The Impenetrable Cloud. The Agony of Our Substitute in Gethsemane. The Church at Philadelphia. The Raising of Lazarus - A Picture of Regeneration

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1 Te Impenetrable Cloud By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia We ave transgressed and ave rebelled: tou ast not pardoned. Tou ast covered wit anger, and persecuted us: tou ast slain, tou ast not pitied. Tou ast covered tyself wit a cloud, tat our prayer sould not pass troug. Tou ast made us as te offscouring and refuse in te midst of te people. All our enemies ave opened teir mouts against us. Fear and a snare is come upon (Continued on page 2) Te Raising of Lazarus - A Picture of Regeneration By Curtis Pug of Poteau, Oklaoma Jon records te miracle of te resurrection of Crist wic, incidentally, was witnessed by no man. In addition e records one post-resurrection miracle, te miraculous catc of fises. Aside from tose two, Jon was moved by te oly Spirit to write is gospel around seven miracles us, desolation and destruction. Mine eye runnet down wit rivers of water for te destruction of te daugter of my people. Mine eye tricklet down, and ceaset not, witout any intermission, Till te LORD look down, and beold from eaven. Mine eye affectet mine eart because of all te daugters of performed by te Lord Jesus. e was led by te oly Spirit to arrange all tat e wrote to suit is purpose. Te Spirit of God even moved im to use a special word in describing te miracles (Continued on page 17) Te Agony of Our Substitute in Getsemane By Lucien J. LeSage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana In my endeavor to determine a title for tis article it seemed Te Agony of our Substitute in Getsemane was te most appropriate in my mind. To truly compreend wat our blessed Savior went troug in tat garden and wy e prayed te way e did, I believe we must understand tat e was te substitute for is people. Te Curc at Piladelpia By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) And to te angel of te curc in Piladelpia write: Tese tings sait e tat is oly, e tat is true, e tat at te key of David, e tat openet, and no man suttet; and suttet, and no man openet; I know ty works: beold, I ave set before tee an open door, and no man can sut it; for tou ast a little strengt, and ast kept my Before going to tat scene tere in te garden I would like to take te reader to a different scene long before Getsemane. It was were Moses met te Lord in te form of a burning bus. In tat scene we saw tat it took place on te backside of te desert (Continued on page 15) word, and ast not denied my name. Beold, I will make tem of te synagogue of Satan, wic say tey are Jews, and are not, but do lie; beold, I will make tem to come and worsip before ty feet, and to know tat I ave loved tee. Because (Continued on page 5) It takes a long time to say noting. e wo as really noting to say will speak on and on as if e were wound up like a clock, and must keep on till e ad run down. Be not ras wit ty mout, and let not tine eart be asty to utter any ting before God: for God is in eaven, and tou upon eart: terefore let ty words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 June 5, 2015 Volume XXXV, Number 6 Wole Number 431 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. COPYING PRIVILEGES: Unless oterwise stated any article publised in tis paper may be copied by oter publications, provided tey give proper credit line stating tat suc was copied from tis publication, and te date of publication; provided tat suc materials are not publised for profit. If we are not on an excange list wit te publication copying, it is requested tat a copy of te issue containing te article be sent to our address. All copyrigted materials may not be copied witout written consent. PUBLISED MONTLY wit paid circulation in most states in te U.S.A. and some foreign countries. SUBSCRIPTION RATES - U.S. One year...$6.00 Two years...$10.00 Five years...$24.00 SUBSCRIPTION RATES - FOREIGN One Year $45 Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM KPRV, eavener, OK... Sunday 8:30-9:00 a.m ,000 FM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM Berea Baptist Banner PO Box 39 Mantacie, Mississippi (662) request@bereabaptistcurc.org bbcurc@nexband.com Planning a move? Please let us know your new address. Te post office carges us $.57 for eac returned wrong address. PLANNING TO MOVE? Notify us tree weeks in advance. Te post office will only forward periodical mail for 90 days. Tey carge us $.70 for eac cange of address tey ave to send us. Please save us tis expense and te post office time. BUNDLES TO ONE ADDRESS: Tese are sent for $4 per paper for a year. An example: 10 papers for one year at $40 or 20 papers for one year at $ LOCATION OF PUBLISING CURC: Our curc is located on state igway 363 about one mile sout of Mantacie, Mississippi. Readers are always welcome to visit our services. CURC PONE: A PAPER WITOUT SUBSCRIPTION: Some times people write to us and say tat tey did not subscribe for te BBB. Tey are receiving our paper because someone else as paid for teir subscription. We trust te BBB will be received as an outstretced and to you. Take wat you find elpful and discard wat you cannot use.if you do not want to receive suc a gift subscription, please write to us. We are appy to cancel suc a subscription. We do not want to go were we are not wanted. DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. DID TE BIRDS EAT YOUR PAPER? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 6/2015 ten tis will be your last issue. So don t complain if your reading basket is empty! Renew now so you won t miss next mont s Banner. Impenetrable (Continued from page 1) my city. Mine enemies cased me sore, like a bird, witout cause. Tey ave cut off my life in te dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over mine ead; ten I said, I am cut off (Lam. 3:42-54). Te title for my sermon is Te Impenetrable Cloud. I gater te title from v. 44 of te text, wic says, Tou ast covered tyself wit a cloud, tat our prayer sould not pass troug (Lam. 3:44). I want to consider tis tougt tat God as covered imself wit a cloud, and tat our prayers may not pass troug at suc a time. In oter words, it appears tat tere is an Impenetrable Cloud tat covers te Trone of God from time to time, and from person to person and from place to place. Now, we know tat God is omniscient e sees and knows all tings. We know tat e is omnipresent e is everywere at once and at all times. And yet, if tis is true, ow can passages of Scripture, suc as we ave read, teac us tat God is surrounded by someting impenetrable, troug wic te pleas and te cries and te prayers of men cannot pass? It must be tat te cloud mentioned in our text passage is an allegory, teacing us tat tere is an obstacle tat exists between God and man, wic sometimes will prevent te prayers, te words, or te pleas of men from gaining te proper or expected access into God s very presence. Certainly, tere are times wen God will (so to speak) turn a deaf ear to te words and desires of men. Tis does not limit God s sovereignty; nor does tis alter any of is caracter or person in any way. Tis is simply a way for God to make known unto us te fact tat is oliness and is justice are, at times, offended by every man, and tey will not ave access into is presence. I tink it would be good for us to be reminded of te ways in wic God s judgment and justice are evident in is dealings wit men. I want you to be reminded of te fact tat te Lord does not ear and answer te prayers of te wicked tose unsaved wo ave rejected im; te Lord is not inclined to bless te people, nation, or society tat will reject im toug tey may call out to im in some inconsistent or insincere manner; and, te Lord will not ear te prayers of God s people at least not in a positive fasion if we are prone to ignore im or place idols and sin between us and our God. I see tis Impenetrable Cloud as a sort of brass eaven (suc as is referred to in Deuteronomy 28:23), or iron eaven (suc as is referred to in Leviticus 26:19). Tis brass or iron eaven covers te wole eart separating man from God s trone only penetrated ere and tere were some faitful saint, some penitent sinner, or some godly Curc will offer up prayers unto God. But, for te rest, teir so-called prayers, teir cries, pleas, and self-satisfying attempts at praise unto God, are only insincere and fruitless attempts to penetrate te iron eaven tat separates wicked men from te oly Trone of te God Wo made tem. TE LORD DOES NOT EAR TE PRAYERS OF TE WICKED First, let us be reminded of te fact tat God does not bend is ear to te call, or te cry, or te prayer of te wicked and reprobate man or woman. e is not (Continued on page 3)

3 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Impenetrable (Continued from page 2) bound to suc folk, nor do tey ave any claim on is mercy or grace. is oliness will not allow sin and wickedness into is presence. We read in te Proverbs of Solomon, Te LORD is far from te wicked: but e earet te prayer of te rigteous (Pro. 15:29). Again, we know tat God is Omnipresent, and tere is nowere tat e is not always present. And yet, tis Scripture teaces us tat, at least in a personal and elpful way, God is far from te wicked. e does not know tem in a loving way, nor is tere any covenant tat binds tem to im or is goodness. If we furter examine tis barrier tat exists between mortal men and our oly God, I suppose tat we migt say tat te ingredients wic make up te barrier tis Impenetrable Cloud are te justice and te oliness of God Almigty. As mere mortal men, ow can we gain for ourselves access into eaven? As depraved and fallen sinners, ow can we ope to approac a oly and just God? God will not simply overlook or ignore, eiter te sin or te sinner. Unless is justice is satisfied, no man will be able to come into is presence. Te blind man wo was ealed by Jesus Crist, told te leaders of te Jews, Now we know tat God earet not sinners: but if any man be a worsipper of God, and doet is will, im e earet (Jon 9:31). Tis is a great trut! Tis is someting tat gained scorn for te blind man; and, if we teac tis same fact, we, too, will be scorned by te world at large, and we will even be castised by te religious world and Cristianity itself! Men like to tink tat tey can always at least as a last resort call upon God, and expect im to ear tem. And yet, God is not obligated to ear sinners, nor is e inclined to look upon fallen men wit favor and goodness. Sinners cannot pray unto God upon occasion, and ave any ope of te blessings of God. Teir wises (for te prayers of tose wo are not bound to im troug te covenant of election are noting more tan tis) may be fulfilled from time to time, and teir desires may be granted for a wile. But, tis as noting to do wit God s pleasure on teir bealf, and everyting to do wit te fulfillment of is overall purpose and te advancement of is everlasting and all-prevailing will in te course of uman affairs. We must remind ourselves and oters, tat God s justice will not allow sin to go unpunised. Nor will God s oliness allow unpardoned sinners into is pleasant tougts. e tat turnet away is ear from earing te law, even is prayer sall be abomination (Pro. 28:9). In fact, we can go so far as to say tis: not only does God not ear te prayers of te sinners and te rebels; but, teir prayers are even an offense unto im, and an abomination. Unpardoned sinners ave no access to God s trone of mercy and grace. Mercy and grace are reserved for te elect te seep, or te cildren of God. Te LORD is nig unto all tem tat call upon im, to all tat call upon im in trut. e will fulfil te desire of tem tat fear im: e also will ear teir cry, and will save tem. Te LORD preservet all tem tat love im: but all te wicked will e destroy (Ps. 145:18-20). Tere must be trut and love in te relationsip tat exists between a man and God, before tat tere will be any successful prayers. I do not want tese words or tese Scriptures tat we are studying to be a discouragement to any sinner wo is ordained unto salvation. We do not want to discourage te penitent sinner from calling out unto God, confessing teir sins, and pleading for God s mercy and grace. If tere is a broken eart and a contrite spirit, you can be sure tat God will ear te prayer and te cry of suc a person! Te LORD is nig unto tem tat are of a broken eart; and savet suc as be of a contrite spirit (Ps. 34:18). Te attitude and te repentance of suc a man or woman is evidence of te workings of God, and tis person s prayers will be eard, and is godly sorrow will accomplis repentance and salvation. Tere is ope for te sinner, only as te oly Spirit leads im to repentance and gives im fait to cry out to te Lord for forgiveness and salvation. Suc prayers are not only eard by God, tey resound trougout eaven, and inspire rejoicing amongst te angels! TE LORD DOES NOT BLESS TE WAYS OF TE WICKED NATION An Impenetrable Cloud separates te wicked nation from te blessings and te favour of God. ear te word of te LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto te law of our God, ye people of Gomorra. To wat purpose is te multitude of your sacrifices unto me? sait te LORD: I am full of te burnt offerings of rams, and te fat of fed beasts; and I deligt not in te blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of e goats. Wen ye come to appear before me, wo at required tis at your and, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; te new moons and sabbats, te calling of assemblies, I cannot away wit; it is iniquity, even te solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul atet: tey are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear tem. And wen ye spread fort your ands, I will ide mine eyes from you: yea, wen ye make many prayers, I will not ear: your ands are full of blood (Isa. 1:10-15). We live in a nation, werein are persons wose ands are full of te blood of aborted babies. We live in a nation werein are persons wo ave set aside rigt, and wo ave advanced temselves and teir various agendas at te cost of te morality and te rigteousness of an entire people. We live in a nation were God is opposed, te Name of Crist is denied, and yet certain people still dare to portray tis to be a nation wic as a claim upon te blessings and favor of God. Tere are leaders in our society and our government wic will still, occasionally (wen te event or te occasion will serve to furter teir own wicked agenda), deign to call upon te name of some god (not te One True God for tey ave forsaken im); and tey will ask oters to call upon a god; and tey will put fort a pretense of worsip and a pretense of umility and display a pretense of religion all to accomplis some wicked end of teir own. Do you tink God will ear suc a nation or suc persons? God will not bless or endow wit is favor, suc a place, or society, or people, or nation, wo will only demonstrate an occasional regard for im, and wo ave no consistent desire to obey im and is Word. Because I ave called, and ye refused; I ave stretced (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Impenetrable (Continued from page 3) out my and, and no man regarded; But ye ave set at nougt all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laug at your calamity; I will mock wen your fear comet; Wen your fear comet as desolation, and your destruction comet as a wirlwind; wen distress and anguis comet upon you. Ten sall tey call upon me, but I will not answer; tey sall seek me early, but tey sall not find me: For tat tey ated knowledge, and did not coose te fear of te LORD: Tey would none of my counsel: tey despised all my reproof. Terefore sall tey eat of te fruit of teir own way, and be filled wit teir own devices (Prov. 1:24-31). Ten sall tey cry unto te LORD, but e will not ear tem: e will even ide is face from tem at tat time, as tey ave beaved temselves ill in teir doings (Mica 3:4). If some may try to deny te blood-guilt of our nation, tey must at least admit tat our nation and our people ave beaved temselves ill in teir doings. God will ide is face from te people wo work evil. It is dangerous and sad to note tat our nation today, is suc a nation bereft of te blessings and favor of God. Watever good is directed towards us, is not based on our own efforts, or goodness, or obedience; nor are tese blessings meant for our good or benefit; rater, it may be tat God is only for a wile preserving us from te conquerors and te defilers until e is finised wit us on te world stage. We are guilty, as a nation. We may cry out, but it is not a cry of true repentance, but rater a cry born of a fear of destruction, wen calamity is upon us. ere are some tougts expressed by Jon Trapp in is commentary on Mica 3:4. e will even cast out teir prayers wit contempt, as being te prayers of te fles for ease, and not of te spirit for grace. Tey cry unto te Lord aloud, but it is only to be rid of is rod; tey roar wen upon te rack, but it is only to get off; tey look ruefully, as te fox dot wen taken in a gin, but it is only to be set at liberty; tey catter out a carm wen God s castening is upon tem, yea, tey may be wit cild (as it were) of a prayer, and yet bring fort noting but wind, Isaia 26: For eiter God answeret tem not at all, wic was Saul s case and curse, I Samuel 28:15, and Moab s, Isaia 16:12, and David s enemies, Psalms 18:41; or else e give tem bitter answers, Ezekiel 14:4 Judges 10: Or if better; it is but for a furter miscief, tat e may curse teir blessings, and consume tem after tat e ad done tem good, Josua 24:20. Teir preservation from one evil is but a reservation to seven worse; as we see in Parao, Sennacerib, Aab, and oters. Man, on is own, and found in is own wicked condition, cannot penetrate tat cloud of justice and judgment wic does cover te trone of God s mercy and compassion. Toug God may do good or allow good to be done unto a nation, so far as tat nation is to be used as a part of te purpose and will of God, is true blessings and favors cannot and will not be bestowed upon a people wo reject im and deny te truts and commandments of is Word. TE LORD IS NOT PLEASED WIT SIN AND WICKEDNESS IN IS PEOPLE Finally, I want to make tis sermon more personal to you and me te ones of us wo are gatered togeter in te Name of Jesus Crist, and wo ave eard te blessed call of te oly Spirit, and wo ave been made to know te sweetness of te Grace of God, and te wonders of te pardon and forgiveness of God. I want eac of us to be reminded of te fact tat tere may, from time to time, be a cloud tat will cover God and is Trone even from our perspective. In oter words, tere are times in te lives of te saved on eart, wen te Lord may not seem accessible to us, and times wen our own sins will put an obstacle between us and our God. Jon Newton wrote, ere often from our eyes Clouds ide te ligt divine; Tere we sall ave unclouded skies, Our Sun will always sine. Te ligt from eaven is not always brigt for us, wile we walk te face of tis eart. Toug Jesus Crist is uncanging, and toug is ligt and grace is always tere, we, as sinners saved by grace, do not always beold te ligt, nor are we always in te proper frame of mind and spirit as we seek te favors and blessings of God. Ten came certain of te elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And te word of te LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, tese men ave set up teir idols in teir eart, and put te stumblingblock of teir iniquity before teir face: sould I be inquired of at all by tem? Terefore speak unto tem, and say unto tem, Tus sait te Lord GOD; Every man of te ouse of Israel tat settet up is idols in is eart, and puttet te stumblingblock of is iniquity before is face, and comet to te propet; I te LORD will answer im tat comet according to te multitude of is idols; Tat I may take te ouse of Israel in teir own eart, because tey are all estranged from me troug teir idols (Ezek. 14:1-5). Some may argue tat te elders of Israel mentioned in tis passage are comprised of only te unsaved and te wicked, terefore tey could not ope to ave access to God in any positive fasion. owever, I tend to believe tat tere was always a remnant amongst Israel wo were meant to be saved. And, I furter believe tat tese wo were te cildren of God were often led astray by te wicked leaders and te rulers of te Jews and Israelites. Terefore, it is fair to point out tat even te rigteous tose meant for salvation will sometimes ave teir access unto God diminised or even completely obstructed for a time. King David was a man wo experienced many igs and lows in is life of service unto God. e, too, acknowledged te fact tat God was not always tere to ear is cries: If I regard iniquity in my eart, te Lord will not ear me (Ps. 66:18). Te taint of sin (as opposed to te oly ands mentioned in I Timoty 2:8) will obstruct te prayers of God s people. If we regard iniquity in our earts; if we become estranged from God troug our idols; ow can we expect te eavens to open up to allow our prayers to pass troug? Te fact tat God will turn away, for a wile, from is people wo ave scorned im, can be applied on bot a personal and a societal level. Te trut is, tat we, many times in our lives, may cast up sins and rebellions between ourselves and God. Tese sins and rebellions will result in a seemingly Impenetrable Cloud wic will separate us from our God and (Continued on page 5)

5 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Watering te Tulips By Todd Bryant of Nortport, Alabama Te Effects of Pride Pride goes before destruction and a augty spirit before a fall (Pro. 16:18). Most of us are familiar wit te verse before us today. Yet, pride seems to be an issue almost everywere we turn even in Cristendom. Grace sould teac us just te opposite of pride. Understand, grace can simply be defined as getting wat you do not deserve. Knowing tat, wat do we ave to be prideful about? Paul reminded tose arrogant Cristians at Corint of te same ting wen e said, For wo maket tee to differ from anoter? and wat ast tou tat tou didst not receive? now if tou didst receive it, wy dost tou glory, as if tou adst not received it (I Cor. 4:7)? As cildren of God, we do not glory in ourselves. Our boast must always be in Crist. So, wy do we see suc prideful attitudes even among tose tat understand tat grace is a free gift of a Sovereign God? Simply, we ave done quite te poor job of applying te knowledge tat God as given. Wen we glory, we are to glory in te Lord (I Cor. 1:31). We, as believers, are not working to earn our salvation. We serve te Lord out of a gracious eart because e as saved us from our sins. It is our onor and privilege to serve God Wo saved our soul troug te sacrifice of is perfect Son. Te Bible is certainly full of examples of pride. In tese examples, our text verse continues to ring true. Certainly, Satan was originally a beautiful cerub. e was created as suc by God. e was unfallen in te Garden of Eden until e fell troug pride (Ezek. 28:11-19). Certainly, because of is pride, e will ultimately be destroyed. Jesus taugt a parable of a ric man tat took muc pride in te work of is ands. Te man looked at all e ad done witout considering it was te blessing of God. Wile looking over te abundance tat God ad given im, e concluded tat e ad made it all appen. e intended to tear down te barns on is farm and build bigger barns to old all of te produce e tougt e ad produced. But God said unto im, Tou fool, tis nigt ty soul sall be required of tee: ten wose sall tose tings be, wic tou ast provided (Luke 12:20)? Certainly, te main application of tis parable is covetousness, wic is te younger broter of pride. owever, we certainly can see te pride in te ric man s eart just before judgment is pronounced. Cild of God, let us see te effects of pride in te Bible and flee from it. May we always see tat pride brings destruction. Take note, even te truts of God s Word can be eld up in a prideful manner and tis is unacceptable. In is first advent, Jesus came as a Servant. Tis is our Example today. Certainly, we see tis pattern followed by te apostles and early curces. If we are to be faitful Cristians, we must eject all pride from our attitudes and glory in Crist s work of reconciliation alone! Impenetrable (Continued from page 4) from te satisfying comforts and pleasures tat prayer will grant unto us. For a wile, it may be tat te rebellious cild of God will ave to cope and deal wit many difficulties in tis life, because te Lord God, as an Impenetrable Cloud, will refuse to answer our prayers, and will refrain from rescue and blessings in our lives. And yet, if we will return unto im, e will bless us. ear me wen I call, O God of my rigteousness: tou ast enlarged me wen I was in distress; ave mercy upon me, and ear my prayer (Ps. 4:1). Remember tese, O Jacob and Israel; for tou art my servant: I ave formed tee; tou art my servant: O Israel, tou salt not be forgotten of me. I ave blotted out, as a tick cloud, ty transgressions, and, as a cloud, ty sins: return unto me; for I ave redeemed tee. Sing, O ye eavens; for te LORD at done it: sout, ye lower parts of te eart: break fort into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree terein: for te LORD at redeemed Jacob, and glorified imself in Israel (Isa. 44:21-23). Samuel Medley wrote, Toug te corruptions of ty eart Daily new cause of grief impart, Pray tat ty lusts may all be slain, Nor salt tou seek is face in vain. Toug sarp afflictions still abound, And clouds and darkness tee surround, Still pray, for God will all explain, Nor salt tou seek is face in vain. In im, and im alone, confide; Still at te trone of grace abide; Eternal victory tou salt gain, Nor salt tou seek is face in vain. Samuel Medley s words remind us of te promise tat God will be tere for tose of us wo are te people of God, if only we will call upon im in a genuine and sincere fasion. Wen we need im, e will always be tere for us. In fact, e is always tere e is always our God toug we may forget or forsake im for a wile, e will always bring us back unto im. Curc at Piladelpia (Continued from page 1) tou ast kept te word of my patience, I also will keep tee from te our of temptation, wic sall come upon all te world, to try tem tat dwell upon te eart. Beold, I come quickly: old tat fast wic tou ast, tat no man take ty crown. im tat overcomet will I make a pillar in te temple of my God, and e sall go no more out: and I will write upon im te name of my God, and te name of te city of my God, wic is new Jerusalem, wic comet down out of eaven from my God: and I will write upon im my new name. e tat at an ear, let im ear wat te Spirit sait unto te curces (Rev. 3:7-13). Te curc at Piladelpia was te opposite of te curc at Sardis. Te Lord Jesus ad no commendation for te Sardis Curc, and noting but commendation for te Piladelpia Curc. Te curc in tis lesson was a strong and sound curc in te first century. It migt be considered an ideal (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Curc at Piladelpia (Continued from page 5) curc, or a curc igly favored by Crist. Oters would call it te curc of broterly love, seeing tis is te meaning of te word Piladelpia. TE CURC (v. 7) Te time of te founding of tis curc is as unknown as is its founder. Most likely te curc at Piladelpia was te fruit of te missionary labors of Paul or some of is co-workers. All we can be certain of is te existence of a sound curc tere in A.D. 96 wen Crist sent tis epistle to tem. istory records tat te Piladelpia Curc out lasted te oter six. Te istorian Gibbon speaks of Piladelpia alone surviving by propecy or by courage. Cristians are still found in tis old city today wo belong to te Greek Curc. I am told tere is a bisop of Piladelpia as well as several curces. TE CITY (v. 7) Te city of Piladelpia was located 15 miles from Smyrna and 28 miles souteast of Sardis. It was situated in te plain of ermus about midway between te river of tat name and te termination of Mount Tmolus. Te city was on a ill surrounded wit four flat summits. Te country, as viewed from tis ill, was magnificent--- gardens and vineyards were at te back and sides of te town and before it one of te most beautiful and extensive plains of Asia. Te city of Piladelpia was founded in 140 B.C. by te king of Pergamos, Attalus Piladelpus II, from wom it received its name. In 133 B.C. Te city passed into te ands of te Romans. It continued a center of Cristianity longer tan all te oter towns of Asia Minor. It was finally overrun by te Turks in A.D by te conqueror Bajazat. Today it still exists as a Turkis town under te name of Alla Seev, wic means te city of God. Tis is a significant fact wen you recall te promise made to te curc. I will write upon im...te name of te city of my God. Piladelpia was well located were tree great countries joined togeter. Te lands of Mysia and Lydia and Prygia all bordered at Piladelpia in te apostolic age. It was an open door for trade on te main road from Smyrna to te cities of Prygia. Te city was a key to te trade of extensive regions. Attalus establised te city to spread te Greek language and culture to te wild tribes of interior Prygia. Te city of Piladelpia was located on a flat summit of a volcanic mountain range. Consequently, te inabitants were often subjected to eartquakes and volcanic eruptions. After one of its severest eartquakes in A.D. 17, te Roman emperor, Tiberius Cersar, rebuilt it like e did Sardis. In gratitude for tis kindness, Piladelpia renamed teir city New Ceasarea, te new city of Ceasar. Te caracter of te emperor so deteriorated tat te people soon regretted te cange. TE CRIST (v. 7) Te description of Crist in eac of tese letters is adapted to te condition of te curc. Te Speaker addresses imself to tem tusly: Tese tings sait e tat is oly, e tat is true, e tat at te key of David, e tat openet, and no man suttet; and suttet, and no man openet. First, Jesus Crist is called oly. Tis means tat is personal caracter is essentially oly. Tis epistle belongs appropriately to God, Wo alone is oly (Rev. 15:4). In tis term we beold essential Deity being attributed to te Lord Jesus Crist. e is tat oly Ting born of a virgin (Luke 1:35), and te Bible often ascribed oliness to im (Acts 2:27; 3:14). Even in is uman nature e is perfectly exempt from te least moral taint, being oly, armless, undefiled, separate from sinners (eb. 7:26). Second, te attribute of trut is applied to te Savior. Tis epitet, like te preceding, is applicable only to te Fater, Wo only is true (Jon 17:3). ere trut is applied to Crist since e is te expressed image of te Fater (eb. 1:3). Te perfection of trut is applied to Crist in te New Testament (Jon 1:9, 14, 17; 8:40, 45; 14:6; 18:37; I Jon 5:20). In te Bible Crist is called te true Bread, te true Vine, te true Ligt, etc. Tird, Crist is said to ave te key of te ouse of David. Tis expression is taken from Isaia 22:22. Evidently, wat was said of Eliakim in te reign of King ezekia is true of Jesus Crist. Eliakim, a type if Crist, ad all te affairs of te kingdom put under is management. Even so, all autority and power is vested in te ands of Jesus Crist. e as power over all fles and all autority on eart and in eaven. e opens te kingdom of eaven to all wo believe is gospel; e bars te door of admission against all wo would climb up some oter way. Since it is distinctly said e as te key of David, we must also see in tis tat Crist as te crown rigts to te trone of David. Tis autority e will assume wen te sevent trumpet sall sound (Rev. 11:15-17). Altoug e sall not actually sit upon te trone of is glory until e comes in is glory (Matt. 25:31). Wen Crist returns to te eart e will build again te tabernacle of David, wic is fallen down (Acts 15:16). Crist possesses te igest administrative powers over is kingdom and is curces. e does not sare tis rigt wit some eartly curc clergy. Peter did open up te kingdom of eaven to te Gentiles by using te keys Crist gave im, but Peter left te door open. If any curc on eart errs in binding and loosing, Crist overrides teir error in uman judgment. e can veto teir decision. No curc or individual can open wat Crist suts, nor sut wat e opens. TE COMMENDATION (v. 8) Te commendation is given in verse 8: I know ty works: beold, I ave set before tee an open door, and no man can sut it; for tou ast a little strengt, and ast kept my word, and ast not denied my name. Piladelpia was te curc of te open door. Tis door was not Crist as some ave supposed, seeing e is said to open te door. Tis was te door of opportunity and service, a field of usefulness. It was not a door of escape. Rater, it was an entrance to a larger life and a great work for Crist. Te great ead of te curc would ave tese people to become a missionary base for te spread of te gospel. Te curc did not need to pray for Crist to open for tem some doors of service. Tese doors were already open. It was te business of te curc at Piladelpia to enter te door Crist ad already opened. Let us not pray for God to open some doors of service for us. Instead, let us pray for God (Continued on page 7)

7 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Curc at Piladelpia (Continued from page 6) to open our eyes to te doors wic are already standing wide open. Let us go in aste troug tese doors, for some doors are beginning to close largely due to our own inactivity. Tou ast a little strengt. Te language used seems to suggest tis curc was feeble in spiritual life and maybe small in number. Feebleness is no barrier in Crist s work. All too many times strengt is a barrier. Isaia 40:29 declares: e givet power to te faint; and to tem tat ave no migt e increaset strengt. Crist told te Apostle Paul: My grace is sufficient for tee: for my strengt is made perfect in weakness (II Cor. 12:9). Tou...ast kept my word. Te reality of Cristian strengt is manifested by Cristian fidelity. Te Piladelpia Curc ad not repudiated te Word of God. Tey ad not gone after modernism. Any curc wic loves Crist obeys and protects is written Word. Jesus Crist said: e tat at my commandments, and keepet tem, e it is tat lovet me....if a man love me, e will keep my words (Jon 14:21,23). God grant tat our modern curces be like te Piladelpia Curc. ow important tat we today obey and protect te Word, especially in a time wen so many are mutilating te Bible and destroying men s fait in its autority. Tou...ast not denied my name. Wen te members of te curc at Piladelpia were brougt before cruel magistrates in times of persecution, tey were called upon to renounce te name of Crist publicly. In suc awful times te members of tis curc refused to deny or disown te Person and work of Crist. Tey were not asamed to confess im before men even if it meant ridicule or deat. TE CONFIRMATION (v. 9) Crist promised to cause teir enemies to see ow muc value e placed upon tis faitful curc: Beold, I will make tem of te synagogue of Satan, wic say tey are Jews, and are not, but do lie; beold, I will make tem to come and worsip before ty feet, and to know tat I ave loved tee. Te enemies of tis curc were evidently a Jewis synagogue wic bitterly opposed tem. Tey were Jews in profession, but not in practice. Tey claimed to be Jews, but tey ad not te fait in Crist tat Abraam ad (Rom. 9:6). Tey were called te synagogue of Satan, for all opposition to te Lord s curc is from te Prince of Darkness. One day tese false teacers will be made to worsip before te feet of tis curc. One day te Lord will vindicate is people and te trut tey ave preaced. Wat a glorious privilege New Testament Baptist curces will ave wen all false curces will be made to recognize tem as te bride of Crist and to worsip before teir feet. TE CONSOLATION (v. 10) An outstanding compliment is given te Piladelpia Curc. In verse 10: Because tou ast kept te word of my patience, I also will keep tee from te our of temptation, wic sall come upon all te world, to try tem tat dwell upon te eart. Tis is an exortation to patient continuance in well doing. By keeping te Word wic enjoined patience, tey could be certain Crist would keep tem out of te universal trials coming upon te eart. Te time of world-wide trial referred to is te Great Tribulation. No local suffering could be said to come upon all te world and to try tem tat dwell upon eart. Furtermore, a searc of curc istory fails to reveal any special visitation of Crist to te curc at Piladelpia in times past. Terefore, te time of wic Crist speaks must be te Great Tribulation. Even if tere were a minor fulfillment in te istory of te Piladelpia Curc, it would not preclude te complete fulfillment reserved for te end-time. Can Crist not keep is curces out of te Great Tribulation if e so desires? as Crist not clearly expressed is desire to do so ere? Te words of Crist in tis passage teac a pre-trib rapture; tey prove Crist will not merely deliver is curces from te trial but from te period of time in wic te trial occurs. TE CROWN (v. 11) Verse 11 demonstrates te means by wic Crist is to deliver is curces from te period of world-wide suffering. Tey are to be delivered out of te Great Tribulation by te Rapture and te Judgment Seat of Crist: Beold, I come quickly: old tat fast wic tou ast, tat no man take ty crown. Tis is te speedy and unannounced coming of Crist from eaven. Noting promotes a curc s steadfastness in te good profession of Crist s name any more tan te tougt tat is coming is at and. Tose wo do not waver in teir Cristian profession are to be crowned by te returning Crist. Te Piladelpia Curc was expected to old fast to Crist s Word, Crist s name, Crist s patience and Crist s coming. To desert any of tese would be to lose teir crown (Col. 2:18; II Jon 8). Our rewards are connected wit Crist s return. Tey are contingent upon our olding fast- --our unflincing loyalty to te fait and unswerving devotion to Crist. Te trut taugt ere is tat by negligence in duty we may deprive ourselves of te glory wic we migt ave obtained if we ad been faitful to te Savior. TE COMFORT (v. 12) Te promise to te overcomer is seen in verse 12: im tat overcomet will I make a pillar in te temple of my God, and e sall go no more out; and I will write upon im te name of my God, and te name of te city of my God, wic is new Jerusalem, wic comet down out of eaven from my God; and I will write upon im my new name. Tere are two great promises ere and a treefold inscription. First, I see tat Crist promised te overcomer tat e would make im a pillar in te temple of is God. It was customary wit nations in ancient times to erect pillars or columns in onorable memorial of teir eroes. Absalom, te son of David, in te Old Testament built a pillar wit is name upon it (II San. 18:18). Te practice is seen in te Grecian fable of te Pillars of ercules. King Solomon built a magnificent temple in Jerusalem wic was supported by numerous pillars (I Kings 6-7), but tese pillars were insufficient to protect it against te Caldeans and te Romans. But it sall not be so wit tose in te Cristian curc. Tey sall form a permanent part of te eavenly temple: e sall go no more out. Te Cristian conqueror is to ave an onorable memorial (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Curc at Piladelpia (Continued from page 7) in God s temple above. Tose wo are pillars of te curc on eart (Gal. 2:9) sall be pillars in te eavenly sanctuary. Teir ig position is a fixed and eternal one; tey sall not be moved! Second, Crist promised a treefold inscription: I will write upon im te name of my God. Te overcomer will wear te brand of eaven; e will bear in is body te marks of God s ownersip. To be branded wit te Divine name will be a public testimony to angels tat te overcomer belongs to God. Revelation 22:4 says: And tey sall see is face; and is name sall be in teir foreeads. Te overcomer is to ave te name of te city of my God, wic is new Jerusalem inscribed upon im. Tis denotes te victorious believer is a citizen of te eavenly Jerusalem. e will live in a mansion in te Fater s ouse of many mansions (Jon 14:1-3). Te New Jerusalem is now in te tird eaven. Paul called it in Galatians 4:26 te Jerusalem wic is above. Tis city is to come down from God out of eaven after te 1,000- year reign of Crist on eart. It is described in great detail in Revelation capter 21. Ten it is said tat te name of Crist will be graven for ever on eac one of tis conquering band of eroes. Muc is revealed of Crist in is names in te Bible. Muc more will be revealed in is new name bestowed upon im for is redeeming work (Pil. 2:9-11). Tose wo ave labored in is name on eart will bear is name publicly for eternity. Ten it will be manifest to all tat te elect belong to Crist because tey were redeemed by im. In te religious world tere are so many professed Cristians wo want to make a name for temselves. Tey want curc buildings and Bible college buildings named after tem. It seems tat tey are like Absalom of old. Tey want a name on eart; tey want te praise of men wile tey live as a pilgrim in tis world. ow muc better it would be for tem to be more concerned about obtaining te name of God. Te name of te New Jerusalem, and te new name of Crist. ow far superior to ave a pillar wit your name on it in te New Jerusalem tan an eartly pillar wit your name upon it in tis perising world. Tere is a day coming wen Crist will give us some everlasting names. It is said tat one time te people made muc over te name of George Witefield. Tey wanted im to ave some great memorial on eart. e told tem: Let te name of George Witefield be forgotten, but let te name of Crist be remembered forever. e tat at an ear, let im ear wat te Spirit sait unto te curces. Te Errors of Eliu By Mattew Stepp of Wayne, West Virginia (Continued from May issue.) Capter 35 of Job V. 2: Again, Eliu purports to be quoting Job, ere. Beloved reader, please, I beg of you to find tis quote in Scripture. Were in te world? Actually, I know, in te world of Eliu and is tree compadres tat ave eard Job claim integrity and rigteousness, witout understanding tat tose very attributes of Job come from God. Tere is a reason tat Eliu makes tis completely unfounded statement, toug. It is because of te fact tat a lost man, will never be able to compreend te salvation of Jesus Crist in te saints. Job speaks of God as is Sovereign Afflictor, and ten cries out to im for justice and restitution. Eliu can only see tis as Job saying is cause is more rigteous tan God! Because e mistakes te relationsip God as bestowed upon is precious cildren. Jon 15:14-15,18: Ye are my friends, if ye do watsoever I command you. encefort I call you not servants; for te servant knowet not wat is lord doet: but I ave called you friends; for all tings tat I ave eard of my Fater I ave made known unto you...if te world ate you, ye know tat it ated me before it ated you. Te world of Eliu ates tis love tat tey ave never experienced and will never compreend it. Even te pro-eliu commentators ave to scratc teir eads at some of tese more obvious misconstructions of Eliu. Wy tey work so ard to defend tis rascal, I will never know! e is not wort it! V. 3: I do not know weter Eliu is referencing 21:15, were Job is obviously referring to te wicked of 21:7 wo are questioning, like Parao of Egypt, Wo is tis God? Or weter e is referencing 9: In tat quotation, Job is denying any good tat could come of works, or turning over a new leaf. God will not onor suc rigteousness, but as Isaia puts it:...we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like te wind, ave taken us away (Isa. 64:6). Eiter way, Eliu as misunderstood and Job is doctrinally sound and Eliu is wrong. Vs. 4-8: Ecoes of Elipaz again from 22:1-4 and Zopar also from 11:5-10. All tree are correct only in teir assessment of te Salitariness of God. If tou sinnest, wat doest tou against im? Te tender God of te eavens is grieved at sin, Eliu. e sends mercy and grace to is precious cildren! Tat is wat Job is expecting and longing for! And it is exactly wat Noa found. Genesis 6:5-8: And God saw tat te wickedness of man was great in te eart, and tat every imagination of te tougts of is eart was only evil continually,...and it grieved im at is eart....but Noa found grace in te eyes of te LORD. Truly, an Arminian will never understand te Book of Job! Its ricest truts and blessings are found wrapped up in te precious T.U.L.I.P. Doctrines of te Sovereign Grace of Almigty God! Ezekiel 33:11: Say unto tem, As I live, sait te Lord GOD, I ave no pleasure in te deat of te wicked; but tat te wicked turn from is way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for wy will ye die, O ouse of Israel? Vs. 9-13: Eliu is very confident tat God will not answer Job s prayers, at least until Job confesses tat Great Sin tat e is so sure is te root cause of Job s calamity. Tere tey cry, but none givet answer, because of te pride of evil men. Job, it is your pride. Te pride of evil men! Surely God will not ear vanity, neiter will te Almigty regard it. Until you get tings rigt wit God, you (Continued on page 9)

9 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 Te Errors of Eliu (Continued from page 8) are rigt tere among te evil men and your prayers are vanity and empty. God will not regard it---or so says Eliu. V. 14: Tis is among te most ludicrous statements tat Eliu makes. Eliu is essentially saying tat Job, you can not see God, because you do not ave enoug fait! e is telling Job to trust God? Te man wo is weeping unto is God? Job 16:17-20: Not for any injustice in mine ands: also my prayer is pure. O eart, cover not tou my blood, and let my cry ave no place. Also now, beold, my witness is in eaven, and my record is on ig. My friends scorn me: but mine eye pouret out tears unto God. Job 19:23-25: O tat my words were now written! o tat tey were printed in a book! Tat tey were graven wit an iron pen and lead in te rock for ever! For I know tat my redeemer livet... Fait? Tat is all te man as left! Even te New Testament writer James knows tat from is reading of te Book of Job. James 5:10-11: Take, my bretren, te propets, wo ave spoken in te name of te Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Beold, we count tem appy wic endure. Ye ave eard of te patience of Job, and ave seen te end of te Lord; tat te Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. Job s patience and fait are a beacon to everyone tat knows te end of te Lord. Eliu does not know God and does not see Job s fait. V. 15: Atrociously, Eliu s indictment continues. Because e perceives a lack of fait and trust in Job, e claims tat God is angry wit Job. And tat Job does not see te desperate straits tat e is in. Recrimination from te Sovereign of te Universe! Surely, tis verse, if any of Eliu s statements do so, sows tat e is a reprobate and lost in is sin. It sows Eliu s absolute deficiency of any understanding of God s grace, or even is eternal love. Certainly God will judge is own, but anger is reserved for te wicked. Psalms 7:10-11: My defence is of God, wic savet te uprigt in eart. God judget te rigteous, and God is angry wit te wicked every day. An unceasing anger, tat is reserved for Esau, wom God ated, not for Jacob, Jeremia, or Job, for wom God s love is eternal. I Tessalonians 5:8-9: But let us, wo are of te day, be sober, putting on te breastplate of fait and love; and for an elmet, te ope of salvation. For God at not appointed us to wrat, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Crist. Wy does not Eliu ever pray wit Job for salvation? Wy is it always tat e prays for judgment? Because Eliu never prays to a God of Grace. It never crosses is mind, tat anyting but works will ave any effect upon God and te dire straits of Job s calamity. Pray for grace! V. 16: Reiterating is condemnation of Job in 34:35-37, Eliu is very acrimonious and disrespectful, to te degree tat modern liberals ave become accustomed to. It is noting to Eliu tat Job is an elder; a great man of God. To Eliu, unless Job will umble imself to repeat te Wise Words of Eliu, any opening of is mout is vanity....e multipliet words witout knowledge. Mark tese words well, Eliu, for tey are true! But not concerning Job. God imself will answer for Job in capter 38, and e will condemn you wit tese very words. Eliu is te one guilty of multiplying words witout knowledge. Capter 36 of Job Vs. 1-4: Blaspemy on tree counts in tree verses. Eliu claims to be God s mout. e claims inerrancy and omniscience in perfect knowledge. It matters little to try to say tat Eliu is speaking of God s omniscience in v. 4, because e is still attributing it unto imself and takes upon imself te mantle of divinity. Job migt well answer Eliu ere as e did te tree friends: 21:34: ow ten comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers tere remainet falseood? Despite Eliu s illusions of grandeur, is answers to Job never it te mark. Wat Job needs is mercy and grace. Eliu never offers tat. Even as we are approacing Eliu s grand soliloquy in is final capter---searc in vain for te message of Jon te Baptist, yet to come. Jon 1:29: Te next day Jon seet Jesus coming unto im, and sait, Beold te Lamb of God, wic taket away te sin of te world. Vs. 5-18: Tis next passage gives an overview of te doctrine of bot Eliu and te tree friends previously. It is te same Prosperity Gospel ad nauseum tat as been stuffed down Job s troat in te previous eigt accusations and wic Eliu now continues to propagate. Reference 8:3-7; 11:13-20; 22:21-30, et al, and see teir similarities to tis passage. Vs. 8-10: Wile tese verses ave good meaning in general application, tey are maliciously reased arguments tat Job as eard te entire book. Noting new is brougt out by Eliu. Just repent, Job, and everyting will be all rigt! Vs : Te ealt and Wellness gospel in a nutsell. Every affliction is because of sin in your life, Job. Look at us, wo are not guilty of your secret sin. God knows us, and tat is wy we are spending our days in prosperity. I can see Joel Osteen s big smile on Eliu s face, as I type. Vs : Eliu calls Job a ypocrite; calls im unclean and ten dangles te carrot of ope in front of Job, oping to lure im into denouncing is fait in God s oly Justice. O, but Job! Your...table sould be full of fatness. But tou ast fulfilled te judgment of te wicked: judgment and justice take old on tee. You are only getting wat you are deserving, Job! And you will only get more of te same, unless you repent and come clean wit watever sin it is tat you are iding. Were does Eliu get tis great knowledge and insigt into te life of tis beleaguered saint of God? I guess tat I could stomac some of wat Eliu was trying to teac Job, if e would just quit calling tis (broter in Crist?) wicked, unclean, and a ypocrite. Tat is wat Eliu s greatest errors ave led to---to resort to unfounded allegations and repetitious namecalling. V. 18: I do not know if Eliu would call it tat, but it seems to be te trust of tis verse: Job, you are on te verge of committing te unpardonable sin! As some free-willers of today migt prase it: Job, you are going to lose your salvation, if you do not come back quickly. Your back-sliding as gone on long enoug. Confess your great sin and come back to te fold of safety. As if any could ever pluck Job from te security of God s uncanging and. Tat God would punis any of is cildren to te point of no return is a (Continued on page 10)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Te Errors of Eliu (Continued from page 9) gross misunderstanding of even te castising and of God. Te purpose of God and is discipline is always for our good, bot now and ultimately. Vs : More accusations of wickedness (v. 17) and of being one tat cooses iniquity (v. 21) over correction via affliction. Job certainly is not guilty of eiter of tese. Vs : Eliu is now warming up for is concluding remarks. Except for a couple of veiled remarks tat would include is arraignment of Job on counts of blaspemy against te glory of God, te remainder of tis capter and all of capter 37 will be Eliu s attempt to sow Job te migty gulf to span between Glorious God and puny man. ow well e succeeds will be determined by context. If we lift tese verses out of teir proper place in te Book of Job, we migt well find ourselves Amen ing and tinking wat a profound and wonderful fellow tis Eliu must be to know suc deep and wondrous truts. But we cannot forget eiter te framework laid in tis book, nor te callous supercility of te man speaking. God as allowed lost men before to make true statements and ten record tem in is oly Book (Balaam, for instance), but tat canges not teir spiritual condition before is oly eyes. Wat were te words of Crist? Mattew 23:1-7: Ten spake Jesus to te multitude, and to is disciples, Saying, Te scribes and te Parisees sit in Moses seat: All terefore watsoever tey bid you observe, tat observe and do; but do not ye after teir works: for tey say, and do not. For tey bind eavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay tem on men s soulders; but tey temselves will not move tem wit one of teir fingers. But all teir works tey do for to be seen of men: tey make broad teir pylacteries, and enlarge te borders of teir garments, And love te uppermost rooms at feasts, and te cief seats in te synagogues, And greetings in te markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. Tis is te ultimate condemnation of Eliu, te Parisee. All is words eventually point to imself and is perceived knowledge of God. Capter 37 of Job Vs. 1-9: All te evidence I ave seen in Eliu s words tus far cause me to question wic eart tremblet. Certainly not te eart of te Pilippian jailor, but rater only Eliu s emotional eart as been touced by is grandiose speec. James 2:19: Tou believest tat tere is one God; tou doest well: te devils also believe, and tremble. Vs : Tis is te only oter passage in te capter tat I would like to point out. Certainly, no doubt, te breat of God could come for tese tree reasons. Because until now, Eliu as not considered any oter recourse for Job s calamity, tan correction, wic is te first (and tereby primary?) cause of God s stroke of affliction. Eliu is rigt (for te first time?) in tat te breat of God can wreck avoc in our lives for some oter purpose tan correction. It could be judgment upon a land (suc as America is currently eading into), or it could be for mercy. O, tat Eliu migt consider tis an option in te case of Job s calamity! But e never does. An inerent atred of Job oozes trougout te speaking of Eliu. Never does a tender word or a kind tougt cross te pages of is entire six capters. Eliu s entire assessment of Job is malicious and disgraceful. Vs : Is anybody else amazed at wat God says in capters 38-39? Really, in all is poetry continuing tru capter 41. If God is going to answer te questions of tis book, ten peraps we migt expect a revelation to Job and te four oter caracters of wat appened in is dialogue wit Satan in te first two capters. But tat simply does not appen. It does not even occur in te epilogue capter 42. God never answers te questions raised by Elipaz, ten Bildad, ten Zopar, and finally Eliu. Even Job may be included in tis desire to know wy tis great calamity as occurred. God does not use is space to deign to reply to is created beings wat is great purpose is. But we know! We got to read te first two capters! Tey are te ingepin upon wic tis Great Book of God s Sovereign Grace swings! And te marvelous ting is tat Job did not really need to be told, because as we travel troug te book wit im, e finds our tat e already knew all along. Te great text verses and sermons God gave im along te way, really made te journey te point of te wole matter. And tat is wat afflictions in our life will do for us, also. It will cause us to see te answer was always rigt in front of our noses. God is tere for us. In valleys, as well as te mountains. Psalms 23:1-6: Te LORD is my seperd; I sall not want. e maket me to lie down in green pastures: e leadet me beside te still waters. e restoret my soul: e leadet me in te pats of rigteousness for is name s sake. Yea, toug I walk troug te valley of te sadow of deat. I will fear no evil: for tou art wit me; ty rod and ty staff tey comfort me. Tou preparest a table before me in te presence of mine enemies: tou anointest my ead wit oil; my cup runnet over. Surely goodness and mercy sall follow me all te days of my life and I will dwell in te ouse of te LORD for ever. So, if God is not going to tell te tale and set tings rigt, wat is e going to say? As we finis up te words of Eliu, te proper continuance of tis precise and balanced book would be for patient Job to get back up on te podium and speak words of grace, knowledge and wisdom, as e as trougout te book. But an amazing ting appens! If te beloved reader will accommodate me, a more amazing ting appens even tan te great calamity tat destroyed all of Job s possessions witin one our. Please, beloved reader, do not underestimate te marvelous miracle tat appens at te conclusion of Eliu s long and tedious arangue. A migty wirlwind descends upon all tose dumbstruck witnesses! And out of tat wirlwind, te VOICE OF GOD speaks! It is Job s turn to speak, but instead God bruses im aside and determines tat tis rascal Eliu sall not be allowed to ave is words stand. Not before a Trice oly God! Note tat 38:1 does not use te word rebuke tat virtually every commentator on tis passage would ave you believe. God answers Job! Praise God! Wat te effectual and fervent prayers of Job all trougout tis book ave requested time and again, as appened. God did not ave to! But e does, anyway. By is marvelous grace, e answers Job and rebukes te preceding six capters of Eliu wit an (Continued on page 11)

11 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Te Errors of Eliu (Continued from page 10) overpowering, stupendous display of a true Sovereign of Majesty and Order. Wo is tis tat darkenet counsel by words witout knowledge? e tunders in 38:2. Turning Eliu s words of 34:35; 35:16 back onto imself, God vindicates is servant Job, wo as spoken of me te ting tat is rigt. Te umble Job would never ave tougt tat is own words were any great words of knowledge or wisdom, tat is wy e includes imself in te insignificant words of mankind in 40:4-5 and 42:2-3, but God does not. God values te words of Job, as te words of a faitful servant. To make capters a rebuke of Job s perceived fault (secret sin or overzealous self-rigteousness) is to make God call Job s words witout knowledge, instead of Eliu s. And tat would tear apart tis marvelous book and upend God s purposes of submitting is faitful servant to tis entire episode of affliction. Te purpose of te Book (and God s open capters) is not to skewer Job and examine is particular faults. It is to sow God s grace and mercy troug tis willing and obedient servant. To conclude else, is to twart te context and turn te book upside down. I ave taken te time and space to write tis article entitled te Errors of Eliu. I ave found material overflowing for my exegesis. Is tere anyone in te last 4,000 years tat can write as extensively upon te Errors of Job? Tat is indeed te crux of te matter, is it not? Eiter Job or Eliu is wrong. One or te oter! Being on diametrical sides, tey cannot bot be rigt. And te beloved reader cannot take te cop-out, tat tey are bot wrong, because God justifies Job in te first capters and again in te Epilogue final capter (actually, trougout te book). Tat is wy I deem it so important to point out te errors of Eliu. If we give im te free ride tat e desires, and tat so many commentators do, ten we end up wit Job in te wrong. And tat is wrong. Unforgivable! We will end up lining beind Elipaz, Bibdad, and Zopar in te Millennial Reign, asking Job to forgive us and to make a sacrifice for us, as well. I do not want to ave to do tat! I do not want to unduly exalt any man, outside of our Lord Jesus Crist, but I do not know were else to place tis godly man, tan were Scripture places im. Job 1:8: And te LORD said unto Satan, ast tou considered my servant Job, tat tere is none like im in te eart, a perfect and an uprigt man, one tat fearet God, and escewet evil? Job 2:3: And te LORD said unto Satan, ast tou considered my servant Job, tat tere is none like im in te eart, a perfect and an uprigt man, one tat fearet God, and escewet evil? and still e oldet fast is integrity, altoug tou movedst me against im, to destroy im witout cause. Job 42:7-10: And it was so, tat after te LORD ad spoken tese words unto Job, te LORD said to Elipaz te Temanite, My wrat is kindled against tee, and against ty two friends: for ye ave not spoken of me te ting tat is rigt, as my servant Job at. Terefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job sall pray for you: for im will I accept: lest I deal wit you after your folly, in tat ye ave not spoken of me te ting wic is rigt, like my servant Job. So Elipaz te Temanite and Bildad te Suite and Zopar te Naamatite went, and did according as te LORD commanded tem: te LORD also accepted Job. And te LORD turned te captivity of Job, wen e prayed for is friends: also te LORD gave Job twice as muc as e ad before. Final tougts on Eliu: Te reason so many try desperately to find good in Eliu, is because God does not mention im in te epilogue capter of 42. God singles out Elipaz, Bildad, and Zopar. e requires tem to come before Job and umbly acknowledge teir errors and Job s rigteousness. Job passes tis final exam wit flying colors and prays for tem. Amazing Grace, e? Required even from God s servants! But were is Eliu s condemnation? As well ask were is Eliu s commendation! Wy would te absence of te one, lead to te conclusion of te oter? Tere are two reasons for is exclusion, but in reality, it could be just tat God cose to ignore tis (in my mind) young upstart bloward. Te first reason is tat te Book of Job does include Eliu s condemnation. Te parallel poetry of capter 37 by Eliu, being dwarfed by te personal poetry of God s Words in te next two, cannot be missed. If God were speaking to rebuke Job, a muc different tack would ave been necessary. But to rebuke Eliu, te wording, context, and purpose are perfect. Wo are you? NOTING!? Wile it is easy to find application for Job and every oter person ever born upon te face of te eart in tis comparison, Eliu is te primary target: 1) according to te metric nature of te book; 2) te style of te response and 3) te effect of silencing Eliu forever. Final reason for Eliu s absence in capter 42, is tat Eliu was lost, a reprobate. Romans 1:18, 24: For te wrat of God is revealed from eaven against all ungodliness and unrigteousness of men, wo old te trut inunrigteousness; Werefore God also gave tem up to uncleanness troug te lusts of teir own earts... Te inclusion of te tree friends in capter 42, is in an act of Grace. Despite all te ard feelings incurred by te beloved reader and Job trougout teir vicious attacks and false mediations, tey must be saved, because God goes out of is way to provide (tru Job) an acceptable sacrifice for tem. Tat God does not do so for Eliu is te weigtiest condemnation conceivable for Eliu. If trut be told, God does not care about Eliu, never as, never will. Romans 9:13: As it is written, Jacob ave I loved, but Esau ave I ated. All of te loneliness of ell is rusing down upon reprobates like Eliu! O, sinner, will you not consider your rebellious and recalcitrant ways before a oly God? Do not prate about rigteousness and sovereignty. Do not lecture about omnipotence and omniscience. Just consider yourself as a sinner, witout a ope in tis world, unless God would ave grace upon you. Plead, not your selfrigteous condition, but plead tat te grace of te oly Spirit migt open your eyes to see Jesus Crist as te ope of, not just Job, but me, you, and Eliu, as well. Grace, tat is wat we need, amazing Grace.

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. I keep earing a lot about te replacement teology : wat is it, and is it Biblical? Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Tis is probably te easiest question I ave ad to answer. Tat is because I ave never eard te term so I would not ave any idea ow to answer it. But I did make tis observation; te word teology stood out to me. It means te study of religion; especially te Cristian fait and God s relation to te world. More specifically, te study of God, Teo; meaning God, ology meaning study. I told a real good friend and broter in te Lord one time wen we were debating a particular subject in my early Cristian years (do not recall te subject) tat I was no teologian. And tat is wen I learned about te word, and never forgot it. I may say of myself tat I am no scolar, but I am a teologian because I study God s Word. So I suppose tat if one is trying to replace te study of God wit someting else, ten tat person is an infidel, And wat concord at Crist wit Belial? or wat part at e tat believet wit an infidel (II Cor. 6:15)? But if any provide not for is own, and specially for tose of is own ouse, e at denied te fait, and is worse tan an infidel (I Tim. 5:8). An infidel is an unlearned unbeliever in religious matters. So I guess, we can answer te question even toug I ave never eard te term Replacement Teology by saying, if one is trying to replace God, ten no it is not scriptural and I would encourage te reader to stay far from te very tougt of te term. I am te God of Abraam, and te God of Isaac, and te God of Jacob? God is not te God of te dead, but of te living (Matt. 22:32). And tere came a voice out of te cloud, saying, Tis is my beloved Son: ear im (Luke 9:35). illary Clinton just made tese two statements at te end of April: 1) According to a report by Fox News yesterday, illary Clinton, te former secretary of state as announced tat religious beliefs must cange to support abortion. Not only did te Democratic presidential candidate speak in favor of abortion but se also supported te contraceptive mandate in Obamacare. 2) illary Clinton as a message for people of fait Cristians, Muslims and Ortodox Jews: Your fait sall not be tolerated. Not I disagree or I urge you to reconsider. No, illary wants devout Catolics, evangelicals and Muslims to know: Se will not tolerate your deep-seated religious beliefs. Tey gotta go! (quoted from te Blog of Micael Graam). Is tis Replacement Teology if so, BEWARE!! God Bless! ROGER REED Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Replacement teology is not Biblical. Te New Testament Curc as not taken te place of Israel. Israel will always be God s cosen nation and will be restored, or in better use of words, will be reconciled to God before te tousand year reign of Crist. Te New Testament Curc is separate from Israel and will not suffer te seven years of Jacob s trouble. Te Curc will be raptured out of tis world wit all te saints before te seven year tribulation. MIKE DEWITT Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O Replacement teology teaces tat te curc as replaced Israel in God s plan. Te tenets of replacement teology ave teir origin in te eresies of te Roman Catolic Curc, wic attempted to usurp te promises God made to Israel by applying tem to te Universal Catolic Curc. After te Protestant Reformation many Protestant denominations began to apply te same teory of interpretation to te Universal Invisible Curc as te recipient of Israel s promises. Replacement teology is basically a fancy name for te old a-millennial eresy tat cooses to spiritualize te promises made to Israel and apply tem to te mytical universal visible/invisible curc. Instead of believing te plain and literal promises made to God s cosen people, Israel, te replacement teologian decides wen and were to apply te promises to te mytical universal visible/ invisible curc. Wy Landmark Baptists or any oter stripe of Baptist would borrow from Catolic and Protestant eresy is a mystery to me. Tere is no doubt tat after te Lord Jesus started is New Testament Baptist Curc during is eartly ministry, e began to work troug te curc in te form of te Great Commission. For 2000 years te curc of te Lord Jesus Crist as been te institution tat God as used to spread te Gospel and stand for trut. owever, God as never nullified or taken away any promises to te nation of Israel. In fact, Romans 11 clearly states tat God will graft elect Israel back into is plan after te fullness of te Gentiles be come in (Rom. 11:22-29). A real problem for te replacement teologians is te miraculous existence of te nation of Israel even wile tey are in unbelief! Tey are now in te land promised to tem by God as an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:6-8). Israel officially gained nation status in itler tried to exterminate te Jews. Anti- Semitism is rampant trougout te world. Te Muslims want to wipe Israel off te map. In spite of all te attempts by Jew aters tey can not seem to exterminate God s cosen nation. Te reason for teir existence is simple, God is not done wit Israel. e will fulfill every promise made to is cosen nation. Te Scriptures relating to (Continued on page 14)

13 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 13 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 2. Wat are some good autobiograpies tat Cristians sould read? Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV At times in my life I ave been a voracious reader, and biograpies ave been a large part of tat. If you can find tem, tere was a Landmark series from te sixties (1960 s!) tat covered many famous istorical people from a cildren s perspective. Ones tat I particularly remember well are Ferdinand Magellan (my favorite!), Paul Revere, Jon Paul Jones and Winston Curcill. Tey were well-researced and ad te goal in mind to instill some of tose same great eroic qualities in te young readers of our age. Tat as canged in tis last generation. Now, te purpose of most biograpies are to make tem uman - to point out (or many times invent) failures and moments of weakness, wit te purpose of bringing our eroes down to te level of te masses. Te disparity is sown clearly in two VASTLY different biograpies of general and president George Wasington. I igly recommend Anna Reed s Life of Wasington tat was actually publised by a Sunday Scool committee. It is a good read and muc profit in it. But I was recently appalled at reading James Burns version of te life of George Wasington. It is amazing wat a spin one can put on te life of even a famous person suc as our first president, just by leaving out critical religious aspects of tis very strong Cristian. No references to God were made in tis astoundingly terrible book, and Mr. Burns even ad te temerity to claim tat Wasington was an integral part of te budding umanism elements tat ave nearly ruined tis once great nation. Sela! Tink about it! Oter biograpies about te founding faters must be judged on tis same critique: usually te older te book, te more true it is and by far te better. A few exceptions are from conservative writers today suc as Ricard Labunski s James Madison and te Struggle for te Bill of Rigts and David McCulloug s Jon Adams. To te Golden Sore by Courtney Anderson is a must read biograpy of Adoniram Judson, te converted Baptist missionary to Burma. As we consider te Baptist saints down troug te ages, I would recommend Foxe s Book of Martyrs, Brigt Ligts in Dark Times and Berlin isel s Baptist istory Notebook to sow synopses of te lives of men and women tat ave given teir lives for te LORD and is Word. William Tyndale: A Biograpy by David Daniell is just one example. God s Secretaries: Te Making of te King James Bible is anoter. More modern autobiograpies of persecuted Cristians are Georgi Vins and Ricard Wurmbrand. I would igly recommend going to te Voice of te Martyrs website and getting a free copy of Tortured for Crist. Rapsody in Black is te story of Jon Jasper, an American preacer, saved wile still a slave in Ricmond, Virginia. It is a book tat one of te deacons of our curc ere gave me to read, tat left lasting impressions for te zeal of new Cristians and new preacers. Te gospel and a love for our Saviour is wat we all need, for our labors to be acceptable to God. From a different perspective, 30 Years a Watctower Slave by William Scnell is a good read about coming out of te so-called Jeova s Witnesses. Personal accounts of folks tat ave come out of Mormonism and Catolicism are also interesting examples of God s power to deliver is seep in our generation. Te ultimate autobiograpy is te Bible! It is God s revelation of imself to mankind. Read it torougly and often! God will certainly bless ALL periods of time devoted to meditating upon God s Word. Stepen Carnock s A Portrait of God or Artur W. Pink s Te Sovereignty of God and Te Attributes of God will elp you understand te uniqueness of our God and is Autobiograpy. MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio I ave a complete set all nicely bound in te same design tat I ordered from a Cristian bookstore entitled eroes Of Te Fait. Tey are not per se autobiograpies but tey are an account of teir lives. Tey are as follows: Jon Bunyan Fanny Crosby Carles G. Finney David Livingstone Martin Luter Dwigt L. Moody George Muller Mary Slessor C.. Spurgeon Jon Wesley George Witefield Altoug we do not agree wit some of te tings tese men and women believed, tey were great in teir FAIT and tat makes tem wort reading about. Also, I would recommend Letters of A. W. Pink and Te Life Of Artur W. Pink. ope tese elp God Bless! ROGER REED Mike DeWitt Sr. PO Box 950 Springfield, OR Pastor Parkway Landmark Baptist Curc PO Box 950 Springfield, OR I do not ave any recommendations oter tan te oly Bible. For me te Bible as all I need. MIKE DEWITT Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O I started reading biograpies and autobiograpies of Cristians rigt after te Lord saved me. Reading biograpies as been one of te most pleasant treats in my spiritual journey. Te following list is a sampling of tose I ave read over te past 35 years: Carles addon Spurgeon: Te Early Years; Te Full arvest. Te Prince of Preacers by (Continued on page 15)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) te promised future of Israel are overwelming. God will regenerate, restore, and reconcile elect Israel in is time and according to is sure word of propecy. Te same God wo foretold of te apostasy of te nation of Israel and te judgments tat would result from it, also promised tat e would restore te nation of Israel spiritually as well as pysically. If one set of propecies are to be understood literally ten te oter set must likewise be interpreted literally (Lev. 26:21, 33, 42-45; Deut. 30:3-6; Jer. 16:13-15; 31:10-12; Ezek. 39:27-29). Te covenants God made wit Israel regarding teir land, te trone of David, and teir ultimate salvation all insure a literal future for Israel (Isa. 54:7-10; Jer. 31:35-37; Rom. 11: 1-2, 28-29; Gen. 17:19; 26:3-5; 28:13-15; 35:9-15; Jer. 32:37-41; Psa. 89:29-37; 105:10; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-8; Luke 1:31-33; Matt. 19:28; Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:24-28; Zec. 12:8-10). I love te quote from Jon Gill, te Baptist expositor of te 1700 s, wo commented on osea 3:5: Te ten tribes of Israel, and also te two tribes of Juda and Benjamin, wic are included in te name of Israel...and tese are joined togeter in parallel places; see Jer. 30:3, 9 and 50:2, 5; for toug tey did not go into captivity togeter, yet teir return and conversion will be at te same time; and tey are all spoken of under te name of Israel by te apostle Paul, wen e foretells teir conversion and salvation, Rom. 11:26. Te return of tem, ere propesied of, does not barely mean teir return to teir own land, wic will be at tis time; see Jer. 30:3; Ezek. 37:21-22; Amos 9:15, but teir return to te Lord by repentance; wen tey sall repent of, and turn from, eiter sinful course of life, and particularly of teir unbelief and rejection of te true Messia, and embrace im; and of teir traditions and false ways of worsip, wic tey sall discard; and of teir own rigteousness tey sall now renounce; and sall turn to te Lord Jesus Crist, and believe in im for rigteousness, life, and salvation (Vol. 6, p. 392). TOM ROSS Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Replacement Teology is a relatively new escatology view, were te promises tat God as made to te nation of Israel are granted to te universal curc propagated by te Protestant denominations. Mostly Reformed baptists and oter Amillennial proponents are espousing tis teory, because Israel as a regatered nation does not fit in wit teir oter fabrications concerning te end times. Sela! Tink about it! Te Bible proclaims repeatedly a pretribulational rapture of te curces and curc age saints. Tis imminent event will erald in te Great Tribulation, wic will fulfill Daniel s seventiet week, were God once again will deal exclusively troug is beloved nation of reunited Israel. And e sall confirm te covenant wit many for one week: and in te midst of te week e sall cause te sacrifice and te oblation to cease, and for te overspreading of abominations e sall make it desolate, even until te consummation, and tat determined sall be poured upon te desolate (Dan. 9:27). Tose tat try to prove a Post Tribulational (or Post Millennial) rapture of te Lord s curces, must of NECESSITY force te Lord s true New Testament Baptist curces to endure troug te orrors and judgments of tat terrible time of Jacob s trouble. Tis CANNOT be validated in te book of Revelation, were te curces are not seen after te Rapture (pictured in Revelation 4:1), until te second advent of Revelation 19 at te Battle of Armageddon, were Jesus Crist fulfills te Zecaria 14:4 propecy and returns wit is Bride (Rev. 19:7-8, 14; I Tess. 5:9). But te Nation of Israel will ave to suffer at te ands of te Anti-crist for tose seven years. After almost 2000 years of diaspora, some ave given up on God s longsuffering and ave (like Abraam) tried to replace Isaac wit anoter. Tis time te curc of Jesus Crist, instead of Ismael. No matter wat te replacement or substitution, it will not work. Too many propecies specifically mandated for te eternality of God s covenant people stand in te way. Terefore fear tou not, O my servant Jacob, sait te LORD; neiter be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save tee from afar, and ty seed from te land of teir captivity; and Jacob sall return, and sall be in rest, and be quiet, and none sall make im afraid. For I am wit tee, sait te LORD, to save tee: toug I make a full end of all nations witer I ave scattered tee, yet will I not make a full end of tee: but I will correct tee in measure, and will not leave tee altogeter unpunised (Jer. 30:10-11). Te root source of suc a replacement teology is rootless Baptists! So many Baptists (so-called) today do not believe (trust) in a cain-link succession of autority based on Mattew 16:18, and upon tis rock I will build my curc; and te gates of ell sall not prevail against it. Reformed baptists and Arminian baptists alike tink tat te Lord s precious curces went out of existence during te Dark Ages and ad to be reorganized by mere men in te Reformation. NOT ARDLY!!! Te brigt ligts of te Lord s curces sine troug te Dark Ages from te Montanists and Donatists of te early centuries troug te legacies of te Catari, Albigenses and Waldenses. Tese (Ana) Baptists never wavered in teir stand for te trut and God fulfilled is promise of perpetuity to is pillar and ground of te trut. As surely as God as preserved is curces in tis age, e as also just as surely preserved te remnants of is twelve tribes! A minimum of 12,000 ave been sealed from eac tribe (Revelation 7:4-8) and te 144,000 witnesses will go fort preacing te everlasting gospel and muc of Israel will be saved by God s sovereign grace. And wen te dragon saw tat e was cast unto te eart, e persecuted te woman wic brougt fort te man cild. And to te woman were given two wings of a great eagle, tat se migt fly into te wilderness, into er place, were se is nourised for a time, and times, and alf a time, (3.5 years- tms) from te face of te serpent (Rev. 12:13-14). And it sall come to pass in tat day, tat I will seek (Continued on page 15)

15 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #1 (Continued from page 14) to destroy all te nations tat come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon te ouse of David, and upon te inabitants of Jerusalem, te spirit of grace and of supplications: and tey sall look upon me wom tey ave pierced, and tey sall mourn for im, as one mournet for is only son, and sall be in bitterness for im, as one tat is in bitterness for is firstborn (Zec. 12:9-10). No need for a replacement teology! God is doing just fine wit plan A! Israel will yet be restored to a place of prominence, bot as a nation and as a fulfillment of Bible Propecy. Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP Forum #2 (Continued from page 13) Lewis Drummond Carles Spurgeon by Dan armon Te Forgotten Spurgeon by Ian Murray A. W. Pink: Te Life of A.W. Pink by Ian Murray Artur W. Pink: Born to Write by Ricard Belcer Te Life and Times of Isaac Backus by Alva ovey Te Splendor of God: Te Life of Adoniram Judson by onor e Morrow Te Life, Times, and Teacings of J.R. Graves by O.L. ailey Te Life of James Ireland by Artur Jonson Te Life of Jon Gill by Jon Rippon Te Life and Letters of Jon Broadus by A.T. Robertson William Carey by Mary Dreary Jon Bunyan by William arding Memoir and Remains of R.M. McCeyne by Andrew Bonar Jon Jasper by W.E. atcer Fanny Crosby s Story by S. Jackson Autobiograpy of Robert Flockart C.T. Studd by Norman Grubb Gipsy Smit by David Lazell udson Taylor s Spiritual Secret by Dr. and Mrs. oward Taylor Jon Brown of addington by Robert Mackenzie Memories of Sandfields by Betan Lloyd-Jones Te Mercies of a Covenant God by Jon Warburton Letters and Memoir of Josep Carles Pilpott Strengt for te Journey by Jerry Falwell Dwigt Moody by W.R. Moody Te Life of George Mueller by William arding Daws: Te Story of Dawson Trotman, Founder of te Navigators by Betty Skinner Carles Finney by C.G. Finney Portrait of Obedience; Te Biograpy of R.T. Ketcum by J. Murdoc Inside istory: Te Story of J. Frank Norris Baptist Piety: Te Last Will and Testament of Obadia olmes by Edwin Gaustad Sermons and Memoirs of Cristmas Evans Memories of J.P. Boyce by Jon Broadus Te Life and Labors of Asael Nettleton by Bennet Tyler TOM ROSS Te Agony of Our (Continued from page 1) wic would be a very dry place in te mountain of God. It was tere tat Moses beeld a bus tat in te midst, or middle, was a fire tat burned and out of wic te Lord spoke to im. Moses was astonised tat tis bus was not consumed. Tat word for bus according to te ebrew lexicon was a torny bus. Wy did te Lord coose from suc a bus to speak to is servant Moses? It is interesting tat torns are associated wit te curse in Genesis 3:18 wic our fater Adam brougt upon all of is posterity. In Exodus we are told tat it was te Angel of te Lord tat spoke to Moses, but it was not a created angel but te I AM, te very Son of God. As Jesus said, Before Abraam was, I am (Jon 8:58). So tat torny bus in dry ground represented our substitute. Did not Isaia speak of te suffering substitute as a root out of a dry ground in Isaia capter 53 verse 2? Tat place were Moses met te Lord was oly ground and I tink Spurgeon ad it rigt wen e said tat Getsemane was also oly ground. Wen I tink of tat torny bus I am reminded tat our blessed Lord was made a curse for is people (Gal. 3:13). Now, dear reader, let us put off our worldly soes and go to tat scene in te garden. Just as in a garden te first Adam plunged is posterity into ruin, so, too, in a garden te second and last Adam would begin te redemption of is posterity from tat awful ruin. Wen Spurgeon wrote of tis scene e wanted to be very cautious to armonize our Savior s deity wit is umanity. If we are not careful we may minimize one or te oter. I pray we do not do tat in tis article. I call te reader to open teir Bible and read te following passages, Mattew 26:36-44; Mark 14:32-41; Luke 22: For reasons of space we will not quote every one of tese passages, but will quote Mark s gospel and reference te oters. And tey came to a place wic was named Getsemane: and e sait to is disciples, Sit ye ere, wile I sall pray. And e taket wit im Peter and James and Jon, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very eavy; And sait unto tem, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto deat: tarry ye ere, and watc. And e went forward a little, and fell on te ground, and prayed tat, if it were possible, te our migt pass from im. And e said, Abba, Fater, all tings are possible unto tee; take away tis cup from me: neverteless not wat I will, but wat tou wilt. And e comet, and findet tem sleeping, and sait unto Peter, Simon, sleepest tou? couldest not tou watc one our? Watc ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Te spirit truly is ready, but te fles is weak. And again e went away, and prayed, and spake te same words. And wen e returned, e found tem asleep again, (for teir eyes were eavy,) neiter wist tey wat to answer im. And e comet te tird time, and sait unto tem, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enoug, te our is come; beold, te Son of man is betrayed into te ands of sinners (Mark 14:32-41). In Mattew s and Mark s account we see tat wen e entered te garden on tis occasion someting began tat ad not begun on previous trips ere. Mark says e began to be sore amazed, and to be very eavy. Bot Mattew and Mark tell us tat e began to be exceeding sorrowful, even unto (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Te Agony of Our (Continued from page 15) deat. Ten our Savior utters a prayer tat at first glance seems to be very perplexing wen e said, Fater, all tings are possible unto tee; take away tis cup from me: neverteless not wat I will, but wat tou wilt. And from tese accounts it appears tat te Lord did tis tree times and even fell on is face. Ten in Luke s account we see tat tis agony was so great tat is sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to te ground (Luke 22:44). An explanation of some of tese words is in order at tis point. Te Greek word for sore amazed means to trow into terror or amazement. Strong s says, to astonis utterly, to affrigt. Te lexicon says concerning te prase very eavy tat it is te strongest of te Greek words for depression. Te word agony signifies a great struggle. Ten te prase exceeding sorrowful, even unto deat seems to be a sorrow so great as to cause one s deat. Strong says, grieved all around. Spurgeon said it was a sorrow wit no way out. Tere was no escape from tis sorrow. So wat would cause our Savior to come to tis place of sorrow even unto deat? Wat would cause our Savior to be trown into terror? Wat caused our Savior to be in suc agony tat e sweat a bloody sweat? Wat caused our Savior to fall on is face and pray take away tis cup from me? Was tis terror a fear of wat men could do to im? Was e affrigt from te tougt of simply facing deat? Did e not tell is disciples and fear not tem wic kill te body, but are not able to kill te soul? Did not many of is saints face deat wit peace and no fear? So wy would our blessed Lord be less in fait tan tey? e would not. So wat was tis terror all about? A seeming paradox is te fact tat Jesus ad told is disciples tat e must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many tings of te elders and cief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again te tird day (Matt. 16:21). Ten wen Peter objected and began to rebuke te Lord for suc a tougt, Jesus told Peter, Get tee beind me, Satan: tou art an offence unto me: for tou savourest not te tings tat be of God, but tose tat be of men (Matt. 16:23). In anoter place concerning te our of is passion Jesus said, for tis cause came I unto tis our. Now we are ere in te garden and te Lord prays on is face, Fater, all tings are possible unto tee; take away tis cup from me: neverteless not wat I will, but wat tou wilt. Is our blessed Lord aving a cange of eart? Is e bending under te pressure? Is e saying, Lord I know I came into te world to die for sinners, but I would like to cange my mind? A tousand times no. Peris suc a tougt. Our Lord was absolutely impeccable. So wy did e pray tis way? Let me ask you tis. Did our Lord ever do anyting tat was not perfect and necessary? I tink not. I believe e ad to pray tat prayer. It as been said tat e prayed tat for our benefit. I believe tat is true but in ways we will never fully understand. Now I would like to enter into wy I titled tis Te agony of our substitute in Getsemane. It is te word substitute tat I am interested in. Te definition of te word according to te dictionary means for a person or ting to take te place of anoter. In substitution tere is no joint work or cooperation of effort. ere at Getsemane it appears to be te point in time tat te sins of God s elect were laid on our Savior and e would take teir place. To quote Paul, For e at made im to be sin for us. It was after tis by te permissible providence of God tat e was brougt before te religious court of te Sanedrin and ten before te civil court of Pilate and all te time never opening is mout to defend imself. Wy? Because te Fater ad made te Son to be sin for is people. Wat went on in Getsemane was our Savior experiencing emotions and fears tat God s elect sould ave experienced in judgment but will never experience because e took teir place. Let us look at a few Scriptures to prove our point. Paul speaks of te terror of te Lord in II Corintians 5:11. Te Psalmist said, ow are tey brougt into desolation, as in a moment! tey are utterly consumed wit terrors (Ps. 73:19). So te sinners wo are not ever saved will be consumed wit terrors in a moment. Tis is teir end according to verse 17 of tat Psalm. Tey will be trown into terror and tis is just and exactly wat tey deserve. Tis is also wat God s elect deserve as well, for tey were dead in teir sins and were no different. But te Lord as saved tem from tis sudden terror and at endured it for tem and was not consumed by te fire of God s wrat. e endured te terror in my place. Also, te sinner will and sould crumble under te terror of is wrat for te Psalmist says again, Tou, even tou, art to be feared: and wo may stand in ty sigt wen once tou art angry (Ps. 76:7)? Our Lord fell on is face for is people. And again, Wo knowet te power of tine anger? even according to ty fear, so is ty wrat (Ps. 90:11). Now listen to Isaia speak of te sudden surprise and fear of te ypocrites in Isaia 33:14, Te sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness at surprised te ypocrites. Wo among us sall dwell wit te devouring fire? wo among us sall dwell wit everlasting burnings? Tis is wat we are due. But remember our Lord was trown into sudden terror as a substitute for is people. e ad to experience tat because we wo are saved and all tose wo will ever be saved sould ave to experience tat sudden orror. It was not tat our Savior lacked knowledge but te surprise was someting tat e experienced or learned (eb 5:8) as our substitute. Imagine yourself lost and being brougt before te judge of all te eart and standing tere on te precipice of eternal damnation. Te sudden orror! Picture and feel te unimaginable depression of your soul. It is forever! You would be crying out tat God take tat cup from you, but you would not be able to say neverteless not wat I will, but wat tou wilt, but our Lord could and did do tat for us as our substitute if we are is. e felt te orror and unimaginable depression in te place of is people. Te propet Naum said, Wo can stand before is indignation? And wo can abide in te fierceness of is anger? is fury is poured out like fire, and te rocks are trown down by im (Naum 1:6). Our blessed Savior knew of tis wen e said, fear im wic is able to destroy bot soul and body in ell and e said again, speaking of te serious nature of tis judgment, and if ty and offend tee, cut it off: (Continued on page 17)

17 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 Te Agony of Our (Continued from page 16) it is better for tee to enter into life maimed, tan aving two ands to go into ell, into te fire tat never sall be quenced: were teir worm diet not, and te fire is not quenced. Tose tat die witout Crist will be in a never ending and orrible struggle. Tey will be in an eternal state of depression wit no escape. Tey will be surprised and overwelmed wit orror on teir deat bed. Our Lord endured all of tis in te place of is people. Tose wo would make ligt of eternal damnation and everlasting burnings need to ponder tese Scriptures. I ave quoted tese Scriptures to sow te utter and sudden orror of te impending judgment wen it begins to fall on sinners wo know not te Lord Jesus Crist. Gill sigts instances wen men were judged guilty and sentenced to deat or wile being led to teir execution tat tey broke out in a bloody sweat from fear. Can you imagine eternal damnation and wat tat would do to te soul of a uman being. Dear reader, tis was our due. We wo are saved deserved it but our Lord sweat a bloody sweat in our place. Tis bloody sweat was not a pysical weakness as some sickness or disease in is body. O no, our Lord entered into tis torment in perfect pysical ealt. Our Lord was suffering in is very soul emotionally wat we wo are God s elect sould ave suffered. e is substituting! is sorrow and agony ad weakened is fles to te point tat an angel came and strengtened im (Luke 22:43). After all e was truly a man. O, e would suffer unimaginably in is body sortly, but it began in te midst of is soul; in te midst of te bus. Isaia said, 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 (Isa. 53:10) (emp. LL). It was more tan just te body of te Lord Jesus tat was offered. It was is wole uman nature tat was offered for sin. Wat ended at te cross began ere in Getsemane. Only te God-man could endure suc wrat, terror, agony and depression and yet not be consumed by it. e was able to drink tat awful cup for is people and as Spurgeon said, e drank it dry. If you belong to im ten tere is noting left in tat cup of indignation for you dearly beloved, because your Lord drank every drop in your place. Tat cup is not even wet wit te dew of wrat but is as dry as te airy desert. e drank it all as our substitute. e was exceedingly sorrowful and was agonized for our sins as our substitute. Spurgeon said, It was a struggle on a Titanic scale. We could never be sorry for our sins as perfectly as e was sorry. We ad a godly sorrow in oly Spirit conviction but is was a perfect sorrow for sin. e suffered a orror tat only tose faced wit eternal damnation would even come close to experiencing. In closing let us point out tat tis is not a maybe-so salvation. It was one tat was secured by our suffering substitute. e drank tat cup dry, my dear reader. If e drank it dry, ten it is dry for all te ones e drank it for. If you are a called cild of God ten tere is noting in tat cup of indignation left for you. I tink in oly Spirit conviction we get just a dim glimpse of wat our Lord went troug in tat garden, but we will never know te entire sorrow tat e felt. We will never fully understand is passion. Tis article as been just a feeble attempt to understand it and opefully praise our Savior for wat e endured on our bealf. Wo can possible know te griefs tat e bore as our substitute. It as been said, Tis to God, and God alone, Tat is griefs are fully known. WAT A SAVIOR! Te Raising of (Continued from page 1) about wic e wrote. Tis word is found in Jon 2:11 were Jon speaks of te Lord s first miracle: Tis beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested fort is glory; and is disciples believed on im. Te word translated miracles ere is te Greek word semeion. Out of te 77 times te Greek word semeion appears in te New Testament, it is translated 50 times as sign in our King James Bibles. A closely related word is translated signifying wen te Lord said, And I, if I be lifted up from te eart, will draw all men unto me, Tis e said, signifying wat deat e sould die (Jon 12:32-33). Te Lord signified wat deat e would die e taugt tem by telling tem e would be lifted up from te eart. A kindred word is found in Revelation 1:1 were it is stated ow Crist communicated te Book of Revelation. e sent and signified it by is angel unto is servant Jon. Tat is, Crist communicated tat book troug signs. It is evident tat Jon was moved to select specific signmiracles wic are also teacingmiracles. Tey serve as lessons or illustrations as to God s ability and is purpose. Often we see miracles as only demonstrations of Crist s power, but tey are more. Tey are signs! Tey are sign-miracles and illustrate God s working. Terefore we can rigtly conclude tat te raising of Lazarus, for example, is not just an accounting of bare facts. Tat Lazarus died and was resurrected by te Lord Jesus is not te question. Most certainly tis event took place. But wat was it designed to illustrate? Wat was it designed to teac us? Are we only to see te power of te Lord Jesus in te account or is tere more? Was God in te order of events and te details recorded for us so tat we can understand more tan just te power of God and Crist s love for is friend? We tink tere is more in tese miracles tan just demonstrations of God s power. Wen we come to te last miracle te raising of Lazarus we ave come to te ig point in Jon s series of sign-miracles. Te infusion of life into te dead body of Lazarus restored im once again to te life e ad lost. It involved not only is body, but also is personality. After e was called fort from is tomb Lazarus was lacking noting tat e ad been previously. Tis pysical raising of te dead teaces us many tings about te spiritual infusion of life tat we call regeneration or te new birt. Wen we speak of te new birt or being born again, it is important tat we understand tat tis is not someting tat a sinner accomplises. Nor is a person born again because of someting e does. Tis is clear in tat te two marginal notes in te King James Bible for Jon (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Te Raising of (Continued from page 17) 3:3 & 7 ( born again ) read tus: again: or, from above. Tese two notes make clear te source of regeneration. Regeneration is a birt from above. It is a work of God alone. Let us look at te sequence of selected main events recorded for us in Jon capter eleven. (For all te details read Jon 11:1-44.) Verse 1 says: Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Betany, te town of Mary and er sister Marta. Upon earing of te sickness of is friend, te Lord Jesus did not do wat we would expect im to do. e did not do wat Mary and Marta expected im to do. Tey sent for im. But e did not come to tem as expected. Notice tat we are told in verses 3-6: Terefore is sisters sent unto im, saying, Lord, beold, e wom tou lovest is sick. Wen Jesus eard tat, e said, Tis sickness is not unto deat, but for te glory of God, tat te Son of God migt be glorified tereby. Now Jesus loved Marta, and er sister, and Lazarus. Wen e ad eard terefore tat e was sick, e abode two days still in te same place were e was. Te Lord assured is traveling congregation tat tis sickness would not ultimately lead to te deat of Lazarus, knowing full well tat e would raise Lazarus back to life. We are assured of te Lord s love for Lazarus and is sisters. In spite of tis or rater because of is love for tem all, we are told tat te Lord did not rus to is aid. e did not go to comfort te sisters, but rater stayed two days more were e was. Next te Lord directed te group to return wit im to Judea. Tey remonstrated wit im against suc a trip since te Jews tere wanted to kill im. Ten te Lord tells tem tat Lazarus was asleep. Tis tey misunderstood. Tey tougt Lazarus must be getting better and was now able to rest. But in verses 14 and 15 we read: Ten said Jesus unto tem plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes tat I was not tere, to te intent ye may believe; neverteless let us go unto im. Next we learn: Ten wen Jesus came, e found tat e ad lain in te grave four days already (v. 17). Upon te approac of Jesus and is disciples to Betany, one of te sisters, Marta, goes out to meet im and said:...lord, if tou adst been ere, my broter ad not died. But I know, tat even now, watsoever tou wilt ask of God, God will give it tee (vs ). Following tis, te Lord enters into a discussion wit Marta about te resurrection, stating tat Lazarus would rise again. Se naturally tougt of te resurrection at te last day as se believed (v. 24). Next we ave Marta going to er sister, Mary, Mary s walk to were Jesus was, and ten Mary s conversation wit Jesus. We are told of te weeping of te Lord and te words of te Jews wo agreed wit Mary. Tey, too, said tat if Jesus ad been tere e could ave saved Lazarus from deat. It seems everyone except Marta assumed tat te Lord ad come too late. Tey tougt tere was no ope for Lazarus since te Lord ad not arrived before e died. ow little tey understood about te power of te Son of God! But let us not judge tem unjustly for are we not also lacking in understanding and weak in fait? And do we not see sinners around us and sometimes tink tat tere is no ope even in God for suc a depraved individual? Going on in our brief look at te main events in tis incident, we come to tese words: Jesus terefore again groaning in imself comet to te grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away te stone. Marta, te sister of im tat was dead, sait unto im, Lord, by tis time e stinket: for e at been dead four days. Jesus sait unto er, Said I not unto tee, tat, if tou wouldest believe, tou souldest see te glory of God? Ten tey took away te stone from te place were te dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up is eyes, and said, Fater, I tank tee tat tou ast eard me. And I knew tat tou earest me always: but because of te people wic stand by I said it, tat tey may believe tat tou ast sent me. And wen e tus ad spoken, e cried wit a loud voice, Lazarus, come fort. And e tat was dead came fort, bound and and foot wit graveclotes: and is face was bound about wit a napkin. Jesus sait unto tem, Loose im, and let im go (vs ). In tis portion we ave a narration of te tings tat transpired tat day. But we are also taugt wat takes place wen a spiritually dead sinner is made alive. Consider te following five tings, please. First of all note tat tere is no doubt as to tis fact: Lazarus was dead. e ad been dead so long tat is body ad begun to decay. Tere was no life in im. e was opeless and elpless in imself. Neiter could is sisters or oter kinsfolk restore im to life. If Crist could not, or would not, raise im from is stinking dead condition, is body would continue to decay and would remain so until te future resurrection. So it is wit tose wo are spiritually dead. If Crist does not infuse life into tem, tey will remain spiritually dead! And sinners are dead spiritually. Teir spirits tat part of man wic wen alive can know God cannot resurrect temselves. Paul wrote of te grace of God wic quickens tose wom God will save, saying, Even wen we were dead in sins, at quickened us togeter wit Crist, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ep. 2:5). In passing, we point out tat tis is were te fundamental difference lies between tose wo believe tat God saves sinners by grace and tose wo believe tat sinners do someting to cause God to save tem. ere is te difference between sovereigntists and te varieties of Arminians tat plague te world today. If a sinner as a part in is quickening or regeneration Paul would ave written, Even wen we were almost dead in sins, by an act of our wills in believing, we pleased God and motivated im to quicken us (by uman works and God s grace togeter ye are saved. But Paul did not write tat! And tose wo are familiar wit te Book of Romans know tat God made it very clear tere tat tere can be no combination of works and grace in any part of salvation. To attempt to compound works and grace togeter results in a destruction of te nature of eac one. Paul wrote: And if by grace, ten is it no more of works: oterwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, ten is it no more grace: oterwise work is no more work (Rom. 11:6). It is impossible to mix works and grace! Eac is contrary (Continued on page 19)

19 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Te Raising of (Continued from page 18) to te oter. If te new birt is by obedience (works) it is not of grace! On te oter and since te new birt and all of salvation is by grace, ten works/obedience/ baptism/man s will, etc., all ave noting to do wit it. Being dead, only te power of God could raise Lazarus. Te grave of Lazarus was a cave. A stone covered te opening. So te second ting we call your attention to is tis: te Lord Jesus instructed tat te stone be removed by uman power. Te Lord imself could ave spoken and te stone would ave been removed. e could ave called for angels to remove te stone, but e did neiter. Tose disciples wit im were able to do tat and e told tem to do it. Wat appened wen te stone was removed? Noting. Noting appened to Lazarus: noting at all except tat ligt flooded is tomb. And tat ligt did im absolutely no good because e was dead. e was unable to see. e was blind and is face was wrapped about wit a clot. All te ligt in te world will not elp a blind man. Wat is signified by te removal of te stone on Lazarus grave? Wat is te ligt tat must sine upon a spiritually dead sinner before life is infused in im? If we may borrow from Paul, it is... te ligt of te glorious gospel of Crist... of course! It is tat ligt wic must...sine unto tem if tey are to be saved (II Corintians 4:4). Te ligt of te gospel does not sine into a spiritually dead sinner for e is blind. Te umanist/arminian tinks is preacing of te gospel sines into te lost sinner. It does not! It never enters beyond te mind of te sinner. And tat sinner s...mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be (Rom. 8:7). Knowing te gospel in te mind does no good! Te experience of God s grace in regeneration does not take place in te mind. Te sinner as not te capacity to receive ligt. And so te gospel must be proclaimed unto spiritually dead, blind, stinking, opeless, elpless sinners. And tat is te first part of te treefold commission given to te Lord s congregations. Only wen Crist regenerates a sinner can te ligt of te gospel sine into im! Only ten can it reac is eart is innermost being and spring up in tat ground made good by te indwelling Spirit of God. Paul makes tis clear in II Corintians 4:6: 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. Just as te original creation was a direct act of God, so also is regeneration. And it is regeneration wic enables man to receive te ligt of te gospel. Only a born from above person is able to ave a knowledge of te glory of God in te face of Jesus Crist. Tird, we notice tat Lazarus lies tere still. e is dead even toug te ligt as filled te place were e lay. Still e is dead! Only wen Crist calls im to come fort does e live! Te Lord Jesus, after praying to is Fater said, Lazarus, come fort. Te call uttered by te Lord Jesus was personal, specific and effectual (effective). Te call of Crist did wat te ligt could not do! And te effectual call spoken by Crist does wat te gospel cannot do. Crist s words gave life to Lazarus. Somebody objects saying, But te gospel is te power of God unto salvation. Is tat not true? Our answer is tat suc a partial quotation is a distortion of te trut. Te gospel is not te power of God unto salvation! It is te power of God unto salvation only to tose tat believe (see Romans 1:16). And tere lies Lazarus, dead, unable to do anyting. And just so, dead sinners are unable even to ear te gospel, let alone believe it. Paul wrote about te inability of lost sinners to ear/ receive te Word of God. e wrote: But te natural man receivet not te tings of te Spirit of God: for tey are foolisness unto im: neiter can e know tem, because tey are spiritually discerned (I Cor. 2:14). Not only will a spiritually dead sinner not receive te tings revealed by te Spirit tat is te Word of God. e is not able to do so. e cannot know tem because e does not ave te Spirit. e does not ave te equipment, if you please. Dead sinners are unable to believe! Fait is a gift. It does not exist in te natural man. If it did tey tat are in te fles could please God. But tey cannot according to Romans 8:8. Tis preacer is always arping on tose Scriptures tat teac total-ereditary-depravityinability. Tis preacer admits tat e does tat very ting. And wy does e attempt to drive tat nail again and again? Because tat important basic trut is denied or ignored by most professing Cristians today. Most people are being fed te lie of uman ability and so teir confidence teir fait and trust is not in Crist alone. Instead, teir fait is in wat tey were able to do for temselves. O, peraps tey ad a little encouragement from God, but tey obeyed God and tus pleased im tey tink! But tey tink wrong! A rotting corpse, spiritually speaking, as no fait. And so it is tat Lazarus remained dead until e was infused wit life at te spoken word of te Lord Jesus. Until te Lord called im, e remained as e was. Te ligt ad sone all around im, but it did im no good. And so it is wit spiritually dead sinners in teir spiritual tombs, basking in te ligt of te gospel witout believing tat gospel. To tem since tey are unbelievers te gospel is not te power of God. Many sinners never eed te general call of te gospel. Tey ave sat under gospel preacing and it as done tem no good. Tey need te effectual (effective) call wic comes from God. Tat call produces God s desired effect in tem: life! Te Lord Jesus said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Te our is coming, and now is, wen te dead sall ear te voice of te Son of God: and tey tat ear sall live (Jon 5:25). e was speaking of living spiritually as a result of dead men earing. But Jesus did not speak of earing te gospel. e said tat it was te voice of te Son of God tat infuses life into te dead! Only te power of God can make a earing ear out of a deaf one and a seeing eye out of a blind one. ave you enoug understanding to see tat God spoke also of spiritual tings wen e said, Te earing ear, and te seeing eye, te LORD at made even bot of tem (Pro. 20:12). Wy is it tat we assume tat Crist no longer speaks just because e is in eaven? God spoke in creation. ebrews 11:3 says, Troug fait we understand tat te worlds were framed by te word of God... Tat word of God was not te Bible! It was te spoken (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Te Raising of (Continued from page 19) word of God. Genesis 1:3 records: And God said, Let tere be ligt: and tere was ligt. God spoke in te garden and cursed is creation. And God speaks in te effectual call in a manner above our understanding. But wen e calls in te person of is Son, te dead sall ear. Te fourt ting we see is tis: instantly upon te spoken call of te Lord Jesus, Lazarus came fort, bound and and foot wit graveclotes: and is face was bound about wit a napkin. Lazarus came fort by no less power tan God s power! e was wrapped similarly to an Egyptian mummy. e could not move about of is own power or ability. Crist s power brougt im out of is tomb. e was alive! Altoug e could not see because of te napkin, e was a new man but e was still tied up. Te napkin binding is face kept im from seeing and fully understanding wat was going on. So it is in regeneration. As some Baptist confessions ave it, regeneration, or te spiritual birt, is accomplised in a matter above our compreension. It is accomplised by te oly Spirit for Tat wic is born of te fles is fles; and tat wic is born of te Spirit is spirit ( Jon 3:6). Jesus, speaking of te wind as a picture of te work of te Spirit in regeneration said, tou earest te sound tereof, but canst not tell wence it comet, and witer it goet: so is every one tat is born of te Spirit (Jon 3:8). Te experience of Lazarus pictures te experience of grace. Witout tis experience of grace religious people are still lost. Witout te experience of grace, professing Cristians are merely empty professors. Witout te experience of grace, baptized men and women are just wet lost sinners. Witout te experience of grace, folk wo try to obey te Bible are just spiritually dead works mongers involved...in will worsip, and umility, and neglecting of te body... (Col. 2:23). Suc may rein in teir baser lusts, but remain dead in teir sins. Suc a religion does noting to cange a person from being in te fles to te realm of te Spirit. (See Romans 8:8-9). Finally, te fift ting to note is tat once again te Lord Jesus assigned work to te disciples is traveling curc. Tere was someting else tat little bride was to do. Just as e ad instructed tem to remove te stone from Lazarus tomb, so e instructs tem to Loose im, and let im go. Jesus could ave spoken and te bindings would ave immediately fallen from Lazarus body. e could ave caused tat to appen te moment life came into te body of Lazarus. But e did not. Wat are we to learn from te command of te Lord to te disciples to unbind Lazarus? Wat parallel is tere between te disciples loosing Lazarus and tose tings tat are to follow a spiritual resurrection? We ask, wat is it tat makes us free? Te Lord imself said, And ye sall know te trut, and te trut sall make you free (Jon 8:32). Lazarus was alive, but needed to be set free. e needed te napkin removed from is face. And so it is tat babes in Crist yea, and all te cildren of God - need to ear te trut. Tey need to ear te gospel explained more fully toug tey ad it preaced to teir deaf ears prior to teir new birt. After all, it is Crist wo at abolised deat, and at brougt life and immortality to ligt troug te gospel (II Tim. 1:10). It is te gospel tat is te means of bringing tese two tings to ligt! God s cildren are to be fed wit bot milk and meat - te truts of God s Word. Angels were not given tis work. Crist does not do tis work. It is to te Lord s congregations tat e gave commission to make disciples, baptize tem, and teac tem to observe all is commands. Tat is ow tose raised from spiritual deat are loosed from teir grave clotes! And tose grave clotes are te worldlings ignorance, and pilosopy, and attitudes all tose ideas tat are contrary to te Word of God. Mere evangelistic preacing or witnessing will not remove te graveclotes from te raised sinner, toug it may elp some. Adding baptism to evangelism will not take te graveclotes off te raised sinner. It takes te wole of te great commission including teacing obedience to te commands of Crist to do tat job. Tat is wy te Lord s curces need to be involved in te wole work of te gospel ministry all tree parts of te commission. Surely te order and detail of te raising of Lazarus portrays to us signifies to us just ow te Spirit of God infuses life into spiritually dead sinners. Tis incident teaces us tat tose wo ave already experienced regeneration ave a part to play work to do in te salvation of sinners. Crist s curces are to be busy preacing to dead sinners and baptizing and teacing as many as te Lord our God sall call (Acts 2:39). And so it is tat te Bible will not allow us to be fatalists or ardsells. Rater, as faitful members in a congregation of Crist s, we are to be actively involved in carrying out te commission left to us by te Lord imself. Every regenerated man and woman ougt to live so as to be qualified to be a member in good standing of one of te Lord s curces. And every one of te Lord s curces ougt to be involved in making disciples, baptizing tem, and teacing tem to obey te Word of God. Tere is a danger ere: if we ourselves and te preacers wom we support do not understand ow God saves sinners, te message will be unclear. Let us make sure we give fort a clear call upon our gospel trumpets! For if te trumpet give an uncertain sound, wo sall prepare imself to te battle? (I Cor. 14:8). All of us must be diligent, studious, and careful to make sure we understand te gospel. We must not only understand it, we must give it out clearly, subtracting noting and adding noting to it. A final word to any reader wo as not been infused wit spiritual life by Crist. You must ave suc an experience of grace. You cannot earn it. It will do no good to pretend to ave it. Only, If te Son... sall make you free, ye sall be free indeed (Jon 8:36). Your self satisfaction wit your religious works and uman goodness are evidence tat you ave not ad te infusion of spiritual life te experience of grace by wic spiritually dead sinners are made alive. Never forget! Jesus said, Tat wic is born of te fles is fles; and tat wic is born of te Spirit is spirit. Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again (Jon 3:6-7). ave you been born from above? Your only ope is in Crist!

21 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 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 Sex Club Claims To Be Curc (WNS)--A private sex club in Nasville claimed it was a curc to get approval from te city to open. Te Social Club planned to relocate from downtown to a more private suburban location one tat backed up to a Cristian scool. Wen parents and religious leaders protested, te club canged its name to United Fellowsip Center so it could be zoned as a curc. City officials said tey plan to approve te center, noting tey take zoning applicants at teir word for wat kind of business tey will operate. But if sexual activity takes place at te facility, te owners could face repercussions from te city and te state, wic as outlawed private sex clubs witin 1,000 feet of scools, parks, day cares, and ouses of worsip. California Pregnancy Centers Figt Law Forcing Tem to Give Abortion Info (WNS)--California lawmakers are moving forward wit a bill tat would require pregnancy care centers to tell clients tey can get abortions from state-funded facilities. Te Reproductive FACT Act passed out of te Assembly ealt Committee in mid-april by an 11-5 vote, despite more tan 80 witnesses testifying against it. Assembly Bill 775 would require all medically licensed pregnancy centers in California to inform clients te state offers publicly funded family planning services, prenatal care, and abortions. Te notices would include a pone number clients could call to access tose services. Te law also would require unlicensed pregnancy centers to provide notices stating tey don t ave state approval. Failure to comply carries a $500 fine for te first offense and a $1,000 fine for subsequent offenses. Te bill will next appear before te Assembly Judiciary Committee before eading to te full Assembly for a vote. Tennessee Passes Wait Period, Licensing Mandate for Abortion Centers (WNS)--Te Tennessee ouse passed pro-life bills April 21 tat likely will become te first abortion industry regulations to pass in te state since voters in November modified te state constitution to allow more abortion regulation. Te bills include a 48-our wait period before performing abortions, wit an exception for medical emergencies. Te Senate already approved te bill, but te ouse added an amendment tat requires final approval from te Senate. Te ouse and Senate also approved a bill requiring abortion facilities to obtain licensing as ambulatory surgical treatment centers if tey perform more tan 50 abortions a year. All of Tennessee s abortion facilities fall under tat requirement. A spokesman for Gov. Bill aslam said te governor likely will sign bot bills. Jon Glenn: Evolution sould be taugt in scools Recently reported by te Associated Press, Jon Glenn (te first American to orbit te Eart and former U.S. senator) declared as a 77-year-old in a news conference from space tat to look out at tis kind of creation out ere and not believe in God is to me impossible, says facts about scientific discovery sould be taugt in scools -- and tat includes evolution. e also stated tat e sees no contradiction between believing in God and believing in evolution. I don t see tat I m any less religious by te fact tat I can appreciate te fact tat science just records tat we cange wit evolution and time, and tat s a fact, said Glenn, a Presbyterian. It doesn t mean it s less wondrous and it doesn t mean tat tere can t be some power greater tan any of us tat as been beind and is beind watever is going on. Are religious colleges at risk if Supreme Court approves same-sex marriage A recent Fox News story reported tat same-sex marriage foes are flagging a mostly-missed moment from te recent Supreme Court arguments over te constitutionality of gay marriage, calling it a warning sign for religious freedom. Tey point to an excange between Justice Samuel Alito and te administration s top lawyer, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli. Alito asked if, in te event te Supreme Court olds tat tere is a constitutional rigt to same-sex marriage, would religious colleges risk losing teir tax-exempt status if tey continued to advocate for traditional marriage only. Verrilli responded, I don t deny tat... It is going to be an issue. Travis Weber, director of te Family Researc Council s Center for Religious Liberty, said e believed Verrilli s logic would eventually extend to curces and just about anyone olding a traditional view of marriage. Weber warned tat if te current trend continues, tose wo refuse to endorse same-sex marriage could face fines, potentially imprisonment. INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS ISIS Executes 35 Etiopian Cristians (WNS)--Te Etiopian government declared tree days of mourning after officials confirmed Islamic State militants executed at least 35 Etiopian Cristians eld captive in Libya. As wit oter mass killings, te terrorists on April 19 released a video of te murders. An Etiopian government spokesman said te slain Cristians likely were migrants trying to reac Europe. Te grisly video bore te grim trademark of Islamic State (ISIS) footage in February tat sowed te beeadings of 21 Egyptian Cristians on a Libyan beac. Te Egyptian government ordered airstrikes against Islamic State targets in response. Religious Freedom Panel: Terror, Violence Spreading Worldwide (WNS)--Te United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) urged te Obama administration to increase public pressure on foreign governments perpetrating or tolerating severe persecution of religious minorities around te world. umanitarian crises fueled by waves of terror, intimidation, and violence ave engulfed an alarming number of countries in te year since te release of [USCIRF s] prior annual report last May, te report says. Te orrors of te past year speak volumes about ow and wy religious freedom and te protection of te rigts of vulnerable religious communities matter. Te (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 21) report, wic spans January 2014 to January 2015, is USCIRF s 16t since Congress created te commission in 1998 to provide independent recommendations to te president, secretary of state, and Congress. True to form, USCIRF called on te State Department to dramatically increase its list of countries of particularly concern, or CPCs, from te current nine to 17. Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD? Te results of everyday conversation wit people seems to indicate tat most people tink tey ave te ability to please God. But te questions for Bible believers are tese: does te Bible teac tat pleasing God is a possibility? Do all individuals ave tis ability? Wat are te requirements for pleasing God? For our answers we must not rely on wat men tink or even wat curces teac. 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). Tat verse means tat regardless of wo says wat, if teir speec does not agree wit te wole Word of God, tey ave no ligt (trut, understanding) in tem. Surely everyone will agree tat all te different teacings of all te different curces cannot be rigt. Curces cannot even agree on ow God saves sinners! Some say troug praying. Oters say troug baptism. Oters troug sincerity. But back to te question: Is It Possible To Please God? Tere is a very clear statement found in Romans 8:7-9 wic says: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. But ye are not in te fles, but in te Spirit, if so be tat te Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man ave not te Spirit of Crist, e is none of is. Paul was writing to te congregation in Rome. In no uncertain terms e said tat tose people wo are still in te fles (natural born condition) cannot please God. So, we must agree wit te Bible: lost men and women cannot please God. Tat is an absolute statement. Tere is absolutely noting tat lost people can do to please God. Teir works, prayers, sincerity, religious observances, obedience to te Bible, - you name it it does not please God. People wo are yet in te state in wic tey were naturally born cannot please God! Te text last quoted also speaks in clear and certain terms. Paul wrote to te curc membersip in Rome telling tem tat tey were not in te fles (natural born condition) but in te Spirit if te Spirit of God indwelt tem. Te key word tere is if. Te question is does te oly Spirit also called te Spirit of Crist dwell in you. If e does not, you are yet in your sins. You are yet in te natural condition into wic you were naturally born. And in tat condition you cannot please God. But if God in all is sovereignty as moved into you in suc a way as to make you is cild a believer in Crist you are in te Spirit. Only tose in tis born again condition being indwelt by te Spirit ave te ability and te possibility of pleasing God. In wic condition are you? TE SPIRIT MUST WORK FIRST Does a sinner initiate is own new birt or must God work first? In Jon 3:3 te Lord Jesus said, Except a man be born again, e cannot see te kingdom of God. Again te Lord said, Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). Te King James Bible translators put a note saying: again: or, from above in te margin at bot verses. Te most frequent translation of te Greek word translated again is actually translated from above. Tis sows witout a doubt tat te spiritual birt, sometimes called regeneration, is someting God does. It comes from above. Te Lord made tis clear wen e said Tat wic is born of te fles is fles; and tat wic is born of te Spirit is spirit (Jon 3:6). In spite of tis, tere is a popular idea tat if a sinner will pray or make a decision or make a public profession of fait or be baptized, God will reward im wit spiritual life. Tis cannot be te case because te Bible says, So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God. But ye are not in te fles, but in te Spirit, if so be tat te Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man ave not te Spirit of Crist, e is none of is (Rom. 8:8-9). Since a spiritually dead sinner a person in te fles - cannot please God tere is no way any action on is part will cause God to look favorably upon im. After all, wat is it tat sinners ave tat God wants or needs? Wat is it tat tey ave to enable tem to strike a bargain wit God? Tese last-quoted two verses sow tat only after te oly Spirit comes to dwell in an individual is tat person no longer in te fles. Suc a person is no longer in te fles, but in te Spirit, and so as spiritual life. Tose in te fles cannot please God but tey are contrasted wit tose in te Spirit. Notice te conjunction but wic contrasts tose in te fles wit tose in te spirit. Tose in in te fles cannot please God, But, tose wo are indwelt by te Spirit of God are different from tose in te fles. Te plain meaning is tat tose in te Spirit can please God. Tey ave been made alive by te Spirit of God. For as in Adam all die, even so in Crist sall all be made alive means tat since all men were born in Adam tey are spiritually dead but tose in Crist sall be born from above or regenerated, (I Cor. 15:22). Te all important question, ten, is tis: are you in Crist or are you not? You must be in Crist in order to be made alive. ave you been made alive spiritually? Are you yet in te fles or as te oly Spirit of God come into you? as e by is presence made you alive to God? A LOOK IN TE MIRROR Wenever we take an onest look at te Word of God we see ourselves as we are. Often men do not like wat tey see about temselves. Consider some tings people do not like to ear from te Bible. Te Bible says: But we are all as an unclean ting, and all our rigteousnesses are as filty rags... (Isa. 64:6). Literally wat Isaia said is tat all te tings we tink are good about ourselves are like menstrous clots, fit only to be destroyed. Te best any man can do is not good enoug. Paul wrote: For I know tat in me (tat is, in my fles,) dwellet no good ting... (Rom. 7:18). Tese two Bible statements prove (Continued on page 23)

23 June 5, 2015 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 Sort Pews (Continued from page 22) tat man as e is naturally born is depraved in every part. is motives are impure. is tougts are evil. is nature is pleasureseeking. is will is impaired. is mind is enmity against God. In spite of wat we call uman good, tere is noting really good in any son of Adam. Tere is noting in te natural man to commend im to God. And te natural man likes it tat way. In fact, Paul wrote about suc men as tey come from teir moter s womb, saying tat,...tere is none tat seeket after God (Rom. 3:11). Men may seek after te comfort of religion or seek escape from eternal punisment, but tey do not of temselves seek after God. To say tat tey do is to contradict te Bible. It is to refuse to onestly look in te mirror of God s Word. Man s fallen condition is so elpless tat God s Word says: Because te carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to te law of God, neiter indeed can be. So ten tey tat are in te fles cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). See tat! Men and women in teir natural born state cannot please God! Te natural mind cannot be subject to God! Wat an awful deformity every cild of Adam possesses! Neiter is praying, is obedience. is religion, is penance, is turning over a new leaf, nor any oter action on man s part will please God. Weter joining a curc, submitting to baptism, giving money, taking te Lord s Supper or doing any oter ting: absolutely noting tat a natural man can do will please God. No action of man will ave any effect upon God. Tat is wy Jesus said, Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again. Te wind blowet were it listet, and tou earest te sound tereof, but canst not tell wence it comet, and witer it goet: so is every one tat is born of te Spirit (Jon 3:7-8). Te oly Spirit is sovereign in te bestowal of eternal life. You cannot make a deal wit im, nor can e be bribed! Any religion tat tells you tat salvation is based in part or in wole on works of obedeience is false. Marvel not tat I said unto tee, Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). RELIGION OR CRIST By nature man is a pleasure seeking animal. e was created in te image of God, but tat image as been so marred by sin tat men are now totally depraved. Adam fell by disobedience to a simple command. is descendants, unless God intervenes in teir lives, spend teir money, time, and energy in pleasure. Many people, uneasy about teir eternal destiny, find pleasure in religion. Tis is true worldwide. All of te world s religions ave one ting in common except Biblical Cristianity. Te one ting tat all te world s religions ave in common including a great many tat pretend to be Cristianity is tis: tey all believe tat tey will be saved by teir works. Some may tink to please teir god and be saved by making a pilgrimage to a supposedly oly place. Oters by bating in some river. Oters by being baptized, supposing tat obedience produces eternal life. Only Biblical Cristianity says wat te Bible says: 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 (Ep. 2:8-9). Plain words tese and easily understood, but seldom believed. Te Bible is quite specific. Speaking of Crist, Peter said, Neiter is tere salvation in any oter: for tere is none oter name under eaven given among men, wereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). But e did not mean mere religion in te name of Crist was sufficient to bring salvation. In fact Jesus spoke of very zealous religious folk wo in spite of teir religion or rater because of it would be lost. Crist s words are found in Mattew 7:21-23 as follows: Not every one tat sait unto me, Lord, Lord, sall enter into te kingdom of eaven; but e tat doet te will of my Fater wic is in eaven. Many will say to me in tat day, Lord, Lord, ave we not propesied in ty name? and in ty name ave cast out devils? and in ty name done many wonderful works? And ten will I profess unto tem, I never knew you: depart from me, ye tat work iniquity. Propesying, casting out devils, performing many miracles and all in Crist s name religious folk tink all tese kinds of tings indicate teir acceptability. But Crist said tey meant noting because e did not know tem. Tey claimed to know im, but tat claim did not matter. Wat matters is tis: does Crist know you? Religion talks about accepting Crist. Te Bible talks about people being made acceptable in te beloved in te Beloved Son of God. Paul, in Epesians 1:6 wrote about imself and oter genuinely saved people saying tat God at made us accepted in te beloved. Mere religion will not do! Only by being made accepted in Crist is tere salvation. Being made accepted is a work of God, not of man or is religious deeds and efforts. Ye must be born again (Jon 3:7). BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $7, RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Calvary Ind. B. C., Everson, WA TOTAL...8, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Program production TOTAL EXPENDITURES , Interest ENDING BALANCE... $7, BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $2, RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX B. C. of Brimfield, Brimfield, IL Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Carol Willet, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Davenport B. C., Davenport, WA Emmanuel M. B. C., Oldtown, KY Fait B. C. Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Gary Fields, Dublin, GA Grace B. C., Winston-Salem, NC Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL Grace M. B. C., Tulsa, OK Indore B. C., Indore, WV James Bradsaw, Fiatt, IL Te Lord s Curc, Goose Creek, SC Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN Parkway L. B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Burgill, O Sovereign Grace B. C., Nortport, AL Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous... 1, Dividing cecks Sub Total... $3, TOTAL... $5, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Supplies Wages... 2, FICA Dividing cecks Total Expenditures... $4, , Bank Carge ENDING BALANCE... $1,913.23

24 Page 24 Te Berea Baptist Banner June 5, 2015 ANNOUNCEMENTS Te Indore Baptist Curc of Indore, WV and pastor Paul Stepp would like to announce teir Bible Conference from June 25t troug June 28t. Service times are 7:00 p.m. on Tursday and Friday, 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Sceduled speakers are Elders ank Bailess, Jonatan Bailess, Benjamin Stepp, Mattew Stepp, Jeff Sort, Tom Ross, Jon Pruitt, Andy Proctor, and Leroy Pack. All are welcome to attend. Te Grace Bible Baptist Curc in Denam Springs, LA will be osting its 19t annual Bible Conference on June 5-7, Sceduled speakers are Bro. Larry Wilson, Pastor of Nortside B.C., in Oakdale, LA; Bro. David O Neal, Pastor of Grace Missionary B.C., in Tulsa, OK; Bro. Lucien Lesage, of Pride, LA; Bro. Joey Newell, of Denam Springs, LA; and Bro. Jerry Dodson, Pastor of Grace Bible B.C., in Denam Springs, LA. Services will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday te 5t, 10:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, 4:30 p.m. on Saturday evening and 9:45 a.m. on Sunday Morning. A ligt meal will be served at te curc fellowsip all at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, a noon meal at 12:10 p.m. on Saturday and te evening meal at 6:10 p.m., on Saturday, followed by a noon meal at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday. Everyone is invited to attend tis conference. Call Bro Jerry at (225) if you ave any questions. Be sure and leave a message on te curc answering macine sould you get no answer and we will get back wit you as soon as possible. Te Piladelpia Baptist Curc of Decatur, AL would like to announce teir Summer Meeting for June 17t - 21st. Service times are Wednesday tru Friday at 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Te primary speaker will be Elder William VanNunen. Elder Saun Trescott will be te additional speaker on Saturday wic is te Quarterly Fellowsip. A noon meal will be provided Saturday. Te Berea Baptist Broadcast can now be eard on WQRL FM in te soutern Illinois area at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Te program is being sponsored by te Grace Missionary Baptist Curc, 306 Nort Vicksburg St, Marion, IL If you enjoy te program let tem know by calling tem at (618) A new mission work as begun. Te Providence Baptist Curc located at 1115 Jones Mill Road, Cartersville, GA 30120, is an outreac of te Tibet Baptist Curc of Ludowici, GA. Service times are Sunday Scool at 9:45 a.m., Morning Worsip at 10:45 a.m. and Evening Worsip at 5:00 p.m. ARTICLE INDEX For more information please contact Bro. Bruce Allen (502) , providencebc30120@gmail.com or on Facebook under Providence Baptist. Te Windsor Baptist Curc of Windsor, IL is seeking a qualified candidate for pastor. Tey are small in number but ric in trut. Candidate sould meet te qualification in I Timoty 3. For more information please contact Broter Jon Gregory at (217) or windsorbaptist.grace@gmail. com. Te Sovereign Grace Baptist Curc of Galena, O is in need of a pastor. Any interested candidates possessing te qualifications and traits concerning te office as found in I Timoty 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 are asked to contact eiter of te following: Bro. Randy Coffey at (614) or recoffeypot@aol.com, or Bro. Joe Vass at (614) or jamijoe@wowway.com. Te Fait Missionary Baptist Curc of Cobbitty, Sout Wales, Australia is in need of a pastor. For more information please contact David Jackson at 4 Station Street, Tirlmere, NSW 2572, Australia or Te Agony of Our Substitute in Getsemane by Lucien J. LeSage Jr.... p. 1 Te Bible and te Newspaper... p. 21 Te Curc at Piladelpia by Milburn Cockrell... p. 1 Te Errors of Eliu - Part 2 by Mattew Stepp... p. 8 Te Impenetrable Cloud by Paul Stepp... p. 1 Te Raising of Lazarus-A Picture of Regeneration by Curtis Pug... p. 1 Forum... pp Te Sort Pews... p. 22 Watering te Tulips - Te Effects of Pride by Todd Bryant...p. 5 sellie45@bigpond.com.au. Te Victory Baptist Curc of Cealis, Wasington is in need of a pastor. Any interested broter may call Gerry Greisen at (360) , or Mark Fenison at (360) Te Grace Missionary Baptist Curc of Marion, IL is in need of a replacement pastor. Elder Raymond T. Ellis is te current pastor, but due to is age, is needing to resign. Te curc believes and preaces te doctrines of grace and te local curc. Any interested Elder may contact Elder Ellis at (618) or Bro. Gary Ratley at (618) Te Twinbrook ills Baptist Curc of amilton, O is prayerfully seeking a pastor. Organized in 1938, te curc olds to istoric Baptist truts, including te Doctrines of Grace. Please visit te curc s website at ttp://twinbrook.net to view te Curc Constitution and oter items tat describe our beliefs and sow wat te curc is doing today. Please contact Bro. Cris Willis at Eloimfirst@gmail.com for more information.

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