Tattoos and the Bible. Our Inheritance at the End of Apostacy. The Journey Is Too Great. A Pastor to His Church

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1 Tattoos and te Bible By Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia Ye sall not make any cuttings in your fles for te dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am te LORD (Lev. 19:28). Tis verse is pretty clear in te Englis tat we re not to print any marks upon our bodies, or in modern vernacular- tattoos are a no-no for Cristians. Wen we go into te ebrew, te word used ere is singular in te Old Testament and te only time it is used in tis form. Basically By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia te root word means to write and it is used many times in te Scriptures as folk, and even God wrote upon stone tablets (10 Commandments), doorposts and papyrus. But te word used in Leviticus 19:28 forbids God s people to write upon teir fles. Wy does God forbid tis ere? (Continued on page 2) Te Journey Is Too Great But e imself went a day s journey into te wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and e requested for imself tat e migt die; and said, It is enoug; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better tan my faters. And as e lay and slept under a juniper tree, beold, ten an angel touced im, and said unto im, Arise and eat. And e looked, and, beold, tere was a cake baken on te coals, and a cruse of water at is ead. And e did eat and drink, and laid im down again. And te angel of te LORD came again te second time, and touced (Continued on page 6) Our Ineritance at te End of Apostacy By E. G. Cook ( ) Before we consider our ineritance at any given time let us consider te over all picture of our ineritance. Wen did it begin, and wen will it come to an end? Since tere is no room for speculation, teorizing, or conjecturing in te matter, let us go to te Book for our answer. In ebrews 9:15 we read, And for tis cause e is te mediator By James Smit ( ) of te new testament (covenant), tat by means of deat, for te redemption of te transgressions tat were under te first testament (covenant), tey wic are called migt receive te promise of eternal ineritance. (Continued on page 4) A Pastor to is Curc MY DEAR FRIENDS, ---As we are only sent into tis world for a sort period, it is of great moment of enquire, Wat am I placed in tis world for? As creatures, it is to glorify God. As sinners, it is to obtain salvation. As saints, it is for te good of oters, and te onour of Crist. But do we keep tese tings prominently and permanently before our eyes? Let me entreat you to accompany me for a few moments into private, in order to e x a m i n e seriously before God one question, namely, Wat am I living for? Wat is te distinct object wic I ave in view in my life? Do I live for Jesus? Tat is, to (Continued on page 8) ypocrites will serve God wile God serves tem. Yes, and tey will just as soon serve te Devil if it answers teir purpose better. Tey are mere traders in te market, and tey will buy or sell as te price may appen to go. For wat is te ope of te ypocrite, toug e at gained, wen God taket away is soul (Job 27:8)?

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 November 5, 2015 Volume XXXV, Number 11 Wole Number 436 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 9:00-9:30 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. DID TE BIRDS EAT YOUR PAPER? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 11/2015 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t complain if your reading basket is empty! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. Tattoos and te (Continued from page 1) And is it just for te Israelites under te Mosaic code? Or is it still incumbent upon God s people today to refrain from tattoos? Sela! Tink about it! First of all, let me state tat God believes in tattooing. We can not deny it! And I saw anoter angel ascending from te east, aving te seal of te living God: and e cried wit a loud voice to te four angels, to wom it was given to urt te eart and te sea, Saying, urt not te eart, neiter te sea, nor te trees, till we ave sealed te servants of our God in teir foreeads. And I eard te number of tem wic were sealed: and tere were sealed an undred and forty and four tousand of all te tribes of te cildren of Israel (Rev. 7:2-4). We see ere tat God sends is angel wit a seal to mark is sign of autority on is people. I picture ere a cowboy eading out to te pasture wit a ot brand to mark is sign upon is cattle. e is going to write on te fles of te cow; e is going to tattoo tem. Now weter, tis seal is an actual pysical seal tat can be seen by all, or only seen by spiritual vision, it really makes no difference, does it? God can see it, and from te context, te ANGELS will be able to see te seal/tattoo, so as to avoid urting or arming tese sealed/tattooed ones. Sela! Tink about it! Peraps tese markings are someting tat oter believers migt be able to see, as well, and in te fierce persecution of te Great Tribulation, it will be a bond between tese beleaguered believers, to ensure safety and protection from te constant betrayals in tis terrible time of Jacob s trouble. God is not te only one tat tattoos in Scripture, owever. Satan, te great imitator. will also brand, mark, or tattoo is people, as well. As many as would not worsip te image of te beast sould be killed. And e (Satan) causet all, bot small and great, ric and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in teir rigt and, or in teir foreeads: And tat no man migt buy or sell, save e tat ad te mark, or te name of te beast, or te number of is name. ere is wisdom. Let im tat at understanding count te number of te beast: for it is te number of a man; and is number is six undred treescore and six (Rev. 13:15-18). Tis mark/tattoo for SURE is going to be visible to oters. Mercants will be cecking for it, before making any sales or transactions. Sometimes, as we see tecnology progressing toward tese RF cips, etc, we tink it migt be scannable marks, and tat may be true. Going back to our text, te initial form of tattoos, is cuttings in your fles. For te dead? Yea, still te same, because it will be propagated and instigated by te spiritual dead of our society. Most people today and down tru te ages would argue tat tey are not branding, but rater tat it is a form of art or in te case of our text- religion (pagan art). It is impossible to deny tat IN ITS PRIMARY USAGE, branding or writing on te fles is a sign of ownersip. We tink we OWN our own bodies, and tat we can do watever we want wit tem. Tis is te base excuse tat ProCoice Planned Parentood and oters give as te reason tat (Continued on page 3)

3 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Tattoos and te (Continued from page 2) women can forsake teir young babies in teir wombs, because it is my body and my tissues and so it is my coice. But, sela! Tink about it! Is tat really te case? Were does te gift of life in te woman s womb come from? Certainly, nobody as te rigt to end life, except te One wo gives life. Tat is not te mom or te dad, or a combination of mom-n-dad. It is God, and God ALONE, tat can create life, even in te moter s womb. Furter, to te current point of tattooing, God and God ALONE is te preserver of life in our own bodies. I ave sinned; wat sall I do unto tee, O tou preserver of men (Job 7:20)? For terefore we bot labour and suffer reproac, because we trust in te living God, wo is te Saviour of all men, specially of tose tat believe (I Tim. 4:10). Job recognizes te preserving attribute of our God and te Apostle Paul goes even furter down tis avenue making a distinction, tat yes, God is an ESPECIAL Saviour of te believers, but also is undeniably te Saviour, or preserver, of ALL men, women, boys and girls. Wat was it someone said about te frailty of our existence? I am but one step or one breat away from eternity. In reality we are at God s pleasure and disposal. Not just our souls, but our bodies (pysical existence) and spirit (eternal existence), as well. And tat is wy God is forbidding any form of branding/tattooing in te text. And tat is also wy it is still applicable today. Not just an Old Testament doctrine, but it is an eternal proposition, tat we are created, ordained, and te workmansip of God! For we are is workmansip, created in Crist Jesus unto good works, wic God at before ordained tat we sould walk in tem. Because we are owned by God, we do not ave te rigt to inscribe on our fles (Ep. 2:10). Wat? know ye not tat your body is te temple of te oly Gost wic is in you, wic ye ave of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bougt wit a price: terefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, wic are God s (I Cor. 6:19-20). Tattooing is an outward sign of rebellion against te autority of God. Undeniably, te vast majority of tattooers are lost people. We could go so far as to say Satan-worsippers, and it would be true, but te main trust of tattoos is rebellion. Rebellion against te autority of God s ownersip of our bodies. Tattoo parlors are not frequented by faitful Cristians, but by outrigt rebels against God. Birds of a feater will flock togeter, and te tattoo parlor is no different tan te onkytonk bar, te woreouse, te smoking den and every oter worldly, carnal establisment. If you are running away from God and is judgments, tat is were te rebels will be. I would exort you to ead to curc if you want to find and ang out wit God s people. It is really a simple matter, is it not? God will bless te one, and will curse te oters. Sela! Tink about it! But, wat if someone wanted to mark teir body for Crist? Maybe a cross, a wedding ring, or some imagery tat would allow tem to be a testimony for teir Saviour? Well, te second commandment rules out any imagery. Tou salt not make unto tee any graven image, or any likeness of any ting tat is in eaven above, or tat is in te eart beneat, or tat is in te water under te eart: Tou salt not bow down tyself to tem, nor serve tem: for I te LORD ty God am a jealous God (Ex. 20:4-5). Let us not try to add anyting pysical to te spiritual worsip of our God. To try to contain God in a box or an image is foolis, at best, blaspemy at worst. To wom ten will ye liken God? or wat likeness will ye compare unto im (Isa. 40:18). As we meditate upon tis reasoning, even writing Crist s name on our bodies verges on blaspemy, does it not? Taking it a step furter, let us examine te body of te Apostle Paul and is tattoos. But God forbid tat I sould glory, save in te cross of our Lord Jesus Crist, by wom te world is crucified unto me, and I unto te world. From encefort let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body te marks of te Lord Jesus (Gal. 6:14, 17). Sela! Tink about it! ow arrogant, presumptive, and foolis it is to mark wit tattoos our own bodies wit some ceap imitation of te tattoos of te precious saints gone by. God is ABLE to mark us IMSELF. If by faitfully standing for te trut God would allow persecution to come into our lives to mark te Lord Jesus indelibly upon our mortal bodies, ten give im te praise. ow insolent and arrogant it would be to do it ourselves witout being worty of te marks. Beloved, let us save te tattooing for God! Sela! Tink about it! End conclusion? Tattooing/ branding is a sign of ownersip. God owns everybody, but ow muc more particularly does e own is people tat e saved wit is own precious blood? If, by te grace of God, we are allowed to enter eternity wit te stripes of a cat-o-nine-tails across our backs, or wit te scars of persecution tattooed across our bodies, ten, we can sow our prized tattoos for all of eternity, as te marks and brands of our eavenly Fater and precious Saviour Jesus Crist! Tat in te ages to come e migt sew te exceeding rices of is grace in is kindness toward us troug Crist Jesus (Ep. 2:7). All marks/branding of tis world will be removed forever at te great transformation of te Rapture and te First Resurrection, as tis mortal puts on immortality and tis corruption puts on incorruption. As a saint of God, if we ave ever, by presumption, gotten a tattoo in tis life, it will be erased, forgiven, and forgotten. Praise te Lord! But, I tink tose God-given tattoos, like te ones spoken of by te Apostle Paul: for I bear in my body te marks of te Lord Jesus will remain! Surely, te touc of God upon our bodies is not a temporal marking. It was not for our Saviour. Te oter disciples terefore said unto im, We ave seen te Lord. But e said unto tem, Except I sall see in is ands te print of te nails, and put my finger into te print of te nails, and trust my and into is side, I will not believe. And after eigt days again is disciples were witin, and Tomas wit tem: ten came Jesus, te doors being sut, and stood in te midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Ten sait e to Tomas, Reac iter ty finger, and beold my ands; and reac iter ty and, and trust it into my side: and be not faitless, but believing. And (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Tattoos and te (Continued from page 3) Tomas answered and said unto im, My Lord and my God (Jon 20:25-28). Yes, tattooing is scriptural, but it is in te ands of te Maker tat we sould leave te tattooing. 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 (Isa. 49:15-16). Sela! Tink about it! Our Ineritance (Continued from page 1) Let us remember tat tings tat are eternal reac back into te past just as far as tey reac into te future. God did not wait to see ow cute a baby we would be before e decided to give us an ineritance. But in te mind and purpose of God we ave ad tat ineritance from all eternity. And in te mind and purpose, we will ave tat ineritance trougout te eternity of te future. In I Peter 1:4 we read, To an ineritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and tat fadet not away. Tis ineritance simply cannot fade away because in Psalms 37:18 we read, Te LORD knowet te days of te uprigt: and teir ineritance sall be for ever. And our ineritance sall be for ever because e as cosen our ineritance for us (Psalms 47:4). Since in te mind and purpose of God tis ineritance as always been ours, it became operative in our bealf even before we began to live. You could not ave elped it ad you been born to a pagan moter in India and ad you been trown to te crocodiles in er futile effort to appease er pagan god. You could not ave elped it ad you been born to a savage moter in Africa were you would be wearing suc ornaments as a bone in your air or a ring in your nose. You could not ave elped it ad you been born to a cannibal moter in te Sout Sea islands were you would eiter be eating, or being eaten. No, you could not ave elped it, but e wo as cosen our ineritance for us could elp it, and e did. e wo cose is own moter, te time of is birt, and te place of is birt as done te same ting for us. We are wo we are, were we are, and wen we are because e as cosen our ineritance for us. Not only tat, but we are doing wat we are doing today, and we ave wat we ave in tis world weter it be little or muc because e as cosen our ineritance for us. Tink back troug te years beloved and see if it was your planning and your tinking tat as brougt you to tis our. O, yes, you ave been planning to come to tis wonderful Bible Conference for weeks, monts, maybe for a year. But wat caused you to want to come tis way wen literally undreds of people wo live in walking distance of tis great curc do not care weter we ave a Bible Conference or not? Yes, beloved, you are ere today rater tan in a onkeytonk somewere, or in te penitentiary wising you were in a onkeytonk, because God as cosen our ineritance for us. Jeremia 10:23 says, O LORD, I know tat te way of man is not in imself: it is not in man tat walket to direct is steps. Ten again we read, A man s eart deviset is way (tat is, e plans is road), but te LORD directet is steps (Prov. 16:9). And again we read, Te lot is cast into te lap; but te wole disposing tereof is of te LORD (Prov. 16:33). O ow I can look back over my pat strewn wit God disonoring tougts and deeds and see tat e as led me wen I tougt I was coosing my own way. I can see now tat e as turned me witersoever e would, and I knew it not. So muc for tat, our subject is, Our ineritance at te end of te apostasy. Since our ineritance is eternal, since it can never fade away, but rater it is reserved in eaven for us, I Peter 1:4, tere can never be a time wen we do not ave an ineritance. So it seems tat our problem is a tree-fold one. First, wat is te apostasy; second, wen will it end; and tird, wat of our ineritance at tat time? I. WAT IS APOSTASY? In te first place, apostasy is not a person being saved today and lost tomorrow. Te Bible knows noting of suc teacings. A person wo is a cild of God today can not become te cild of te devil tomorrow. Te teacing tat a person can be a cild of God today and a cild of te devil tomorrow is te product of an evil imagination, and not a Bible doctrine by any means. Te New Century Dictionary says tat apostasy is te abandonment of professed religious or oter principles. Winston s Dictionary says it is te giving up of wat one as professed. We are prone to tink of apostasy as a terrible ting. We tink of it in its evil aspect. But it can be a wondrous and a glorious ting. For example, Billy Graam professes to believe tat God can only do tat wic man is willing for im to do. Now if it sould please God to reveal is Son to Billy, and if Billy sould really come to see wo Jesus is, and sould it please God to reveal to im te great truts concerning is sovereignty, Billy would depart from tat wic e now professes to believe and would begin to teac tat man can only do wat God is willing for im to do. Tat would be apostasy, and ow wonderful tat apostasy would be. But, since cases like tat are so few and far between, we just tink of apostasy as being someting evil. And it is in tis evil sense tat we are to deal wit it in our message. It may be well for us to give an example or two of tis kind of apostasy in order tat everyone may know just wat we ave in mind. I believe every one of you will agree wit me wen I say tat as a boy, William amilton believed tere was a God wo was very muc alive. e did not believe in tis God, but e believed tere was one. But after going to te wrong kind of scool, and becoming demon possessed, Bill amilton now proclaims a dead God. To be sure Eric Rust and Dale Moody once believed tat our Lord made all tings and witout im was not anyting made tat was made. But after going to te wrong kind of scool, and becoming demon possessed, tey now proclaim a Cristless creation. Tis is te kind of apostasy tat will come to an end. II. WEN WILL APOSTASY END? Tis kind of apostasy is increasing by leaps and bounds. And if our Lord does not come for us, or send for us before anoter year, we will see muc more of it in 1968 tan we see today. And after our Lord raptures is saints out of tis world, and te oly Spirit no longer inders, demon (Continued on page 5)

5 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Our Ineritance (Continued from page 4) possessed apostasy will, for a time, be te order of te day. And, wen God begins to pour out is awful judgments upon tis old wicked world, tese awful apostates will cling to teir precious religious system for dear life. Tey will flee to teir so-called curces for elp in time of trouble. But wen tey see te stars (teir precious religious leaders) begin to fall, and as tey see teir precious religious system destroyed as te beast and te ten kings make er desolate and naked, and sall eat er fles, and burn er wit fire, tey will be left in a desolate condition, no religious leaders to strengten teir fait in te old devil and no curc to flee to in time of trouble. I am persuaded tat te old wore of Revelation 17:16 will include, not only te Catolic Curc, but also er arlot daugters, including er adopted daugter, te apostate Baptists. In Revelation 18:4 we read, Come out of er, my people, tat ye be not partakers of er sins, and tat ye receive not of er plagues. But instead of coming out of er, all of tese apostate groups are flocking to er. So I believe tey will all meet teir doom togeter in Revelation 17:16 Now, wit all of teir false religious leaders and all of teir apostate curces gone for ever, tey ave no place to go except to te dens and te rocks of te mountains (Rev. 6:15). And wen tey do tis, tey will ave forgotten all about teir dead God. Tey say to te mountains and te rocks Fall on us, and ide us from te face of im tat sittet on te trone. By tis time tere will be very little of te evil kind of apostasy left. And wen tey ave seen te armies of te world fall upon te mountains of Israel, teir blood run to te orse bridles for 200 miles down te valley as a result of te undred pound ailstones falling upon tem, teir bodies being eaten be te fowls of te air and te beasts of te field, and it taking te Jews seven monts to bury wat is left of tese bodies, tere will not be a case of tat kind of apostasy left in all te universe. Bill amilton will no longer rejoice over is dead God. And Eric Rust will no longer say te Old Testament begins wit two creation myts. III. WAT IS OUR INERITANCE? But wat of our ineritance wen tis time comes? In Proverbs 4:18 we read, Te pat of te just is as te sining ligt, tat sinet more and more unto te perfect day. As te wicked flee to te rocks and te mountains our Lord s saints sine brigter and brigter as te perfect day dawns. In I Tessalonians 4:16-17 we read, Te Lord imself sall descend from eaven wit a sout, wit te voice of (or like) te arcangel, and wit te trump of God: and te dead in Crist sall rise first: Ten we wic are alive and remain sall be caugt up togeter wit tem in te clouds, to meet te Lord in te air: and so sall we ever be wit te Lord: Werefore comfort one anoter wit tese words. As tis all takes place in a moment, in te twinkling of an eye (I Cor. 15:52), we are told to be cloted in glorified bodies like unto our Lord s glorious body. In Pilippians 3:20-21 we read, For our conversation (citizensip) is in eaven; from wence also we look for te Saviour, te Lord Jesus Crist: wo sall cange our vile body, tat it may be fasioned like unto is glorious body. Ten wen we ave been caugt up to ever be wit our Lord, and wile te apostasy is being brougt to an end, we sall be rewarded according to our faitfulness to im and to te is Word. In II Corintians 5:10 we are told tat We must all (our Lord s people) appear before te judgment seat of Crist. And tose of te saints wo ave made temselves ready (Rev. 19:7) are to be married to tat wonderful Bridegroom, and all oter of te saints will be invited to te marriage supper of te Lamb, Rev. 19:9. After tis, and wile te apostasy is coming to an end, we will come down wit our Lord to te eart (I Tess. 3:13). As a part of our ineritance, we are to reign wit our Lord ere on eart (Rev. 5:10) for one tousand years (Rev. 20:6). Wen tis wonderful tousand years ave come to an end, our eternal ineritance will ave just begun. In Revelation 22:5 we learn tat we are to reign wit our Lord in te new eart for ever and ever. Te Arminian denies tat all tis is part of te ineritance tat God as cosen for us. e says tat Psalm 47:4 as to do only wit our ineritance ere in tis life and tat it as noting to do wit our eternal destiny. Tere are many people in te world wo will admit tat God as cosen our ineritance for us in te material realm. And tere are not a few wo will admit tat e as cosen our ineritance for us in te pysical realm. But O ow few tere are wo will admit tat e as cosen our ineritance in te Spiritual realm. Tey are perfectly willing to say tat e as cosen our vocation, our parents and even our environment. But wen it comes to is coosing our eternal destiny, tey kick loose from te traces. I agree wit te Arminian wen e says no one would coose ell, but I cannot agree wit Spurgeon wen e says tat people coose te road tat leads to te pit. I contend tat tey do not ave any coosing to do, but rater wen a person is born into te world, e comes from is moter s womb onto tat broad road tat leads to te pit. e lands rigt in te middle of it, and terefore e as no coosing to do. Tat being true, are we not tankful to God tat e as cosen our ineritance for us, not only in tis life, but in te life to come as well? And te more we come to know about te wonderful ineritance in te next life, te less value we put upon tis old sinful world and all it as to offer. Tat wonderful ineritance tat awaits us at te end of te apostasy is glorious indeed. And if our Lord sould come to us and say, I will give you te most beautiful clotes tis world can produce, a cange for every our of te day so long as you live, in excange for te glorified body tat I ave promised you in te next life, we would say, No tank you Lord; all te most beautiful clotes te old world can produce are but tras ready for te garbage can compared to tat wonderful glorified body. So just let your precious promise stand. If e sould come to us and say, I will make you ruler over all te nations of te eart in excange for my promise tat you are to receive wit Me in my kingdom, we would say, No tank you Lord; we will just wait for tat glorious day. If e sould come to us and say, I will send you all te world s finest orcestras, te glee clubs and acappella coirs to singing for you continually so long as you (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Our Ineritance (Continued from page 5) live, in excange for your privilege of earing te mountains and te ills break fort before me into singing and all te trees clapping teir ands, we would say, No tank you Lord, we will just wait for tat glorious time. Ands if e sould come to us and say, I will give you te eart and te fullness terefore, te world and tey tat dwell terein, and add a tousand years to your life span in order tat you may be able to enjoy all tat wealt in excange for te eternal life I ave already given you. We would say, No tank you Lord, peris te tougt. We will just let our ineritance you ave cosen for us stand. Yes, e as cosen our ineritance for us. We are wo we are, were we are, and wen we are because e as cosen our ineritance for us. We are doing wat we are doing today, and we ave wat we ave in tis world weter it be little or muc because e as cosen our ineritance for us. And we will enjoy our wonderful eternal life along wit all te wonderful and glorious tings tat go wit it in te next life because e as cosen our ineritance for us, and O ow brigtly our ineritance will sine wen te apostasy comes to an end. Te Journey Is Too (Continued from page 1) im, and said, Arise and eat; because te journey is too great for tee. And e arose, and did eat and drink, and went in te strengt of tat meat forty days and forty nigts unto oreb te mount of God (I Kings 19:4-8). Elija was a great man of God, and one of te most famous of te Old Testament caracters. In our text passage, we read about a man wo as done great deeds in God s cause, but is now on te run from tose wo would take is life. Elija ad a great journey before im a journey tat e ad no ope of finising witout te elp and grace of God. e ad done muc, but e ad come to te (apparent) end of wat e could do. I want to use tis text passage to cause eac of us to consider te Great Journey tat we are traveling today. Tis journey tat is too great for us, is none oter tan te way wic we travel, as we pursue God and eaven. Quite simply, tis journey is too great for any man, nor will any man ever successfully travel from eart to eaven from wickedness to perfection witout te grace and elp of God. Difficult Elija was in a difficult place. e was persecuted by Aab, treatened by Jezebel, and rejected by most of te people. owever, God ad provided for im. e protected im from Aab, sielded im from Jezebel, and supported im despite te wanderings and te idolatries of te People of Israel. In te place of our text, we find tat God gave im water to drink and food to eat. Toug te way was difficult, and te journey too great, God made a way. Eventually, Elija would conquer and e would overcome in a fasion tat is rarely seen (See II Kings 2:1-11)! Te journey tat you and I ave embarked upon te journey tat we must take, as we deliver up our service unto God is not an easy task, nor is it a leisurely journey. Rater, te road tat lies before eac of te cildren of God, is a difficult road, and a ard way tat is full of many trials. I tink tat tis is te immediate sense of te scene wic is painted for us in our text passage. I tink tat tis is evident in te life, te trials, and te difficulties wic we see in te account tat we ave of te propet Elija. Tis difficult journey is too great for us except we would ave elp and succor from God in eaven. Te Lord Jesus Crist once said, Te tings wic are impossible wit men are possible wit God (Luke 18:27). Miracles were evident in Elija s life; I reckon tat miracles are also evident if we would look closely in my life and yours. I want you to know tat God is strong and e is on te side of is saints. Tis is good and comforting to know. In fact, I believe tat we can safely say tat if we ever encounter someting or someone tat is too great or too strong for God, ten we will fail. But is it possible to encounter a force or power too strong for God? Jeremia once cried out for God s elp tis way: A Lord GOD! beold, tou ast made te eaven and te eart by ty great power and stretced out arm, and tere is noting too ard for tee ( Jer. 32:17): and ten, God answered Jeremia s plea tis way: Beold, I am te LORD, te God of all fles: is tere any ting too ard for me (Jer. 32:27)? Toug te way and te journey is great and difficult, noting is too ard for God! Wat sall we ten say to tese tings? If God be for us, wo can be against us? e tat spared not is own Son, but delivered im up for us all, ow sall e not wit im also freely give us all tings? Wo sall lay any ting to te carge of God s elect? It is God tat justifiet. Wo is e tat condemnet? It is Crist tat died, yea rater, tat is risen again, wo is even at te rigt and of God, wo also maket intercession for us. Wo sall separate us from te love of Crist? sall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For ty sake we are killed all te day long; we are accounted as seep for te slaugter. Nay, in all tese tings we are more tan conquerors troug im tat loved us. For I am persuaded, tat neiter deat, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor tings present, nor tings to come, Nor eigt, nor dept, nor any oter creature, sall be able to separate us from te love of God, wic is in Crist Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:31-39). God s grace is evident in our lives, no matter were te situation or te place tat tis journey will bring us to. If we ever are caugt in a place or a situation tat is too difficult for God, ten we will fail. And yet, is tere any place or situation tat is too difficult for our God? And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; tat ye, always aving all sufficiency in all tings, may abound to every good work (II Cor. 9:8). Furter, toug te way is difficult, and tere may be distractions wic may lead us astray, God is still in control. If we ever get lost and wonder wic way to go witout God, we would utterly fail. But, is tere any course wic te Lord God cannot cart? Is tere any road wic e as not traveled? Is tere any place wic is idden from is sigt? For tus sait te Lord GOD; Beold, I, even I, will bot searc my seep, and seek tem out. As a seperd seeket out is flock in te day tat e is among is seep tat are scattered; so will (Continued on page 7)

7 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Te Journey Is Too (Continued from page 6) I seek out my seep, and will deliver tem out of all places were tey ave been scattered in te cloudy and dark day. And I will bring tem out from te people, and gater tem from te countries, and will bring tem to teir own land, and feed tem upon te mountains of Israel by te rivers, and in all te inabited places of te country. I will feed tem in a good pasture, and upon te ig mountains of Israel sall teir fold be: tere sall tey lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture sall tey feed upon te mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause tem to lie down, sait te Lord GOD. I will seek tat wic was lost, and bring again tat wic was driven away, and will bind up tat wic was broken, and will strengten tat wic was sick: but I will destroy te fat and te strong; I will feed tem wit judgment (Ezek. 34:11-16). Toug te journey is too great for us toug te difficulties exceed our own abilities te Lord God will find us, e will set us on te way, and e will guide us, provide for us, and protect us for te duration of te journey. Lengty Te journey wic we ave endeavored to take upon us is also a very lengty journey. I believe tis is part of wat te angel refers to wen e speaks to Elija. Elija would ave to travel from te lands of Israel to te mountain of God Mt. oreb far away in te wilderness. It was a difficult and lengty journey. Tis is similar to te great journey wic we travel as well. We, too, ave a lengty trip aead of us. Ours is an expedition tat will consume te rest of our days. Ours is a voyage tat will last until suc time as te Lord will take us to be wit im eiter troug deat, or te Lord will return for us in te skies. Tis trip will be exactly as long as te number of te days tat remain for eac of us upon te face of tis eart. Tis journey is too great for us except God would remain faitful to us, and would stay wit us every day and every nigt. And David said to Solomon is son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for te LORD God, even my God, will be wit tee; e will not fail tee, nor forsake tee, until tou ast finised all te work for te service of te ouse of te LORD (I Cron. 28:20). If our God will ever leave us or forsake us, we will fail. owever, our God is not suc a God, Wo would abandon tose wo are purcased and redeemed. Let your conversation be witout covetousness; and be content wit suc tings as ye ave: for e at said, I will never leave tee, nor forsake tee. So tat we may boldly say, Te Lord is my elper, and I will not fear wat man sall do unto me (eb. 13:5-6). Tis great and lengty journey tat we are on, requires God s constant presence and is unfailing support. Wo art tou tat judgest anoter man s servant? to is own master e standet or fallet. Yea, e sall be olden up: for God is able to make im stand (Rom. 14:4). Te journey is long, we may get tired, but God is willing and able to make us stand. Te journey we are on is a lengty one, and we must travel very far. If we ever travel beyond te extent of God s power and presence, we will fail. But, is not God s power and presence evident everywere? Is tere any limit to eiter omnipotence or is omnipresence? Canst tou by searcing find out God? canst tou find out te Almigty unto perfection? It is as ig as eaven; wat canst tou do? deeper tan ell; wat canst tou know? Te measure tereof is longer tan te eart, and broader tan te sea (Job 11:7-9). Is tere a realm were God s power is not known? Is tere a place or people tat is not subject to God s autority? No matter were te lengty journey takes us, God is tere. Te days tat remain for us, ougt to be dedicated to te One Wo as saved us, and te One Wo as kept us, and te One Wo will keep us until te journey is finised. Witout im, te journey would ave been too great for us, and we would ave fallen. O LORD, tou ast searced me, and known me. Tou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, tou understandest my tougt afar off. Tou compassest my pat and my lying down, and art acquainted wit all my ways. For tere is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, tou knowest it altogeter. Tou ast beset me beind and before, and laid tine and upon me. Suc knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is ig, I cannot attain unto it. Witer sall I go from ty spirit? or witer sall I flee from ty presence? If I ascend up into eaven, tou art tere: if I make my bed in ell, beold, tou art tere. If I take te wings of te morning, and dwell in te uttermost parts of te sea; Even tere sall ty and lead me, and ty rigt and sall old me. If I say, Surely te darkness sall cover me; even te nigt sall be ligt about me. Yea, te darkness idet not from tee; but te nigt sinet as te day: te darkness and te ligt are bot alike to tee. 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. ow precious also are ty tougts unto me, O God! ow great is te sum of tem! If I sould count tem, tey are more in number tan te sand: wen I awake, I am still wit tee (Ps. 139:1-18). Te number of te days of our journey may be few or may be many, but God is wit us every day else te journey would be too great. It is of te LORD S mercies tat we are not consumed, because is compassions fail not. Tey are new every morning: great is ty faitfulness. Te LORD is my portion, sait my soul; terefore will I ope in im. Te LORD is good unto tem tat wait for im, to te soul tat seeket im. It is good tat a man sould bot ope and quietly wait for te salvation of te LORD (Lam. 3:22-26). Glorious Finally, as we can see from te example tat is laid before us, te journey tat we ave been placed upon is bot great and glorious. Consider te example of Elija again. e began is journey in fear. e began is journey in te ome and te place of sinful men. (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Te Journey Is Too (Continued from page 7) e began is journey were only 7,000 men in Israel still retained teir integrity, and still sougt to worsip God. But, e would finis is journey in a place were only God was known, and were only God was glorified tere on te slopes of te mountain of God. Wat a glorious (great) journey! Surely, suc a journey was too great (glorious) for Elija! And yet, by te grace and elp of God, Elija was brougt to suc a place, and Elija met wit God. Te same is true for you and me. We, too, ave begun in a brutal, depraved, sinful, and wicked world. We, too, ave begun upon te pat of godliness, in a place were God is not muc known, were God is ardly ever feared, and were God is rarely loved and adored as e sould be. But, te place tat we travel to, is far better, and it is a oly place, were God alone is glorified. Wat a great and glorious place tat will be! Surely, suc a place is too great (glorious) for us! And yet, God will make us worty. God will make us able to travel te difficult and lengty journey. And, e will give us te rigteousness of Jesus Crist, so tat we can enter suc a glorious land! Enter ye in at te strait gate: for wide is te gate, and broad is te way, tat leadet to destruction, and many tere be wic go in tereat: Because strait is te gate, and narrow is te way, wic leadet unto life, and few tere be tat find it (Matt. 7:13-14). It is true, tat to be even set upon suc a way, is a tribute to te Grace and Mercy of God. Elija went forty days in te strengt of te meat and drink tat was given unto im. Tat meat and drink could symbolize te Word of God and Eternal life wic are granted unto tose of us wo are saved by te grace of God. I ave cosen te way of trut: ty judgments ave I laid before me. I ave stuck unto ty testimonies: O LORD, put me not to same. I will run te way of ty commandments, wen tou salt enlarge my eart (Ps. 119:30-32). Te Word of God is essential in our travels. Our continuance on te way is a furter tribute to te power of God s Word and te glories of is grace. I like te example of Abraam s servant, and te success of is journey to Mesopotamia as e sougt a wife for Isaac. Wen te man came to te place of is destination, and wen e ad found Rebeka, wo was to be te wife for Isaac, we read te following: And te man bowed down is ead, and worsipped te LORD. And e said, Blessed be te LORD God of my master Abraam, wo at not left destitute my master of is mercy and is trut: I being in te way, te LORD led me to te ouse of my master s bretren (Gen. 24:26-27). Tis man traveled on te road tat led im to te ouse of is master s bretren. And, te Lord God gave im good success. We, too, are on te road and te way wic does lead us to te ouse of our Master and our bretren. And, we can expect tat te Lord will keep us, and give us good success. For our conversation is in eaven; from wence also we look for te Saviour, te Lord Jesus Crist: Wo sall cange our vile body, tat it may be fasioned like unto is glorious body, according to te working wereby e is able even to subdue all tings unto imself (Pil. 3:20-21). Te journey is great too great for you and me to travel alone. Te journey as many glories of wic we are unworty on our own. But, te end is far more glorious! Te end of tis great journey, and te glorious ome tat awaits us is our great ope and our greatest desire. Even now, as we partake of tis great journey, we anticipate te end of te journey eaven, and Jesus Crist. A Pastor to is (Continued from page 1) speak is trut, onour is name, extend is cause, and do is will? Is tis my grand object? Do I live for te Curc? To promote its appiness, add to its efficiency, and increase its members? Is tis a part of my object? Do I live for sinners? Realizing te danger of teir condition, pitying teir circumstances, striving to bring tem to Crist and fervently praying tat te oly Spirit would descend and crown every effort put fort for teir conversion? Is tis my object? Do I live to glorify God? ---endeavouring to make known is true caracter, to remove te prejudices wic sinners ave against im, and to bring back as many of is rebel subjects as I can to teir allegiance? Is tis my object? Or, does te end for wic I am living embrace distinctly tese four points? Ougt it not to be so? If it does not, am I guiltless? Are you? My dear friends, too many of us are living to ourselves. We live to make money, or to spend money for our own gratification? Can we justify tis? Sinners peris witout out pity. Te curc calls in vain for extra efforts at our ands. We do not make te onour of Jesus, and te glory of God, te daily object of our pursuit. Is it ten any wonder if our comfort is small, if our evidences are dim, or if our fears prevail? Let us searc into tis matter torougly. Let us seek special grace from God, tat we may so speak and so act as to bring great glory to God. Let us aim to come up to Paul s experience, wo could say, For me to live is Crist. I live for Crist. Crist is onoured in my life. Te end of my being is to make known and exalt Crist. Tis is te direct road to appiness, onour, and God s trone. Let us ten every morning propose tis question, Wat sall I live for today? And let us demand of our consciences an answer to tis every evening, Wat ave I been living for today? Jesus lived and died for us on eart and e is now living for us in eaven, let us terefore live for im. Living for Crist, we sall neglect no relative duty, nor miss te enjoyment of any Cristian privilege; but sall at once onour our profession, benefit all about us, please God, be prepared for watever may appen to us in life, and meet deat wit confidence and courage. Bretren! Sisters! Wat are you living for? Is your present object tat, wic you will approve on te bed of deat-- -tat wic God, conscience, and glorified saints will commend? Is it? Are you quite satisfied on te point? Let conscience say. Do not put te subject from you, your appiness, your oliness, your onour is involved in it. Jesus wises you to be entirely devoted to is cause---to spend all your talents in is service---to seek by all means to promote is causes. e is worty for wom you sould do tis. If you neglect, te time will come wen you will wis you ad done so. Regrets will (Continued on page 9)

9 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 A Pastor to is (Continued from page 8) be useless ten. Trow, terefore, all your energies at once, and for all your days, into te work. Tis is wat you are required to do; do it ten wit all your migt. Te nigt comet. Calvinism, Arminianism, and te Foolis Foreknowledge Teory By Roy Mason ( ) Arminius is te doctrinal godfater of many Baptists, Protestants and oters, some of wom ave never eard is name. Tey would be better off ad tey also never eard is doctrine. e developed a weak and incomplete system of teology. is teological views, wile affecting many persons, were not adopted by any of te Protestant groups or teir descendants for a long period, wit te exception of te Englis Metodist Curc in Arminianism olds tat Crist died equally for every uman being for tose wo sall spend eternity in ell, as well as for tose wo sall spend te eternal ages wit Crist. Saving grace, according to Arminianism, is offered to every person, and it is up to eac to receive or reject, just as tey please. It olds tat te sinner can reject te regenerating power of te oly Spirit, no matter ow muc te Spirit strives, if e cooses to do so. It olds tat wen te sinner is saved, it is not necessarily a permanent transaction, but tat despite te new birt, te love of God, and power of te oly Spirit, te individual can cast away all tis and can peris forever. As one teologian puts it, Its leading idea is tat divine grace and uman will, will jointly accomplis te work of conversion and sanctification, and tat man as te sovereign rigt of accepting or rejecting. It affirms tat man is weak as a result of te fall, but denies tat all ability as been lost. Man, terefore, merely needs divine grace to ASSIST is personal efforts. Or to put it anoter way, e is sick, but not dead; e indeed cannot elp imself, but e can engage te elp of a pysician, and can eiter accept or reject te elp wen it is offered. e tus as power to cooperate wit te grace of God in salvation. Tis view exalts man s freedom at te expense of God s sovereignty. It as some seeming, but no real, Scripture autority, and is plainly contradicted by oter parts of Scripture. (Boettner, Predestination p, 48) Some peraps will say, Tat is wat I believe! Yes, a lot of people old suc views. Tey are very popular in tis day, for tey fit in wit te liberalism of te times. But let us turn from tis small summary of Arminianism, to wat is commonly designated as CALVINISM. Suppose we let a Calvinistic Presbyterian teologian give us a summary: Calvinism olds tat as a result of te fall into sin all men in temselves are guilty, corrupted, opelessly lost; tat from tis fallen mass God sovereignly elects some to salvation troug Crist, wile passing by oters; tat Crist is sent to redeem is people by a purely substitutionary atonement; tat te oly Spirit efficaciously applies tis redemption to te elect; and tat all of te elect are infallibly brougt to salvation. Tis view alone is consistent wit Scripture and wit wat we see in te world about us. Calvinism olds tat te fall left man totally unable to do anyting meriting salvation, tat e is wolly dependent on divine grace for te inception and development of spiritual life. Te cief fault of Arminianism is its insufficient recognition of te part tat God takes in redemption. It loves to admire te dignity and strengt of man; Calvinism loses itself in adoration of te grace and omnipotence of God. (Boettner, Predestination pages 48-49) Te Foreknowledge Foolisness In discussing te election question wit persons, we ave ad tem say, I m not an Arminian---I believe in election, but I believe it is BASED ON TE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. Ten tey went aead to explain tat tey believed God looks down into te future, and foreseeing tat certain persons will receive Crist as Savior, e elects tem to salvation. Ten tey quoted tis: Elect according to te foreknowledge of God (I Pet. 1:2). If tis verse was te only one dealing wit te foreknowledge and election question, tey migt ave a strong point, but oter passages teac most clearly tat election is not determined by foreknowledge. Let s see if tat isn t true. Epesians 1:5, aving predestinated us unto te adoption of cildren by Jesus Crist to imself, ACCORDING TO TE GOOD PLEASURE OF IS WILL. DO YOU SEE IT? Tis says tat God predestinates us unto te adoption of cildren according to te good pleasure of is will. It is is WILL and is PLEASURE tat is determinative, NOT is foreknowledge! But lest you are not convinced, look down te page of your Bible, and note wat it says. It says: In wom also we ave obtained an ineritance, being predestinated according to te PURPOSE of im wo worket all tings after te COUNSEL OF IS OWN WILL (Ep. 1:11). Doesn t tis say tat we are predestinated according to God s will and good pleasure? It certainly does. But it as to be a lie, if foreknowledge is te ting tat determines God s predestination. But, someone says, wat about te passage tat says tat predestination is ACCORDING TO TE FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD? Te answer is tat tat verse exactly accords wit te Scriptures tat tell us tat predestination is determined by te will and good pleasure of God. Tings decreed and predetermined by te will and good pleasure of God, are indeed in accordance wit God s foreknowledge. In oter words, God does not plan and determine to bring a certain person to salvation only to recall, from is foreknowledge, tat tat person ends in ell. Tis would cause a clas between God s predetermined purpose, and is foreknowledge of wat will be. Plain common sense tells us tat no event can be foreknown, unless it as first of all been predetermined. Speaking troug te propet Isaia, God says, I am God, and tere is none like me, Declaring te end from te beginning, and from ancient (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Calvinism (Continued from page 9) times te tings tat ARE NOT YET DONE, saying, My counsel sall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (Isa. 46:9, 11). God s foreknowledge is complete, no question about tat, but it is not determinative concerning men s actions. ow ridiculous it is to assume tat God looks into te future, and seeing tat a certain person as been saved, ten elects tat person to salvation. Tat raises te question, Wo is boss in tis world anyow---man or God? It is te very eigt of foolisness to assume tat God must know wat man is going to do, before e acts. Tere is no way around te fact tat tis puts man aead of God, and tat is exactly wat many want to believe in tis day, for tis is certainly a day of big man, and little God! Many seem to tink tat God is as weak willed as te old woman we like to tell about. Tis old woman ad a dog se was very fond of---a dog tat pretty well ad is way wit er, despite er occasional attempts to boss im. On one occasion wen se ad some company, te dog became very annoying, in everybody s way and under everybody s feet. Te old woman wit some irritation opened te door and souted to im, Rover, get out of ere! Te dog instead, ran under te couc. Te old lady wit te determination to be obeyed, said, Well, go under te couc ten! Wo really ad teir will obeyed---te dog or te woman? Te dog of course! Se saw wat e ad done, ten cose im to go under te couc! Tat s exactly te Arminian sceme of election. God sees wat man as done troug foreknowledge, ten elects im to do tat. Tis makes man te boss! No escape from tis conclusion. But tis is not te God or te determinism of te Bible. Let s see wat God s Word says: Isaia 46:11: Yea, I ave spoken it. I will also bring it to pass; I ave purposed it, I will also do it. Look again. And all te inabitants of te eart are reputed as noting; and e doet according TO IS WILL in te army of eaven, and among te inabitants of te eart: and none stay is and, or say unto im, Wat doest tou? (Dan. 4:35) Take anoter look. But our God is in te eavens; e at done watsoever e at pleased. (Psa. 115:3) Note tat tis does not say tat e as done wat man as pleased. Tere is no way of reconciling te foregoing Scriptures wit te idea tat God as to look in is book of foreknowledge and see wat men ave cosen to do, before e determines wat e will do. If tat were true, God would be opelessly frustrated by is creatures. Tey would indeed be running tings. No, a tousand times, No! God is not governed by foreknowledge! Wat e decrees to do is not determined by foreknowledge. If it were oterwise election and predestination would be meaningless terms, for tere would be no need for eiter. It seems to us tat a preacer, or a student of te Bible, ougt to be asamed to say, I believe in election, but I believe tat God foreknows wo will be saved, and tat e elects to salvation tose wom e foreknows will turn to Crist. Little God as to see wat BIG man as decided to do before e acts! Te writer of tese lines doesn t believe any suc stuff, and we are glad to say tat te great Baptist scolars and leaders of te past didn t believe any suc stuff eiter. Peraps tis would be a good place to stop and examine te beliefs of some of te great Baptists (and oters) of te past. To tis we will devote te next capter. From te Pen of a Country Preacer Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Te Eternity of Jesus Crist Jesus Crist te same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (eb. 13:8). Te istorical and teological center of Cristianity is Jesus Crist. A true and worty estimation of is Person is te foundation doctrine of te oly Scriptures. It is impossible for finite minds to fully compreend te glories of is adorable Person. uman language fails in its most eloquent attempts to describe tis unrivaled Person. Te absolute, dogmatic declaration tat Jesus Crist is God is te basic premise in all understanding of is Person. Witout a complete recognition of is deity, every feature of Cristology must be at fault to a baleful degree. Of all te great doctrinal errors, a degrading of te Person of Crist is te worst. Tis eresy as eternal consequence. Being God, Crist existed from all eternity. e was pre-existent wit te Fater and Spirit in eternity past. Te Arians denied tis trut centuries ago. Tey said te Son was not of te same substance of te Fater but was created as an agent for creating te world. Te Socinians likewise denied te divinity of Crist in more modern times. Te old Arian eresy and te Socinian error are being revived in our time by false cults. It is fitting tat true believers take a firm stand upon te Person of Crist, since is enemies are attempting to convince te world tat e was noting more tan a mere man. Let us not ave te trut on ice, wile tey ave eresy on fire. TE BEFORE-TIME COVENANT In Isaia 58:15 te propet takes us back to wen te ig and lofty One inabited eternity. Tis was before any creature ad been formed. God existed alone in eternity past. Tere is no being like im. e as neiter beginning of days nor end of life. Tere is no cange of time wit im. e is immortal and immutable. From eternity tere existed only te tree divine Persons (Continued on page 11)

11 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Te Eternity of (Continued from page 10) in te Godead. Before te Covenant Redemption, tere was no relationsip existing as tat of Fater, Son, and oly Spirit. Tese tings came about wit te conception of te Everlasting Covenant. Te titles, Fater, Son, and oly Spirit, are eternal only in te sense tat te tree divine Persons agreed to perform certain tings and to bear certain titles concerning man s redemption. Te Second in te Godead became te Son in covenant relations. In tis sense Crist was begotten before all creation and is te firstborn of every creature. Crist was begotten in covenant relation before te time of te ages. Te eternity of te Son can be seen from te Covenant of Redemption. We learn from Epesians 1:4 tat te elect were cosen in Crist before te foundation of te world. Te elect were given grace in Crist before te world began (II Tim. 1:9). Te elect did not exist at tat time, but te Second Person of te Godead did exist. e was in te form of God and equal wit God. IN TE BEGINNING Wen te universe was created, te tree divine Persons existed: In te beginning God created te eaven and te eart (Gen. 1:1). Te word God is a translation of te ebrew word Eloim wic means te Infinite Ones. Tis word is in te plural number. ere is seen te doctrine of te blessed Trinity for te first time. Tey were all co-existent and co-eternal as associates in te Godead before te first creative act. According to Pilippians 2:6 te Second Person was in te form of God, partaking of te divine nature and essence. e possessed te image of te invisible God (Col. 1:15). Te Word was te brigtness of is glory, and te expressed image of is person (eb. 1:3). As te living image of God, e was equal to God imself. Te Second Person was in te bosom of te Fater before te time of te ages. It is written in Jon 1:18: No man at seen God at any time; te only begotten Son, wic is in te bosom of te Fater, e at declared im. Tis expression is taken from te custom among Orientals of reclining at teir meals. It denotes intimacy, friendsip, and affection. Tis remarkable expression reveals te Son s conscious existence distinct from te Fater and is eternal acquaintance. Crist ad lain in te Fater s bosom from eternity. Crist was loved by te Fater from all eternity. Wile on eart our Savior said to te Fater: Tou lovedst me before te foundation of te world ( Jon 17:24). Tis is anoter of te numerous passages wic prove te Son existed before time and creation. Te language cannot mean anyting else. If te Son did not exist from eternity past, ten tere was no object of te Fater s love. IS PRIMEVAL GLORY Te Son must ave existed before te creation of te world, since e ad a glory wit te Fater in eternity past. Jesus prayed: And now, O Fater, glorify tou me wit tine own self wit te glory wic I ad wit tee before te world was (Jon 17:5). Back tere e was te brigtness of is (Fater s) glory (eb. 1:3) (emp. MRC). Te making of te world enanced is glory, but it added noting to is divine Person. Crist divested imself of tis glory and drew a veil over it in is umiliation. e was God manifest in te fles, not God in is glory. In is final exaltation, e will resume tis glory wen e abdicates te kingdoms of tis world to te Fater. PROVERBS 8:22-31 It is to be doubted if a more marvelous unfolding of te Person of Crist can be found in all te oly Writ tan is seen in Proverbs 8. Tere is a more detailed description of Crist ere tan in Jon 1. Solomon is not just elating wisdom as a desired attribute in man and God. Nor is e merely telling us tat wisdom is an essential property of te divine nature. Instead, e is exalting a divine Person, for wisdom in Proverbs 8 as personal properties and actions. Tere sould be little doubt in te onest interpreter s mind tat Solomon speaks of te Second Person in te Trinity. In Colossians 2:3 te Apostle Paul, speaking of Crist, says, In wom are id all te treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Observe te profound description of te Son in Proverbs: Te LORD possessed me in te beginning of is way, before is works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from te beginning, or ever te eart was. Wen tere were no depts, I was brougt fort; wen tere were no fountains abounding wit water. Before te mountains were settled, before te ills was I brougt fort: Wile as yet e ad not made te eart, nor te fields, nor te igest part of te dust of te world. Wen e prepared te eavens, I was tere: wen e set a compass upon te face of te dept: Wen e establised te clouds above: wen e strengtened te fountains of te deep: Wen e gave to te sea is decree, tat te waters sould not pass is commandment: wen e appointed te foundations of te eart: Ten I was by im, as one brougt up wit im: and I was daily is deligt, rejoicing always before im; Rejoicing in te abitable part of is eart; and my deligts were wit te sons of men (Prov. 8:22-31). ere te Son is seen as coexistent and co-eternal wit te Fater in tat unbeginning beginning. Tere was a Second Adam long before te first Adam. Te Second ad a being before te eart, and e is not of te eart (Jon 3:31). ISAIA 9:6 Te revelation of te Scriptures proves Jesus Crist was not only te pre-existent One before is incarnation, but also e was te One co-existent wit te Fater and Spirit. In a propetic utterance about te Messia, Isaia called im te Fater of eternity (Isa. 9:6 margin reading). Tis can mean but one ting. Isaia believed Crist inabited eternity. e was te One wit te Fater from everlasting to everlasting. Crist cannot be te Fater of eternity, unless e existed from eternity past. Some ebrew scolars tell us tat te rendering sould be te Fater of te ages. Tis may well be. Jesus Crist is not just te One in Wom all te (Continued on page 15)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Wy is Arminianism so popular? Don t people even read teir Bible to see tat most of tese tings are not scriptural? Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Arminianism is a system of belief tat exalts te supposed free will of man. Full blown Arminians are in opposition to all five points of te doctrines of grace, denying te truts of total depravity, unconditional election, particular redemption, effectual calling, and te preservation and perseverance of te saints. Roman Catolics, Campbellites, Metodists, te cults, Free Will Baptists, and te grab bag of Pentecostal and Carismatic denominations would all qualify as full blown Arminians. In my estimation Arminians really believe in a works salvation tat starts wit man making a decision to be saved and ten keeping imself saved by observing certain standards and religious ceremonies. Full blown Arminians believe tat a person can lose teir salvation wic is an abominable eresy tat denies te efficacy of Crist s finised work. Tere are some reformed Presbyterians tat believe in te doctrines of grace, but a majority of modern day Presbyterians and Luterans ave embraced te eresies of Arminianism. Tere are a lot of BINO s (Baptist in name only), wo are Wiskey Calvinists because tey really only believe one-fift of te doctrines of grace (preservation of te saints). True New Testament Baptists ave believed te truts of sovereign grace ever since Jesus Crist organized te first curc during is eartly ministry, long before Jon Calvin ever came along. Arminianism is popular because it appeals to te depraved, flesly, and religious nature of man. It is te religion of Cain wo oped to gain God s favor by te works of is own ands. Te natural man feels good tinking tat e is contributing someting to is salvation. Satan as ministers wo ave convinced teir earers tat salvation, in wole or in part, is really up to tem. Tey ave to work to get it and keep it. Tis system of belief is in direct contradiction of Epesians 2:8-10 wic forcefully declares: 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. For we are is workmansip, created in Crist Jesus unto good works, wic God at before ordained tat we sould walk in tem (cf. Rom. 3:24-28; 4:1-8; 8:29-39; 11:5-6; Ep. 1:3-11; Titus 3:5-8; I Pet. 1:1-8; II Tess. 2:13-15; II Tim. 1:9, etc.). Lest we get too exalted on our ig orse of teological superiority and our declarations of affinity and loyalty to te trut of sovereign grace, we ougt to remember tat te only reason we believe anyting at all is because te oly Spirit as been pleased to sow us, enligten us, instruct us in te way of trut. I am sure tere are plenty of Arminians wo read teir Bibles. Ultimately God as to open teir eyes and earts to te trut. Mattew 11:25-27 states: At tat time Jesus answered and said, I tank tee O Fater, Lord of eaven and eart, because tou ast id tese tings from te wise and prudent, and ast revealed tem unto babes. Even so, Fater: for so it seemed good in ty sigt. All tings are delivered unto me of my Fater: and no man knowet te Son, but te Fater; neiter knowet any man te Fater, save te Son, and e to womsoever te Son will reveal im (Read also I Corintians 2:10-12). If you believe in te doctrines of grace it is not because you ave a superior intellect over Arminians! It is simply because God was pleased to reveal spiritual trut to your mind and eart. A realization of tis ougt to umble you before God. I ave no doubt tat tere are many Arminians wo are saved by grace in spite of teir aderence to certain doctrinal eresies. owever, tere will be no Arminians in eaven. By te time tey reac te sores of glory te Lord will sow tem te blessed truts of sovereign grace so tey will be able to praise and worsip im arigt! Isaia 29:24 proves tis point: Tey also tat erred in spirit sall come to understanding, and tey tat murmured sall learn doctrine. TOM ROSS Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Arminianism as been on eart ever since Adam and Eve. Satan s doctrine is Arminianism. Woe unto tem! for tey ave gone in te way of Cain, and ran greedily after te error of Balaam for reward, and perised in te gainsaying of Core (Jude 1:11). Wy can tey not see te error? Isaia said it best, And e said, Go, and tell tis people, ear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make te eart of tis people fat, and make teir ears eavy, and sut teir eyes; lest tey see wit teir eyes, and ear wit teir ears, and understand wit teir eart, and convert, and be ealed (Isa. 6:9-10). Tese verses were quoted in te New Testament for a reason. MIKE DEWITT Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Arminianism is popular, because at its eart it is a mixture of two very fasionable modern ism s umanism and liberalism. Sela! Tink about it! Religious umanism only differs sligtly from secular umanism, wic is te current religion of most modern Americans. It is salvation by uman works, were one is able to pull temselves up by teir own bootstraps! Jacob Arminius followed in Pelagian s footsteps to put in order tis religious system of anti-salvation by grace. As we examine is constructed teology, it is easy to see wy it is popular wit sallow Cristians and Cristians tat rarely study teir Bibles. 1) Arminian umanism declares tat men are merely sick wit sin, not dead in trespasses. (Continued on page 14)

13 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 13 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 2. Wo are te cildren of ligt mentioned in Luke 16:8? Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Ye are te ligt of te world. A city tat is set on an ill cannot be id (Matt. 5:14). Ten spake Jesus again unto tem, saying, I am te ligt of te world: e tat followet me sall not walk in darkness, but sall ave te ligt of life (Jon 8:12). In wom te god of tis world at blinded te minds of tem wic believe not, lest te ligt of te glorious gospel of Crist, wo is te image of God, sould sine unto tem (II Cor. 4:4). Tose tat are spoken of as being te cildren of ligt are te saved of tis dispensation. Tey are tose tat are te elect of God, wo ave been born again. Tose tat are said to be wiser tan te cildren of ligt are not wise in te sense of being smarter but rely on teir own wisdom and understanding, not God s. Tey ave no understanding of te Bible (tey tink tey are wise in teir own conceit) but ave not a clue. Seest tou a man wise in is own conceit? tere is more ope of a fool tan of im (Pro. 26:12). Te sluggard is wiser in is own conceit tan seven men tat can render a reason (Prov. 26:16). Te cildren of ligt are wise concerning te tings of God, te tings yet to appen, and wise to te tings of eaven and ell. God Bless! ROGER REED Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV But ye, bretren, are not in darkness, tat tat day sould overtake you as a tief. Ye are all te cildren of ligt, and te cildren of te day: we are not of te nigt, nor of darkness. Terefore let us not sleep, as do oters; but let us watc and be sober. For tey tat sleep sleep in te nigt; and tey tat be drunken are drunken in te nigt. But let us, wo are of te day, be sober (I Tess. 5:4-8). Te Lord is contrasting saved folk wit lost folk in tis passage, as in many texts. Jesus Crist is te Ligt of te world, and we are to reflect tat ligt in our lives. Ten spake Jesus again unto tem, saying, I am te ligt of te world: e tat followet me sall not walk in darkness, but sall ave te ligt of life. As long as I am in te world, I am te ligt of te world (Jon 8:12; 9:5). Jesus answered, Are tere not twelve ours in te day? If any man walk in te day, e stumblet not, because e seet te ligt of tis world. But if a man walk in te nigt, e stumblet, because tere is no ligt in im (Jon 11:9-10). Tere are a couple of tings to note in te passage of Luke 16:8-10, And te lord commended te unjust steward, because e ad done wisely: for te cildren of tis world are in teir generation wiser tan te cildren of ligt. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of te mammon of unrigteousness; tat, wen ye fail, tey may receive you into everlasting abitations. e tat is faitful in tat wic is least is faitful also in muc: and e tat is unjust in te least is unjust also in muc. First of all, please note tat te Lord is not deceived. Te steward is entitled unjust in te parable, and tat does not cange in te epitap verses ere noted. It migt seem confusing to commend im and mark is actions as wise, since tis steward is indeed a cild of tis world of darkness, as compared to te cildren of ligt. But tis is not a commendation of praise, but rater an acknowledgment of a lost person making a creative coice tat would seem on te outside to be a wise, or prudent act. In fact, te word translated as wise, wen used in te Greek in a bad sense, means conceited, or selfis. Tat is ow it is translated in Romans 12:16, Be of te same mind one toward anoter. Mind not ig tings, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits (also in Romans 11:25). Wat te unjust steward as done, is made a bed of furter deceit and betrayal to lie in. Te Lord warns of te coming payday, to dangerously put imself into te ands of tose wo KNOW tat e ceated is former master. If terefore ye ave not been faitful in te unrigteous mammon, wo will commit to your trust te true rices? And if ye ave not been faitful in tat wic is anoter man s, wo sall give you tat wic is your own (Luke 16:11-12)? Sela! Tink about it! Tese new masters are NEVER going to trust im wit anyting tat tey value. One oter prase in tis passage tat as been misused is verse 9, And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of te mammon of unrigteousness; tat, wen ye fail, tey may receive you into everlasting abitations. Note again, tat te Lord is not sugar-coating te pligt of te unjust steward at all. Wen ye fail is a SURE ting. But some folk take te next line and say tat at least e will ave is buddies in ell to comfort im Is not likely, beloved reader. ell s welcoming committee is seen in a couple of passages. ow art tou fallen from eaven, O Lucifer, son of te morning! ell from beneat is moved for tee to meet tee at ty coming: it stirret up te dead for tee, even all te cief ones of te eart; it at raised up from teir trones all te kings of te nations. All tey sall speak and say unto tee, Art tou also become weak as we? art tou become like unto us? Ty pomp is brougt down to te grave, and te noise of ty viols: te worm is spread under tee, and te worms cover tee (Isa. 14:12, 9-11). Noting more tan disdain, if tere be any acknowledgment at all, of te addition to ell s eternal torment of one more soul. Even in tis same capter of Luke 16, te uneralded arrival of te ric man, evoked no party, only a desperate desire tat is five broters NEVER end up, down ere. Sela! Tink about it! (Continued on page 15)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) Prevenient grace (altoug not found in Scripture) is trumped up to enable eac person to exercise teir free will to coose eiter Crist as Saviour or reject im. 2) Arminian umanism declares tat God looked down troug te eternal alls of time and saw wic souls would coose im and turns rigt around and elects tem unto salvation. Tis will allow te Biblical words election, foreknowledge and predestination to be merely a puppet response of God, not a (God forbid!) sovereign decree of divine immutability. 3) Arminian umanism declares tat God loves everyone and terefore Crist died for everyone. Never mind tat many tat God loves ten end up in ell, despite te best efforts of God. God s done is part- now it is up to you. 4) True Arminian umanism follows troug wit teir teology and declares tat if one does not continue to stay true to God, teir salvation can be lost. Ultimately, it depends on weter you are good or bad at te time of deat. It really is up to us. Many Arminians are not able to stomac tis logical conclusion of teir man-made doctrine, so tey steal eternal security from God s grace and take it as teir God-given rigt, once tey ave prayed troug. Tese folk would fall in te category of semi- Pelagians. As can be seen from tese tenets of arminianism, umanists fall in love wit te tougts of being in control of teir own spiritual salvation. Tey will only read and preac te verses tat support teir umanistic doctrine, soon becoming wat we termed earlier as sallow Cristians tat ave abandoned muc of te Bible as inscrutable or teological conundrums. Te very nature and attributes of God are denied and/or ignored, as tey insist on studying salvation (Soteriology) ONLY from te uman perspective. Altoug te Bible clearly teaces a God of absolute predestination and propecy, alongside te trut of uman responsibility, tey ignore te first and loudly proclaim te latter! Altoug te Bible clearly proclaims salvation by grace, tey trumpet a salvation by fait, excluding again any sovereignty of God. Altoug te Bible clearly teaces tat souls are saved as a fruit of gospel preacing, made effectual by te regeneration of te oly Spirit, tese umanists pluck out te prase soul-winning from Proverbs 11:30 and run out te door claiming tat curc members can wring professions out of any emotionally-carged sinner by badgering tem into making a decision for Crist. America is a prime example of ow arminianism as led to te second ism. Liberalism is built upon te foundation of umanism and denies any ties to conservative truts and autority, but affirms tat every man sould do wat is rigt in is own eyes, In tose days tere was no king in Israel, but every man did tat wic was rigt in is own eyes (Jud. 17:6). Wen tis liberal arminianism is in full bloom, as it as been for te past century in our beloved country, it will fill so-called curces wit lost people, deceived into tinking tey are saved and tese arminians will lead families, curces and eventually country into liberal teologies and social practices. American Cristianity as become so corrupted, tat it as no spiritual power (wit God) and no pysical respect (from men). We grope for te wall like te blind, and we grope as if we ad no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in te nigt We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but tere is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. In transgressing and lying against te LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from te eart words of falseood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standet afar off: for trut is fallen in te street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, trut failet; and e tat departet from evil maket imself a prey (Isa. 59:10-15). Beloved reader, please do not take te first step into arminianism! Destruction awaits down tat broad road. Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio I believe te reason Arminianism is so popular is te Arminian wants to put temselves in te driver s seat. Tey want te credit for teir salvation. Tey believe God as gotten old and is no longer capable of doing te tings e once did. In oter words God needs our elp. Tis of course is a falsity. If you ask te Arminian tese tree questions, you will soon learn tey do not believe in true sovereign grace! 1) Do you believe in te grace of God? tey will answer, yes! 2) Do you believe tat all men (mankind) ave a cance to be saved? tey again will answer, yes! 3) Wen te oly Spirit comes to dwell in man, does e ave te power to receive or reject te oly Spirit? and once again tey will say, yes! At tat point I ask tem to explain te first tree capters of Epesians. I believe in te grace of God also. But all men will not be saved, but only te elect of God wic e ad cosen, elected, and ordained to be saved in Crist before te foundation of te world and tey will be saved at tat appointed time tat God ordained tem to be. Tere is no cance involved, te elect will be saved. But wen it pleased God, wo separated me from my moter s womb, and called me by is grace (Gal. 1:15). If we say we ave te power to receive or reject te oly Spirit at te time of regeneration, tan we are saying we ave more power tan God! NO! People do not read teir Bible; tey now rely on te false preacer and wat tey believe to be teir spiritual leader. Look at ow te people fell all over te pope wen e was ere in America tey believe e is te oly fater (wic just sickens me to deat) and will believe watever e tells tem. Tey are being deceived and are too blind to see it and too lazy to find out for temselves te trut. And ten sall tat Wicked be revealed, wom te Lord sall consume wit te spirit of is mout, and sall destroy wit te brigtness of is coming: Even im, wose coming is after te working of Satan wit all power and signs and lying wonders, And wit all deceivableness of unrigteousness in tem tat peris; because tey received not te love of te trut, tat (Continued on page 15)

15 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #1 (Continued from page 14) tey migt be saved. And for tis cause God sall send tem strong delusion, tat tey sould believe a lie: Tat tey all migt be damned wo believed not te trut, but ad pleasure in unrigteousness (II Tess. 2:8-12). I worked wit a man wo went to an Arminian curc (rank Arminian), and e told me e was so fed up wit te Sovereign Grace doctrine e kept earing about (wic e ated) tat e prayed to God tat e would sow im te trut, and e said God lead im to te Book of Epesians and walked away believing te doctrine of Sovereign Grace. O, if God s people would prayerfully read God s Book, wat joy tey would ave. If my people, wic are called by my name, sall umble temselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from teir wicked ways; ten will I ear from eaven, and will forgive teir sin, and will eal teir land (II Cron. 7:14). God Bless! ROGER REED Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) It sould be our desire to be a cild of God s ligt, not someone tat is wise in te conceits of tis selfis world. Ye are te ligt of te world. A city tat is set on an ill cannot be id. Neiter do men ligt a candle, and put it under a busel, but on a candlestick; and it givet ligt unto all tat are in te ouse. Let your ligt so sine before men, tat tey may see your good works, and glorify your Fater wic is in eaven (Matt. 5:14-16). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye ligt in te Lord: walk as cildren of ligt (Ep 5:8). Ye are all te cildren of ligt, and te cildren of te day: we are not of te nigt, nor of darkness (I Tess. 5:5). God s oly and elect people, tose saved by grace tru fait of Jesus te Crist. MIKE DEWITT Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Luke 16:8: And te lord commended te unjust steward, because e ad done wisely: for te cildren of tis world are in teir generation wiser tan te cildren of ligt. Te parable of te unjust steward is an illustration of personal accountability we ave to serve God to te best of our ability. We ougt to be faitful in small tings as well as big tings. If we are not faitful in te small tings God will not entrust us wit greater tings. It is a simple principle teacing tat we are to be faitful in all tat we do from te least to te greatest. From te smallest tings like being on time to work, as well as doing someting as important as teacing a Sunday Scool class or omescooling our cildren. Te cildren of ligt are God s elect wo ave been called out of darkness into is marvelous ligt (cf. Jon 12:36; Ep. 5:8; I Tess. 5:5). Te ric man (lord, lower case) commended te unjust steward for using worldly wisdom in getting at least someting from te debtors, as opposed to noting at all. Te unjust steward felt a sense of accountability to at least get someting done so e would ave someting to sow is boss. Te men of tis world are often wiser tan te cildren of ligt wen it comes to worldly and secular affairs of tis life. Steve Jobs was a reprobate wen it came to spiritual tings, but e was wise in business acumen and innovation. Worldly men sometimes know ow to use teir resources, wealt, and leverage better tan God s cildren. May God give te cildren of ligt te ability to use all of teir resources and wealt, bot spiritually and materially for te glory of God. TOM ROSS Te Eternity of (Continued from page 11) ages meet, but e is also te One Wom from eternity past framed te ages or dispensations of uman istory. Te eons of time were fitted togeter by te eternal Word. In ebrews 11:3 tis trut is seen: Troug fait we understand tat te worlds were framed by te word of God, so tat tings wic are seen were not made of tings wic do appear. J. B. Roteram translates a portion of tis verse:...te ages to ave been fitted togeter... Te grand trut seen in tis verse is tat te dispensations, extending successively from creation to te new eavens and te new eart, ave been planned and executed by Crist. Tis clearly declares te eternity of our Lord. MICA 5:7 Te Son as te eternal God was active before all worlds. Mica 5:2 tells us: As for you, Betleem Eprata, little as you are among te tousands of Juda, from you sall e come fort to Me, wo is to be ruler over Israel, is goings fort are from of old, from days of eternity (Berkeley Version). Te One born in Betleem went fort as te son of man to do te Fater s will, but as te eternal One is goings fort were from everlasting. From te days of eternity is te strongest expression of infinite duration of wic te ebrew is capable. JON 1:1-3 It is obvious from te New Testament writers tat Jesus Crist is te uncaused Cause, te self-existent One. Te Apostle Jon wrote: In te beginning was te Word, and te Word was wit God, and te Word was God (Jon 1:1). Te Word was wit God before te creation. Tis takes us back to Genesis 1:1 and before time and created existence. Te Word was God from te beginning, and e wo was in te beginning never began. Te world was from te beginning, but te Word already existed in te beginning. Jon continues: Te same was in te beginning wit God (Jon 1:2). From all eternity te Word ad a personal existence from God and was associated wit im. Te Word (Greek Logos) is no inferior being. e was a partaker of te Divine (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Te Eternity of (Continued from page 15) glory; e was blessed and appy wit te Fater. Tere was an intimacy between te eternal Word and te Fater. In is first epistle Jon said of Crist wic was wit te Fater, and was manifested unto us (I Jon 1:2). Te eternal Word must ave existed before creation, for e is te origin of it: All tings were made by im; and witout im was not any ting made tat was made (Jon 1:3). JON 8:58 In Jon 8:58 Jesus Crist said: Before Abraam was, I am. Crist in tese words asserts not only is pre-existence, but also is eternity. e declares imself to be te self-existing and immutable Jeova of te Old Testament. Tese words look back to Exodus 3:14. Jesus claimed for imself te same eternal, unsuccessive, absolute unbeginning as Jeova claimed wen e said to Moses: I AM tat I AM. Crist makes Abraam a creature and imself te eternal Creator. COLOSSIANS 1:16-17 e wo created all tings must ave existed before all tings. Of God s dear Son it is written: For by im were all tings created, tat are in eaven, and tat are in eart, visible and invisible, weter tey be trones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all tings were created by im, and for im: And e is before all tings, and by im all tings consist (Col. 1:16-17). If Crist is te Creator and Sustainer of all tings, ten e existed from eternity. REVELATION 1:8, 11 In Revelation 1:8, 11 Crist said: I am Alpa and Omega, te beginning and te ending. Crist ad no beginning, for e existed from te beginning. e is te Beginner of time and te universe. ETERNAL SONSIP Te sonsip of te Second Person in te Trinity is unique. It is not sared wit any creature. is incarnation (Luke 1:35), is baptism (Matt. 3:17), is transfiguration (Matt. 17:5), and is resurrection (Acts 13:34-35; Rom. 1:4-5) did not make im te Son of God. Tese tings merely declared e was already te Son of God. Te Scriptures teac te eternal generation of te Son. It is written: I will declare te decree: te Lord at said unto me, Tou art my Son; tis day ave I begotten tee (Ps. 2:7). Tis day refers to te date of te decree in te Covenant of Redemption, to te divine act wic was eternal. Tis day wit God means from everlasting to everlasting. Te Propet Isaia well asked: Wo sall declare is generation? (Isa. 53:8). In te sense tat Jesus Crist is God s Son e is te only begotten Son (Jon 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; I Jon 4:9). Tere was an eternal relationsip existing between te Fater and te Son since te time of te Covenant of Redemption. Jesus Crist is te only begotten in relation to te angels wo are sons of God by creation and believers wo are sons of God by adoption. Tese all begin to be sons at teir creation; Crist was te only begotten from te Covenant of Redemption. Crist is called te first begotten in ebrews 1:6 because e was begotten before te world was in te eternal purpose of God. By eternal generation Jesus Crist is is only begotten Son. e was already te Son wen te Fater sent im into te world: God sent is only begotten Son into te world (I Jon 4:9). But wen te fulness of time was come, God sent fort is Son, made of a woman... (Gal. 4:4). Proverbs 30:4 suggests te eternity of Crist s sonsip: Wo at establised all te ends of te eart? wat is is name, and wat is is son s name, if tou canst tell? TE FIRSTBORN In Romans 8:29 te Apostle Paul speaks of Crist as te firstborn among many bretren. e is also called firstborn in ebrews 12:23. Te Lord Jesus is firstborn in order, priority, and preeminence. As to is divine nature e was truly te firstborn since e is te eternal Son of te Fater. e is te Son of God by nature, wile is bretren are sons of God by grace. FIRST BEGOTTEN FROM TE DEAD It is written in te Bible tat Crist is te first begotten of te dead (Rev. 1:5). Jesus Crist as te eternal Son raised imself by is own power: I lay down my life, tat I migt take it again (Jon 10:17). e is te ead of te resurrection and will raise all is people wen te dead saints ear is voice (Jon 5:25). We are begotten to a lively ope by is resurrection (I Peter 1:3). Jesus Crist was te first to receive a glorified body. e was te firstfruits of tem tat slept (I Cor. 15:20, 23) and te firstborn from te dead (Col. 1:18). All tose raised from te dead, except Crist, died a second time. Crist rose to die no more. As is resurrection declared is eternal sonsip, even so our resurrection will attest our sonsip (I Jon 3:12), and declare tat te Fater predestinated us unto te adoption of cildren (Ep. 1:5). TE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE Te Son is said to be te firstborn of every creature in Colossians 1:15. Tis means e was begotten antecedently to everyting tat was created. Tis does not mean, as some say, tat Crist was te first of all created beings. Crist was born, te universe was created, Crist is Maker and ead of all created tings. is position in respect to creation is like tat of a firstborn son. CONCLUSION Wat does Jesus Crist mean to you, dead reader? I cannot answer for you, but I can quickly answer for myself in te words of te Baptist preacer, Samuel Stennett, wo lived from e wrote in is great ymn: Majestic sweetness sits entroned Upon te Saviour s brow; is ead wit radiant glories crowned, is lips wit grace o erflow. No mortal can wit im compare, Among te sons of men; Fairer is e tan all te fair Wo fill te eavenly train. e saw me plunged in deep distress, And flew to my relief; For me e bore te sameful cross, And carried all my grief. To im I owe my life and breat, And all te joys I ave; e makes me triump over deat, And saves me from te grave.

17 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 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 Democrats Block 20-week Abortion Ban (WNS)--On Tuesday, Sept. 22, U.S. senators voted on te Pain-Capable Unborn Cild Protection Act. Te bill would make abortions illegal once a baby reaces 20 weeks of fetal age. Senate Democrats blocked te measure, but pro-life lawmakers vowed to keep figting for it. A record 54 senators including tree Democrats voted to move forward wit R 36, a late-term abortion ban tat passed te ouse in May. Collins and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., joined 40 Democrats to kill te bill. Even if we differ on te larger abortion issue, can not we at least agree tat cildren at tis late stage of development deserve our protection? asked Senate Majority Leader Mitc McConnell, R-Ky., wo noted te United States is only one of seven countries to allow abortion on demand after 20 weeks. For now te answer is no. Senate Approves USCIRF Reautorization (WNS)--Te long battle to reautorize te United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) appears to be nearing an end. On Sept. 30 te U.S. Senate passed a four-year reautorization tat largely maintains USCIRF s current structure and direction. USCIRF autorization was set to expire Sept. 30, but Congress included an extension in te stop-gap funding bill, keeping USCIRF s doors open until te ouse can debate te Senate measure. ig Scool Rejects ACLU Bid to Block Prayer Boxes (WNS)--A Louisiana scool board rebuffed te ACLU at a meeting Oct. 1 wen it passed a resolution calling te organization s recent treats unwarranted. On Sept. 24, te ACLU issued a demand letter to te Bossier Paris Scool Board in Bossier City, La., part of Sreveport s greater metro area. Te letter claimed Airline ig Scool ad engaged in a pattern of religious proselytization by allowing Fellowsip of Cristian Atletes, a student-led club, to post prayer boxes trougout te scool. In addition, te letter targeted te scool s principal, Jason Rowland, for using te prase God bless you all in a scool newsletter. Te scool board issued a statement saying it would investigate te claims and respond to te ACLU after te Oct. 1 board meeting, te Sreveport Times reported. Scientists Urge Jail Time for Tose wo Question Climate Cange (WNS)--Te government sould marc off to jail scientists and oters wo do not support manmade global warming teories, according to 20 climate scientists from several universities and researc centers. Te group recently sent a letter to te Wite ouse, urging President Barack Obama to use te Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to investigate, corporations and oter organizations tat ave knowingly deceived te American people about te risks of climate cange. Congress enacted te RICO Act in 1970 to figt organized crime syndicates. Tose found guilty of racketeering criminal activity designed to benefit an organization may face prison sentences of up to 20 years and seizure of financial assets. Te Justice Department used te RICO Act in 1999 to successfully prosecute major tobacco companies. Debunking te Planned Parentood Mammogram Myt (WNS)--Planned Parentood does not provide mammograms despite continued claims from ig-profile supporters tat it does, according to a Fact Cecker report released by Te Wasington Post in late September. In a Sept. 29 ouse Committee on Oversigt and Government Reform earing, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., claimed tat Planned Parentood provided mammograms. All te signatories [of a letter supporting defunding Planned Parentood] are men, none of wom will get pregnant, or need a cervical screening for cancer, or a mammogram, or a pap smear, or oter life-saving services tat are provided by Planned Parentood, Maloney said. But te claim tat Planned Parentood provides mammograms is false, according to report autor Micelle Ye ee Lee. And te claim earned tree-out-of-four Pinoccios from Fact Cecker, meaning it contained significant factual error and/or obvious contradictions. Kerry Questioned About Religious Freedom Post (WNS)--Te U.S. State Department ignored last year s congressional request to appoint a special envoy for religious liberty in te Middle East and Asia, creating a lowerranking advisory position instead. In a letter sent to te department Oct. 8, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla, called on Secretary of State Jon Kerry to explain te discrepancy. In te letter, Lankford questioned te administration s commitment to international religious freedom and wy it did not follow te Near East and Sout Central Asia Religious Freedom Act. Te bill created a special envoy for persecuted minorities, and Congress passed it witout objection from eiter party. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Iris Pro-Abortion Movement Loses Momentum After City Vote (WNS)--Te City and County Council of Limerick, Ireland, on Sept. 28 rejected a proposal calling for a referendum to repeal te country s constitutional rigt-to-life provision. Te vote slows an effort led by te Anti-Austerity Alliance and oter pro-abortion groups to gater support for a referendum on Ireland s Eigt Amendment. Limerick County is te eigt most populous county in te Republic of Ireland. New ome Missions (WNS)--Secular media are filled wit stories about refugees coming to Germany, but tey often skip one crucial angle: Because many asylum seekers come from nations wit little or no religious toleration, Germany offers a new opportunity to investigate a Cristianity tey ad only eard about. Dennis Blea, wo works wit te Navigators in Germany, told me about two Iranian visitors to is curc wo ad always wondered wat a Cristian curc looked like. e called te refugee crisis a great open door for conversion: I tink we need to go to tem and bring te gospel to tem wile tey are trapped in Germany.

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Cristian! Do Not Bow Down! By Roger Reed of Mansfield, Oio And all te king s servants, tat were in te king s gate, bowed, and reverenced aman: for te king ad so commanded concerning im. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did im reverence (Est. 3:2). Cristian reader, we are coming to te end of life ere on eart and te Last Days of te Last Days are upon us. We are being taken over by te aman s at tis present time, and te days tat I once knew growing up as a cild and young adult are far beind us. July 23, 2015, I will be 64 years old, and I ave asked everyone I meet tat is my age or older, did tey ever tink tey would live to see tis day, and tey all answer No! In Mordecai s day e and is people ad to deal wit aman te son of ammedata te Agagite (v. 1). We see from te Scripture above in verse two tat Mordecai refused to bow down to aman, because e knew of is wicked and evil ways. And o, ow aman ated not only Mordecai, but all of Israel to te point tat aman tricked te king to put it in writing tat all te Jews be destroyed at a certain day of te year. Praise te Lord for Ester! I would encourage you, dear reader, to take time and read te book of Ester and you, too, will see tat America is in te same peril as was Mordecai and is people te Jews. Tat is wat I want to focus on ere, ow America is being controlled by tose in power, and tat se is letting tose in power dictate rules and laws tat are illegal for tem to do. Our current president, I am convinced, ates America. e makes executive orders tat are not lawful for im to do, and te people praise im for it. e as te lawmakers, and now te Supreme Court, in is back pocket. Also tere is no doubt in my mind tat e ates Cristians and is no Cristian imself. Werefore by teir fruits ye sall know tem (Matt. 7:20). In our day we ave te Lord Jesus Crist as our Saviour; it is not Superman, Spiderman, or Batman, wic I am so tankful for. God arranged tat Ester would be te spokesperson for er people, encouraged and mentored by Mordecai. Today, God as set te curc and te preacer led by te oly Spirit to stand up for wat is rigt and wat is te trut. It will not be long and Jesus will be coming back to take te elect of God ome wat a glorious day tat will be. But until tat day te gospel must continue to be preaced to te unrigteous. Are you praying tat te elect of God will be saved? I am sure tat many (not all) Cristians are appalled by te Supreme Court s decision concerning same sex marriage. If you are not, ten you need to repent and/or examine your salvation, because tere is someting definitely wrong wit you. Awile back I wrote about Cristians (especially true Baptists) tat voted for te current president, knowing e believed in abortion, and I made te comment tat tose tat did so are baby killers, tat tey are just as guilty, knowing wat e believed. Well, as many tings do, it got back to me tat some were all fired up and mad at me because I called tem baby killers. Well te fact of te matter is- tat tat is a fact and you are. You can jump up and down and pitc a fit but te trut is te trut and God will not count you guiltless for tings tat are against im. Ye sall walk after te LORD your God, and fear im, and keep is commandments, and obey is voice, and ye sall serve im, and cleave unto im (Deut. 13:4). But tis ting commanded I tem, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye sall be my people: and walk ye in all te ways tat I ave commanded you, tat it may be well unto you (Jer. 7:23). Cristians ave become followers of te world rater tan obeying te voice of our God. I try not to tink about it, but ow many of God s people are putting blinders on and are bowing down to tis president and is administration? I am asamed of you, I am afraid of you, wo at bewitced you? O foolis Galatians, wo at bewitced you, tat ye sould not obey te trut, before wose eyes Jesus Crist at been evidently set fort, crucified among you (Gal. 3:1)? I am afraid of you, lest I ave bestowed upon you labour in vain (Gal. 4:11). I believe tat if I end up in jail for preacing te trut, it will be some Cristian tat will turn me in to te autorities, not a lost person. Tat is sad to say, but remember it was God s own people wo killed is only Son. Te statistics tell us tat 70.6% of Americans are Cristians. In fact, tis is wat Wikipedia ad to say: Religion in te United States is caracterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Various religious faits ave flourised, as well as perised, [citation needed] in te United States. A majority of Americans report tat religion plays a very important role in teir lives, a proportion unique among developed countries. Te majority of Americans identify temselves as Cristians, wile close to a quarter claim no religious affiliation. According to a 2014 study by te Pew Researc Center, 70.6% of te American population identified temselves as Cristians, wit 46.5% professing attendance at a variety of curces tat could be considered Protestant, and 20.8% professing Roman Catolic beliefs. Te same study says tat oter religions (including Judaism, Buddism, Islam, and induism) collectively make up about 6% of te population. According to a 2012 survey by te Pew forum, 36 percent of Americans state tat tey attend services nearly every week or more. According to te 2013 Gallup poll, Mississippi wit 61% of its population described as very religious (say tat religion is important to tem and attend religious services almost every week) is te most religious state in te country, wile Vermont wit only 22% as very religious is te least religious state. urray for Mississippi! I ad to laug wen I read, A majority of Americans report tat religion plays a very important role in teir lives, a proportion unique among developed countries. Wow, I wonder wat tat majority is being taugt? If tat be te case, ten ow in te world did Slick Willy and te current president get elected not once, but twice? Let me remind you, dear reader, (Continued on page 19)

19 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Cristian! Do Not (Continued from page 18) tat 70.6% of Americans identified temselves as Cristians. But wait; do many Sodomites not identify temselves as Cristians? Tere you ave it! Tere is a uge difference to identify oneself as a Cristian and actually be a Cristian. You also can be religious, even be very religious, and not be a Cristian! Paul is a very good example of tis and from is own words e says, For ye ave eard of my conversation in time past in te Jews religion, ow tat beyond measure I persecuted te curc of God, and wasted it: And profited in te Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of te traditions of my faters (Gal. 1:13-14). Ten someting wonderful appened to Paul, and from im once again we read in Galatians 1:15-16, 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 So, making a profession tat one is a Cristian is quite different tan possessing Crist as Lord and Saviour. Dear reader, are you a possessing Cristian? Or are you just a socalled religious person? If you do not possess Jesus Crist as your personal Saviour and ave never confessed im wit your mout as te Son of God, Wosoever sall confess tat Jesus is te Son of God, God dwellet in im, and e in God (I Jon 4:15), you will spend eternity in te lake of fire (Rev. 19:20) and you ave no ope but total destruction will come to you. Only in Jesus can one obtain true Cristianity. If we are true born again believers ten we need to be followers of God, not man, or man-made laws tat are contrary to te law of God. I admonis all of God s true elect people: do not bow down to tese tyrants tat are traitors, not only to God, but also to America. Te current president, te Clintons, most liberals (if not all), and te five of te nine Supreme Court Justices sould be run out of our country or anged for treason. And tis form of government tat we ave now sould be abolised and a new form of government sould be put in place by te people and for te people as stated in Te Declaration of Independence. ere is ow part of te second paragrap of our Declaration reads; We old tese truts to be self-evident, tat all men are created equal, tat tey are endowed by teir Creator wit certain unalienable Rigts, tat among tese are Life, Liberty and te pursuit of appiness. Tat to secure tese rigts, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving teir just powers from te consent of te governed, Tat wenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of tese ends, it is te Rigt of te People to alter or to abolis it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on suc principles and organizing its powers in suc form, as to tem sall seem most likely to effect teir Safety and appiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate tat Governments long establised sould not be canged for ligt and transient causes; and accordingly all experience at sewn, tat mankind are more disposed to suffer, wile evils are sufferable, tan to rigt temselves by abolising te forms to wic tey are accustomed. But wen a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably te same Object evinces a design to reduce tem under absolute Despotism, it is teir rigt, it is teir duty, to trow off suc Government, and to provide new Guards for teir future security. Tis is wat we as Cristian Americans sould be doing. Wen was te last time you read Te Declaration of Independence? Wen was te last time you read te Constitution of te United States? Tese are te laws of te land, and te president and te Supreme Court just spit on tem. Tese are our laws, people! God gave tem to our Forefaters so tat te people of tis great nation could live by tem and protect us from tyranny, and tey ave just been trown in te tras. Does anyone not care anymore? If we do, we sure ave not done anyting to cange it. A lot of talk, but no action! Wen was te last time you wrote a letter, or sent an to a Senator, Congressman, or te Governor of your state? We need to stand up, people, not bow down, even if it means our deat and wat Cristian is afraid to die? I am not; I will gladly die for my God and country. Do we remember te tree ebrew cildren in te book of Daniel tat refused to bow down to te law of te king, or Daniel wo refused to stop praying because a law was made forbidding it (Daniel 3; Daniel 6)? Te apostles continued to preac Jesus even after tey were told not to in Acts capter 5. Paul, wile in prison, preaced and sang songs and ceased not to preac Jesus, (Acts 16 and Colossians 1:28). In Ester 3:13 a letter was posted and te date ad been set for te total destruction of te Jews because of aman s wrat against Mordecai. ow do you tink te wrat of tis president compares to aman s? I am coming to believe tat tis president tinks e is te only one tat matters on te face of te eart. I drive down te road sometimes and tink oter drivers tink tat tey are te only ones on te road because of teir actions. It seems te president as te same mind set. I can almost see everyone around Mordecai, saying, Man, wat are you doing? Do you want to lose your ead? But Mordecai believed in te deliverance of God, as did Daniel, Sadrac, Mesac, and Abednego. Tey believed tat in te fire or out of te fire, in te lion s den or out of te lion s den- teir God would deliver tem. And guess wat e did! Wen you read Ester, and I ope you do, te news of te impending anniilation of Mordecai s people broke is eart and e cried in te streets, e rent is clotes and put on sackclot wit ases. But as you read on, e did not give up. ave you, dear Cristian? ave you bent a knee, laid prostate before te trone of Almigty God? Tere are Cristians tat are opposed to violence and tink tat Cristians sould not carry a gun, but say noting about te tugs tat kill innocent people every day (oter tan ow awful it is). Do you know if one person would ave ad a gun in tat curc in Sout Carolina, te sooter may ave killed one or two at best? Do you know wat te resolve was for Mordecai and te Jewis people? In tose days te king could not take back a decree (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Cristian! Do Not (Continued from page 19) (law) tat e ad made so wat e did was tis, Werein te king granted te Jews wic were in every city to gater temselves togeter, and to stand for teir life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to peris, all te power of te people and province tat would assault tem, bot little ones and women, and to take te spoil of tem for a prey, Upon one day in all te provinces of king Aasuerus, namely, upon te tirteent day of te twelft mont, wic is te mont Adar. Te copy of te writing for a commandment to be given in every province was publised unto all people, and tat te Jews sould be ready against tat day to avenge temselves on teir enemies (Est. 8:11-13). Some will cry out and say, Tat is not te answer! Well te way I see it; no one as come up wit a better answer. Explain to me wat tis means, Amendment II. Ratified December 15, 1791; A well regulated Militia, being necessary to te security of a free State, te rigt of te people to keep and bear Arms, sall not be infringed. For te security of a free state! Te Supreme Court just took tat away, ow can a state be free wen te Court system of our land makes illegal laws as tey just did? It is our duty to take back our country and restore it once again. And watever appened to of te people, by te people and for te people? But it will not appen because unlike our forefaters, Cristians ave become too passive and our government as become too powerful. But tere is someting more powerful, and tat is prayer. God will ear is people if tey are obeying im. Te oter ting tat is powerful is our rigt to vote, if you do not vote, you just voted for te person tat we do not want in tere. If you did not vote in te last two presidential elections, ten you elped te current president to get elected. Weter people want to believe tis or not, tere is persecution coming to te Cristians in America tat as not been seen in a long time. We will be ated beyond belief. ow soon is ard to tell. But if tere is not a godly man elected in 2016, life as we knew it will no longer exist. Our freedoms will be gone forever, tat is, of course, until te Lord s Millennial Reign. Tis article is being written 3 days before Independence Day Do we even know anymore wat tat means, or is it just all about picnics and fireworks? Men fougt for our independence from a terrible dictator and we finally got our freedom from tyranny, free from taxation witout representation, and it cost tousands of lives to get. We ave now come full circle. We once again ave a dictator, we are losing our freedoms, and we ave taxation witout representation. O Cristian! Will you stand and let your voice be eard, or will you ide under a rock until tere is not a rock to ide under? Will you stand and not bow like te patriarcs of old? Will you stand as our Forefaters did? I ope so, because it is your duty and privilege as an American citizen and a cild of God to do so. Will you stand against te sin and wickedness of tis administration, or will you falter and bow under te pressure of lawlessness? May God elp us Tis know also, tat in te last days perilous times sall come (II Tim. 3:1). It would beoove us to read over and over again II Timoty 3:1-17. Let us eed te words of Josua, And if it seem evil unto you to serve te LORD, coose you tis day wom ye will serve; weter te gods wic your faters served tat were on te oter side of te flood, or te gods of te Amorites, in wose land ye dwell: but as for me and my ouse, we will serve te LORD ( Jos. 24:15). God Bless! Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug NO MORE CRISTMAS Te Moter of arlots, along wit er daugters are te greatest promoters of Cristmas. Se is, you know, te MOTER OF ARLOTS and also te Moter of te ABOMINATIONS OF TE EART (Rev. 17:5). Te old word abomination, seldom now used, means someting ated or rejected wit extreme disgust. Te Moter of arlots is very similar to Cristmas itself: te big day se promotes. Bot are filled wit lies, paganism and false worsip. But tat is not te point of tis little article. If you are unsure wo tis wealty arlot is, read Revelation capters 17 and 18 and do a bit of researc about a city tat sits on seven ills or seven mountains, tat is associated wit te colors and rices described, and wo as worldwide influence. Tere is coming a time wen te arlot and tose wo ave not come out from er are going to be judged. Se, because of er sins and tose in er because tey ave participated in er sins. Revelation 18:4 is clear on tat point. It says, And I eard anoter voice from eaven, saying, Come out of er, my people, tat ye be not partakers of er sins, and tat ye receive not of er plagues. Somebody named tat verse a call to come out of er. We tink it is not so muc a call as it is a command! It is a command issued just prior to te judgment of God upon tis false-cristian political macine tis city tat is drunken wit te blood of te saints, and wit te blood of te martyrs of Jesus (Rev. 17:6) Tis politico religious macine rules over nations, for Revelation 17:18 says: And te woman wic tou sawest is tat great city, wic reignet over te kings of te eart. As you probably know, te time of biggest profits for wolesalers, retailers, sipping companies and manufacturers is te Cristmas rus wic begins in October and runs troug te olidays. Retailers and online sellers report teir Cristmas sales into te billions of dollars. Of course everyone in te supply cain profits from tis season s sales. But tere is coming a time wen God judges te Moter of arlots, and Cristmas and Cristmas profits will be no more. ear wat te Bible says will appen wen te arlot is judged: And te kings of te eart, wo ave committed fornication and lived deliciously wit er [te arlot], sall bewail er, and lament for er, wen tey sall see te smoke of er burning, Standing afar off for te fear of er torment, saying, Alas, alas, tat great city Babylon [religious Babylon, anoter name for te arlot], tat migty city! for in one our is ty judgment (Continued on page 21)

21 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 20) come. And te mercants of te eart sall weep and mourn over er; for no man buyet teir mercandise any more (Rev. 18:9-11). Not only does te arlot not buy teir dainty and expensive mercandise, but no man buys it eiter. Did you notice tat prase, And te mercants of te eart sall weep and mourn over er; for no man buyet teir mercandise any more? Tere will be no celebration of Cristmas tat year! CEOs will not be counting up teir expected bonuses. Tey will be wailing and lamenting te sudden loss of profits. Cristmas will be finised. Tat supposed celebration of te birt of Crist wic God did not anywere instruct is people to celebrate will be no more. Since God did not command Cristmas celebrations, just wo did? It was te ead of tat religious organization tat eadquarters in a city known for er seven ills it was e tat set te date and it is is arlot-system tat promotes and benefits from its observance. If God ates te Moter of arlots if se is also te moter of te abominations of te eart - and tis crowd is all in favor of celebrating Cristmas, does tat not speak volumes to te issue as to weter or not God s cildren ougt to be involved in tat mess? 1 Jon 2:15 is clear: Love not te world, neiter te tings tat are in te world. If any man love te world, te love of te Fater is not in im. Every informed tinking person admits tat Cristmas is not of God, but rater tat it is of te world. Does not tis last quoted verse speak to te issue at and? Te world loves te arlot and er Cristmas. We live in a time wen te one wo eads up te arlot-system papa - comes to town and everyone ruses to be identified wit im. Is tis not compromise also? Is not Cristmas observance partaking of te sins of te arlot? Is te observance of Cristmas not compromise? Did not our Lord Jesus condemn compromise in te curc of te Laodiceans saying, So ten because tou art lukewarm, and neiter cold nor ot, I will spue tee out of my mout (Rev. 3:16)? Te results of compromise are enduring and are evil. Te world, your family, and above all, God sees compromise. We cannot elp but believe tat te observance of pagan Cristmas rigt alongside te arlot and er daugters identifies all participants togeter. It is joining wit false religion in observance of a false celebration of lies and paganism tat brings no glory to God. It only tickles te fles for a brief time and does no lasting good for anyone involved. It certainly does not glorify Crist, for acceptable worsip must be a spiritual (not flesly as is Cristmas) and according to trut (wic Cristmas is not). Remember te Lord Jesus said, But te our comet, and now is, wen te true worsippers sall worsip te Fater in spirit and in trut: for te Fater seeket suc to worsip im, (Jon 4:23). Let us live so tat we are separate from te arlot and er daugters lest we be partakers of er sins. CALLING ON TE NAME OF TE LORD Te Bible says, For wosoever sall call upon te name of te Lord sall be saved (Rom. 10:13). We believe tat. But in a mistaken zeal to get sinners to bring about teir own new birt, people ave been told tat all tey need do is pray a one-time prayer. Supposedly tis will result in teir new birt. We reject te idea tat tere is someting tat a lost sinner can do to bring about is own spiritual birt. Wy? Because te Bible nowere tells us wat a sinner can do to cause God to birt im into is family. Searc God s Book! You will not find instructions anywere in te Bible telling you wat to do in order to be born again! Wy? Because te new birt is not brougt to pass by uman action. If going forward in a religious service and praying a one-time prayer asking for salvation constitutes calling on te name of te Lord, everyone wo ever prayed suc a prayer is saved. It must be so. God said tose wo call upon im will be saved. If praying te sinner s prayer is wat e meant in Romans 10:13, everyone wo ever prayed suc a prayer is saved. Are you ready to say tat? Are you really ready to claim tat everybody wo ever went forward in a curc service and repeated a prayer for salvation is truly saved? Were are tey all? Some wo prayed suc prayers can be found in bars, drug dens, ouses of prostitution, etc. Oters are corrupt business men, politicians, murderers and tieves of various sorts. Some are apostates and eretics of te worst sort: temselves deceived and deceiving oters. onesty demands tat everyone admit tis: not everyone wo ever went forward and prayed in a curc ouse is saved. So is God a liar? Or ave religious people equated praying a one-time sinner s prayer wit calling on te name of te Lord wen tey are not te same ting? Paul wrote: Flee also youtful lusts: but follow rigteousness, fait, carity, peace, wit tem tat call on te Lord out of a pure eart (II Tim. 2:22). A! ere is te answer! Tere is always a first time wen born again sinners call upon te Lord, but suc as are saved continue to call upon im. It is not a one-time ting! Notice in tis last verse it says wit tem tat call - tey continue to call! It does not say tey called one time once upon a time. Tere is te first time a sinner repents, but it is only te beginning of a lifetime of repenting of calling on te Lord. Wen te Spirit of God birts a sinner into God s family tus giving tem a pure eart tey begin a life-time of calling upon te Lord! Tat is te trut of te matter. Being confident of tis very ting, tat e wic at begun a good work in you will perform it until te day of Jesus Crist (Pil. 1:6). I AM AFRAID OF YOU Paul wrote tese words to te members of te curces in te region of Galatia: I am afraid of you, lest I ave bestowed upon you labour in vain (Gal. 4:11). Wy did e write suc a ting? Te verses before tis one tell us wy Paul wrote as e did. Tose verses say: But now, after tat ye ave known God, or rater are known of God, ow turn ye again to te weak and beggarly elements, wereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and monts, and times, and years (Gal. 4:9-10). Wat was Paul writing about? Many of te curc members in Galatia ad formerly been of te Jewis fait. Tis involved te observance of all kinds of laws regarding teir diet, temple rituals, priests, sacrifices and te observances of oly Days. Paul (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 21) ad come to tem and preaced salvation by grace in teir region. Many ad believed and been converted. After Paul left tere, certain men came from Jerusalem and taugt tem tat in order to stay saved tey ad to keep te Old Testament Jewis law. Paul opposed tis as being contrary to te new covenant contrary to salvation by grace. e called going back under te law bondage. So e wrote to tem a letter, being unable to visit tem. Furter along e wrote: My little cildren, of wom I travail in birt again until Crist be formed in you, I desire to be present wit you now, and to cange my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye tat desire to be under te law, do ye not ear te law (Gal. 4:19-21)? Next e goes on to explain an allegory wic pictures te law being cast out. Ten in 5:1 e wrote: Stand fast terefore in te liberty werewit Crist at made us free, and be not entangled again wit te yoke of bondage. Tis last verse means tat tose wo ave been born from above by te oly Spirit are free from te yoke of bondage: free from te Old Testament law. Law-keeping as no part in te Biblical Cristian life! Desiring to go back under te law was wat caused Paul to write, I am afraid of you... Te root of lawkeeping is works for salvation. Most people ope eiter to be saved by someting tey do or to be kept saved by wat tey do. Paul said tat is not te case at all. e wrote: 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. For we are is workmansip, created in Crist Jesus unto good works, wic God at before ordained tat we sould walk in tem (Ep. 2:8-10). Good works are to follow te new birt, but works are not te cause of any part of salvation. Salvation is by grace: by te undeserved favor of God toward sinners. SOURED MILK AND TAINTED MEAT Te Bible speaks of preacing te Bible as being milk and meat. Peter told believers: As newborn babes, desire te sincere milk of te word, tat ye may grow tereby (I Peter 2:2). Paul wrote to te carnal baby Cristians in Corint saying: I ave fed you wit milk, and not wit meat: for iterto ye were not able to bear it, neiter yet now are ye able (I Cor. 3:2). But wat if spiritual babes are fed spoiled milk? And wat if more mature believers are fed tainted meat? Just as spoiled milk and tainted meat bring sickness in te natural realm, so it is in te spiritual realm. Tose wo teac, preac, write, etc. must be careful to teac wat te Bible teaces no more and no less. Tey must not just select proof texts distorted verses to try and prove teir preconceived ideas. In fact, tose wo are masters or teacers of te Bible will be judged more severely tan teir earers. We know tis because James wrote: My bretren, be not many masters, knowing tat we sall receive te greater condemnation (James 3:1). About oter teacers and wat tey were doing to Paul s writings, Peter wrote: As also in all is [Paul s] epistles, speaking in tem of tese tings; in wic are some tings ard to be understood, wic tey tat are unlearned and unstable wrest, as tey do also te oter scriptures, unto teir own destruction (II Peter 3:16). Wresting or twisting out of sape te Scriptures not only arms te earers, but also tose wo torture te Word of God. Consider tese two tings (1) te more severe judgment of tose wo teac and (2) te ruin brougt by twisting te Scriptures tat comes upon te teacers temselves as well as teir earers. Some teacers are...deceiving, and being deceived (II Tim. 3:13). Only tose regenerated by te sovereign work of te oly Spirit are able to understand te Scriptures rigtly i.e., in a spiritually profitable way. We know tis because Paul wrote: Now we ave received, not te spirit of te world, but te spirit wic is of God; tat we migt know te tings tat are freely given to us of God. Wic tings also we speak, not in te words wic man s wisdom teacet, but wic te oly Gost teacet; comparing spiritual tings wit spiritual. But te natural man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, because tey are spiritually discerned (I Cor. 2:12-14). Just being baptized, praying a onetime prayer for salvation, making a decision for Crist, going to seminary, etc., will not do. To understand te Bible, te teacer and te earer must ave been regenerated. Te oly Spirit must ave birted te spiritually dead sinner into God s family by is presence. Apart from tat te Word of God is foolisness and non-understandable to te natural or unregenerate man.... Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). LOOKING AT PEOPLE AS JESUS DID Te Bible teaces us tat we sould follow te examples set before us by te Lord Jesus Crist. Following is example will not save us, but it will produce good works in us. Speaking of tose wo profess salvation, Jon wrote, e tat sait e abidet in im ougt imself also so to walk, even as e walked (I Jon 2:6). So ow did Jesus walk - ow did e look upon te people round about im? We are told tis: And Jesus, wen e came out, saw muc people, and was moved wit compassion toward tem, because tey were as seep not aving a seperd: and e began to teac tem many tings (Mark 6:34). People wo ave been regenerated and wo understand te Bible s teacings ougt to look wit compassion upon tose folk around us wo as yet are unregenerate. Wile te Lord Jesus openly rebuked te religious false teacers te Parisees and Sadducees of is day e always exibited tender mercy and compassion upon ordinary folk. Te Parisees and Sadducees were religious crooks and ypocrites. Jon te Baptist openly called tem a generation of vipers and Jesus called tem ypocrites to teir faces, (see Luke 3:7; Mattew 15:7; 22:18, etc.). But te Lord Jesus set te example for us: we ougt to look upon ordinary folk wit compassion and understanding. If we know Bible trut wic oters do not know we are debtors to tem. We ave a responsibility to tell tem wat te Bible says. Paul was suc a debtor and wrote about is debt in Romans 1:14-15 were e said: I am debtor bot to te Greeks, (Continued on page 23)

23 November 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 22) and to te Barbarians; bot to te wise, and to te unwise. So, as muc as in me is, I am ready to preac te gospel to you tat are at Rome also. It matters not te etnicity, educational level, religious background or watever. If you and I understand ow God saves sinners, we ave a debt to sare te Gospel wit all tose around us. It was patient teacing tat te people needed in Jesus day. And so e began to meet tat need: e began to teac tem many tings. Teacers wose confidence is in supposed uman ability teacers wo deny total depravity and total uman ability ave filled te land wit teacings tat bolster sinner s confidence in temselves. So muc so tat most people tink tat tey can be saved anytime tey want to by simply praying a little prayer. Or tey tink by teir baptism and oter ritualistic observances tey can earn favor wit God and be saved because of teir works. But tose wo understand te Bible know tat salvation comes to Crist s lost seep by grace alone. It comes apart from anyting done or attempted by te lost person. Will you look at people as Jesus did and do for tem wat e did? Will you sare your knowledge of te Gospel wit tem? CRAZY TALK Lord I love you. If you send me to ell, I ll tell everybody tere tat you are just and fair and I ll still love you. Tese are te words of a young man brougt to see is utter elplessness. e ad come to see tat if God did not look upon im wit undeserved favor e would receive te just reward for is deeds. e deeply felt imself to be a sinner. God ad regenerated im and enabled im to profitably understand te Word of God. e knew tat God ad purposed te salvation of is cosen people from before te foundation of te world. And, not knowing is election, all e could do is cast imself umbly upon te Lord. e knew tat e deserved te lake of fire. Only later did tis young man realize tat unregenerate people lost people do not willingly take teir place as a sinner before God. And so e later looked back upon is words as being crazy for all te wile e was saying tem, e was speaking as one wo ad been sown is sins and was trusting Crist as is only ope. Do lost sinners see temselves as sinners? O, tey will generally admit to being sinners, but tey do not feel teir sin. Teir admission is mental only. God does not operate only upon men s minds, but deeper upon teir earts. Wenever God calls a sinner to imself it is like tis: A new eart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put witin you: and I will take away te stony eart out of your fles, and I will give you an eart of fles (Ezek. 36:26). And tat new eart and new spirit wic God puts witin te sinner is a eart tat is after God. Wereas of lost sinners te Bible says, Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:11), of tose born of te Spirit, te Bible says, Te eyes of your understanding being enligtened... (Ep. 1:18). After God regenerates te spiritually dead sinner e begins to seek God because God as enligtened is understanding and is drawing im. On te oter and, lost people are described as aving te understanding darkened, being alienated from te life of God troug te ignorance tat is in tem, because of te blindness of teir eart (Ep. 4:18). So it is tat te natural man te person wo only as wat tey were born wit naturally an old stony eart - continue unconcernedly in pursuit of natural pleasures watever tickles teir fancy. Te Psalm writer said,...i am sut up, and I cannot come fort (Ps. 88:8). Every sinner wom te Lord saves is sut up as calves are kept up in a stall. God works in teir minds and earts. Tey are confronted wit teir sins. Again te Psalmist wrote, Against tee, tee only, ave I sinned... (Ps. 51:4). as God sown you tat your sin was primarily against im? Are you sut up? UMAN GOODNESS Wile tere is uman goodness in people, te Bible and our own experience tell us tat tere is also muc evil. So te question is tis: just ow bad off are we umans? From God s Word we learn tat all ave sinned, and come sort of te glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We are also assured tat Tere is none rigteous, no, not one (Rom. 3:10). Te propet wrote:...we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags.. (Isa. 64:6). Even te good tat we umans sometimes do is often tinged wit wrong motives: motives of selfisness, desire for recognition, etc. Tis world would be an intolerable place if everyone was as bad as tey could be. Tat is not te problem. Te problem is tis: eac one of us apart from te new birt is as bad off as (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $7, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Calvary B. C., Everson, WA TOTAL...8, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Program Production TOTAL EXPENDITURES , Interest ENDING BALANCE... $7, BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance...$ RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Emmanuel B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. C. Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Winston-Salem, 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 Micael Wilson, Williamsburg, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumersville, AR Providence S. G. B. C., Tupelo, MS Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Sovereign Grace B. C., Nortport, AL Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous... 1, Dividing cecks Sub Total... $3, TOTAL... $4, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Dividing cecks Bank Carge Mistake on August FICA Total Expenditures... $3, ENDING BALANCE... $526.57

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2015 ANNOUNCEMENTS Te Grace Baptist Curc and Pastor Andy Proctor of Rural all, NC is offering Bible Studies, weekday services or Sunday Late Afternoon or Evening Services, or open air services to any wo receive tis paper tat are witin an approximate 100 mile radius of te Winston-Salem, NC area. Tis is an outreac effort to elp curces, missions, families witout pastors, or witout a sound curc nearby, or oter outreac / evangelistic needs. If you are interested or ave questions, please contact Pastor Proctor on is cell pone at (352) A new mission work as begun. Te Providence Baptist Curc located at 1115 Jones Mill Road, Cartersville, GA 30120, is an outreac of te Tibet Baptist Curc of Ludowici, GA. Service times are Sunday Scool at 9:45 a.m., Morning Worsip at 10:45 a.m., and Evening Worsip at 5:00 p.m. For more information please contact Bro. Bruce Allen (502) , providencebc30120@gmail.com or on Facebook under Providence Baptist. Te Windsor Baptist Curc of Windsor, IL is seeking a qualified candidate for pastor. Tey are small in number but ric in trut. Candidate sould meet te qualification in I Timoty 3. For more information please contact Broter Jon Gregory at (217) or windsorbaptist.grace@gmail. com. Te Fait Missionary Baptist Curc of Cobbitty, Sout Wales, Australia is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact David Jackson at 4 Station Street, Tirlmere, NSW 2572, Australia or sellie45@bigpond.com.au. Te Victory Baptist Curc of Cealis, Wasington is in need of a pastor. Any interested broter may call Gerry Greisen at (360) , or Mark Fenison at (360) Te Grace Missionary Baptist Curc of Marion, IL is in need of a replacement pastor. Elder Raymond T. Ellis is te current pastor, but due to is age, is needing to resign. Te curc believes and preaces te doctrines of grace and te local curc. Any interested Elder may contact Elder Ellis at (618) or Bro. Gary Ratley at (618) Te Twinbrook ills Baptist Curc of amilton, O is prayerfully seeking a pastor. Organized in 1938, te curc olds to istoric Baptist truts, including te Doctrines of Grace. Please visit te curc s website at ttp://twinbrook.net to view te Curc Constitution and oter items tat describe our beliefs and sow wat te curc is doing Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 23) ARTICLE INDEX today. Please contact Bro. Cris Willis at Eloimfirst@gmail.com for more information. Any curc tat is witout a pastor, please feel free to send your information in regards to te pastoral position for publication in tese announcements. We also welcome any upcoming meeting or conference announcements. we could be. Wy? Because eac cild of Adam was born spiritually dead. Wen God tested Adam wit te forbidden fruit e told im,...in te day tat tou eatest tereof tou salt surely die (Gen. 2:17). Adam did not die pysically tat day, but e did die spiritually tat day. Because of tis all is offspring were born alive pysically, but dead spiritually. Paul verified tis to be true wen e wrote to Cristians telling tem wat God ad done for tem. e wrote: Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ep. 2:5). Being born dead in sins means eac individual is born as bad off as tey could be. Pysically dead persons can do A Pastor to is Curc by James Smit... p. 1 Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 17 Calvinism, Arminianism, and te.. by Roy Mason... p. 9 Cristian! Do Not Bow Down! by Roger Reed...p. 18 Te Eternity of Jesus Crist by Milburn Cockrell... p. 10 Forum... pp Te Journey Is Too Great by Paul Stepp... p. 1 Our Ineritance and te End of Apostacy by E. G. Cook... p. 1 Tattoos and te Bible by Mattew Stepp... p. 1 Te Sort Pews... p. 20 noting pysically. Spiritually dead persons can do noting spiritually. Tat is te meaning of being dead: te absence of life and all it entails. Te Lord Jesus Crist said,...i am come tat tey migt ave life, and tat tey migt ave it more abundantly (Jon 10:10). Te idea beind life more abundantly is not related to ealt and wealt, but to spiritual life rater tan spiritual deat. Of course spiritually dead people do not know tey are spiritually dead. Tey ave no basis of comparison aving never experienced spiritual life. So it may be tat some wo see tis article will say tat tey are not dead. ow can tey know, aving never experienced life? And so it is tat te Bible means noting to many. Tey will not believe it because it is foolisness to tem and because tey cannot tey absolutely cannot understand it wit profitability. Te Bible specifically states tese two reasons in I Corintians 2:14: But te natural man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, because tey are spiritually discerned. Te greatest religious teacer in Israel, Nicodemus, did not understand about spiritual life. Neverteless, te Lord Jesus said to im, Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). Sela tink about it!

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