numberless millions since tat time ave an interest in is cleansing blood. Old Testament saints were saved by a prospective Crist; New Testament saints by a retrospective Crist. Te cross saved sinners of all classes---te young, te middle aged, te old, te wise, te ignorant, te amiable, and te repulsive. ow many are te subjects of is saving grace on eart? ow greatly will te number increase before te end of te age? Wat myriads will be added even to tese in te Millennium wen e pours out is Spirit on all fles! TE SECURITY Te text said tat Jesus Crist is able to save unto te uttermost. Tis means perfectly, so tat noting sould be wanting afterward for ever. Crist is able to keep on saving. e is able to save at all times and in all cases all wo come to im. Crist s salvation is a complete salvation. Troug is perpetual life and eternal priestood, e can carry it troug to te uttermost. Being perfect imself, e can bring to perfection all is followers, pardoning, sanctifying, justifying, glorifying. Te Lord Jesus will never cast away one of tose wo comes to im. e said in Jon 6:37: im tat comet to me I will in no wise cast out. In Jon 6:39 e continued tis tougt by declaring: And tis is te Fater s will wic at sent me, tat of all wic e at given me I sould lose noting, but sould raise it up again at te last day. Some critic says: I know a man wo was saved and ten fell from grace. No, you do not. None of tose wo come to Crist for salvation will peris. e said: Of tem wic tou gavest me ave I lost none (Jon 18:9). Some Arminian clinging to is uman creed or curc manual may say tat some wo come to Crist peris in ell. But do not believe suc lies. Our Savior said concerning is seep: And I give unto tem eternal life; and tey sall never peris, neiter sall any man pluck tem out of my and (Jon 10:28). TE SAVED Wo is it tat Jesus Crist saves unto te uttermost? e wo signs a decision card? e wo is baptized? e wo joins te curc on Sunday morning? e wo prays troug on te mourner s benc? Ten tousands times no! Te Bible never says Crist saves suc people! Ten wo does e save? Te text answers: Tem tat come to God by im. Tis implies repentance. Tose wo come to God come because tey are tired of sin. In coming to God teir earts are broken wit sorrow tat tey ave sinned against God. Crist saves just tose wo come in repentance. If e saved tose wo do not come to God by im, tere would be a virtual encouragement to impenitence. But encouragement to sin in any form would be in antagonism wit te caracter of Crist. Coming to God is to ave fait in im. Jesus disclosed tis in Jon 6:35 by saying: I am te bread of life: e tat comet to me sall never unger; and e tat believet on me sall never tirst (Jon 6:35). To come to Crist is to admit te record tat God as given in te gospel concerning is Son is worty of all acceptation. Tere is no way of salvation but by Crist, and no oter way of our being saved by Crist tan by coming to im in repentance and fait. Crist will never twart te gospel plan of saving sinners. To save tose wo do not come to God by im would be to make is own mediation of no effect. It would deny te necessity of is deat and make te cross needless. Coming to God by a priest troug a sacrifice under te law was typical of coming to God by Crist. Tis coming is a movement of te soul, not of te body. Te Fater must be approaced troug te Son, for Crist said: No man comet unto te Fater but by me (Jon 14:6). You can come to Crist on your baptism, and you will die and go to ell. You can come on your curc membersip, and you will never see te kingdom of God. You can come on any works wic you may perform, and you will peris in your sins. Crist saves only tose wo come to God on is merits and atonement---no more and no less. TE SUSTENTATION Wat a wonderful sustentation te verse concludes wit. Divinely given, it reads: Seeing e ever livet to make intercession for tem. Te idea is not so muc intercession as intervention. It includes every form of Crist s identifying imself wit te interest of all te elect. is atonement is te basis of is intercession. e lives to carry into full accomplisment te objects contemplated in is deat. e lives to preside over te interests confided to is carge. is priestood passes not away, but aides uncangeable amid te mutations of time. For if, wen we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by te deat of is Son, muc more, being reconciled, we sall be saved by is life (Rom. 5:10). Tere was but te one offering on eart once for all, but is intercession for us in eaven is ever continuing. No carge of sin can be laid to te elect because Crist maket intercession for (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Crist s Ability To (Continued from page 19) us (Rom. 8:33-34). Since we ave an advocate wit te Fater, we cannot be separated by any ting from te love of Crist. Crist intercedes, not for te unbelieving world, but for tose wo come unto God troug im. In is priestly prayer our Savior said: I pray for tem: I pray not for te world, but for tem wic tou ast given me; for tey are tine ( Jon 17:9). CONCLUSION Tis text contains comfort for Cristians. ow wonderful to know our great ig Priest is able to save unto te uttermost eac tempted believer. ow sweet to meditate upon daily intercession for us. We need not fear banisment from God. We can not lose our salvation until Crist s blood loses its saving power. We will never forfeit eternal life unless our ig Priest dies. Tose tings can never be, for te foundation of God standet sure. Tus we ave an ancor of te soul bot sure and steadfast. ebrews 7:25 is an eye opener to tose convicted of sin. Wat good news tis is to te ears of guilty sinners wo cry: Wat must I do to be saved? Te answer is come to God in repentance and fait on te basis of te blood of Jesus Crist. Tremble impenitent soul. Do you not know tat Crist is able to destroy all wo do not come to God by im? Kiss te Son, lest e be angry, and ye peris from te way, wen is wrat is kindled but a little. Blessed are all tey tat put teir trust in im (Ps. 2:12). Te oly Scriptures By Willard Willis We are in complete agreement wit te apostles Paul and Peter wen tey said, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in rigteousness: tat te name of God may be perfect, torougly furnised unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16-17). Knowing tis first, tat no propecy of te scripture is of any private interpretation. For te propecy came not in old time by te will of man: but oly men of God spake as tey were moved by te oly Spirit (II Peter 1:20-21). Te following are some of te statements made by our presidents relative to te oly Scriptures. Te first and almost only book deserving of universal attention is te Bible. I speak as a man of te world, and I say to you, Searc te Scriptures. Te earlier my cildren begin to read it te more confident will be my opes tat tey will prove useful citizens of teir country and respectable members of society (Jon Quincy Adams). It is te rock on wic our Republic rests (Andrew Jackson). Almost every man wo as by is life-work added to te sum of uman acievement of wic te race is proud, of wic are people proud, almost every suc man as based is life-work largely upon te teacings of te Bible (Teodore Roosevelt). In oter words, tose wo know teir Bibles will receive te benefits as recorded in te following passages of te oly Scriptures. But is deligt is in te law of te LORD; and in is law dot e meditate day and nigt. And e sall be like a tree planted by te rivers of water, tat bringet fort is fruit in is season; is leaf also sall not witer; and watsoever e dot sall prosper. Te ungodly are not so: but are like te caff wic te wind drivet away (Ps. 1:2-4). A person can live and die witout any knowledge of Englis, aritmetic, istory, geograpy, etc., but one cannot afford to live and die witout knowing someting about te oly Scriptures, especially knowing te Crist Jesus of te Bible and is work in our bealf. Men ave searced and are still searcing relative to te source of our being, but if tey would consult te oly Scriptures, teir searc would end. All oter books are in constant need of being canged, or updated, but te oly Scriptures, as is true of teir autor, are te same, yesterday, today and forever. Oter books appear and ten disappear from life s scene, but te oly Scriptures ave not lost teir message or teir flavor. One can cew cewing gum for a few moments and its flavor is gone, but te flavor of te oly Scriptures increases as one cews, or meditates upon tem. In fact, our Lord as said, eaven and eart sall pass away, but my words sall not pass away (Matt. 24:35). We also read from Psalm 119:89 tat For ever, O LORD, ty word is settled in eaven. Te macines built by man eventually lose teir power. Worn pistons result in te loss of compression, but te power of te oly Scriptures is always te same. In fact, we ave read and will always read tat...te Gospel of Crist...is te power of God unto salvation to every one tat believet... (Rom. 1:16). Te Bible, troug te oly Spirit, as te power to make te drunk sober, te arlot pure, te liar trutful, te tief onest, te proud and self-rigteous umble and te covetous and greedy, generous. Te oly Scriptures, troug te Spirit, also ave te power to strengten weak believers wo apply temselves to te reading of tem. Especially do te oly Scriptures ave te power to comfort tose wo ave lost tose tat tey dearly love. Te Old and New Testaments of te oly Scriptures mean, covenant. Te Old being written by Moses and te propets wile te new as been written by Crist and is apostles. Te Old was given to Israel wile te New is addressed to te Lord s curces. Te Pentateuc makes up te first five books of te old Testament and contains laws and precepts (rules of action). Tere are twelve istorical books wic give te istory of God s cosen people Israel. Tere are five poetical books wic are books of principles. Tere are seventeen propetical books wic cover te teacings and predictions of future events. As is true of te Old Testament, te New Testament also as a fourfold division. Tese divisions are made up of te four accounts of te Gospel, Acts, te Epistles and Revelation. Te accounts of te Gospel are books of precepts wile te Acts is a book of practice. Te Epistles are books of principles wile Revelation is te book of propecy. Tese facts sow tat te Old and te New Testaments are in (Continued on page 21)

21 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Te oly Scripture (Continued from page 20) te same order as tat of uman life. First, as cildren, we learn precepts. Later, we put te precepts into practice wic result into principles by wic we govern our lives. At te close of our lives, we become prospective, tat is, we look to te future. Tese facts clearly sow tat te Bible is a book of unity. In oter words, it as come to us as a well defined plan. Te Bible s plan of development can be clearly seen from te beginning of Genesis 1:1 troug Revelation 22:21. Te beginning books are germs of trut. Te later books develop tese germs of trut into well developed systems of trut. Tese facts sow very clearly tat oly Scriptures are not te contrivance of man s brain, but are of Divine origin (II Peter 1:21). On numerous occasions Satan as tried to remove te oly Scriptures from te face of te eart, but tey are still wit us today. In fact, te very letter of te Scriptures as been preserved even to te point of te preservation of te jots and tittles. Our Lord Jesus believed te oly Scriptures to ave been preserved in teir original tongue. e proved suc to be true wen e admonised te Jews to Searc te Scriptures. Te matter wic is contained witin te oly Scriptures also sows tat tey are from God rater tan being te contrivance of te brains of men. For example, no man or angel could ave known tat e wo tunders in te eavens would one day cry in a cradle. Men or angels could not ave known tat te Prince of Life would die and tat after being dead for tree days and nigts, e would be raised from te dead. In fact, tere are numerous proofs set fort in te Bible wic confirm te fact tat it as come to us from God. Since te oly Scriptures ave come to us from God, we can rest assured tat it is pure. Te words of te LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of eart, purified seven times (Ps. 12:6). Ty word is very pure: terefore ty servant lovet it (Ps. 119:140). Te Bible is so pure tat it acts as a means of purification to all wose eyes te Spirit opens to te understanding of it. In fact, we read: Sanctify tem troug ty trut: ty word is trut ( Jon 17:17). Te numerous fulfilled propecies predicted in te oly Scriptures also confirm te fact tat tey are from God. Proof tat te oly Scriptures ave come to us from God is also proven by te impartiality of te men wo wrote tem. For example, wat man wo writes istory would condemn imself by writing about events tat stain is own reputation? Yet tis is exactly wat te writers of te Bible did. For example, David as informed us of is adultery and is sedding of innocent blood. Jona informs us of is own passions. tose wo were inspired to write te oly Scriptures did not sweep under te carpet tose tings tat would stain teir reputation. As is man s nature, e would ave idden is blemises if e ad originated te Bible. Te power wic te oly Scriptures ave over te lives of people is also a definite evidence tat tey ave come to us from God imself. For example, one can be warned by reading books written by men and women, but te oly Scriptures go beyond te point of warming to tat of transforming tose wo read tem. Wen relating to tis matter, Paul said, And be ye not conformed to tis world: but be ye transformed by te renewing of your mind, tat ye may prove wat is tat good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Rom. 12:2). Unlike oter books, te oly Scriptures are a means of great comfort to te weary, te sick, te dying and to tose wo ave lost loved ones. In fact, I Tessalonians 4:18 says, Werefore comfort one anoter wit tese words. Let us go a step furter and note tat te miracles recorded in te oly Scriptures also confirm tat tey are of God. In fact, God enabled Moses, Elija and numerous oters to perform feats beyond te capability of men. Consider te many miracles performed by our Lord Jesus Crist. All of tese miracles sow tat God as set is special seal upon te oly Scriptures. Te oly Scriptures are correct relative to science wen saying, Te life of te fles is in te blood (Lev. 17:11). Tey are also correct wen advising us tat te eart is round rater tan flat (Isa. 40:22). Tey are also correct wen advising us tat te eart is suspended in space (Job 26:7). Tey are also correct wen advising us tat te eart rotates (Luke 17:34-36). Tese passages of Scripture in essence, inform us tat in some parts of te world it will be nigt wile in oter parts it will be day. Tey also inform us relative to te laws of nature (Gen. 1:24). For example, wo ever eard of a cow giving birt to a pig, or a stalk of corn producing beans? Te oly Scriptures are also correct wen advising us tat all people, witout exception, die (eb. 9:27). Well did Patrick enry say: Te Bible is wort all oter books wic ave ever been publised. Witout any apology to anyone, we may all boldly declare tat te oly Scriptures are te one solid foundation upon wic we can rest our opes and our dreams for tomorrow. Tis is because te Bible, as is true of te eart, rests upon noting tat is uman. It is te voice of God wic waits for no defense, or endorsement. It simply states, e tat believet not sall be damned. Since te oly Scriptures are from God, tey are, as is true of te sun, self-evident. For example, te sun simply sines wat it is and wo would dare deny its existence? In like manner, God as said, Te fool at said in is eart, Tere is no God... (Ps. 14:1). Proof tat te oly Scriptures are from God is evident from te fact tat tey meet our most supreme needs. Tey do so by dealing wit tree infinities, namely, infinite oliness, infinite guilt and infinite atonement. ow can we wo are infinitely sinful be reconciled to our God wo is infinitely oly? Te following oly Scriptures provide us wit te answer. And all tings are of God, wo at reconciled us to imself by Jesus Crist, and at given to us te ministry of reconciliation; To wit, tat God was in Crist, reconciling te world unto imself, not imputing teir trespasses unto tem; and at committed unto us te word of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18-19). Te blood of Jesus Crist as provided an infinite atonement for all wo believe on im as teir Savior from te infinite penalty of teir sins. Adam lies dead in is grave and we are all dead in im, or because of im. On te oter and, Jesus Crist, te second Adam, stands on resurrection ground after (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Te oly Scripture (Continued from page 21) aving represented us in is deat, burial and resurrection. In oter words, we are alive because e is alive. Te positive approac of te oly Scriptures also makes it evident tat tey are from God. Te literature of te world is pessimistic in tat virtue (moral goodness) suffers and is always struggling. Circumstances and fate eventually overcome, or defeat er. On te oter and, te oly Scriptures teac tat evil will not prevail; tat Satan will eventually be cast down. Tey inform us tat David, wile fleeing into te mountains, was actually on is way to te trone. Tey inform us tat unutterable triump awaited our suffering Savior. In oter words, te oly Scriptures make te future of tose wo trust in our Lord Jesus Crist, a glorious and sining way tat sinet more and more. Te oly Scriptures informs us tat weeping may endure for a nigt, but joy comet in te morning. Te inform us tat God will wipe all tears from our eyes; tat e will bring ligt out of darkness, meat out of te eater and water out of te rock. May we all say wit all our earts, O Divine book, O precious revelation! Tose wo ave set temselves up to judge te oly Scriptures, will one day find tat tey will be judged by tem. We believe we sould study te oly Scriptures so as to sow ourselves approved unto God. Study to sow tyself approved unto God, a workman tat needet not to be asamed, rigtly dividing te word of trut (II Tim. 2:15). 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 Cristian colleges relieved by California committee vote (WNS)--A dark cloud tat as been anging over California s faitbased iger education institutions as lifted for now. Te California Assembly Appropriations Committee voted Aug. 11 to pass a Senate bill regulating fait-based colleges wit last-minute modifications designed to address concerns over religious liberty. Te bill will move on for a vote to te Assembly floor. Rigt up to two days before te vote, te previous version of Senate Bill 1146 eld serious implications for te freedom of religion of te state s fait-based colleges. Te way it was written before, SB 1146 ad treatened to take away religious colleges exemption from California s non-discrimination law, wic would ave left scools vulnerable to nondiscrimination lawsuits. Te bill also would ave affected religious colleges freedom to determine admissions, ousing and restroom facilities, student codes of conduct, and employment based on teir religious tenets. ****** Military s igest court denies Marine s religious liberty claim (WNS)--In a decision likely to influence ow te federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) applies to military service members, te military s igest court upeld te conviction of a U.S. Marine court-martialed for disobeying an order to remove tree Bible passages se posted around er workplace. In an opinion released on Aug. 10, te five civilian judges on te Court of Appeals for te Armed Forces (CAAF) decided 4-to-1 to upold a lower court ruling against Lance Cpl. Monifa J. Sterling. Te lower court found Sterling failed to inform er superiors tat te posting of te signs was religiously motivated and failed to establis tat te orders to remove te signs constituted a substantial burden on er exercise of religion under RFRA. Te signs, a personalization of Isaia 54:17, read, No weapon formed against me sall prosper. ****** Cicago judge considers meaning of male and female (WNS)--As te new scool year began Aug. 15 for students in Palatine, Ill., attorneys gatered in a Cicago federal courtroom to argue weter a male student will be allowed to use te restrooms and locker rooms designated for is female classmates in Townsip ig Scool District 211. Te lawsuit, Students and Parents for Privacy v. U.S. Department of Education, is one of several cases across te country calling on te courts, not medical experts or scientists, to define te meaning of male and female. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert eard arguments from attorneys representing 51 families wo filed a lawsuit in May demanding an end to te district policy tat allows a boy wo presents imself as a girl to use te girls canging facilities. Te scool district establised te policy last year after te U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rigts (OCR) declared te district in violation of Title IX s proibition against discrimination based on sex. ****** Cristian funeral ome owner wins bias suit (WNS)--A federal court in Micigan sided wit a Cristian business owner last week, ruling te family-owned funeral ome did not violate federal law wen it fired a male employee wo decided to start dressing like a woman. Antony Stepens worked at R.G. & G.R. arris Funeral omes as a director and embalmer for seven years before telling is coworkers e d been living a lie and planned to transition into a woman. Tomas Rost, Stepens employer, said allowing im to interact wit grieving families wile dressed as a woman wouldn t work and decided to let im go. Stepens complained to te Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and te agency decided to sue Rost for wrongful termination based on an employee s sex, a protected class under Title VII of te 1964 Civil Rigts Act. But U.S. District Judge Sean F. Cox ruled in a 56-page opinion tat forcing Rost to accommodate transgender employees tramples is rigt to conduct business in accordance wit is sincerely eld religious beliefs under te Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). ****** Study: Science doesn t back popular views of sexuality (WNS)--Over alf te people in te United States believe gays and lesbians are born tat way, according to a 2015 Gallup poll. It can be professionally dangerous to believe oterwise, as former presidential opeful Dr. Ben Carson discovered last year wen e said omosexuality was (Continued on page 23)

23 October 5, 2016 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 22) a coice and was later pressured into apologizing. But, Lawrence Mayer, a biostatistician, and Paul Mcug, a psyciatrist, bot from Jons opkins University department of psyciatry, examined over 200 leading, peer-reviewed studies from social science, psycology, and biology and found science does not support muc of wat te general public, politicians, and policy-makers believe about omosexuality. Teir 143-page review appears in te fall 2016 issue of te journal Te New Atlantis. Mayer and Mcug found no compelling evidence tat sexual orientation was innate. Studies found some minor differences between te brain structure and functioning of eterosexual and omosexual people, but te findings sed no ligt on weter tose differences were inborn or te result of environment and psycological factors. In oter words, tere was no scientific proof tat people were born wit same-sex attraction. ****** Judge blocks B2 for tree plaintiffs (WNS)--A federal judge issued a narrow ruling on Aug. 26 saying te University of Nort Carolina must allow two transgender students and an employee to use te restrooms tat correspond wit teir gender identities, not teir biological sexes. Te ruling is a sot across te bow to supporters of Nort Carolina s B2, a law tat requires people in scools and government buildings to use te restrooms and locker rooms tat matc teir biology, not teir identity. Even toug U.S. District Judge Tomas Scroeder s ruling only applies to tree people at UNC, e wrote in is opinion tat e expects te opponents of B2 to win teir court case against te state, at least as te law relates to educational facilities. Tat s because te Obama administration in 2013 declared tat te definition of sex in Title IX, wic proibits sex discrimination in scools, includes gender identity. Te 4t U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, wic as jurisdiction over Nort Carolina, upeld te president s interpretation of Title IX in a recent case out of Virginia. Te Supreme Court issued a stay of tat ruling wile it considers te appeal. ****** California judge rules scoolcildren must ave vaccines (WNS)--A federal judge in San Diego denied a request on Aug. 26 tat would ave allowed unvaccinated cildren to attend California scools wile a legal battle over tat state s mandatory immunization law plays out in court. Te ruling by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw declined a request to pause enforcement of Senate Bill 277, wic took effect July 1. Te law eliminates religious and personal-belief exemptions for vaccination requirements, compelling all kindergartners and sevent graders attending public or private scools to prove tey are fully inoculated against 10 major diseases. Te only exception is cildren wo ave a medical exemption signed by a pysician. Te decision comes as California parents are sending teir kids back to scool, forcing parents of unvaccinated cildren going into a ceckpoint grade to weig teir options: omescool, leave te state, or vaccinate. ****** Batroom case appeal: It s not about gender (WNS)--A Virginia scool board in late August asked te Supreme Court to ear its case concerning gender and batrooms, but its legal strategy in te filing doesn t focus on gender issues. Instead te board argues in its cert petition (te formal request for te court to take a case) tat te court sould ear te case in order to decide ow muc power federal officials ave. Te legal doctrine te Gloucester County Scool Board raises is obscure but could ave more reac tan te dispute over access to batrooms and locker rooms. In January 2015, a Department of Education official sent a letter telling te Gloucester County Scool Board tat under Title IX te board must treat transgender students consistent wit teir gender identity in locker rooms and batrooms. A federal district court and te 4t U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals treated tat letter as autoritative, ruling against te scool board. Te scool board argues in tis appeal to te Supreme Court tat te letter doesn t ave autority because it didn t go troug te regulatory process. Te letter is about as informal an agency document as one can imagine, te board wrote. Te letter was not publicized; tere is no evidence it was approved by te ead of an agency; and it was signed only by a relatively low-level federal functionary. ****** Metodist pastor keeps job after officiating gay wedding (WNS)--A United Metodist pastor in Carlotte, N.C., wo performed a same-sex wedding earlier tis year against te rules of er curc is escaping witout punisment. Te Rev. Val Rosenquist s overseeing body, te Western Nort Carolina Conference, admitted in a Sept. 6 statement se will keep er position as pastor and will not face a curc trial. Te decision reflects te ongoing United Metodist battle between recognizing same-sex marriage and preserving te precepts of oliness put in place by founder Jon Wesley. Over te last 4 1/2 years tere as been a building movement to disregard te curc s biblical teacing on (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $5, 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 Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Emmanuel B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. C., Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Corbin, KY Grace B. C., Rual all, NC Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL Grace M B. C., Tulsa, OK Indore B. C., Indore, WV Te Lord s Curc, Goose Creek, SC Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN Parkway L. B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumerville, AR Reedy s Capel B. C., Caloun City, MS Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Nortport, AL Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous Dividing cecks Sub Total... $3, TOTAL... $8, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Dividing cecks Supplies Order of cecks Total Expenditures... $4, ENDING BALANCE... $4, BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $6, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Grace B. C., Corbin, KY TOTAL...7, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Order of cecks TOTAL EXPENDITURES ENDING BALANCE... $6,844.17

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner October 5, 2016 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 23) uman sexuality, said te Rev. Tom Lambrect, te vice president of te conservative Metodist Good News Magazine. Tis is just part of tat. ****** Gay custody battles expand definition of parent (WNS)--New York s igest court canged te definition of parentood in September to include former partners wit no biological or adoptive tie to a cild. Te decision by te New York Court of Appeals overturns a 25-year-old definition restricting parentood to a biological or adoptive person. Te new definition expands te term parent to include caretakers wo initially agreed to conceive and raise a cild. Under te ruling, if an unmarried same-sex couple wit cildren splits, te non-biological partner as a rigt to te cildren just like te biological partner. Te court said te previous definition was unworkable wen applied to increasingly varied familial relationsips. But te ruling also applies to unmarried eterosexual couples wo conceive troug artificial insemination, and critics say it migt open te door to individuals wit no close ties to a cild dragging a biological parent into court to figt for visitation and custody rigts. It also means marriage or adoption is no longer necessary to establis parental rigts. ****** New York attorney general green-ligts late-term abortions (WNS)--New York Attorney General Eric Scneiderman, a Democrat, issued a legal notice to te state comptroller on Sept. 8 saying tat abortions after 24 weeks are legal in te state. Scneiderman argued tat te ealt exception in judicial precedent allows abortion at any time in a pregnancy. New York law cannot criminalize wat te federal Constitution protects, Scneiderman wrote in te opinion. [A]n abortion performed after 24 weeks from te commencement of pregnancy is legal in New York wen te fetus is not viable or wen te abortion is necessary to protect te ealt of te pregnant woman. Te ealt of te moter is a nebulous legal exception tat can mean pysical, emotional, psycological, or familial ealt, according to te Supreme Court precedent in Doe v. Bolton. ****** INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Cristian women petition Canadian Parliament over persecution (WNS)--A conservative, profamily women s group in Canada wants greater protections for Cristians religious freedom and rigts of conscience. REAL Women of Canada says religious freedom as eroded as Canada as sanctioned tings like gay marriage, so te group recently launced a petition to present to Parliament. Wat we re seeing now is lack of respect for Cristians, REAL Women of Canada researcer Diane Watts said. [T]ey re facing fines in uman rigts courts. Se said defendants in tose trials are required to pay teir legal expenses, even if te accusations against tem are false or carges eventually get dropped. Tere s still a veneer of tinking tat Cristian rigts are protected, said Watts. Many Canadians don t know teir rigts of speec and conscience won t be protected until someone complains and takes tem to court. Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug MOSES OR JESUS CRIST Some professing Cristians desire to put temselves under te Old Testament law of Moses. To attempt to please God and acieve rigteousness by trying to keep Moses law is, according to Paul, to fall from grace. is words in Galatians 5:4 are tese: Crist is become of no effect unto you, wosoever of you are justified by te law; ye are fallen from grace. Grace provides eternal life. In II Corintians 3:9 Paul calls te law...te ministration of condemnation. In Romans 8:2 e calls te law...te law of sin and deat. In te next verse in tat capter Paul wrote: For wat te law could not do, in tat it was weak troug te fles, God sending is own Son ARTICLE INDEX Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 22 Crist Despised and Rejected of Men by Milburn Cockrell... p. 1 Crist s Ability To Save by Milburn Cockrell... p. 18 Forum... pp From Our Moter s Womb by Paul Stepp... p. 1 Te oly Scriptures by Willard Willis... p. 20 Little ills by Nataniel ille... p. 3 Sela! Tink About It! by Mattew Stepp... p. 9 Signs of A Dying Age by Roy Mason... p. 11 Te Sort Pews by Curtis Pug... p. 24 Volunteers For Jesus by Curtis Pug... p. 1 Watering te Tulips by Todd Bryant... p. 5 in te likeness of sinful fles, and for sin, condemned sin in te fles. Crist accomplised wat te law could not do, as tat last verse says. Jon 1:17 tells us...te law was given by Moses, but grace and trut came by Jesus Crist. Tere no grace to be found in Moses law! Not only tat, but te law was added because of sins and was only temporary. In Galatians 3:19 God says, Werefore ten servet te law? It was added because of transgressions, till te seed sould come to wom te promise was made... Tat seed was Jesus te Messia. e came. Wit is coming and te attendant ministry of Jon te Baptist te law of Moses ended. Jesus said in Luke 16:16 Te law and te propets were until Jon: since tat time te kingdom of God is preaced... And in Romans 10:4 Paul wrote: For Crist is te end of te law for rigteousness to every one tat believet. Again we are told of te temporariness of Moses law in ebrews 9:10 wic says tat te law:...stood only in meats and drinks, and divers wasings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on tem until te time of reformation. Tat reformation was te work accomplised by Jesus Crist. Paul made tis clear in Epesians 2:15 were e wrote tat Jesus Crist, aving abolised in is fles te enmity, even te law of commandments contained in ordinances... So it is tat Paul sums up te matter of te Cristian s relationsip to te Old Testament law of Moses. e wrote in Galatians 5:18, But if ye be led of te Spirit, ye are not under te law.

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