A Hiding Place for Sinners

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1 By Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia Cristians and Lawsuits Tere is likely one of two reasons for a person (or Cristian) to sue anoter individual. Te first is for justice, te second reason is vengeance. Te former one can be okay in certain scenarios, te second is not. Sela! Tink about it! For an easy starter point, if someone murders a family member, we certainly will (and do) press carges. Not only is it rigt and proper rigteous indignation, but also it is Biblical (Continued on page 3) Spiritual Babies Wo Remain Just Babies And I, bretren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Crist (I Cor. 3:1). In verse 14 of te preceding capter te apostle distinguises between te natural man and te spiritual. In tis verse e distinguises between spiritual and carnal. In te preceding capter e says tat te natural A iding Place for Sinners By Lucien J. LeSage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana Wy would anyone need a iding place someone may ask? Well tere is coming a day wen...te kings of te eart, and te great men, and te ric men, and te cief captains, and te migty men, and every bondman, and every free man... will be frantically looking for a place to ide. ow do I know tat? Because te Book of Revelation tells us so. Listen to te words of te propecy. And I beeld wen e ad opened te sixt man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, for tey are spiritually discerned. And ten e adds, But e tat is spiritual judget all tings. Wen te apostle speaks about te natural man, e as in mind te unconverted man, te man of (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 5) By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia Fellowsip By Jon R. Gilpin ( ) Ten tey tat gladly received is word were baptized: and te same day tere were added to tem about tree tousand souls. And tey continued steadfastly in te apostles doctrine and fellowsip, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers (Acts 2:41-42). Te only perfect fellowsip te world as ever known was tat wic existed in te Garden of Eden. Tis perfect fellowsip was broken by te entrance of sin. Wen you see Adam and Eve iding from te voice of God, (Continued on page 8) Wat Is of Greatest Value to You? Tus sait te LORD, Let not te wise man glory in is wisdom, neiter let te migty man glory in is migt, let not te ric man glory in is rices: But let im tat gloriet glory in tis, tat e understandet and knowet me, tat I am te LORD wic exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and rigteousness, in te eart: for in tese tings I deligt, sait te LORD (Jer. 9:23-24). I want to use our text passage to set a distinction between te men and women wo love te Lord, and te men and women wo love only te world. I want to use our text passage to remind you and me of te treasures of eaven as opposed to te treasures of tis world. opefully, tose of us wo are saved, will be renewed in our love and dedication to te Lord God of eaven and Eart, and te Son of God Wo is te Saviour of men. Is tere anyting or anyone else wo can compare to te value of (Continued on page 11)

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 November 5, 2017 Volume XXXVII, Number 11 Wole Number 460 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 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. Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:30-10:00 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM WPWT, Bristol, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m ,000 AM WPWT, Colonial eigts, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM WPWT, Kingsport, TN...Sunday 1:00-1:30 p.m FM GONE TO SLEEP WAITING ON TE MAIL? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 11/2017 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t fall asleep waiting for te mailman! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. Spiritual Babies (Continued from page 1) te world, te man wo is still in a state of nature. Sometimes we use te word natural in an entirely different manner. We speak of a person as being natural wen e does not assume unnatural airs; wen e is not artificial or affected, does not act differently from wat e is, does not put on, as we often say. In tis sense of te word it is good to be natural. Sinners like to be in te company of unnatural people. Wen te apostle, owever, speaks about te natural man, e as in mind te man wo is in a state of nature, wic is te very opposite of te state of grace. Te natural man is te man wo knows noting of te new birt, never aving experienced tat wonderful cange. Tis natural man may be intelligent and well educated. We find in every locality educated men and women wo are unsaved. Sometimes tey are people of superior culture and refinement, but te tings of God are idden from teir eyes, being foolisness to tem. Tis attitude on teir part is due to te fact tat tey lack spiritual discernment; tey are spiritually blind toug intellectually wide awake. Te story is told concerning a prime minister of England tat e was invited to ear a distinguised preacer, wo at te time was being widely used of God for te conversion of men. It is said tat on tat occasion te preacer was at is best and te Gospel was preaced in demonstration of te Spirit and in power. On leaving te meeting te prime minister was asked ow te meeting impressed im, and is reply was: To tell you te trut, I gave te man my most careful attention from start to finis, but I was wolly unable to understand wat te man was talking about. ere was a man wit a great mind, able to deal wit complex political problems, but wolly unable to receive te plain and simple teacings of te Cross. Tis proves te trut of wat te apostle says: Te natural man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, for tey are spiritually discerned. If we ave tis distinction between natural and spiritual clearly in mind, we are ready to consider a second distinction. It is te distinction we find in our text between carnal and spiritual. Tis distinction is not between Cristians and non-cristians, but between two classes of Cristians, one of wic is carnal and te oter spiritual, Carnal means flesly, and fles in te apostle s writings refers to sinful uman nature. Wat te apostle wises to say is tat, toug many Cristians are true Cristians, born again of te Spirit, still tey are so muc under te influence of te fles tat tey appear to be more carnal tan spiritual. Wen te apostle in te preceding capter distinguises between Cristians and non- Cristians, e says tat every Cristian is spiritual as opposed to natural. But wen in tis capter e compares one class of Cristians wit anoter, e says tat one class is spiritual and te oter carnal. Carnal Cristians are tose wo, toug tey are Cristians, do not appear to be different from te ungodly. Tat te apostle is speaking of Cristians wen e refers to tose wo are carnal is clear from te fact tat e also calls tem babes (Continued on page 3)

3 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Spiritual Babies (Continued from page 2) in Crist. I says Paul, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Crist. It is quite impossible to ave a babe witout aving a birt. A babe implies a birt, and a babe in Crist implies a new birt. If a person as received te new birt, e is saved and an eir of eaven. But if a saved person is still in is babyood, e is not well developed. No one wants a baby to remain a baby. We want our infants to grow, and we worry if tey do not. Tey must learn to smile and walk and talk and play. Continued babyood is neiter normal nor desirable. Spiritually, owever, some Cristians remain babies. Tey never mature. Tey lack growt and development. Paul was concerned about tat in connection wit te Corintians. e felt tat tey were remaining too long in te state of babyood. Tat is wy e complains in te text as e does, saying tat e could not speak to tem as to spiritual but as to carnal, as to babes in Crist. ad tey been less carnal and more spiritual, e could ave spoken to tem in a different way. As e says in te following verses: 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. For ye are yet carnal. Ten to prove tat tey were carnal and not spiritual, e tells tem about te jealousy and party strife wic existed in te Corintian Curc. One said, I am of Paul, anoter, I am of Apollos, a tird, I am of Cepas, and a fourt, I am of Crist. Contention and strife among Cristians prove tat tey ave not advanced far beyond spiritual babyood. Let me mention a few caracteristics of spiritual babyood. First, lack of knowledge. Tere is muc for babies to learn. If a baby s mind did not develop wit its body, we would become worried. Tere are Cristians wo never develop; tey experience no growt in knowledge. Te only tings tey can grasp are te simple, elementary tings. Tey want te plain Gospel, tey say, and practical preacing. Deep preacing, preacing on te great fundamental doctrines of Cristianity, is beyond teir infantile minds. If you will read furter into te capter you will find tat oter marks of spiritual babyood are envying, strife and divisions. If in our omes we are continually wrangling, tis is an evidence of a low state of spirituality. Quarrelsomeness is te caracteristic of many, but a good Cristian is not quarrelsome or unforgiving. In our curces tere are many wo live in a state of enmity wit oters and refuse to seek or accept reconciliation, but certainly suc an attitude is not a mark of ig spiritual development. Babies cry a good deal, especially wen tey do not get teir own way. Some people in our curces are constantly complaining, particularly wen tings do not please tem. Tey oftentimes tink tat tey are even superior to oters, especially in knowledge. Tey seem to tink tat tey ave a corner on proper Bible interpretation, wereas tey often display abysmal ignorance. Let us outgrow our cildren-clotes! (Te Banner via TBE, July, 1946) Cristians and (Continued from page 1) and will properly keep tat murderer off te streets (forever by deat penalty/for lifetime in some oter cases) and just as importantly, keep im or er from murdering more innocent persons down te line. Tat is Bible, and we ave a Tus sait te Lord for it in Exodus 21:12-19, e tat smitet a man, so tat e die, sall be surely put to deat. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver im into is and; ten I will appoint tee a place witer e sall flee. But if a man come presumptuously upon is neigbour, to slay im wit guile; tou salt take im from mine altar, tat e may die. And e tat smitet is fater, or is moter, sall be surely put to deat. And e tat stealet a man, and sellet im, or if e be found in is and, e sall surely be put to deat. And e tat curset is fater, or is moter, sall surely be put to deat. And if men strive togeter, and one smite anoter wit a stone, or wit is fist, and e die not, but keepet is bed: If e rise again, and walk abroad upon is staff, ten sall e tat smote im be quit: only e sall pay for te loss of is time, and sall cause im to be torougly ealed. A succinct summation of justice and te unequivocal recognition for going before te judges of te land for restitution, justice and rigteousness is found in Exodus 21:24-25, Eye for eye, toot for toot, and for and, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Lots of common sense justice in te Old Testament. Life for life, eye for eye, etc, but also, te compensation for lost time due to malicious injuries, etc, are covered, even to te point of requiring caution tape around oles or eigts tat we expose oters to. Wen tou buildest a new ouse, ten tou salt make a battlement for ty roof, tat tou bring not blood upon tine ouse, if any man fall from tence (Deut. 22:8). Justice is someting tat everybody sould desire; te Cristian more tan any. Criminal carges against (even) oter Cristians sould be prosecuted to te fullest extent of te law, barring some providential circumstances, revelations, and/ or te necessary exibition of God s grace. Tat would be our second point on justice. As we move into te New Testament teacings of Crist and necessarily te Baptist curces, we see anoter side of tis truly equitable justice. Peraps, even, as Crist reveals is truts to us, we see more tan just a ledger of justice, but also a ministry of grace. Ye ave eard tat it at been said, An eye for an eye, and a toot for a toot: But I say unto you, Tat ye resist not evil: but wosoever sall smite tee on ty rigt ceek, turn to im te oter also. And if any man will sue tee at te law, and take away ty coat, let im ave ty cloke also. And wosoever sall compel tee to go a mile, go wit im twain. Give to im tat asket tee, and from im tat would borrow of tee turn not tou away. Ye ave eard tat it at been said, Tou salt love ty neigbour, and ate tine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless tem tat curse you, do good to tem tat ate you, and pray for tem (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Cristians and (Continued from page 3) wic despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matt. 5:38-44). Now, tis seems on te surface, to be an outrigt rebuttal of Old Testament justice and te lawful recovery of injury, indignity or personal possessions, even. Te lawsuits of te land are even mentioned in tis passage, as someting to be avoided, even wen justice is at stake. If a man sue you and take your coat, let im ave ty cloke also. Sela! Tink about it! So wat is te difference? No problemo! Jesus Crist explains it in te next few verses. Tat ye may be te cildren of your Fater wic is in eaven: for e maket is sun to rise on te evil and on te good, and sendet rain on te just and on te unjust. For if ye love tem wic love you, wat reward ave ye? do not even te publicans te same? And if ye salute your bretren only, wat do ye more tan oters? do not even te publicans so? Be ye terefore perfect, even as your Fater wic is in eaven is perfect (Matt. 5:45-48). Te purpose of justice is equity. Te manifestation of grace as noting to do wit equity. All ave sinned; NONE deserve mercy. Equitable justice would condemn us all. Because of te grace of Crist and te sed blood of our Saviour, we do not get our just desserts. We receive perfect grace at te and of God. As tis passage points out, we are now, te cildren of God. Wit not te rices or pleasures or even te so-called necessities of life being paramount in our priorities any longer, we are carged wit manifesting te perfect grace of God to oters, by our actions. If we, wo ave been saved by te grace of God from a justice we do not desire (ell), ten wy sould we desire tat same justice upon anoter? And wen e ad begun to reckon, one was brougt unto im, wic owed im ten tousand talents. But forasmuc as e ad not to pay, is lord commanded im to be sold, and is wife, and cildren, and all tat e ad, and payment to be made. Te servant terefore fell down, and worsipped im, saying, Lord, ave patience wit me, and I will pay tee all. Ten te lord of tat servant was moved wit compassion, and loosed im, and forgave im te debt. But te same servant went out, and found one of is fellowservants, wic owed im an undred pence: and e laid ands on im, and took im by te troat, saying, Pay me tat tou owest. And is fellowservant fell down at is feet, and besougt im, saying, ave patience wit me, and I will pay tee all. And e would not: but went and cast im into prison, till e sould pay te debt. So wen is fellowservants saw wat was done, tey were very sorry, and came and told unto teir lord all tat was done. Ten is lord, after tat e ad called im, said unto im, O tou wicked servant, I forgave tee all tat debt, because tou desiredst me: Souldest not tou also ave ad compassion on ty fellowservant, even as I ad pity on tee (Matt. 18:24-33)? So do we trow out te Old Testament justice wit te proverbial batwater? Sela! Tink about it! Not at all! Te tenets and cautionary wisdom beind tat perfect law of God is still valuable, bot to te civil servants of te world and te Cristian saints of Jesus Crist. Ten sall tey deliver you up to be afflicted, and sall kill you: and ye sall be ated of all nations for my name s sake (Matt. 24:9). Te distinction made between te Cristians (cildren of God) and te rest of te world is tat we are living for Crist (primarily and joyfully). Many tings will appen adversely to us along te way, specifically because of wo we are; wat we are doing; and ow we are doing it. Satan does not direct is attacks at us, just because we are ric or prosperous Americans. e is not trying to attack Barack Obama s rices or stop Al Gore s prosperity. e is encouraging and enabling tem to grow ricer and use teir affluence to promote te liberal agenda of destruction and carnality. Finally, my bretren, be strong in te Lord, and in te power of is migt. Put on te wole armour of God, tat ye may be able to stand against te wiles of te devil. For we wrestle not against fles and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against te rulers of te darkness of tis world, against spiritual wickedness in ig places (Ep. 6:10-12). Te rule of tumb for Cristians, is basically, if we are attacked, sued, persecuted, etc, for serving te Lord, ten we are to turn te oter ceek. Always and even to te extent of blessedly becoming martyrs for te cause of Crist. Lose your possessions, lose your loved ones, even te cildren tat e as put into your stewardsip, if te cause of Crist demands it. And te men of Israel said, ave ye seen tis man tat is come up? surely to defy Israel is e come up: And David spake to te men tat stood by im, saying, Wat sall be done to te man tat killet tis Pilistine, and taket away te reproac from Israel? for wo is tis uncircumcised Pilistine, tat e sould defy te armies of te living God? And David said, Wat ave I now done? Is tere not a cause (I Sam. 17:25-26, 29)? Tere are many times tat te injustices of tis world will come upon our families and nation tat are not directly related to our Cristian service, but invade into te ordinary life we live, making our pilgrimage troug tis world. If we are robbed by some druggie looking for a fix, or some member of our family is atrociously gunned down wile sopping at te mall or attending a concert, tere is a necessity for justice. Te justice of God requires tat we (as a country, but also as individuals) take tese dangerous people and impose upon tem te penalties of incarceration, remuneration and even to te ultimate deat penalty. Our families and neigboroods must be kept safe. We cannot appreend te murderer, kiss im on te ceek and send im on is wicked way wit instructions to do better. Our responsibility to our fellow citizens requires a rigorous execution of justice wenever any citizen (Cristians, too!) crosses te line between rigt and wrong, weter it is figting in te streets, or forgetting to put up te caution tape around te man-ole in te street. Equitable justice is required for peaceful endeavors (suc as preacing te Gospel). I exort terefore, tat, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of tanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all tat are in autority; tat we may lead a quiet and peaceable life (Continued on page 5)

5 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Te Lord & Evangelism #3 In our evangelistic endeavors, we must follow te pattern of te Scriptures. God as ordained tat is Word play a particular role in evangelism. Peraps tis is wy tere are so many false professions is tat God s Word is not used. As te Lord said,...ye do err, not knowing te scriptures, nor te power of God (Matt. 22:29). Many are void of a fundamental understanding of God s Word and is power. Tus tey err, because tey do not believe tat God s Word and is power alone will accomplis te work of redemption. Let us observe our Lord and Savior. E USED TE SCRIPTURES: Tere is no record of te Lord using anyting but te Scriptures for te work of evangelism. More particularly, Crist declared te gospel for it is...te power of God unto salvation to everyone tat believet... (Rom. 1:16). Te Word of God is te seed tat is to be sown (Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14). From any of our Lord and Savior s sermons it is quite evident tat Crist used te Scriptures and only te Scriptures for te words tat e spoke unto us...are spirit, and tey are life... (Jon 6:63). E USED SCRIPTURE IN SPITE OF IS AUDIENCE: You will notice in te Bible tat te Lord Jesus used Scripture regardless of wo is earers were. Weter it was a mixed multitude (Jews and Gentiles; Believers and infidels; men or women; etc.), te Scriptures are wat were declared. Tere were some wo questioned te autority of te written Word of God; oters wo down rigt refused to recognize te autority of God s Word. Te scribes, Parisees, Sadducees, and te Jews all did not recognize te autority of God s Word. Neverteless, Jesus declared...tus sait te Lord... unto tem! Searc te scriptures; for in tem ye tink ye ave eternal life: and tey are tey wic testify of me (Jon 5:39). You and I will come across folks wo old great contempt for te Lord, is Crist, is Word. Yet, God as given us weapons for tis war fare and tey are...migty troug God to te pulling down of strong olds;) Casting down imaginations, and every ig ting tat exaltet itself against te knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every tougt to te obedience of Crist (II Cor. 10:4-5). We must use te Scriptures and only te Scriptures regardless of wo we are speaking wit. E NEVER DEBATED TE AUTENTICITY OF TE SCRIPTURES: I am sure tat if you ave engaged wit anyone tey will attempt to debunk te Scriptures. Often times asking, Well wat about tese oter religions and teir books? Never did Crist fall into tis trap. Wen upon te work of evangelism and someone wants to callenge us to te validity of te Scriptures, we must feel free to say tat is a fine idea for anoter time. owever, at tis moment, let us continue on te course of te question of your salvation... and continue to declare te gospel unto tem. Cristians and (Continued from page 4) in all godliness and onesty. For tis is good and acceptable in te sigt of God our Saviour; Wo will ave all men to be saved, and to come unto te knowledge of te trut (I Tim. 2:1-4). Te balance between justice and grace is impossible for any but a cild of God to maneuver. Many times te decisions will not be easy, but God will give grace for us to know te times we need to give grace. Tis last passage from te Apostle Paul ranges across tose lines of justice and grace seamlessly. Read it wit our own service in mind, and I pray tat God will bless. Let love be witout dissimulation. Abor tat wic is evil; cleave to tat wic is good. Be kindly affectioned one to anoter wit broterly love; in onour preferring one anoter; Not slotful in business; fervent in spirit; serving te Lord; Rejoicing in ope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to te necessity of saints; given to ospitality. Bless tem wic persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice wit tem tat do rejoice, and weep wit tem tat weep. 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. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide tings onest in te sigt of all men. If it be possible, as muc as liet in you, live peaceably wit all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rater give place unto wrat: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, sait te Lord. Terefore if tine enemy unger, feed im; if e tirst, give im drink: for in so doing tou salt eap coals of fire on is ead. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil wit good (Rom. 12:9-21). Amen! Sela! Tink about it! A iding Place for (Continued from page 1) seal, and, lo, tere was a great eartquake; and te sun became black as sackclot of air, and te moon became as blood; And te stars of eaven fell unto te eart, even as a fig tree castet er untimely figs, wen se is saken of a migty wind. And te eaven departed as a scroll wen it is rolled togeter; and every mountain and island were moved out of teir places. And te kings of te eart, and te great men, and te ric men, and te cief captains, and te migty men, and every bondman, and every free man, id temselves in te dens and in te rocks of te mountains; And said to te mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and ide us from te face of im tat sittet on te trone, and from te wrat of te Lamb: For te great day of is wrat is come; and wo sall be able to stand (Rev. 6:12-17)? So we see tat men in te great day of God s wrat will be looking for a place to ide. And from wat? Well te passage tells us from te FACE of God. Lost men can not stand before God. In fact no man can stand before God in is natural condition. Psalms (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 A iding Place for (Continued from page 5) 130:3 states, If tou, LORD, souldest mark iniquities, O Lord, wo sall stand? Moses Needed A iding Place In Exodus capter 33, wen Moses was speaking wit God e desired to see God s glory. ere is wat we read concerning tat. Moses was a meek man. In fact te Bible tell us Now te man Moses was very meek, above all te men wic were upon te face of te eart (Num. 12:3). Yet as we sall see, Moses could not look upon te face of God. Notice wat te Scripture tells us. And e said, I beseec tee, sew me ty glory. And e said, I will make all my goodness pass before tee, and I will proclaim te name of te LORD before tee; and will be gracious to wom I will be gracious, and will sew mercy on wom I will sew mercy. And e said, Tou canst not see my face: for tere sall no man see me, and live. And te LORD said, Beold, tere is a place by me, and tou salt stand upon a rock: And it sall come to pass, wile my glory passet by, tat I will put tee in a clift of te rock, and will cover tee wit my and wile I pass by: And I will take away mine and, and tou salt see my back parts: but my face sall not be seen (Ex. 33:18-23). Notice tat te Lord told Moses tat e would see all is goodness and mercy and tat te Lord would bestow it sovereignly. Te Lord told Moses tat e could not see is face and tat no man could see is face and live. But tere was a place by te Lord God tat e would place Moses. It was a rock tat Moses would stand upon and tere was a clift in tat rock. Notice carefully tat God imself put Moses in te clift of tat rock. Notice te words, I will put tee in a clift of te rock. Not just any rock but te rock at a place tat was by te Lord. And is cover was te and of te Lord imself. As e said, I will cover tee wit my and. So wat does tis all mean? Well, let me tell you about tat PLACE tat is beside Jeova God, even at is rigt and. About tat ROCK to stand upon and te CLIFT OF TE ROCK. Not an eartly rock, but a eavenly ROCK. A spiritual ROCK. We read of a rock tat te cildren of Israel drank from during teir wilderness journey. It was a pysical rock but it pointed to a spiritual rock. Te Apostle Paul tells us, And did all drink te same spiritual drink: for tey drank of tat SPIRITUAL ROCK tat followed tem: and tat ROCK WAS CRIST (I Cor. 10:4) (emp. LL). We sing a song in many curces tat goes like tis: Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me ide myself in tee; Let te water and te blood, From Ty wounded side wic flowed, Be of sin te double cure, Save from wrat and make me pure. Paul says to te Cristian wo believes on Jesus tat our life is id wit Crist in God (Col. 3:3). Wat a place to be id. Tis is wat te song writer was speaking of. Tat Jesus Crist is te rock and we are id from te coming wrat upon tis eart IN im. It was is blood tat e sed on te cross tat not only saves from wrat but makes te sinner pure wit te rigteousness of Crist. ow is tat possible you migt ask? And wy would I need suc a ting? Te Gospel is good news but only to tose wo see te need. Te Bible plainly states tat all men are sinners. Paul tells us in Romans 3 tat te Jews were no better tan te Gentiles (Rom. 3:9). Tat every man born into tis world is unrigteous in imself. Tat tere is not one rigteous uman being, no not one (Rom. 3:10). Tat none understand or seek after te true God of Scriptures (Rom. 3:11). In fact in verse 12 of te same capter we see tat none even do good, no not one. Tat may seem ard to believe but it is true. Tat wic is not of fait, God given fait, is sin. Many will come to Crist one day and tell im of te great works tey did in is name. but e will say unto tem I never knew you; depart from me, ye tat work iniquity (Matt. 7:23). Te Bad News So all men ave sinned as te Scripture declares, but most men do not see tat as muc of a problem. Tey may even brag about teir sins and teir sins do not make tem uncomfortable. Not now at least. erein lies te problem. Te blindness of teir own earts. Paul wrote of tis wen e said, Tis I say terefore, and testify in te Lord, tat ye encefort walk not as oter Gentiles walk, in te vanity of teir mind, 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: Wo being past feeling ave given temselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness wit greediness (Ep. 4:17-19). Paul gives te reason for tis in an earlier capter in tat same epistle. e even states tat te Cristians in te curc at Epesus were in te same state until God worked in tem. e said to tem, And you at e quickened, wo were dead in trespasses and sins; Werein in time past ye walked according to te course of tis world, according to te prince of te power of te air, te spirit tat now worket in te cildren of disobedience: Among wom also we all ad our conversation in times past in te lusts of our fles, fulfilling te desires of te fles and of te mind; and were by nature te cildren of wrat, even as oters. But God, wo is ric in mercy, for is great love werewit e loved us, Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ep. 2:1-5). Notice e included imself wen e said Among wom also we all. Te Problem Furter Stated Jesus told te religious Parisees But I say unto you, Tat every idle word tat men sall speak, tey sall give account tereof in te day of judgment (Matt. 12:36). e told tis to te most religious men of is day. Rigt before e said tis to tem e called tem a generation of vipers (Matt. 12:34). Tese were men tat toug tey dotted every I and crossed every T were called vipers by our Lord and were as lost as could be. Tey trusted in temselves tat tey were rigteous (Luke 18:9). Te Lord Jesus said tis about rigteousness: For I say unto you, Tat except your rigteousness sall exceed te rigteousness of te scribes and Parisees, ye sall in no case enter into te kingdom of eaven (Matt. 5:20). Tey were te best of teir day and yet it was not good enoug. Would you dare trust tat you are better tan tey were? Men like to compare temselves wit oters, but te Bible tells us tat tis is not a wise (Continued on page 7)

7 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 A iding Place for (Continued from page 6) ting to do. Paul says, For we dare not make ourselves of te number, or compare ourselves wit some tat commend temselves: but tey measuring temselves by temselves, and comparing temselves among temselves, are not wise (II Cor. 10:12). Tere is only one tat you sould compare yourself to and tat is te Lord Jesus Crist. Wen we compare ourselves to im we find ourselves severely wanting. So te problem furter stated is tat we all ave sins tat we will give an account for and te wages of sin is deat. James says tat if you offend te law in one point you ave broken it all. For wosoever sall keep te wole law, and yet offend in one point, e is guilty of all (James 2:10). Wo sall be able to stand? And remember wat te Psalmist said, If tou, LORD, souldest mark iniquities, O Lord, wo sall stand? Te Uncomfortable Day Is Coming Because e at appointed a day, in te wic e will judge te world in rigteousness by tat man wom e at ordained; wereof e at given assurance unto all men, in tat e at raised im from te dead (Acts 17:31). In te Book of Revelation we read tis: And I saw a great wite trone, and im tat sat on it, from wose face te eart and te eaven fled away; and tere was found no place for tem. And I saw te dead, small and great, stand before God; and te books were opened: and anoter book was opened, wic is te book of life: and te dead were judged out of tose tings wic were written in te books, according to teir works. And te sea gave up te dead wic were in it; and deat and ell delivered up te dead wic were in tem: and tey were judged every man according to teir works. And deat and ell were cast into te lake of fire. Tis is te second deat. And wosoever was not found written in te book of life was cast into te lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Psalms 76:7 tells us, Tou, even tou, art to be feared: and wo may stand in ty sigt wen once tou art angry? Te Psalmist again said, ow are tey brougt into desolation, as in a moment! tey are utterly consumed wit terrors (Psa. 73:19). ow can any more be said concerning tat day? And yet tere are multitudes of Scripture verses describing tis awful day tat awaits tose tat do not know Jesus Crist as savior. Tese words are enoug to strike fear into te eart of anyone wo believes te Bible is te Word of God. Wen tat day comes were will sinners ide ten? Eliu gives us te answer. Tere is no darkness, nor sadow of deat, were te workers of iniquity may ide temselves (Job 34:22). In oter words tere is no were to ide wen tat time comes. It will be too late! Te Good News for tose Uncomfortable wit Sin Te fear of te LORD is te beginning of wisdom: and te knowledge of te oly is understanding (Prov. 9:10). Knowledge of te oliness of God is understanding and it is tis sort of fear tat is te beginning of wisdom. It is te fear of te Lord, not fear of punisment only but to fear IM. Wen Isaia te propet beeld im and te serapim cried unto anoter, and said, oly, oly, oly, is te LORD of osts: te wole eart is full of is glory - wat was Isaia s response? Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in te midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes ave seen te King, te LORD of osts (Isa. 6:5). If tat was te response of a propet of God, ow muc more someone wo as never trusted in Jesus Crist for salvation. Te word gospel means good news and tat good news is tat Jesus Crist came into te world to save sinners. Te Apostle Paul stated, Tis is a faitful saying, and worty of all acceptation, tat Crist Jesus came into te world to save sinners; of wom I am cief (I Tim. 1:15). ow did e do tat I migt ask? By substitution! By taking te sins of all wo will ever believe on im upon imself and bearing te full punisment for tose sins in is own body and soul. Isaia te propet is plain about tis wen e declared concerning te coming Messia, Yet it pleased te LORD to bruise im; e at put im to grief: wen tou salt make is soul an offering for sin, e sall see is seed, e sall prolong is days, and te pleasure of te LORD sall prosper in is and. e sall see of te travail of is soul, and sall be satisfied: by is knowledge sall my rigteous servant justify many; for e sall bear teir iniquities (Isa. 53:10-11). Pilip confirms tat Isaia s passage spoke of Jesus Crist in Acts 8: Te Etiopian eunuc was reading tis very passage and asked Pilip wo te propet spoke of. We read, And te eunuc answered Pilip, and said, I pray tee, of wom speaket te propet tis? of imself, or of some oter man? Ten Pilip opened is mout, and began at te same scripture, and preaced unto im Jesus (Acts 8:34-35). Paul in many places in is epistles states te same ting concerning Jesus Crist s deat and resurrection. ere are a few Scriptures tat explain wat Crist did wen e ung on tat tree and resurrected from te grave. For e at made im to be sin for us, wo knew no sin; tat we migt be made te rigteousness of God in im (II Cor. 5:21). So te sins of te us were imputed to Jesus Crist wo knew no sin and yet e stood in te place of sinners bearing teir sins. Peter said, Wo is own self bare our sins in is own body on te tree, tat we, being dead to sins, sould live unto rigteousness: by wose stripes ye were ealed (I Pet. 2:24). Paul said te gospel was te message of...ow tat Crist died for our sins according to te Scriptures; And tat e was buried, and tat e rose again te tird day according to te scriptures (see I Cor. 15:1-4). Paul again said, Crist at redeemed us from te curse of te law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one tat anget on a tree (Gal. 3:13). Concerning Crist s Priestly Work During te Old Testament economy tere was a tabernacle made and witin te second veil a place called te oliest of all. Te Old Testament ig priest would enter tat place once every year. ebrews 9:7 states But into te second went te ig priest alone once every year, not witout blood, wic e offered for imself, and for te errors of te people. But ebrews (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 A iding Place for (Continued from page 7) plainly states all tis was a figure. Notice te apostle s words tat follow. Wic was a figure for te time ten present, in wic were offered bot gifts and sacrifices, tat could not make im tat did te service perfect, as pertaining to te conscience; Wic stood only in meats and drinks, and divers wasings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on tem until te time of reformation. But Crist being come an ig priest of good tings to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made wit ands, tat is to say, not of tis building; Neiter by te blood of goats and calves, but by is own blood e entered in once into te oly place, aving obtained eternal redemption for us (eb. 9:9-12). So, just as Aaron represented te cildren of Israel wen e went into te oly place so Crist does te same for all wo believe on im. And were was tis oly place tat Crist entered into? For Crist is not entered into te oly places made wit ands, wic are te figures of te true; but into eaven itself, now to appear in te presence of God for us (eb. 9:24). Let us add tat e did tis only ONCE. Tere is no need for any repetition. Nor yet tat e sould offer imself often, as te ig priest enteret into te oly place every year wit blood of oters; For ten must e often ave suffered since te foundation of te world: but now once in te end of te world at e appeared to put away sin by te sacrifice of imself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after tis te judgment: So Crist was once offered to bear te sins of many; and unto tem tat look for im sall e appear te second time witout sin unto salvation (eb. 9:25-28). Listen to ebrews 10:10-14, By te wic will we are sanctified troug te offering of te body of Jesus Crist once for all. And every priest standet daily ministering and offering oftentimes te same sacrifices, wic can never take away sins: But tis man, after e ad offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on te rigt and of God; From encefort expecting till is enemies be made is footstool. For by one offering e at perfected for ever tem tat are sanctified. We Are Saved By Fait But Fait as An Object Te Bible clearly says tat salvation is by fait. But fait as an object tat it looks to. Te object of true fait (te fait of God s elect) looks to te work of Crist mentioned above. It is a resting in wat e as done in te place of sinners and not resting in one s own works and own rigteousness or even fait itself. ow can we trust in ourselves wen Isaia said, But we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags (Isa. 64:6)? Dear reader, tere is only one place to flee. Tere is only one object for a sinner to place is fait in. It is te Lord Jesus Crist and is ig priestly work. Te call is for sinners to come to im for salvation. Jon te Baptist told te religious Parisees of is day, O generation of vipers, wo at warned you to flee from te wrat to come? We plead wit sinners to flee unto Crist for selter. Jesus is te selter and iding place from te coming wrat of God. Knowing tis, will bring rest to your troubled soul. Jesus imself said, Come unto me, all ye tat labour and are eavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in eart: and ye sall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is ligt (Matt. 11:28-30). Is tere anyone tat is laboring under te load of teir sins? Is tere anyone eavy laden wit teir sins? Is tere anyone tat sees temselves as te cief of sinners? If so, ten tat is not a natural ting. It is godly sorrow tat worket repentance to salvation as Paul says in II Corintians 7:10. I speak not of worldly sorrow, but godly sorrow. Paul said in tat same verse tat te sorrow of te world worket deat. Do you ave godly sorrow? If so, ten know tat God is dealing wit your soul and flee to Crist and be id IN im. If you ave and tat is your testimony ten know tat ye are complete in im, wic is te ead of all principality and power (Col. 2:10). Fellowsip (Continued from page 1) you ave te symbol of broken fellowsip. Since tat time, te problem of fellowsip as continued. A lack of fellowsip wit God causes sin. A lack of fellowsip wit man causes war, atred, and blood sed. A lack of fellowsip between usband and wife causes marital difficulties, unappy omes, and divorces. Terefore, in view of wat can be caused by a lack of fellowsip, it is imperative tat we study tis question of fellowsip. I Te basis of all fellowsip is given us in our text. We read, Tey continued steadfastly in te apostles doctrine and fellowsip (Acts 2:42). You notice in te ligt of tis text tat te disciples continued bot in te apostles doctrine and fellowsip. In fact, tere could be no fellowsip apart from te apostles doctrine. Terefore, te basis of true fellowsip is a continuance in te doctrines eld by te apostles. Wat a migty revelation tis presents to us. Unless one olds to te doctrines laid down by te apostles, tere can be no abiding fellowsip. Tat is wy it is tat we as Baptists do not enter into any union meeting wit folk of oter denominations. Tat is wy it is tat we do not believe in unionistic evangelistic campaigns. Tat is wy it is tat we just do not believe in any kind of a union program. In suc a union meeting of various denominations, tere are tose wo do not old to te apostles doctrine, and ence tere can be no real fellowsip. To be sure, not all Baptists can ave fellowsip togeter, for tere are lots of so-called Baptists wo are exceedingly loose as to teir doctrinal beliefs. Tey not only fail in following te apostles doctrine, but tey also literally reject muc of te apostles doctrine, and terefore tose of us wo believe in te doctrine of te apostles cannot ave fellowsip wit tem. ow sweet toug is te fellowsip tat does exist between tose wo believe te doctrines laid down by te apostles. I say ten, beloved, tat te only basis of fellowsip is te acceptance of te doctrines given by te apostles. II Te Word of God indicates (Continued on page 9)

9 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 Fellowsip (Continued from page 8) tat tere is some fellowsip wic we are to avoid. Tere is first of all te fellowsip wit te unrigteous. Be ye not unequally yoked togeter wit unbelievers: for wat fellowsip at rigteousness wit unrigteousness? And wat communion at ligt wit darkness (II Cor. 6:14)? Te rigteous cannot ave fellowsip wit te unrigteous and remain in a spiritual condition temselves. Tis ten is one type of fellowsip wic must be avoided. Tis actually means tat te saved sould not enter into any kind of an alliance wit te unsaved. A saved person sould not be a member of any secret order, for by so doing, e is aligned wit tose wo are unrigteous; and terefore, e is participating in a fellowsip wic e ougt to avoid. Tose wo are saved ougt never to marry wit te unsaved, for tis likewise means tat te rigteous are joined wit te unrigteous, wic fellowsip sould be avoided. In business relations tis is likewise true, as well as in social relations. In reality, beloved, regardless of wat pase of life we may be considering, we ougt never, as saved people, make alliances wit unsaved folk. Tis is surely a kind of fellowsip wic we ougt to avoid --- te fellowsip wit te unrigteous. Ten also, we ougt to avoid te fellowsip wit sin of every kind. And ave no fellowsip wit te unfruitful works of darkness (Ep. 5:11). Te works of darkness spoken of, are te sins of te fles. It is true tat tere is a fellowsip wic may be ad tereby, but God tells us tat tis is a fellowsip wic we are to avoid. Not only are we to avoid fellowsip wit te unrigteous and wit te sins of te fles, but we are also to avoid fellowsip wit te eretical and wit all eretics. A man tat is an eretic after te first and second admonition reject; Knowing tat e tat is suc is subverted, and sinnet, being condemned of imself (Titus 3:10-11). But I say, tat te tings wic te Gentiles sacrifice, tey sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not tat ye sould ave fellowsip wit devils (I Cor. 10:20). Te cild of God as no business aving fellowsip or even attempting to ave fellowsip wit any one wo is given over to eresy. If a man is wrong relative to te curc wic Jesus built, or if e is wrong on te plan of salvation, or on te second coming, or on te doctrines of grace, or on any of te teacings of te Word of God, we sould not even attempt to ave fellowsip wit im. I once eard of a man wo was married to two women---one old and te oter young. Te young woman did not like gray air, and every time a gray air appeared in is ead, se would pull it out. Te old woman, because se was gray, did not like black air, and terefore se pulled all te black airs out of is ead. Pretty soon you can imagine wat is ead looked like. Every time you mix up te various denominations and te different preacers in an attempt at any kind of union service, you ave about te same result. One denomination does not like te doctrine of immersion for baptism, and tey pull tis out; anoter does not like te doctrine of salvation by grace, and tey pull tis out; still anoter does not like te security of te saved, and tis great and glorious doctrine is removed. Presently wen all te denominations get troug removing te doctrines wic tey do not like, you would ave a bald-eaded religion to offer te world. Te Apostle Paul warns us tat we are not to ave fellowsip wit eretics wo tus treat te Word of God. III Realizing tat tere is muc fellowsip wic we are to avoid, and tat we are surely to avoid aving fellowsip wit te unrigteous, and wit te sins of te fles, and wit te eretical-- -realizing tis, we come to inquire as to wat fellowsip tere is for us to encourage. First of all, and above everyting else, we ougt to encourage fellowsip wit te Lord Jesus Crist. Listen to tis Scripture: God is faitful, by wom ye were called unto te fellowsip of is Son Jesus Crist our Lord (I Cor. 1:9). Tere is a joy wic comes to eac of us in aving fellowsip wit our loved ones and friends and close acquaintances; yet, beloved, te sweetest fellowsip a believer knows anyting about is te fellowsip e as wit te Lord Jesus Crist. Te poet would indicate tis is true: I met God in te morning Wen my day was at its best, And is presence came like sunrise--- Like a glory in my breast. All day te Presence lingered, All day e stayed wit me, And we sailed in perfect calmness O er a very troubled sea. Oter sips were broken and battered, Oter sips were sore distressed; But te wind tat seemed to drive tem, Brougt to us a peace and rest. Ten I tougt of oter mornings Wit a keen remorse of mind, Wen I, too, ad loosed te moorings Wit te Presence left beind. So I tink I know te secret, Learned from many a troubled way; You must seek im in te morning If you want im trougout te day. A second fellowsip wic we ougt to encourage is tat of fellowsipping in Crist s sufferings. Tis was one ting for wic Paul prayed. ear im: Tat I may know im, and te power of is resurrection, and te fellowsip of is sufferings, being made conformable unto is deat (Pil. 3:10). Te Lord Jesus Crist really suffered. Tere was mental and spiritual suffering as well as te pysical agony. To be sure it was excruciating pysical agony tru wic Jesus passed. Wat agony it must ave been for im in Getsemane to prespire so freely tat great drops of blood escaped troug te pores of is body. See te nails as tey pierced is ands and is feet. Look at is side wic was riven wit a spear, and see te blood and water as it flowed from is wounded eart. Observe is foreead pierced by te torns wic composed is crown rudely pressed upon is brow. Surely wit tese wounds in is ands, is feet, is side, and is ead---surely te pain must ave leaped along te arteries of is body. From Getsemane to Calvary Jesus suffered excruciating pysical agonies. Yet, te pysical suffering of Crist was noting to compare wit te mental anguis troug wic e passed. Paul prayed tat e migt ave fellowsip wit tese sufferings. Tat is, tat e migt be able to understand te sufferings of Crist better. Surely tis ougt (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Fellowsip (Continued from page 9) to be te prayer of every one of us as saved people. We ougt to daily pray tat we too migt ave fellowsip wit Crist in is sufferings---tat we migt be able to realize ow Crist suffered for us. Tis certainly would take te pride out of us; it would make us love te Master more; it would make us to be far greater servants; it would cause us to be far less complaining. Surely if we sould encourage fellowsip wit Crist, we sould likewise encourage fellowsip wit te sufferings of Crist. In te tird place we ougt to encourage fellowsip in regard to missions. I believe in election- --tat God as elected out of te uman family, a certain number to be saved. I am certain tat every one of tem are going to eaven. I also believe tat God as predestinated tat I am to preac te gospel, and tat it is troug te gospel tat all of God s elect sall be saved. In oter words, I believe firmly tat God as cosen men unto salvation, and tat e as also cosen te way wereby salvation is to come to tem, and I am sure tat way is troug te preacing of te gospel of te Son of God. Any effort wic man makes in te preacing of te gospel to te lost, is called missions. It may be district missions, ome missions, state missions, or foreign missions. I believe tat every one of te redeemed ougt to encourage fellowsip in missions. Paul spoke of is own experience, saying tat as e preaced te gospel, e was aving fellowsip wit missions. And to make all men see wat is te fellowsip of te mystery, wic from te beginning of te world at been id in God, wo created all tings by Jesus Crist (Ep. 3:9). e also made a similar reference wen e wrote to te curc at Pilippi. For your fellowsip in te gospel from te first day until now (Pil. 1:5). In like measure wen e wrote to te curces of Galatia e spoke of aving fellowsip in te world wide missionary endeavor. And wen James, Cepas, and Jon, wo seemed to be pillars, perceived te grace tat was given unto me, tey gave to me and Barnabas te rigt ands of fellowsip; tat we sould go unto te eaten, and tey unto te circumcision (Gal. 2:9). ow can we ave fellowsip in missions? Tis migt be possible in several ways. God may call you to go as a missionary, and tus wit your own life, testify and preac te gospel of Jesus Crist. Again, toug you may not go, you may give of your finances tat oters may go. Still again, you may pray for te cause of missionary endeavour. In tese particulars, you can tus ave fellowsip in missions, and surely eac cild of God ougt to covet suc fellowsip. ow can any one claim to be a cild of God wo rejects and ignores suc fellowsip? In te fourt place, we ougt to ave fellowsip wit eac oter. Tis was te burden of te message of te Apostle Jon wen e wrote te first of is epistles. Tat wic we ave seen and eard declare we unto you, tat ye also may ave fellowsip wit us: and truly our fellowsip is wit te Fater, and wit is Son Jesus Crist. But if we walk in te ligt, as e is in te ligt, we ave fellowsip one wit anoter (I Jon 1:3, 7). Curc members ougt to be in fellowsip wit one anoter. I imagine toug today tat I speak to many wo peraps are members one wit anoter of te same curc, and yet peraps do not even speak; or at best, if you speak possibly it is no more tan a mere nod, and tere is no real earty spiritual communion and fellowsip between eac oter. Tis is truly a great problem so far as our curces are concerned- --tis problem of fellowsip between Cristians. Tere are so many different dispositions and too many likes and dislikes of life tat it is truly ard to ave fellowsip wit every one. Yet, it sould be our ideal to be in fellowsip wit all tose wo know te Lord and wo are walking in te ligt of is Word. I tink peraps te sweetest uman experience tat can come to us is tat of conversation and communion wic we ave wen we fellowsip wit tose wo know te Lord and love is Word. I remember some time ago in riding from Ivor to Ricmond, Virginia, along wit two young converts wo are members of te Immanuel Baptist Curc in Ricmond. I ad been olding a meeting at Ivor, and tese two, being close friends, and come from Ricmond, some seventy miles away, to drive me back to town in order tat I migt catc my train tat evening to come ome. Te entire seventy miles journey was given over to conversation relative to te good tings of God. We talked constantly of God s goodness, God s providences, te second coming, and redemption by grace. I do not tink I ever experienced seventy miles of suc sweet fellowsip as on tat journey wit tese dear Cristian friends. You remember, beloved, ow it was wen you went to see your best girl, and you sat down beside er and eld er and and talked to er about tings of mutual interest---you remember ow te time passed by and it ardly seemed like you ad gotten tere until it was time to leave. Well, beloved, tat is te type of experience tat we ougt to ave togeter as cildren of te Lord. In our curc services, in our prayer meetings in our everyday communion wit one anoter, and in our walks of life we ougt to ave just tat kind of fellowsip; and every day ougt to be one glorious appy experience wit tose of our acquaintances wo know te Lord. ow we tank God tat toug tere are fellowsips wic we are to avoid, tere are fellowsips wic we are to encourage and tat among tese, we ougt to encourage fellowsip first of all wit Crist, and ten fellowsip wit te sufferings of Crist, and ten fellowsip wit te missionary program of Crist, as well as fellowsip wit believers in Crist. For nearly fourteen years as pastor of tis one curc, we ave been aving exceedingly sweet fellowsip in our curc. I can never remember te time even wen we ave ad our difficulties, but wat I ave been appy in te fellowsip ere in tis curc. I tank God for te fellowsip I ave wit many wo listen to our broadcasts on Sunday--- fellowsip wit tem by way of correspondence concerning tese broadcasts. And I rejoice because of te fellowsip I ave wit still many oters wo read our weekly paper, and wo are interested in te work we are trying to do and te message tat we preac. I tank God for tis fellowsip, and I pray tat e would grant to us even sweeter fellowsip as te days come and go. (Continued on page 11)

11 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Fellowsip (Continued from page 10) owever, beloved, in order tat you migt ave fellowsip, you must first of all ave relationsip. By tis I mean tat you must be rigtly related to te Lord Jesus Crist, and tat relationsip can only come troug an acceptance of Jesus Crist as your personal Saviour. It is troug redemption and fait wit a definite trust in im tat e becomes your Redeemer. Wit tis in mind, may you now receive im as your Saviour in te ligt of tis closing text of Scripture: Repent, ye, and believe te gospel (Mark 1:10). Wat Is of Greatest (Continued from page 1) suc an One? Is tere anyting or anyone else wo is deserving of our attention or our ig esteem, except te Lord Jesus Crist and our Fater in eaven? As we read our text passage, we find tat tere are several types of persons mentioned. First, te wise are mentioned, and tey rejoice and glory in te wisdom of tis world. Second, te migty man is mentioned, and tey trust and magnify te strengt of men. Tird, te ric are mentioned, and tey are enamored by te rices of tis mortal realm. Tese are all spoken of from te negative perspective te Lord says, Let not te wise man glory in is wisdom; Neiter let te migty man glory in is migt; Let not te ric man glory in is rices. Instead of glorying in te wisdom, te migt, and te rices of tis world, te Lord encourages tese to glory in te fact tat e understandet and knowet me, tat I am te Lord wic exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and rigteousness, in te eart As we study tis passage, I want to ask you (and myself) te question: Wat is of greatest value to you? Are you glorying in te wisdom, migt, and rices of tis world? Or, are you glorying in te simple yet tremendous trut, tat te Lord as made you to know im, and tat you ave a personal knowledge of, and relationsip wit, Jesus Crist? Te world is full of people. In te end, toug, tere are really only two types of people on tis eart: tose wo trust in and glorify te uman and mortal aspects of Creation; and tose wo trust in and glorify te God Wo as made all tat exists, and Wo as bestowed is loving kindness upon us. Wat is of greatest value to you? Or, I migt ask, Wat (or wo) do you trust in? Do you find your greatest pleasures in te tings of tis life? Do you place your trust and your confidence in yourself, oters, or te wisdom, strengt, and rices of tis world? Today, I want to look at wat te Lord ad to say to Juda, troug te propet Jeremia. And, I want to notice ow similar is place and time is to ours. In fact, if you study te book of Jeremia, you will find a city (Jerusalem) and a people (Juda) wo are on te brink of destruction, wic could mostly be attributed to teir sins, and te fact tat tey ad turned away from God; and yet, tey are entirely engrossed in te matters and te pleasures of te fles, and are deliberately ignorant, and purposely self-blinded to te terrible and imminent destruction wic awaits tem. Tere is no ope in te fles or te tings tat te fles values! Our only ope is in te Lord te Lord of loving kindness, judgment, and rigteousness! TE WORLD VALUES WISDOM, STRENGT, AND RICES Worldly Wisdom. As we ave seen from our text passage, te world places a ig value on wisdom. And yet, te wisdom of tis world is not te wisdom of God. Notice in our text tat te wise man glories in is wisdom tis is not te wisdom of te Lord, nor te wisdom of tose wo know te Lord. Is not tis true in our world today? Let no man deceive imself. If any man among you seemet to be wise in tis world, let im become a fool, tat e may be wise. For te wisdom of tis world is foolisness wit God. For it is written, e taket te wise in teir own craftiness. And again, Te Lord knowet te tougts of te wise, tat tey are vain (I Cor. 3:18-20). Tis world is only wise to do evil. For out of te eart proceed evil tougts, murders, adulteries, fornications, tefts, false witness, blaspemies (Matt. 15:19). Wat te world needs is not more wisdom from men, but rater te wisdom and knowledge of God te simple trut of te Gospel of Jesus Crist. For our rejoicing is tis, te testimony of our conscience, tat in simplicity and godly sincerity, not wit flesly wisdom, but by te grace of God, we ave ad our conversation in te world, and more abundantly to youward (II Cor. 1:12). Mortal Strengt. Te world of our day and age just like te people tat Jeremia ministered to is also enamored wit mortal strengt. Tis strengt could be purely pysical notice ow many men and women are sucked into te fitness movement, not out of a sense of ealt and responsible beavior; but out of a desire to accentuate te strengt of teir own bodies. Tis strengt tat te world desires migt also be described as a strengt, or power, in our relationsip wit oters. In oter words, many exalt and glorify tose wo rule, or dominate oters troug teir strengt of will, or troug a domineering and arrogant attitude or demeanor. Tese are te types of persons tat te world looks up to. And yet, tis mortal strengt will never be enoug wen te worst of trials come upon a man. Tere is no king saved by te multitude of an ost: a migty man is not delivered by muc strengt. An orse is a vain ting for safety: neiter sall e deliver any by is great strengt (Ps. 33:16-17). Tere was no mortal strengt tat could save Juda and Jerusalem from Babylon. And tere is no mortal strengt tat can save our Nation from te sin and destruction tat we ave brougt upon our selves. Even less, is tere any strengt or mortal power tat can save any of us wen we stand before our Creator in judgment? We need to remind ourselves (and oters) tat te Lord requires tat we trust in im, and in is mercy not in our own strengt. e deligtet not in te strengt of te orse: e taket not pleasure in te legs of a man. Te LORD taket pleasure in tem tat fear im, in tose tat ope in is mercy (Ps. 147:10-11). Our value and ig esteem sould be on te fear of te Lord, and te ope tat we ave in te fact tat e is merciful, gracious, and kind to is people. Our mortal strengt may be of some value in mere mortal (Continued on page 16)

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. In Luke 8:15 wat does and bring fort fruit wit patience mean? Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Te key word ere in Luke 8:15 tat is asked in tis question is patience. Te word patience means ceerful (or opeful) endurance, constancy; enduring, patient continuance (waiting). It is a call to steadfastness, constancy, endurance. In te New Testament it is te caracteristic of a man wo is not swerved from is deliberate purpose and is loyalty to fait and piety by even te greatest trials and sufferings! Tis person (Cristian) is steadfastly a patient man or woman, sustaining and persevering. In oter words, once we are saved by te grace of God we can present te gospel to oter lost individuals tat need Jesus Crist as teir Saviour. We need to be patient, ceerful (or opeful) tat tey will come to te saving knowledge (fruit) of Jesus Crist. But all we can do is plant te seed in wat we ope is prepared soil by God, water it, and be patient tat God will give te increase. I ave planted, Apollos watered; but God gave te increase (I Cor. 3:6). If te seed falls on stony and unprepared ground tere will be no fruit, as told us in te previous verses We sould not get discouraged, but keep on planting and oping te soil will bring fort good fruit. We may plant a garden and all te seeds may not make it, depending on were te seeds fell. I can till te ground, fertilize, plant te seed, and water, but I can not make it grow; only God can do tat, if it is according to is will and purpose. In te book of Pilippians Paul discuses four tings a Cristian needs in order to ave joy and to be at peace wit our endeavors to sow te seed of te gospel. 1) We need a single mind, 2) We need a submissive mind, 3) We need a spiritual mind, and 4) We need a secure mind. If we truly want to bring fort fruit wit patience we need to cultivate tese four tings in our own lives first. Wat tis means, is we need to put Crist first, oters second, and ourselves last. May God elp us to prepare ourselves to be good sowers of te seed. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Luke 8:14-15 declares: And tat wic fell among torns are tey, wic, wen tey ave eard, go fort, and are coked wit cares and rices and pleasures of tis life, and bring fort no fruit to perfection. But tat on te good ground are tey, wic in an onest and good eart, aving eard te word, keep it, and bring fort fruit wit patience. Tese verses are found in Te Parable of te Sower were Jesus reveals four types of earers represented by a certain type of soil, and teir reception or rejection of te seed sown wic represents te Word of God. Tree out of four earers do not bring fort fruit because tey are unregenerate and incapable of bearing spiritual fruit even toug te pure seed of te Word as been sown. Tey are dead in trespasses and in sins, wolly incapable of producing spiritual affections, desires, or fruit suc as repentance and fait. Lost men, toug responsible to repent and believe, are incapable of doing so because tey ave only a carnal nature tat rejects God and is Word. Romans 8:7-8 confirms wy lost people cannot bring fort spiritual fruit wit patience: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. In anoter place Jesus declared tat te fles profitet noting (Jon 6:63) illustrating wy te natural man wo is blinded and captivated by Satan (II Cor. 4:4; II Tim. 2:26) fails to discern te spiritual glories of te Gospel of grace (I Cor. 2:14). Interestingly enoug, te Parable of te Sower enforces te command to preac te Gospel to every creature, on every type of soil, regardless of te results. All te wile knowing tat statistically an overwelming majority of people we witness too will never be saved and bring fort spiritual fruit. Our responsibility remains te same, to sow te good seed of te Word of God everywere we go on every type of soil. Te one type of earer tat brings fort fruit wit patience is contrasted wit te previous tree earers wo were unfruitful. Te earer tat brings fort fruit is said to be a good ground earer, wo as an onest and good eart. Certainly tis earer is not good, onest, or fruitful by nature because e is in te very same condition as te oter earers. All tat was stated above about te unfruitful earers may also be said about te natural condition of te good ground earer. All men are spiritually dead, ignorant, unfruitful, vile, and sinful due to teir flesly kinsip to Adam: As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God. Tey are all gone out of te way, tey are togeter become unprofitable; tere is none tat dot good, no, not one For all of sinned, and come sort of te glory of God Werefore, as by one man sin entered into te world, and deat by sin; and so deat passed upon all men, for tat all ave sinned (Rom. 3:10-12, 23; 5:12). Te total depravity and inability of te natural man is an indisputable fact of Scripture. So ow can any man be brougt out of spiritual deadness to life, out of ignorance to repentance and fait, out of te darkness of depravity to ligt, out of being unfruitful to bearing fruit? Te answer is simple and profound, yet rejected by a majority of professing Cristendom. Te difference between te unfruitful earers and te fruitful one is te regenerating, life giving power of te oly Spirit in te new birt. According to Jesus te only way an man can see (spiritually discern) and enter into te kingdom of God is to be born of te Spirit (Jon 3:3-5). In te context of Jon 3 (Continued on page 14)

13 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page We see te wicked follow after error, sould we condemn tem in it, or just let tem alone? Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O David and Jeremia bot were affected by te disobedience and ungodliness of te wicked as evidenced by Psalm 119:53 and Jeremia 9:1: orror at taken old upon me because of te wicked tat forsake ty law O tat my ead were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, tat I migt weep day and nigt for te slain of te daugter of my people! Certainly as believers we ougt to be affected, grieved, and concerned about te wicked round about us. It is not in our power to ultimately condemn te wicked for teir ungodliness and cast tem into te Lake of Fire. Only a oly God can exercise tat kind of rigteous judgment and wrat. owever, as believers and followers of te Lord Jesus Crist our testimony of ligt and godliness will serve as a rebuke to teir unrigteousness. I tink tis is wat Paul was illustrating in Epesians 5:1-17. Epesians 5:7-13 declares: Be not ye terefore partakers wit tem. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye ligt in te Lord: walk as cildren of ligt: (For te fruit of te Spirit is in all goodness and rigteousness and trut:) Proving wat is acceptable unto te Lord. And ave no fellowsip wit te unfruitful works of darkness, but rater reprove tem. For it is a same even to speak of tose tings wic are done of tem in secret. But all tings tat are reproved are made manifest by te ligt: for watsoever dot make manifest is ligt. We are responsible to reflect te ligt and glory of Crist in a world filled wit darkness and sin. Yes we are called upon to witness to te ungodly and tis involves reproving teir sin, exorting tem to repent and believe te Gospel. Wen we agree wit te Word of God and call upon men to repent it means we are telling men to ave a cange of mind about teir sinful course of life as rebels against te government of God. Jesus declared tat te message of repentance and fait in te Gospel sould be preaced among all nations: And said unto tem, Tus it is written, and tus it beoved Crist to suffer, and to rise from te dead te tird day: And tat repentance and remission of sins sould be preaced in is name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47). Te early curces definitely carried out tis command as evidenced by teir zealous activity tat is recorded trougout te Book of Acts (2:22-24, 38; 4:10-12; 18:22-28). Tey confronted sinners in teir sins and pointed tem to te only way of salvation. Part of teir message was to expose te darkness of te ungodly wit te ligt of te glorious Gospel of Crist. It is for tis very reason tey were often persecuted, jailed, beaten, and sometimes put to deat. II Timoty 3:12 declares: Yea, and all tat will live godly in Crist Jesus sall suffer persecution. I fear tat many Cristians are so worldly and calloused tey feel little concern for te lost. Oters fear tat folks will not like or accept tem if tey are openly living for Crist and saring te Gospel of is grace. It is a grievous sin to be careless and apatetic about te condition of te wicked. We must be faitful to follow te admonition of Pilippians 2:14-16: Do all tings witout murmurings and disputings: Tat ye may be blameless and armless, te sons of God, witout rebuke, in te midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among wom ye sine as ligts in te world; olding fort te word of life Over and over again, by precept and example, te Word of God furnises us wit admonitions to take te Gospel of grace to sinners were tey are imploring tem to repent and believe. Tere is no doubt tis will involve confronting te ungodly wit teir sin and urging tem to turn from teir wicked ways and trust Crist. TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV American Cristians are accountable for our actions. Personally, collectively and certainly politically. Our vote is one of te most precious privileges tat we ave, but it is also one of our most important responsibilities. Tis Democratic Republic goes te way of te vote. If we, as a people vote for a baby murderer, we ave blood on our ands. If we vote for someone tat promotes and furters te cause of sodomy, we are just as guilty as e is of obamanation, err... abomination. If tou faint in te day of adversity, ty strengt is small. If tou forbear to deliver tem tat are drawn unto deat, and tose tat are ready to be slain; If tou sayest, Beold, we knew it not; dot not e tat ponderet te eart consider it? and e tat keepet ty soul, dot not e know it? and sall not e render to every man according to is works (Pro. 24:10-12)? Tis passage brings out our need to stand up for te babies of America against abortion. As I take in tat exortation from Scripture, I can only practically say tat to figt against abortion, we are going to ave to dismantle te Democratic Party tat is te driving force beind tis monstrous murdering of entire generations. Sela! Tink about it! Certainly, if any person stays witin te Democratic Party after aving knowledge of teir positions on godly moral issues, it is a sin for tem to be affiliated wit te Democrats any longer. Absolutely no excuse! And to vote for a Democrat is a sin tat God will old us accountable on te day of judgment. To quote a deacon ere at Big Creek Baptist: If my best friend was running on te Democratic ticket, I would vote for anybody but im. I agree! It would be a sin to do so. If te spirit of te ruler rise up against tee, leave not ty place; for yielding pacifiet great offences (Eccl. 10:4). Tis is an excellent verse, and one tat (Continued on page 15)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) it is important to note tat you must be born of te Spirit (3:3-8) in order to believe on Crist (3:16). Te Spirit of God must be in you in order to see and believe te glory of te Gospel of Crist for you. It is te sovereign work of te oly Spirit in regeneration, wo prepares te eart to receive te good seed of te Gospel in saving fait. Tere must be spiritual life before te exercise of saving fait as illustrated by te fact tat fait is said to be te fruit of te Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), meaning tat fait is a product of te Spirit s work. All spiritual fruitfulness in a believer, from beginning to end, is traced back to te sovereign work of te oly Spirit in te elect: For it is God tat worket in you bot to will and to do of is good pleasure (Pil. 2:13). Te reason wy te good ground earer received te seed and brougt fort fruit is because te Spirit of God gave spiritual life in regeneration, and immediately enabled te earer to exercise te gifts of repentance and saving fait. I Tessalonians 1:5 states te trut tis way: For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in te oly Gost, and in muc assurance; as ye know wat manner of men we were among you for your sake. Te unfruitful earers in te parable ad te very same seed sown unto tem as te fruitful earer. Te difference is te power of te oly Gost creating spiritual life in te sovereign work of regeneration, tus enabling te sinner to receive te good seed of te Gospel and appropriating it by te gift of saving fait (Ep. 2:8-10). Unlike te ardsell, I believe te Spirit s work of regeneration is always and immediately followed by te exercise of te spiritual gifts of repentance and fait. Tere is a logical order, spiritual life must precede or come before fait, but tere is no measurable time lapse between regeneration and conversion. Anoter ting tat separates te good ground earer from te oter tree is tat e brings fort fruit wit patience. Tis again is not due to any intrinsic superiority in te good ground earer, but rater by te fruitful presence of te oly Spirit wo now indwells te believer. Te Spirit of God begins te work of spiritual fruit bearing in te elect in regeneration and carries it fort in sanctification. Te indwelling of te Spirit sanctifies te trut of Scripture in te eart of te believer and te spiritual product is called te fruit of te Spirit (Gal. 5). Tis spiritual patience is marked by abiding in Crist, walking in im, and obeying is commands. Tis joyful abiding, walking, and fruit bearing can only be done by tose in Crist, empowered by te Spirit. Jon 15:7-11 states: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye sall ask wat ye will, and it sall be done unto you. erein is my Fater glorified, tat ye bear muc fruit; so sall ye be my disciples. As te Fater at loved me, so ave I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye sall abide in my love; even as I ave kept my Fater s commandments, and abide in is love. Tese tings ave I spoken unto you, tat my joy migt remain in you, and tat your joy migt be full. God s elect will inevitably bring fort spiritual fruit due to teir inseparable union to Crist and te indwelling of te oly Spirit. Tis cannot be said of te unregenerate. Tere is a stark contrast between te elect and te reprobate set fort in Romans 2:7-8: To tem wo by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and onour and immortality, eternal life: But unto tem tat are contentious, and do not obey te trut, but obey unrigteousness, indignation and wrat. TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Now te parable is tis: Te seed is te word of God. Tose by te way side are tey tat ear; ten comet te devil, and taket away te word out of teir earts, lest tey sould believe and be saved. Tey on te rock are tey, wic, wen tey ear, receive te word wit joy; and tese ave no root, wic for a wile believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And tat wic fell among torns are tey, wic, wen tey ave eard, go fort, and are coked wit cares and rices and pleasures of tis life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But tat on te good ground are tey, wic in an onest and good eart, aving eard te word, keep it, and bring fort fruit wit patience (Luke 8:11-15). Strong s Dictionary defines patience- ceerful endurance, constantcy. Webster s as: te suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or oter evil, wit a calm, unruffled temper; endurance witout murmuring or fretfulness. Te quality of bearing offenses and injuries witout anger or revenge. Cristian patience is ten te endurance of persecution and afflictions of tis life, giving God te glory. Job summed it up well, But e knowet te way tat I take: wen e at tried me, I sall come fort as gold. My foot at eld is steps, is way ave I kept, and not declined. Neiter ave I gone back from te commandment of is lips; I ave esteemed te words of is mout more tan my necessary food (Job 23:10-12). Sela! Tink about it! And ye sall be betrayed bot by parents, and bretren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you sall tey cause to be put to deat. And ye sall be ated of all men for my name s sake. But tere sall not an air of your ead peris. In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:16-19). Te parallel passage to tis verse on patience is Mattew 24:13, But e tat sall endure unto te end, te same sall be saved. In te Lord s clearest outline on te end times, tis verse declares tat we are patiently enduring until te Rapture ends tis age of te Lord s New Testament Baptist curces. So our text verse does not just mean planting te seed and waiting for te plant to emerge from te ground and grow until we can pick te fruit for our Master. It means, tat we are gonna ave to endure REAL WORK along te way. Te seeds in te torns are te lazy man s patc. Our garden will ONLY ave fruit brougt to perfection, if we patiently endure, faitfully weeding, watering and singing songs of praise. Sela! Tink about it! We cannot ligtly esteem God s goodness and forbearance and (Continued on page 15)

15 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #1 (Continued from page 14) longsuffering in giving us our vineyards to labor in! God, will render to every man according to is deeds: To tem wo by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and onour and immortality, eternal life (Rom. 2:4, 6-7). Tere CERTAINLY is a arvest coming. We need to labour toward tat end. And not only tey, but ourselves also, wic ave te firstfruits of te Spirit, even we ourselves groan witin ourselves, waiting for te adoption, to wit, te redemption of our body. For we are saved by ope: But if we ope for tat we see not, ten do we wit patience wait for it (Rom. 8:23-25). Cast not away terefore your confidence, wic at great recompence of reward. For ye ave need of patience, tat, after ye ave done te will of God, ye migt receive te promise. For yet a little wile, and e tat sall come will come, and will not tarry. Werefore seeing we also are compassed about wit so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weigt, and te sin wic dot so easily beset us, and let us run wit patience te race tat is set before us (eb. 10:35-37, 12:1). My bretren, count it all joy wen ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing tis, tat te trying of your fait worket patience. But let patience ave er perfect work, tat ye may be perfect and entire, wanting noting (James 1:2-4). Sometimes we focus so muc on te seed, tat we forget te REAL fruit is us. Te seed goes to ALL FOUR types of ground, but fruit only comes from te PATIENT ground. ow we patiently endure, labor, and run is wat is really important to our eavenly Fater. Does it cange and transform us? Ten te arvest will be plenteous. Witout fruit, we ave wasted our time. Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) does not give us an out for sticking our ead in te sand. We cannot (scripturally) leave our place of standing for te trut. We must vote, we must witness, and we must stand up against wickedness in ig places! Yielding pacifiet great offences is wat actively voting for an ungodly party is, or in apaty, ignoring te sin of voting for a person in any party tat is ProCoice or for gay rigts (now, tere is an oxymoron! Sould be gay wrongs). Not only do we ave te responsibility to cast judicious votes ourselves, but we also must inform tose round about us about te evils of te Democrat Party and oters. Peraps tis sould be our teme verse. Woso is partner wit a tief atet is own soul: e earet cursing, and bewrayet it not. An unjust man is an abomination to te just: and e tat is uprigt in te way is abomination to te wicked (Pro. 29:24-27). We cannot condone te cursing of God s Word and order. We must be an abomination to te wicked. Wat an encouragement from God s Word. A torn under te saddle of te wicked! It is a sin to be anyting else. Terefore to im tat knowet to do good, and doet it not, to im it is sin (James 4:17). Abortion as been my own personal litmus test on Election Day for decades now. If te candidate is off on tis paramount issue of godliness and te autority of te God of life, ten it does not matter wat good you present to me concerning tis candidate. e/se is off te board, and no way will I vote for suc a person. So, I ave no problem voting straigt party ticket against a particular party. Not actually a lever in te polling boot for tat, but I will never vote for a Democrat again, until tey cange teir party platform to a godly position on abortion and sodomy. But, tis still falls under te category of judging eac candidate on teir own merits. It is eac person s coice to run as a Democrat for Wayne County Seriff ere locally. If tey cannot see te sinful nature of te party for wat it is, and coose to stay in tat party; tey ave just told me everyting I need to know about voting for tem. It would be a sin to vote for im/er, and I will not do it. Tey are furtering te cause of Satan, not God, by perpetuating te name and tereby agenda of te Democratic Party. I ave said tis before, but if every Cristian candidate left te Democratic Party, ten we would ave a cance at saving our beloved America. But if Cristians continue to ide beind pragmatism and temporal goals of te winnability of party membersip in certain Democrat-loaded areas, and explain away teir affiliation wit tis party of obamanation, ten we will continue down te pat of perdition. Sela! Tink about it! It is a sin to promote te members of suc an ungodly party as te Democratic Party as come to be. Te Bible condemns suc unealty alliances in no uncertain terms. And Jeu te son of anani te seer went out to meet im, and said to king Jeosapat, Souldest tou elp te ungodly, and love tem tat ate te LORD? terefore is wrat upon tee from before te LORD (II Cron. 19:2). Werefore come out from among tem, and be ye separate, sait te Lord, and touc not te unclean ting; and I will receive you (II Cor. 6:17). Weter it is speaking of te institutions of family, curc, or nation our job is clear. Stand for te trut and abstain from all appearance of evil (I Tess. 5:22.) Exactly as te Lord will judge te Catolic curc, e will judge te abominations of te Democratic Party. Wat cild of God could rationalize teir staying in suc a wicked organization? Even in union-bound West Virginia, Cristians are finally leaving te Democratic Party and eading Republican or Independent, taking eed to God s admonitions in Revelation 18:4-8, 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. For er sins ave reaced unto eaven, and God at remembered er iniquities. ow muc se (te Democratic Party-tms) at glorified erself, and lived deliciously, so muc torment and sorrow give er: for se sait in er eart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and sall see no sorrow. Terefore sall er plagues come in one day, deat, and mourning, and famine; and se sall be utterly burned wit fire: for strong is te Lord God wo judget er. Do you really want to be a Democrat wen te Lord comes back? Wat same to look into is rigteous eyes and (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Forum #2 (Continued from page 15) try to justify our miserable actions of compromise and treason. Surely, just as Moses abandoned te Democratic Party of Parao s Godless baby-killers to become te intercessor for God s remnant in te Land of Gosen, so we need all godly men to abandon America s Party of Parao (te one tat kills baby boys and girls) and ten God will again bless is people. By fait Moses, wen e was come to years, refused to be called te son of Parao s daugter; Coosing rater to suffer affliction wit te people of God, tan to enjoy te pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming te reproac of Crist greater rices tan te treasures in Egypt: for e ad respect unto te recompence of te reward. By fait e forsook Egypt (te Democrats-tms), not fearing te wrat of te king: for e endured, as seeing im wo is invisible (eb. 11:24-27). May te Lord give us Americans te strengt to condemn wickedness werever we find it, esteeming te reproac of Crist greater rices tan anyting in tis world. 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 know tere are oters, but tese four verses of Scripture come to mind concerning tis question: 1. II Timoty 2:4, No man tat warret entanglet imself wit te affairs of tis life; tat e may please im wo at cosen im to be a soldier. 2. Romans 12:19, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rater give place unto wrat: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, sait te Lord. 3. III Jon 1:11, Beloved, follow not tat wic is evil, but tat wic is good. e tat doet good is of God: but e tat doet evil at not seen God. 4. Jon 3:18, e tat believet on im is not condemned: but e tat believet not is condemned already, because e at not believed in te name of te only begotten Son of God. If we keep in mind te Great Commission in Mattew 28:18-20 and tat our sole responsibility is to present te gospel to te lost and forget te affairs of tis world (II Timoty 2:4), (we sould watc less news) and focus on lost souls. If we do tat, ten we will not ave time to worry about te wicked and teir error, let God deal wit tem. I can ave sympaty wit tis question, and I really get aggravated wit ow te wicked get away wit so muc evil, but I ave to remind myself of Romans 12:19, it is not up to me to condemn tem because God already as if tey are not is (Jon 3:18). We are not to follow after evil, because tey do not know nor ave tey ever seen God (III Jon 1:11). Let us follow after te good. earken to me, ye tat follow after rigteousness, ye tat seek te LORD: look unto te rock wence ye are ewn, and to te ole of te pit wence ye are digged (Isa. 51:1). Let us terefore follow after te tings wic make for peace, and tings werewit one may edify anoter (Rom. 14:19). But tou, O man of God, flee tese tings; and follow after rigteousness, godliness, fait, love, patience, meekness (I Tim. 6:11). Paul said, For I determined not to know any ting among you, save Jesus Crist, and im crucified (I Cor. 2:2). Let us also focus on tat and let tem alone. I am convinced tat te Word of God will condemn te wicked and teir error, so let us do as Pilip did wit te Etiopian eunuc and preac Jesus unto tem. Ten Pilip opened is mout, and began at te same scripture, and preaced unto im Jesus (Acts 8:35). Jesus sould be number one in our lives; our tougts sould be on im continuously, and to tell te world about im. God Bless! ROGER REED Wat Is of Greatest (Continued from page 11) matters, but will avail us not at all, in te salvation and perseverance of our souls! Eartly Rices. Also, te world tat Jeremia lived in, and te world tat we live in is captivated by eartly rices. Te societies of men ave always been in pursuit of worldly rices, it only seems tat from time to time te desire for te pleasures and te tings tat mortal man values ascends to suc a level tat a nation or a people is consumed wit teir own worldly lusts and teir own flesly desires. Te treasures of tis world seem to be te only ting tat many people ave a consideration for. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon eart, were mot and rust dot corrupt, and were tieves break troug and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in eaven, were neiter mot nor rust dot corrupt, and were tieves do not break troug nor steal: For were your treasure is, tere will your eart be also. Te ligt of te body is te eye: if terefore tine eye be single, ty wole body sall be full of ligt. But if tine eye be evil, ty wole body sall be full of darkness. If terefore te ligt tat is in tee be darkness, ow great is tat darkness! No man can serve two masters: for eiter e will ate te one, and love te oter; or else e will old to te one, and despise te oter. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:19-24). Let me tell you wat te Lord Jesus Crist ad to say about te rices of tis world, and tose tat earnestly pursue tose rices: Ten said Jesus unto is disciples, Verily I say unto you, Tat a ric man sall ardly enter into te kingdom of eaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go troug te eye of a needle, tan for a ric man to enter into te kingdom of God. Wen is disciples eard it, tey were exceedingly amazed, saying, Wo ten can be saved? But Jesus beeld tem, and said unto tem, Wit men tis is impossible; but wit God all tings are possible (Matt. 19:23-26). Eartly rices temselves are not evil; but, it is te love of money tat is te root of all evil a love for oneself, a love for te material over te spiritual, and a selfis attitude, tat is at te root of all evil. owever, in te case of tose wo are saved, wo also are blessed wit rices in tis world, Paul ad tis to say: Carge tem tat are ric in tis world, tat tey be not igminded, nor trust in uncertain rices, (Continued on page 17)

17 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Wat Is of Greatest (Continued from page 16) but in te living God, wo givet us ricly all tings to enjoy; Tat tey do good, tat tey be ric in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for temselves a good foundation against te time to come, tat tey may lay old on eternal life (I Tim. 6:17-19). TE ELECT SOULD VALUE TE KNOWLEDGE OF TE LORD I know tat we ave already covered muc of tis, but as we move on in tis sermon, I want to spend a little time considering wat it is tat we ougt to rigtly value. In oter words, as te cildren of God, wo and wat sould be of greatest value to us? Wo or wat sould be our glory in tis life? Te wisdom, te migt, and te rices of tis world may play a role in te success and te appiness of one wo is carmed by te world and te affairs of tis life. But, tese tings are not so important to one wo knows te Lord Jesus Crist as is Saviour at least tey sould not be. Te Lord Jesus Crist is our wisdom, our strengt, and te rices of our salvation. I want you to be reminded tat to know and love te Lord is better tan all eartly treasures. Te rigteous will glory in te knowledge of te Lord. Consider tis excange between our Lord Jesus Crist and Simon Peter, is loving disciple: e sait unto im te tird time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest tou me? Peter was grieved because e said unto im te tird time, Lovest tou me? And e said unto im, Lord, tou knowest all tings; tou knowest tat I love tee. Jesus sait unto im, Feed my seep (Jon 21:17). Indeed, te glory of te knowledge of te Lord is not tat we know im, but tat e knows us, and makes us to know im. Te glory is is. We love im, because e first loved us (I Jon 4:19). Our salvation, our knowledge of God, does not glorify us, it must (and does) glorify God! We migt even go a bit furter and consider te fact tat a love for God sould instill a love for God s Word. Te world values eartly wisdom we value te Word of God. An understanding of te Word of God is our treasure. King David said, Ty word is very pure: terefore ty servant lovet it (Ps. 119:140). To be acquainted wit im and is ways is our desire. We assemble into te ouses of God, as te curces of Jesus Crist, in te glorious ope of knowing im more, and of becoming more like im. Tis is true in our day, but it as always been true in te lives of tose tat serve te Lord tey would assemble togeter to grow in teir knowledge of te Lord. And ezekia spake comfortably unto all te Levites tat taugt te good knowledge of te LORD: and tey did eat trougout te feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to te LORD God of teir faters (II Cr. 30:22). So, as our text as told us, te world of men will value and desire eartly wisdom, mortal strengt, and worldly rices. owever, te cildren of te Lord will value tese attributes of God: loving kindness, judgment, rigteousness. Wat a glory it is, to consider te love of God, te justice of God, and te rigteousness of God! Oter peoples and oter (false) religions ave gods and ave systems of worsip, and ave patterns and rules by wic tey live teir lives, but none ave suc a glorious God as our God, and none ave suc a glorious and all-magnificent Saviour as our Lord Jesus Crist! We ave muc to glory in toug it is not ourselves, and it is not of tis world. For we preac not ourselves, but Crist Jesus te Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God, wo commanded te ligt to sine out of darkness, at sined in our earts, to give te ligt of te knowledge of te glory of God in te face of Jesus Crist. But we ave tis treasure in earten vessels, tat te excellency of te power may be of God, and not of us (II Cor. 4:5-7). If only te world of men would reflect tese caracteristics of our Creator! Te world would be a better place. Te world would be rewarded wit more of te good tings of God, naturally speaking. If tere were more love and kindness in te eart tis would please te Lord. If tere were judgment and justice among men, tis would please te Lord. If tere were rigteous beavior in te societies of te world, tis would please te Lord. If only te world tat we live in, particularly tis nation of te United States of America, would once again be acquainted wit God, and would once again sow a desire to know im and onor im. ow muc sweeter would tis life be. ow muc more tolerable and just would be te actions of oters. Come, and let us return unto te LORD: for e at torn, and e will eal us; e at smitten, and e will bind us up. After two days will e revive us: in te tird day e will raise us up, and we sall live in is sigt. Ten sall we know, if we follow on to know te LORD: is going fort is prepared as te morning; and e sall come unto us as te rain, as te latter and former rain unto te eart (osea 6:1-3). One day, tis time will come for te people of te Lord, te nation of Israel. I only ope and pray tat te Lord will give our people, and our nation, a taste of suc glorious knowledge of te Lord! Tey sall not urt nor destroy in all my oly mountain: for te eart sall be full of te knowledge of te LORD, as te waters cover te sea (Isa. 11:9). 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 First Amendment fact-ceck (WNS)--American college students do not understand te First Amendment s free speec provisions, according to an August survey of 1,500 students on four major U.S. campuses. Wen asked if te use of violence to prevent a speaker known for urtful language from speaking was acceptable, 19 percent of students agreed. Tat number may seem relatively low, but survey (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 17) autor Jon Villasenor, a visiting professor of law at UCLA, said any number significantly above zero is concerning. Wen asked if te First Amendment protected ate speec, 44 percent of students said no, 39 percent said yes, and 16 percent said tey did not know. By a slim margin of 51 to 49 percent, students agreed it was acceptable to sout down speakers known for offensive and urtful statements. And 62 percent of students incorrectly believed te First Amendment requires a counterargument be offered wen controversial speakers come to campus. Kicking te gender question can (WNS)--Te U.S. Department of Education will not cange te wording of te gender question on te Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after all. Transgender activists protested te plan, announced earlier tis year, to ask applicants, Were you born male or female? instead of, Are you male or female? Tey claimed it would create confusion and potentially out transgender students. Education Department officials initiated te cange to elp make it easier to ceck Selective Service registration, required for all men wo receive federal student aid. After te uproar, Education officials decided to punt te potential problem to te Selective Service System, advising applicants to ceck wit it to make sure tey are not labeled draft dodgers. Wile it s no longer te Education Department s problem, it is still a problem. Sould women wo identify as men be required to register? And sould men wo identify as women get a pass? Republican Illinois governor OKs state funds for abortion (WNS)--Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, signed a bill on Sept. 28 approving taxpayer funding for abortion and protecting state abortion provisions in te event te U.S. Supreme Court ever overturns Roe v. Wade. I personally am pro-coice, Rauner said at a news conference before signing te bill. I always ave been. And I made no qualms about tat wen I was elected governor. And I ave not and never will cange my views. I personally believe tat a woman sould ave, must ave, te rigt to decide wat goes on in er own body. Rauner s decision to sign B 40 came as a surprise to sponsors and opponents alike. In April, is office issued a statement in support of reproductive rigts under current Illinois law but against te bill. California bill treatens freedoms of religion and speec (WNS)--California Assembly Bill 569, wic would bar employment discrimination based on reproductive ealt decisions, it Gov. Jerry Brown s desk in late September. Pro-life groups see te bill as a treat to religious liberty and freedom of speec, as it would nullify employee codes of conduct tat cover te use of contraception and abortion. California ProLife Council director Brian Jonston said te bill is really taking rigts away from an employer, wo tey ire, ow tey ire. e added, I am almost certain tis will be litigated, and under a normal court of law, I tink we would ave a good cance of being successful in te callenge. Beautiful plant spirals flummox secular science (WNS)--A Swiss botanist recently conducted an intensive study of wy so many plants sport flowers or leaves wit beautiful spiral patterns tat conform to te golden ratio, also known as te divine ratio. Te golden ratio, approximately 1.618, as fascinated scientists, matematicians, arcitectural designers, and artists for centuries because it appears abundantly in nature. Te ratio occurs wen te sum of two numbers divided by te larger number produces te same answer as te larger number divided by te smaller number. A multitude of psycological studies sow people seem pre-programmed to find te ratio aestetically appealing. It appears trougout creation in tings suc as plants, seasells, spiral galaxies, urricanes, uman faces, fingerprints, animal bodies, bird fligt patterns, and DNA molecules. But science cannot explain its purpose or allure. Peraps a better starting point for understanding te purpose of te divine ratio is to acknowledge te divine God wo designed it. But God at cosen te foolis tings of te world to confound te wise... (I Cor. 1:27). Colorado River sues for personood (WNS)--In te past year, New Zealand granted legal personood to te Wanganui River, and an Indian court attempted to declare, but was overruled by India s Supreme Court, tat te rivers Ganga and Yamuna and two glaciers in te imalayas were legally protected persons. Now an environmental group in te United States is suing on bealf of te Colorado River for personood, Te New York Times reported. Deep Green Resistance (DGR) opes to create a lifecentered resistance movement tat will dismantle industrial civilization by any means necessary, according to te group s website. DGR claims Colorado violated te river s rigt to flouris by polluting and draining it and treatening endangered species. If successful, te lawsuit could set a precedent by wic natural features suc as redwood forests or te Rocky Mountains could gain legal standing in cases against individuals, corporations, and governments over pollution and depleting resources. Running out of time (WNS)--Religious minorities in Iraq and Syria could become a distant memory soon if te United States does not take significant steps to elp tem, advocates told Wasington lawmakers last week. Cristians, Yezidis, and oter religious minorities are victims of genocide at te ands of Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, according to te U.S. State Department. Altoug ISIS no longer retains control of muc of its former territory, its victims still suffer from te aftermat. Tousands of displaced religious minorities ave no ome to return to. I am sad to say tat if bold action is not taken by te end of te year, I believe a tipping point will be reaced and we will see te end of Cristianity in Iraq, Frank Wolf, senior fellow at te 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, told a congressional panel Oct. 3. In oter words, ISIS will ave been victorious in teir genocidal rampage. A condition we call fait (WNS)--Anoter one of President Donald Trump s nominees faced a Senate grilling over religious beliefs, a worrying precedent for religious liberty advocates. Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor and devout Catolic, to serve on te 7t U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. During Barrett s confirmation earing Sept. 6, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California led er fellow Democrats in an inquisition of te nominee s beliefs, questioning weter tey would (Continued on page 19)

19 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 18) prevent er from ruling fairly on matters tat conflicted wit er fait. Dogma lives loudly witin you, Feinstein told Barrett. Last week, Catolic leaders castised Feinstein and er colleagues for trying to create a religious litmus test for public service. Jon I. Jenkins, president of te University of Notre Dame, urged senators to respect tose in wom dogma lives loudly wic is a condition we call fait. For te attempt to live suc fait wile one respects te legal system sould command respect, not evoke concern. Te Cambrian period and creation (WNS)--Paleontologists claim tat 50 fossil remains tey recently unearted belong to a new species of marine predator tat evolved 500 million years ago during te Cambrian explosion, a time during wic multiple, anatomically distinct animal forms appeared suddenly in te fossil record. Evolutionists going all te way back to Carles Darwin ave struggled to explain ow so many life forms could appear so suddenly at once during te Cambrian period. Intelligent design advocates say te Cambrian explosion offers evidence of God s creative work. And young-eart creationists suc as Frank Serwin, a biologist wit te Institute for Creation Researc, argue tat suc fossils indicate tat te flood of Noa s time destroyed numerous populations of complex and completely formed animals. Apart from te greatly inflated ages, te Cambrian explosion is exactly wat te flood geologist would predict based on Genesis Capters 6-9, Serwin wrote on te ICR blog. Family farm wins rigt to return to Micigan market (WNS)--Steve and Bridget Tennes, owners of Country Mill Farms, returned to te East Lansing, Mic., Farmer s Market Sept. 17 after local officials tried to ban tem over teir Biblical view of marriage. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, allowing te familyowned business to sell its produce at te market wile its lawsuit against te city moves forward. Te Tenneses return to te weekly market drew gay-rigts advocates wo lingered at te Country Mill boot to sow support for te city policy, wic was crafted specifically to oust te Catolic family from te public square. One demonstrator paced back and fort in front of te red-tented boot carrying a sign urging soppers to boycott Country Mill for practicing ate and bigotry. But te protests did not dim wat te Tenneses saw as a victory. We are trilled tat te court as ruled to allow our Country Mill family to continue to serve everyone at te East Lansing Farmer s Market, Steve Tennes told me. Tis ruling acknowledges tat every American sould be free to live and speak according to our own sincerely eld beliefs witout fear of government punisment. Scool values transgender lessons over parent rigts (WNS)--A California carter scool embroiled in controversy about a lesson to kindergarteners on transgenderism is not backing down. On Sept. 18, te Sacramento-area scool board rejected a proposal by parents to allow cildren to opt-out of lessons on gender identity. Te proposal came after a kindergarten teacer at Rocklin Academy Gateway in June reintroduced a boy in te class as a transgender girl witout parental notification. After efforts by te administration to brus away te incident, concerned parents spoke out to te scool board in August, insisting tey put te issue on te agenda for te September meeting. To teac my kid tat biologically tis boy was born a boy and to teac im tat now e is a girl is very confusing and I feel it s a lie, parent Celsea McQuistan said in te meeting, according to Fox 40 News. U.S. doctors take official stance against eutanasia (WNS)--Amid increasing attempts to legalize eutanasia at te state level, te nation s second-largest network of pysicians officially spoke out against it. Te American College of Pysicians (ACP) wrote in a position statement publised Sept. 19 in te Annals of Internal Medicine tat te organization of 152,000 medical professionals stands against te legalization of pysicianassisted suicide, te practice of wic raises etical, clinical, and oter concerns. Te position paper came in response to increasing public interest in legalizing eutanasia to promote patient autonomy at te end of life. Te ACP said it remained attentive to all voices but decided to oppose legalization efforts.... Jesus said, Tou salt do no murder... (Matt. 19:18). Textbook ripple effect (WNS)--Gay rigts groups are lobbying te California Department of Education to expand LGBT influence over textbooks set for review tis year. In 2011, California mandated students learn about te istorical contributions of tose wo identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. During a state commission earing last week, advocacy groups insisted tat simply mentioning istorical figures would not cut it. Tey want eac person s orientation and relationsip status outlined in specific detail. It is not someting to appease a particular part of te population but to truly include inclusive istory trougout grades K-8, said Renata Moreira, executive director of San Francisco based LGBT advocacy group Our Family Coalition. Teir success will ave a ripple effect: California is te biggest market for textbooks and publisers peddle books crafted for California elsewere. ACLU figts faitbased cild placement agencies (WNS)--Te American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is callenging a Micigan law tat allows fait-based foster care and adoption agencies to operate according to teir Biblical convictions. Te lawsuit, filed against te state Sept. 20 in federal court, could jeopardize similar laws across te nation and force faitbased agencies to close. Te lawsuit names Betany Cristian Services and Catolic Carities, wic are not defendants, as foster care and adoption agencies tat turned away two married lesbian couples trying to adopt cildren. Micigan law proibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, but laws passed in 2015 provide an exception to tat statute for religious agencies. Alabama, Micigan, Nort Dakota, Sout Dakota, Texas, and Virginia also ave laws providing religious groups legal cover from lawsuits by LGBT activists. New fossil find puts early umans outside te framework of Darwinism (WNS)--Researcers just discovered ancient uman footprints on te Greek island of Crete tat undermine te Darwinian teory of te descent of umans. Per Alberg, (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 19) one of te study autors, admitted in a statement, Tis discovery callenges te establised narrative of early uman evolution eadon and is likely to generate a lot of debate. Te new discovery presents difficulties for evolutionary teory in two ways. First, evolutionary scientists believe uman beings originated in Africa and remained isolated tere for a long time before tey migrated to Europe and Asia. But te footprints could indicate umans trekked on te Greek island long before evolutionists tougt tey migrated out of Africa. Second, te appearance of te footprints does not make sense witin an evolutionary framework. Te unique structure of te uman foot wit a long sole, five sort, forwardpointing toes, no claws, and a big toe larger tan te oter toes does not appear in any oter animal, including apes. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Cristian teen beaten to deat by Muslim classmates in Pakistan (WNS)--Saroon Masi, a Cristian student in Pakistan, died Aug. 27 after is Muslim classmates beat im to deat at a scool in Burewala, Punjab, according to Pakistan s Te Nation newspaper. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts about wat led to te attack, but some, including Te Independent in London, reported te 17-yearold drank from a Muslim s water cup. Police ave arrested only one student, Muammad Amed Rana. Masi s relatives and te Britis Pakistani Cristian Association told Te Nation e was killed because of is religion. is parents used teir savings to send Masi to MC Model Boys Government Scool tis year because e ad done so well in scool up to tat point. But e immediately encountered ostility. Following is first day, Saroon complained to is fater tat te teacer ad slapped im for not wearing a uniform and made im stand in te sun all day as punisment, is uncle said. e said people also called im cura, an insult tat means sweeper, and referred to is low-caste background. Days later, scool administrators and teacers failed to stop te fatal beating. Denmark funds more abortions (WNS)--Denmark as set aside nearly $50 million for international abortion funding in response to U.S. President Donald Trump s reinstatement of te Reaganera Mexico City policy tat ad been rescinded by President Barack Obama in Te policy blocks U.S. funding for any nongovernmental organization tat provides abortions. After Trump put te policy back in place, oter nations jumped to pledge money to international abortion groups like Marie Stopes International and te International Planned Parentood Federation. Te politicization of Fater s Day (WNS)--Aead of a national ballot survey on gay marriage, an Australian regulatory agency said a television commercial celebrating Fater s Day was too political. Te ad by Australian nonprofit Dads4Kids featured a fater singing is baby a lullaby. Te organization ad released ads leading up to Australian Fater s Day on Sept. 3 for te last 15 years to encourage and onor dads. Tis year s ad was rejected because it was a comment upon a matter wic is currently te subject of extensive political debate, said legal advice sent to Dads4Kids by Free TV Australia, an industry body representing all of te country s free-to-air networks, according to Te Australian. It is extraordinary tat tis is were we ave come to as a country; we can no longer celebrate Fater s Day witout being forced to look at it troug te lens of te same-sex marriage debate, Dads4Kids said in a statement on its website. It is a tragedy tat a political motive is now implied in any mention of faterood. Not everyting is about same-sex marriage. Teen reversing is gender transition (WNS)--An Australian teenager went public earlier tis mont about is decision to transition back to is birt gender after taking female ormones. At age 12, doctors diagnosed Patrick Mitcell wit gender dysporia. Soon after, e began taking puberty-blocking and crosssex ormones. By 14, e ad breasts, long air, and feminine features. But earlier tis year, Mitcell decided e wanted to stop te process. e said e began to ave a cange of eart wen a female teacer referred to im as one of te girls. I began to realize I was comfortable in my body, said Mitcell in an interview wit Woman s Day. Every day I just felt better. Mitcell s moter, Alison, said tat wile se doesn t blame te doctors wo diagnosed er son, se does wis tey would ave waited before recommending treatment. Tey were wrong to pigeonole im so quickly, se said. Sex cange regret silenced (WNS)--As rates of sex cange surgeries skyrocket, one of te world s leading genital reconstruction surgeons is speaking out about an issue not being addressed: gender cange regret. In an interview wit Te Telegrap of London last week, professor Miroslav Djordjevic lamented te lack of researc on transgender people canging teir minds and undergoing surgery reversal. Djordjevic, an acclaimed surgeon and researcer wo performs about 100 sex cange surgeries every year, recounted in te interview a discussion e ad wit U.K. graduate student James Caspian in Djordjevic told Caspian e was seeing a growing number of patients wo were expressing regret about teir gender reassignment surgeries and wanted to detransition. Caspian decided to researc te trend of sex cange surgery regret for is master s degree at Bat Spa University in Bat, England. But after preliminary researc, te university rejected is proposal. Officials told im tey were afraid of online criticism about a politically incorrect topic. Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug TE IMPORTANCE OF A CORRECT DIAGNOSIS Everyone recognizes te importance of a correct diagnosis wen it comes to illness or injury. Te prescription of an inadequate or incorrect medicine or oter improper treatment for sickness or injury is not only useless, it can at times be armful. No tinking person will disagree wit tat. Administering a band aid to a deep puncture wound is foolisness. Stitcing up a wound tat is filled wit filt or rotten fles is dangerous and can result in deat. Cleansing and proper care of wounds is absolutely (Continued on page 21)

21 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 20) necessary and a correct diagnosis of te problem will dictate tat suc tings be done. But wat about spiritual matters? It is necessary to make a proper diagnosis in spiritual tings? Or will any idea result in spiritual good being done to men in te area of teir spiritual needs? Surely tinking people will agree tat a correct diagnosis in eternal spiritual matters is of more importance tan even a correct medical diagnosis in mere pysical and terefore temporary matters. One more observation: sometimes earing te doctor s words describing your diagnosis even wen it is a correct one is unpleasant. Some people run from te doctor s diagnosis. Foolisly tey tink tat by ignoring wat ails tem is a remedy and will eventually cure tem. Imagine someone wit gangrene in teir body rejecting te doctor s diagnosis because tey tink teir likely fatal medical condition will someow go away. Te Bible gives us a correct diagnosis of te uman condition as it naturally occurs. Of te feet it says, For teir feet run to evil, and make aste to sed blood (Prov. 1:16). A diagnosis of te eart of man is given in Jeremia 17:9: Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it? Mattew 15:19 records te words of Jesus Crist regarding te eart. e said, For out of te eart proceed evil tougts, murders, adulteries, fornications, tefts, false witness, blaspemies. Te mind of man is likewise diagnosed in Romans 8:7: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. We could go on, but Paul gives a complete diagnosis in Romans 3:10-18 wic says: As it is written, Tere is none rigteous, no, not one: Tere is none tat understandet, tere is none tat seeket after God. Tey are all gone out of te way, tey are togeter become unprofitable; tere is none tat doet good, no, not one. Teir troat is an open sepulcre; wit teir tongues tey ave used deceit; te poison of asps is under teir lips: Wose mout is full of cursing and bitterness: Teir feet are swift to sed blood: Destruction and misery are in teir ways: And te way of peace ave tey not known: Tere is no fear of God before teir eyes. Te only cure for man s terrible and opeless spiritual condition is te Great Pysician, te Lord Jesus Crist wo never lost a patient yet. LEFT AND BIBLES Te prase a bible in te left and is used to describe te practice of some folk wo let someting or someone tell tem wat te Bible means. Instead of studying te Bible and learning wat it teaces, it is popular among professing Cristians to believe watever teir particular autority says on te subject. Tis bible in te left and supersedes te Bible. It corrects te Bible or adds to te Bible or takes away from te Bible. So it promotes not te trut, but te ideas of someone else. Now tis bible in te left and may actually be a book or books. Back in te early to mid 1800 s tere seems to ave been a sort of gold rus in tis area: by tat I mean tat several men claimed to ave received additional revelations and wrote books tat are now revered by teir followers as final trut from God. Prior to tat time tere arose men often referred to as teologians wose writings are still wit us today. Teir books are often regarded as very nearly te final word on trut. Even before tese men arose, even from apostolic times, men ave been set up as aving all trut and being te rigtful interpreters of te Bible. So tis penomena is noting new. Paul warned about it as recorded in Acts 20:29-30 saying, For I know tis, tat after my departing sall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing te flock. Also of your own selves sall men arise, speaking perverse tings, to draw away disciples after tem. Paul spoke of is deat as is departing. Once tose men Crist designated as is apostles passed off te scene tese folk wit teir peculiar doctrines came to te forefront. Weter it is te teological books of a certain man or woman or te confessions of fait of sincere men or te supposed revelations tat men and women ave claimed as being from God, eac and all suc tings are foolisly regarded by some folk as definitive of wat tey believe. It is absolutely wrong to accept anyting as being God s message to umankind oter tan te sixtysix books we commonly know as te oly Bible. To te law and to te testimony: if tey speak not according to tis word, it is because tere is no ligt in tem (Isa. 8:20). Eac individual is tus responsible to know from teir own study wat te Bible actually says. Ten and only ten can a person be assured of wat te trut on a matter is. Ten an individual can be free from te domination of te wolves about wic Paul; wrote. Jesus said,...if ye continue in my word, ten are ye my disciples indeed; And ye sall know te trut, and te trut sall make you free (Jon 8:31-32). Do you want to be free from error? Free from te domination of men s enslaving ideas? Ten learn for yourself wat te Bible says and wat it means. Study it yourself! WO IS YOUR ENEMY? Bot natural enemies and spiritual enemies walk among men. We easily recognize our natural enemies. On te oter and, spiritual enemies often parade temselves as our friends. Tey are most often nice people outwardly and may be quite sincere in teir words. In speaking of is enemies te Psalmist wrote: For tere is no faitfulness in teir mout; teir inward part is very wickedness; teir troat is an open sepulcre; tey flatter wit teir tongue (Ps. 5:9). Flattery! Wen pretended friends compliment and praise you to your face in order to gain your trust. Once aving your trust tey may try to use you by feeding you lies. Tese are deceivers. Suc deceivers are to be found in all parts of our society: politics, business, scools, etc., and yes, even curces especially religion! Paul foretold of te increase of religious deceivers after is deat. e wrote, For I know tis, tat after my departing sall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing te flock. Also of your own selves sall men arise, speaking perverse tings, to draw away disciples after tem (Acts 20:29-30). Wen Paul was alive e (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 21) constantly warned is earers and readers of te dangers of suc deceivers. e used plain words in doing so. Some people were upset at wat e said and wrote. Tey concluded tat Paul was wrong in speaking to tem in suc a manner. is answer sould serve as a guide to us today. e asked tem tis question: Am I terefore become your enemy, because I tell you te trut (Gal. 4:16)? Wo is your true friend? Are tose wo tell you ow good you are really your friends? Are tose wo tell you tat you can do tis or tat and get in good wit God by your works your friends? Are tose wo tell you tat you ave te ability to please God in your own strengt by making a decision for Jesus or by exercising your own fait in Crist, or by praying te sinner s prayer, etc. - are tese your true friends? Or is te best friend te person wo will speak te trut to you. Is e not your friend wo points you to tese words: So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). Your pretended friends may try to tell you tat you can please God by keeping te Old Testament Law. Your true friend will sow you believers are not under te Law: Werefore te law was our scoolmaster to bring us unto Crist, tat we migt be justified by fait. But after tat fait is come, we are no longer under a scoolmaster (Gal. 3:24-25). Your true friend will tell you te trut of Epesians 2:8-10: 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. CRISTIANS WITOUT OPE Lost people are described as being opeless: Epesians 2:12 says of tem:...aving no ope, and witout God in te world. In contrast te cildren of God can be called cildren of ope, for tose of te New Testament era were caracterized by ope wic is fait in te promises of God toward te future. Jon wrote of tis expectant fait saying: Beloved, now are we te sons of God, and it dot not yet appear wat we sall be: but we know tat, wen e sall appear, we sall be like im; for we sall see im as e is (I Jon 3:2). Tis ope of te appearance in te clouds of Jesus Crist to catc away is bride and er friends is clearly stated: But I would not ave you to be ignorant, bretren, concerning tem wic are asleep, tat ye sorrow not, even as oters wic ave no ope. For if we believe tat Jesus died and rose again, even so tem also wic sleep in Jesus will God bring wit im. For tis we say unto you by te word of te Lord, tat we wic are alive and remain unto te coming of te Lord sall not prevent tem wic are asleep. For te Lord imself sall descend from eaven wit a sout, wit te voice of te arcangel, and wit te trump of God: and te dead in Crist sall rise first: Ten we wic are alive and remain sall be caugt up togeter wit tem in te clouds, to meet te Lord in te air: and so sall we ever be wit te Lord. Werefore comfort one anoter wit tese words (I Tess. 4:13-18). Simple easy to understand words tese. And it is obvious to tose wo are familiar wit te New Testament tat in every period since te days of te apostles believers ave rigtfully expected Crist to return. It as been possible at any time since tose days. Believers are to live in expectation of is return. Tis is teir ope or fait toward te future. But tere is a danger: some teac tat te cildren of God do not ave tat ope. Tey do not believe in te imminent return of Crist. Instead of looking for Crist, tey are looking for te anti-crist and believe tat te Lord s curces are going to endure te time of Jacob s trouble (te tribulation). No catcingaway to meet Crist in te air for tem. No moment by moment expectation of te possibility of te Lord s return. Tey tink tey sall be well warned of Crist s return and so need not be opeful or in readiness for tat propesied event. Wat a joyless life tat must be for tose wo live in anticipation of bad tings instead of ope in Crist and te preciousness of is soon return. Are tese not doing te same ting as tose in Paul s day wom e said,...ave erred, saying tat te resurrection is past already; and overtrow te fait of some (II Tim. 2:18). WEN WORDS AVE NO MEANING Wen people cease understanding te meaning of words trut is lost. It is imperative tat we understand te meaning of te words used in te Bible. God used words to reveal imself. e used men to write down wat e revealed. To be assured tat we know te trut we must know wat te writers meant by wat tey wrote down. Te first step in knowing wat tey meant is knowing te meaning of te words tey used. Today te meaning of some words as been canged so as to be misleading. Consider a word tat appears in te New Testament 61 times: te word saints. On is travels Paul came down also to te saints wic dwelt at Lydda (Acts 9:32). Tese people called saints were not dead, tey were not perfect, tey ad not worked a miracle and no official body ad proclaimed tem to be a saint. A saint in te New Testament is a person wo is saved, baptized and a member of a New Testament kind of curc. In I Corintians 1:2 Paul addressed is letter to one curc tis way: Unto te curc of God wic is at Corint, to tem tat are sanctified in Crist Jesus, called to be saints... New Testament curc members are called wit a call tat makes tem saints. Consider te word baptize. In Mark 3:16 we read: And Jesus, wen e was baptized, went up straigtway out of te water... Logically if e went up out of te water e must ave first gone down into te water! For wat purpose? - tat e migt be plunged or dipped by Jon te Baptist into te water. And guess wat: te meaning of baptize is to dip. Tere is no sound basis for saying tat baptize means pouring or sprinkling wit water instead of dipping or plunging in water. One more: te Greek word translated curc means a group of people called togeter: an assembly. Tere can be no assembly tat does not assemble. No gatering tat does not gater. Te Bible does not teac te existence of a universal invisible curc. It is an invention of men (Continued on page 23)

23 November 5, 2017 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Te Sort Pews (Continued from page 22) based on te idea tat salvation is in a curc. Te Bible speaks of...te curc wic was in Jerusalem... (Acts 11:22). Tis was te only curc ten in existence. It was a local curc: te only kind tat tere is. Te definition of te word proves tis. Be diligent to make sure tat you know te precise meaning of te words used in your Bible. Knowing te trut makes you free (see Jon 8:32). Study tese words: tose saved are delivered or rescued not tat an attempt at saving tem as been made or tat tey are temporarily saved. Being born again means regenerated by te oly Spirit, not someting tat sinners do in order to go to eaven. Jesus means deliverer or savior. It does not mean one wo attempts to save or deliver, but one wo actually does. TE DIRECTION YOU TAKE We umans ave noting to do wit te circumstances of our birt: neiter as to place, time, ealt, parentage, family, nationality, nor te financial or social position of our parents. Yet we assume tat we ave not only te rigt, but te ability to determine te events and outcome of our lives. Based upon tat assumption we presume to set about coosing a course in life. We plan our lives and set about living tem all on our own. owever, te propet said, O LORD, I know tat te way of man is not in imself: it is not in man tat walket to direct is steps ( Jer. 10:23). First of all none of us are able to control events or even our own bodies so as to bring to pass wat we may plan. We cannot make one air of our eads wite or black, we cannot cange te color of our skins, we cannot cease from sinning, we cannot extend te number of our days beyond tat wic is determined for eac of us and yet we presume to plan our lives witout taking God into consideration. Not only is man incapable of directing is steps, e often mistakenly follows te wrong guide. Many advise follow your eart, or let your eart be your guide. Te problem wit tis advice is tat te eart of man is not a safe guide. Your eart will not steer you rigt because, Te eart is deceitful above all tings, and desperately wicked: wo can know it (Jer. 17:9)? Your eart is filled wit sinful desires. If you follow your eart you will remain a spiritually dead pleasure-seeking animal. Watever tickles your fancy will be tat wic you seek after and tat will be te direction of your life. Well, says proud man, if my eart is not a safe guide, I will follow my intellect. I will educate myself and pursue intelligent goals in te direction tat I take in life. owever,...te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be (Rom. 8:7). Educate it, refine it, discipline it do all tat you are able to do yet te uman mind remains absolute enmity: absolutely contrary to and in rebellion against God. Even if you bend your mind toward religious pursuits your eart and your mind remain unsafe and deceitful guides for your life and its direction. Te fear of te LORD is te beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10). It is wisdom tat eac person needs to direct is or er pat. But a summation of man s predicament is tis: Tere is no fear of God before teir eyes (Rom. 3:18). Paul wrote tat it is...crist Jesus, wo of God is made unto us wisdom, and rigteousness, and sanctification, and redemption (I Cor. 1:30). Young and old, all need wisdom to guide tem in te direction tey take in life and tat wisdom is only to be found in Jesus Crist. Te Curc Today (Continued from page 24) you as an old-fasioned, narrowminded, fossilized person and say, Were is te arm? In sort, laxity of ideas among young men, and fastness and levity among young women, are only too common caracteristics of te rising generation of Cristian professors. A Scriptural view of sin is one of te best antidotes to tat vague, dim, misty, azy kind of teology wic is so painfully current in te present age. It is vain to sut our eyes to te fact tat tere is a vast quantity of so-called Cristianity now-a-days wic you cannot declare positively unsound, but wic, neverteless, is not full measure, good weigt, and sixteen ounces to te pound. It is a Cristianity in wic tere is undeniably someting about Crist, and someting about grace, and someting about fait, and someting about repentance, and someting about oliness; but it is not te real ting as it is in te Bible. Tings are out of place, and out of proportion. Stand up for te trut and you are called narrow, illiberal, oldfasioned, and a teological fossil! (Copied from Te Communicator, April, 1994) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $2, 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 Willet, 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., Rural all, NC Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL Grace M. B. C., Corbin, KY Grace M. B. C., Tulsa, OK Indore B. C., Indore, WV Te Lord s Curc, Goose Creek, SC Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN Parkway Landmark B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumerville, AR Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace, B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous... 1, Dividing cecks Sub Total... $3, TOTAL... $5, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Dividing cecks Bank Carge Total Expenditures... $3, ENDING BALANCE... $1, BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $3, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Calvary I. B. C., Everson, WA Grace B. C., Corbin, KY TOTAL...3, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Program production TOTAL EXPENDITURES...1, , Interest ENDING BALANCE... $2, Postage & Sipping Cart Order Value... Add Minimum...$5.00 $ $6.00 $ $7.00 $ $8.00 $ and Up...FREE

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner November 5, 2017 Tere is an amazing ignorance of Scripture among many, and a consequent want of establised, solid religion. In no oter way can I account for te ease wit wic people are, like cildren, tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine (Ep. 4:14.) Tere is an Atenian love of novelty abroad, and a morbid distaste for anyting old and regular, and in te beaten pat of our forefaters. Tousands will crowd to ear a new voice and a new doctrine, witout considering for a moment weter wat tey ear is true. Tere is an incessant craving after any teacing wic is sensational, and exciting, and rousing to te feelings. Tere is an unealty appetite for a sort of spasmodic and ysterical Cristianity. Te religious life of many is little better tan spiritual dram-drinking, and te meek and quiet spirit wic te Apostle Peter commends is clean forgotten, (I Peter 3:4.) Crowds, and crying, and ot rooms, and ig-flown singing, and an incessant rousing of te emotions, are te only tings wic many care for. Inability to distinguis differences in doctrine is spreading far and wide, and so long as te preacer is clever and earnest, undreds seem to tink it must be all rigt, and call you dreadfully narrow and uncaritable if you int tat e is unsound. I must onestly declare my conviction tat, since te days of te Reformation, tere never as been so muc profession of religion witout practice, so muc Te Curc Today By J. C. Ryle ( ) talking about God witout walking wit im, so muc earing God s words witout doing tem, as tere is at tis present date. Never were tere so many empty tubs and tinkling cymbals. Never was tere so muc formality and so little reality. Te wole tone of men s minds on wat constitutes practical Cristianity seems lowered. Te old golden standard Now Available! Te Curc Tat Jesus Built by Roy Mason - Retail $9.00 We are pleased to announce tat Te Curc Tat Jesus Built by Roy Mason is once again available. We ave reprinted a limited number of copies. Te type as been reset for tis edition as all previous editions were copies of copies of copies. Paperback, 147 pages. 50% discount given on orders of five or more. (For sipping see postage cart on page 23). ARTICLE INDEX of te beavior wic becomes a Cristian man or woman appears debased and degenerated. You may see scores of religious people (so-called) continually doing tings wic in days gone by would ave been tougt utterly inconsistent wit vital religion. Te ancient tenderness of conscience about suc tings seems dying away and becoming extinct, like te dodo; and wen you venture to remonstrate wit young communicants wo indulge in tem, tey only stare at (Continued on page 24) ANNOUNCEMENTS Te Grace Missionary Baptist Curc of Marion, IL is seeking a pastor. Please contact Gary Ratley at (618) for more information. Te Grace Baptist Curc of Fairmount, GA is in need of a pastor. Due to old age and ealt reasons Bro. Al Lyons is planning to retire in October. Te curc is looking for a man tat believes like tey do. Tey are Sovereign Grace, independent, landmark Baptist. Visit teir website wic states wat tey believe: ttp:// gracebaptistcurcfairmountga. com. Interested parties sould contact Pastor Al Lyons, A iding Place for Sinners by Lucien J. LeSage... p. 1 Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 17 Cristians and Lawsuits by Mattew Stepp... p. 1 Te Curc Today by J. C. Ryle... p. 24 Fellowsip by Jon R. Gilpin... p. 1 Forum... pp Little ills... p. 5 Te Sort Pews... p. 20 Spiritual Babies Wo Remain Just Babies... p. 1 Wat Is of Greatest Value to You? by Paul Stepp... p. 1 pone: ; Preacer@royal-lion.com or Mail: P.O. Box 861, Fairmount, GA Te Windsor Baptist Curc in Windsor, IL is seeking a qualified candidate for pastor. We are a sovereign grace independent Baptist curc, small in number but ric in trut. We are seeking a candidate qualified for te position as described in I Timoty 3. Any interested potential candidate please contact Broter Jon Gregory at windsorbaptist. grace@gmail.com or pone Te Lord s Baptist Curc in Tacoma Wasington is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact Gaylen Russell at (ome) or (cell) or by gaylenr@rainierconnect.com. Te Sovereign Grace Baptist Curc of Caldwell, KS is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact te curc in writing at SGBC, 400 N. Main St., Caldwell, KS 67022, or by pone Broter Darin Wiley Te Fait Missionary Baptist Curc of Cobbitty, Sout Wales, Australia is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact David Jackson at 4 Station Street, Tirlmere, NSW 2572, Australia or sellie45@bigpond.com.au. Te Victory Baptist Curc of Cealis, Wasington is in need of a pastor. Any interested broter may call Gerry Greisen at (360) , or Mark Fenison at (360)

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