The Priesthood of Christ as Revealed in Scripture. Love from on High

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1 Te Priestood of Crist as Revealed in Scripture By Lucien J. LeSage Jr. of Pride, Louisiana It seems tat te priestood of Crist is someting tat you ear very little about and yet te wole book of ebrews presents to us our glorious ig priest. You ear of im as being saviour, wic e is and te only saviour of sinners. You ear of im being te Son of God wic e is and te eternal One at tat, but little about im being te saved one s ig priest. Speaking of Crist s priestly office, Jon Flavel (c ) said, Wat promises flow out of te priestly office? All te promises of a pardon and peace flow out of it. Yes, Jesus Crist is a ig priest. e is now my ig priest. e is te eternal ig priest and e as no successor as we sall sow from te Scriptures. In capter tree of ebrews Jesus Crist is called te Apostle and ig Priest of our profession. Te Book of ebrews was written by te Apostle Paul, in my opinion, and it was written to Jewis Cristians tat were getting caugt up in te Mosaic economy and tose sacrifices tat were offered under te law of Moses. Te Jews placed a lot of stock in tat economy and tat tey were te cildren of Abraam. Tink about it, te Jews ad a Divine religion, and a divinely appointed place of worsip. It was not as if tey ad come out of paganism. Te God wo made eaven and eart ad given to Moses te law and all tat went along wit it. And so it would be natural tat even tose among tem wo ad believed on Crist sould want to retain te forms and ceremonies tat pertained to te law in wic tey ad been brougt up. To te Parisees Jesus said, Do not tink tat I will accuse you to te Fater: tere is one tat accuset you, even Moses, in wom ye trust. For ad ye believed Moses, ye would ave believed me: for e wrote of me (Jon 5:45-46). (Continued on page 2) Love from on ig By Paul Stepp of Indore, West Virginia We love im, because e first loved us (I Jon 4:19). Te love of God is a vast subject. Te love of God is a subject tat ardly bears broacing, wen we consider our own frail umanity, and our own finite minds, and our own pysical, mental, and spiritual limitations. And yet, wat grander subject is tere? Wat more sublime topic is tere, tan to consider te love of God? I want to consider te love of God from te perspective of te uman recipients. In oter words, I want to consider te love tat we ave for God, as a result of te love tat God as for us. I do not know if you ave ever tougt of it tis way or not, but te love tat you ave for God te love for God tat you feel in your eart is a gift tat comes from God, and a love tat as its beginnings in eaven, itself. Our love for God is a love tat originates in eaven, in te bosom of God. A love tat is oterworldly. A love tat is divine. A love wit powers, abilities, and effects, wic cannot be considered nor understood from a strictly pysical or mortal perspective. Our love for God is a (Continued on page 6) Te Kind of Fait God s Cildren Need Today By Cristoper W. Burke, Sr. of Catlettsburg, Kentucky Beloved, ow we need strong, Biblical fait today. In a world tat is so caotic, and unstable, and ever sifting and canging, we need a fait tat will overcome. We need a fait tat will endure all of life s trials, and te deceit of false religion, and te onslaugts of tis old world, and of Satan. Te love of many is waxing cold today. Te fervency of true Cristianity as cooled down to a dying ember. It was in tis context tat Jesus said in Luke 18:8: Neverteless wen te Son of man comet, sall e find fait on te eart? Let us now see te strong, Biblical fait in te person of Abraam, wo was called te fater of all wo believe. Read Romans 4:16-25 From tis text we will notice (Continued on page 7)

2 Page 2 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 July 5, 2018 Volume XXXVIII, Number 7 Wole Number 468 Editor: Cristoper Cockrell Staff: Seron Cockrell, Marsa Kiser, Virginia Cockrell TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER (UPS ) is publised montly for $6.00 per year by te autority of te Berea Baptist Curc, 3881 igway 363, Mantacie, Mississippi Periodical Publication postage paid at Mantacie, Mississippi. POSTMASTER: Send address canges to TE BEREA BAPTIST BANNER, P. O. Box 39, Mantacie, Mississippi PUBLICATION POLICIES: All matter for publication sould be sent to te editor. All manuscripts are to be typed and double spaced. All suc material becomes te property of BBB and will not be returned unless requested by te writer. We reserve te rigt to edit and condense all materials sent to us for publication. Te publication of an article does not necessarily mean te editor is in complete agreement wit te writer, nor does it mean e endorses all tis person may ave written on oter subjects. 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DISCLAIMER: Te Editor assumes tat te articles submitted for publication in te BBB are written by te person wose name tey bear, unless oterwise indicated by a quote from anoter writer. owever, te Editor cannot personally guarantee tat tis is te case in all articles wic appear in te BBB. Te purpose of te Berea Baptist Banner is as follows: 1.To onor God and to exalt te Lord Jesus Crist. 2. To preac te gospel to lost sinners. 3. To spread te wole counsel of God s Word. 4. To encourage God s preacers and to strengt-en is curces in te most oly fait. 5. To motivate God s cildren to a closer fellow-sip around is Word. 6. To inform people of world events in ligt of Bible propecy. 7. To condemn and expose error werever it may rear its ugly ead. 8. To stimulate Cristian growt in grace. 9. To make te Devil and is demons as mad as possible. Tune in to te Berea Baptist Broadcast STATION TIME DIAL WATTS WCNA, Myrtle, MS...Sunday 9:30-10:00 a.m ,000 FM WCTT, Corbin, KY...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 AM WFTA, Tupelo, MS...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,000 FM KARI, Blaine, WA...Saturday 10:30-11:00 a.m ,000 AM WQRL, Benton, IL...Sunday 9:00-9:30 a.m ,500 FM FALLEN TO SLEEP WAITING ON TE MAIL? Look at your mailing label on te front page of tis mont s paper. If you see above your name Expires 7/2018 ten tis will be your last issue. So do not doze off wile waiting for te mailman! Renew now so you will not miss next mont s Banner. Te Priestood of (Continued from page 1) In te first few capters of te book of ebrews, te writer sows tat Crist is greater tan all tat ad gone before. e is greater tan te propets: God, wo at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto te faters by te propets, at in tese last days spoken unto us by is Son, wom e at appointed eir of all tings, by wom also e made te worlds; Wo being te brigtness of is glory, and te express image of is person, and upolding all tings by te word of is power, wen e ad by imself purged our sins, sat down on te rigt and of te Majesty on ig (eb. 1:1-3). Ten we immediately read tat e is greater tan all te angels: Being made so muc better tan te angels, as e at by ineritance obtained a more excellent name tan tey. For unto wic of te angels said e at any time, Tou art my Son, tis day ave I begotten tee? And again, I will be to im a Fater, and e sall be to me a Son? And again, wen e bringet in te firstbegotten into te world, e sait, And let all te angels of God worsip im. And of te angels e sait, Wo maket is angels spirits, and is ministers a flame of fire. But unto te Son e sait, Ty trone, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of rigteousness is te sceptre of ty kingdom (eb. 1:4-8). And ten we read in te book of Acts tat te law was given by te disposition of angels (Acts 7:53); But Crist is greater tan all te angels as te writer says. Ten in capter tree of ebrews we see tat te writer sows tat Crist is greater tan Moses in wom tey trusted. For tis man was counted worty of more glory tan Moses, inasmuc as e wo at builded te ouse at more onour tan te ouse (eb. 3:3). As we read furter we see e is greater tan Josua. Te King James version as Jesus in verse 8 of capter 4 but tat is just te same meaning as Josua. For if Jesus (Josua) ad given tem rest, ten would e not afterward ave spoken of anoter day (See Acts 7:45 as proof). In tis same capter we read, Seeing ten tat we ave a great ig priest, tat is passed into te eavens, Jesus te Son of God, let us old fast our profession (eb. 4:14). If we believe te Bible to be te Word of God, te apostle as told us enoug for us to believe tat Jesus is our ig priest. But let us not simply leave it tere. Tere is so muc more to be understood concerning is priestood. Now, te Jews also placed a lot of stock in being te cildren of Abraam. Wen Jesus told tose Jews tat te trut would make tem free tey responded tus, We be Abraam s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: ow sayest tou, Ye sall be made free (Jon 8:33)? Now ere is were we need to pay close attention to wat te apostle says concerning Abraam and Melcisedec. Witout going into a lot of detail we see tat Melcisedec was a royal priest wo blessed Abraam. Wen Abraam was returning from te slaugter of te kings e paid a tent of te spoils to Melcisedec and Melcisedec blessed im. Well te apostle tells us and witout all contradiction te less is blessed of te better (Continued on page 3)

3 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 3 Te Priestood of (Continued from page 2) (eb. 7:7). Before te apostle gets to tis point in is epistle e brougt to our attention wat God said concerning is Son, Tou art a priest for ever after te order of Melcisedec (eb. 5:6). So wat are te implications of tis? And wen was it written? Wat does tat mean, Tou art a priest for ever after te order of Melcisedec? Wo is tis Melcisedec? Well e was a royal priest. e was king of Salem and priest of te most ig God (see ebrews 7:1-2). e blessed Abraam some four undred years before te Law was given to Moses, and we read tat te Aaronic priestood paid tites to Melcisedec being yet in te loins of Abraam wen e met Melcisedec. Under te Mosaic Economy te priestood was from te tribe of Levi, yet noting is said about Melcisedec s origin. Tere is no recording of wo is parents were nor wen e ever died. So in type e is a picture of anoter priest wo sould later arise after is order or after te similitude of is order as te apostle says in capter 7. Te apostle tells us concerning tis Melcisedec, Witout fater, witout moter, witout descent, aving neiter beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto te Son of God; abidet a priest continually (eb. 7:3). I would add tat under te Mosaic economy no king could offer a sacrifice. We see tat Uzzia did so and was stricken wit leprosy and was never cured. But wen e was strong, is eart was lifted up to is destruction: for e transgressed against te LORD is God, and went into te temple of te LORD to burn incense upon te altar of incense. And Azaria te priest went in after im, and wit im fourscore priests of te LORD, tat were valiant men: And tey witstood Uzzia te king, and said unto im, It appertainet not unto tee, Uzzia, to burn incense unto te LORD, but to te priests te sons of Aaron, tat are consecrated to burn incense: go out of te sanctuary; for tou ast trespassed; neiter sall it be for tine onour from te LORD God. Ten Uzzia was wrot, and ad a censer in is and to burn incense: and wile e was wrot wit te priests, te leprosy even rose up in is foreead before te priests in te ouse of te LORD, from beside te incense altar. And Azaria te cief priest, and all te priests, looked upon im, and, beold, e was leprous in is foreead, and tey trust im out from tence; yea, imself asted also to go out, because te LORD ad smitten im. And Uzzia te king was a leper unto te day of is deat, and dwelt in a several ouse, being a leper; for e was cut off from te ouse of te LORD: and Jotam is son was over te king s ouse, judging te people of te land (II Cro. 26:16-21). Yet Melcisedec was a royal priest and Crist is a priest after te similitude of is priestood. Te tribe of Juda from wic Messia sprang was a royal tribe. Jesus Crist is a royal priest. So, wen was it propesied tat anoter priest sould arise after te order of Melcisedec? Well by te mout of David in Psalm 110:4, long after te Levitical priestood ad been establised by Moses. If te Aaronic priestood made te people perfect ten wat was te need for it to be propesied years later tat anoter priest sould arise? And tat e would be after te order of Melcisedec and not after te order of Aaron. If terefore perfection were by te Levitical priestood, (for under it te people received te law,) wat furter need was tere tat anoter priest sould rise after te order of Melcisedec, and not be called after te order of Aaron (eb. 7:11)? We also know from te section of te Old Testament concerning Messia, wic was written after te Mosaic Economy ad been establised, tat our Lord would arise out of Juda of wic tribe Moses spake noting concerning priestood (eb. 7:14). Now pay close attention to wat te apostle says in verse 15 and 16 of capter 7. And it is yet far more evident: for tat after te similitude of Melcisedec tere ariset anoter priest, Wo is made, not after te law of a carnal commandment, but after te power of an endless life. Te apostle says similitude wic means likeness to it. So Melcisedec s priestood pictured Crist s priestood. Melcisedec did not ave a successor for e ad an endless priestood, so too wit Crist s priestood. e is a priest forever and is priestood is in te likeness of Melcisedec s priestood. Te Levitical priestood was not so but was after te law of a carnal commandment. Tis is important to see for Crist is eternally our great ig priest wo is set on te rigt and of te trone of te Majesty in te eavens (eb. 8:1). So e ever livet to make intercession for tem (eb. 7:25). Crist as no successor to is priestood for e continues to be te only priest te believer ever needs. Let us now examine is priestly work. We ave establised tat e is our ig priest and is still our ig priest even now. But wat about is priestly work? As Jon Flavel said, All te promises of a pardon and peace flow out of it. We see tat as ig priest e needed to make an offering. For every ig priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: werefore it is of necessity tat tis man ave somewat also to offer (eb. 8:3). As te apostle as stated perfection was not from te Levitical priestood. But e was not as tose Levitical ig priests. Of Crist it is said, Wo needet not daily, as tose ig priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for is own sins, and ten for te people s: for tis e did once, wen e offered up imself (eb. 7:27). So e offered up imself for te sins of te people e represented. In capters 8 and 9 we see tat te apostle sows tat te eartly tabernacle was but a pattern of te eavenly and tat a new and better covenant was propesied (see Jeremia 31:31). In verse 9 of capter 9 we see tat te eartly tabernacle was a figure for te time ten present and could not make im tat did te service perfect, as pertaining to conscience. In te previous verse we read, Te oly Gost tis signifying, tat te way into te oliest of all was not yet made manifest, wile as te first tabernacle was yet standing (eb. 9:8). So Crist made an offering for sin, but it was imself. is deat did not end is priestly work as was te case wit te Levitical ig priest but is deat was part of is priestly work and te grave could not old im. Teir deat was no part of teir priestly duties and ended teir priestood. is deat was is priestly duty and was te very sacrifice wic e (Continued on page 4)

4 Page 4 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Te Priestood of (Continued from page 3) offered as ig Priest. Tey ad no power to raise temselves back to service as priests. But te Son of God ad power to lay is life down and raise it up again. is deat did not even interrupt te exercise of is priestood but was one of is duties as our Great ig Priest. We saw earlier in capter 7 tat tis e did once, or one time (ebrews 7:27). In te book of ebrews te apostle uses te word once or one, seven times, in referring to te offering and sacrifice of Crist, wile suggesting it in oter places. ere are a few of tose verses to prove te point: ebrews 9:12, Neiter by te blood of goats and calves, but by is own blood e entered in once into te oly place, aving obtained eternal redemption for us. ebrews 9:24-28, For Crist is not entered into te oly places made wit ands, wic are te figures of te true; but into eaven itself, now to appear in te presence of God for us; Nor yet tat e sould offer imself often, as te ig priest enteret into te oly place every year wit te blood of oters; For ten must e often ave suffered since te foundation of te world: but now once in te end of te world at e appeared to put away sin by te sacrifice of imself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after tis te judgement: So Crist was once offered to bear te sins of many; and unto tem tat look for im sall e appear te second time witout sin unto salvation. ebrews 10:10-14, By te wic will we are sanctified troug te offering of te body of Jesus Crist once for all. And every priest standet daily ministering and offering oftentimes te same sacrifices, wic can never take away sins: But tis man, after e ad offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on te rigt and of God; From encefort expecting till is enemies be made is footstool. For by one offering e at perfected for ever tem tat are sanctified. It can be no clearer to te reader of ebrews tat Crist made only one offering for sin and we also read, Now were remission of tese is, tere is no more offering for sin (eb. 10:18). It is not tat Crist made one offering for sin but some later offering must be made in addition. No, tere is no more offering for sin. Crist said, It is finised. We ave establised tat Jesus is a Royal Priest and an eternal ig priest, and tat e made only one offering for sin and tat offering was even is very soul, according to Isaia 53:10. And also tat e ever livet to make intercession for tose tat come to God by im. So wat of te efficacy of tat sacrifice? Wat did tat offering accomplis? Did it only make te purging of sin possible or did it in a judicial way accomplis someting? I would draw your attention back to te very beginning of te book of ebrews were tis is answered immediately. Wo being te brigtness of is glory, and te express image of is person, and upolding all tings by te word of is power, wen e ad by imself purged our sins, sat down on te rigt and of te Majesty on ig (eb. 1:3). Purge means to perform a ting according to Strong s and in tis case to cast out and tat witout delay. Tis speaks of sins in te judicial sense. We as believers still sin but te point is tat tey were taken care of by te Lord Jesus Crist in is priestly work. Let us look at a few more verses in ebrews tat prove te point. Neiter by te blood of goats and calves, but by is own blood e entered in once into te oly place, aving obtained eternal redemption for us (eb. 9:12). So wit is own blood e at obtained eternal redemption for every believer and for every believer wo will ever believe in im. ow muc more sall te blood of Crist, wo troug te eternal Spirit offered imself witout spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve te living God (eb. 9:14)?...but now once in te end of te world at e appeared to put away sin by te sacrifice of imself (eb. 9:26). And wose sins did e bear and put away? Te sins of many (9:28). Ten we read in ebrews 10:9-10, Ten said e, Lo, I come to do ty will, O God. e taket away te first, tat e may establis te second. By te wic will we are sanctified troug te offering of te body of Jesus Crist once for all. Ten in verse 14 we read, For by one offering e at perfected for ever tem tat are sanctified. Tis can be no more clearer if we would just believe it. is one offering at perfected for all eternity te ones wo were set apart by God. Sanctified means to set apart, and in tis case it is passive. Notice tey are sanctified not tat tey sanctified temselves. Personal sanctification takes place later in time at te new birt, but in tis case all te ones tat were sanctified judicially by God are perfected for ever. Tat is a long time, dear reader. Tat is a perfection witout failure. Tat is a priestly work tat is efficacious and wic accomplised its very purpose. And wat was tat purpose? but by is own blood e entered in once into te oly place, aving obtained eternal redemption for us. Wen Jesus drank te cup of divine wrat in te place of te believer and all wo will ever believe on im, e drank tat cup dry, as Spurgeon put it. 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. It was not only an efficacious offering (accomplised its purpose) but vicarious (being substitutionary) as well. For e at made im to be sin for us, wo knew no sin; tat we migt be made te rigteousness of God in im (II Cor. 5:21). Crist at redeemed us from te curse of te law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one tat anget on a tree (Gal. 3:13). Jeremia propesied of tis day and e is quoted by te apostle in tis epistle to te ebrews. Tis is te covenant tat I will make wit tem after tose days, sait te Lord, I will put my laws into teir earts, and in teir minds will I write tem; And teir sins and iniquities will I remember no more (eb. 10:16-17). Ten e adds, Now were remission of tese is, tere is no more offering for sin (eb. 10:18). Dear reader, we need no man on tis eart to be a priest for us. We ave a ig priest in eaven. A royal priest. We need no bloodless sacrifice on any altar. We ave an altar, te Godood of Crist. Te believer is a priest unto imself in tat e can offer te sacrifice of praise and can boldly go before te trone of Grace because our Great ig Priest is tere. In (Continued on page 6)

5 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 5 Little ills By Nataniel ille of Plant City, Florida... and te little ills rejoice on every side (Psalms 65:12). Acquaint Now Tyself Wit im #4 Te Sigt Of God I Samuel 16:1-13 But te LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on is countenance, or on te eigt of is stature; because I ave refused im: for te LORD seet not as man seet; for man looket on te outward appearance, but te LORD looket on te eart (I Sam. 16:7). We want to look at te sigt of God. But we will focus our attention upon te action, te duty of wic te eyes do: sigt. GOD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES Man only sees tat wic is witout. Te Lord sees it all. Te Lord is able to see te eart, te motive, and even te very imagination of te tougts of man s earts (Genesis 6:5). Tus, te Lord is not fooled. Neiter is tere any creature tat is not manifest in is sigt: but all tings are naked and opened unto te eyes of im wit wom we ave to do (eb. 4:13). Our text brings out tat man can only see te outward appearance of someting. No man sould ever say tat e/se knows te motive beind wat anoter person does. We only see te outward appearance and we do NOT see tat very well at all. ow often we are fooled by te outward appearance of an individual: For I know tis, tat after my departing sall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing te flock. Also of your own selves sall men arise, speaking perverse tings, to draw away disciples after tem (Acts 20:29-30). None of te disciples knew tat Judas Iscariot was going to betray te Lord Jesus, but te Lord knew! Te Lord looks on te eart. Inward qualifications and endowments of te mind are seen by te Lord. Te intent and spirit wit wic a man, woman, boy or girl acts is not known but by te Lord. Tere are many tings tat are beautiful to te eyes, but ave not value in tis life nor in te life to come. And e said unto tem, Ye are tey wic justify yourselves before men; but God knowet your earts: for tat wic is igly esteemed among men is abomination in te sigt of God (Luke 16:15). TE DEITY OF TE LORD JESUS CRIST Te Lord Jesus manifested is deity in tat e could see te contents of te Parisees: Woe unto you, scribes and Parisees, ypocrites! for ye are like unto wited sepulcres, wic indeed appear beautiful outward, but are witin full of dead men s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear rigteous unto men, but witin ye are full of ypocrisy and iniquity (Matt. 23:27-28). Crist Jesus knew te earts of te scribes, Parisees, and Sadducees. e knows te earts of every person. e is not fooled. Te Lord knows weter or not our earts are rigt wit im For teir eart was not rigt wit im, neiter were tey stedfast in is covenant (Ps. 78:37). TE SIGT OF GOD Wat is precious in te sigt of God: I Peter 3:1-7,...wic is in te sigt of God of great price (v.4). ere te oly Spirit lists many tings tat are of great price in te sigt of God. Tey are: subjection to your own usbands; caste conversation, coupled wit fear; adorning of te idden man in a meek and quiet spirit. Te world, even men today put no value on tese tings. Tey value outward beauty. Remember wat was stated by King Lemuel s moter? Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman tat fearet te LORD, se sall be praised (Prov. 31:30). Te Bible refers to te beauty of oliness (Ps. 29:2; 96:9; I Cro. 16:29; II Cro. 20:21). Tere is a beauty tat is only known in tat wic is dedicated, set apart, allowed, consecrated unto te Lord. A woman (or a man, boy, or girl) wo is set apart, allowed, in Crist Jesus as er Savior, and wo is living a life devoted, consecrated, dedicated unto te Lord, er Savior is a beautiful sigt. It is of great price in te sigt of God! Let us ask tis question; are we trying to please men or please te Lord? For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I sould not be te servant of Crist (Gal. 1:10). Wose servant are we? If Crist s, ten ougt we not to be worried about wat we are in is sigt? Te ministry in te sigt of God: Tree times in te second epistle to te Corintian curc, Paul uses te prase in te sigt of God. onest preacing: II Corintians 2:17, For we are not as many, wic corrupt te word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in te sigt of God speak we in Crist. II Corintians 4:1-2, Terefore seeing we ave tis ministry, as we ave received mercy, we faint not; But ave renounced te idden tings of disonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor andling te word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of te trut commending ourselves to every man s conscience in te sigt of God. In tese two places, Paul states tat teir preacing and teacing of God s Word was done in onesty and sincerity. Tey did not corrupt te Word of God as oters did. Tey did not preac personal opinions, but preacing te revealed will of God, preacing te conviction of te oly Spirit. In te sigt of God, Paul did not deceive tem, e did not leave off anyting. To te elders of Epesus at Miletus e stated, Werefore I take you to record tis day, tat I am pure from te blood of all men. For I ave not sunned to declare unto you all te counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27) and...ow I kept back noting tat was profitable unto you, but ave sewed you, and ave taugt you publicly, and from ouse to ouse (Acts 20:20). Tere are many in our day (even tose wo fly under te Baptist name), wo deal deceitfully wit teir listeners. May it never be said of tis curc, of tis ministry tat we ever andle te Word of God wit purpose to deceive! Care for te curc: In II Corintians 11:28 we are told tat Paul ad...te care of all te curces. Tis included te curc at Corint. e ad (Continued on page 6)

6 Page 6 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Little ills (Continued from page 5) te care of tem. e ad it for e ad preaced tere. No doubt many ad been saved and even added to te work of te Lord at te preacing of te Lord troug te Apostle Paul. Observe wat Paul wrote ere unto te curc at Corint: Werefore, toug I wrote unto you, I did it not for is cause tat ad done te wrong, nor for is cause tat suffered wrong, but tat our care for you in te sigt of God migt appear unto you (II Cor. 7:12). Paul speaks of tat first epistle (I Corintians) wen e states,... toug I wrote unto you... In I Corintians, Paul wrote some tings tat were ard to take. e stepped on toes. e states tat e did not ave in mind te one wo ad committed te wrong and was in need of discipline, nor did e ave in mind te one tat ad been wronged. e desired tat te curc at Corint migt see te care tat e ad for tem. Te care Paul ad for tem in te sigt of God. Te Lord Jesus was well aware of te care tat Paul ad for te Corintian curc. Paul reproved tem, corrected tem, and instructed tem so tat te wole curc migt be perfect, trougly furnised unto all good works (II Tim. 3:16-17). e played te part of te fater wo ad espoused tem as a caste and virgin bride unto er usband and e was correcting teir lewd beavior (II Cor. 11:2). Does not te Bible say For wom te Lord lovet e castenet, and scourget every son wom e receivet (eb. 12:6)? Paul s words were written out of love and care. God saw te love and care of Paul for is curc at Corint. Now, troug te correcting words of te epistle tey, too, could see te care of wic Paul ad for tem. Our youngest son, Jamison, as a liking for outlets and anyting tat will fit in tem. e is castened many times. Te castening is not pleasant to parent or cild. Jamison cries; backs away from us, but it is done because we love and care for im. If we let im continuously put tings in an outlet, it would evidence tat we did not care about im. So, too, do Pastors, Bibleteacers, ministers of God wen tey preac God s Word and toes are stepped upon. It is a sign of care. Tere are tose wo love to ave smoot words preaced to tem. God elp us from being one of tose listeners. Spurgeon stated: We must all learn to ear wat we do not like. Te question is not, Is it pleasant? but, Is it true? CONCLUDING TOUGTS Truly, God sees not as man sees, for e looks upon te eart. Te need of te our and te day is tat you and I would look upon tings as God does. O, for grace tat we migt be able to see as te Lord sees. We can! By fait, by believing God s Word we sall see as God sees! Te Priestood of (Continued from page 4) fact te believer in many ways is after te similitude of Crist s priestood. e is no successor to im. No man is a successor to im, but you as a believer are a cosen generation, a royal priestood, an oly nation, a peculiar people; tat ye sould sew fort te praises of im wo at called you out of darkness into is marvellous ligt (I Peter 2:9). If you are a believer in Crist, if your fait looks not to itself but to te efficacious and vicarious offering of your great eternal ig priest ten go to im. Seeing ten tat we ave a great ig priest, tat is passed into te eavens, Jesus te Son of God, let us old fast our profession. For we ave not an ig priest wic cannot be touced wit te feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet witout sin. Let us terefore come boldly unto te trone of grace, tat we may obtain mercy, and find grace to elp in time of need (eb. 4:14-16). As our Great ig Priest, Crist is praying and mediating for us now. e is a merciful ig Priest. Wen we are in need, we are comforted by is uninterrupted intercession. Wen we sin, is intercession for us is a great incentive to repent rigt away. May God Bless! Love from on ig (Continued from page 1) love from on ig. Let us consider some aspects of our love for God, wic set apart tis love, and wic make tis love different from any oter love tat is experienced in te earts and minds of mere mortal beings. TRUER First, today, I want you to know tat te love tat you ave for God te love tat was granted unto you from God in eaven, is a iger and better love tan any mere mortal love. Te love tat you ave for God is agape, not eros. Agape is a eavenly love; eros is a pysical love. In contrast wit te normal and widely experienced loves tat men, women, and cildren feel for eac oter, our love for God is a spiritual love. Now, I am not saying tat love as it is known and felt amongst men, women, and cildren is a bad ting; nor am I seeking to disallow or invalidate any love tat natural man may experience in tis world. But, I am saying, tat any of tese loves tat natural men, women, and cildren may experience do not extend into te spiritual realm, nor can tese mortal loves extend into eternity future. Sure, tese mortal loves can be admirable, and even ougt to be encouraged, wen tese loves are rigtly experienced. And, I also believe tat tese loves are te product of te effect tat God s goodness and God s kindness as on te race of mankind. But, tese uman loves are not to be compared wit te love tat men ave for God! Our love for God is selfless. Our love for im is spawned in te love tat God as for is people. Suc a love led Jesus Crist to lay down is life for our sakes. Sould not our love for im also be selfless? Our love for God is a love tat cannot be swayed. A love tat cannot be twarted. A love tat cannot be denied nor would any wo ave experienced tis love, ever desire to deny tat love. Men and women may be forced, under treat or torture, to outwardly deny God; but, none would ever be able to deny teir love for im in teir earts. Tis love is true. Furter, tis love tat we ave for God is a love tat begins in te eart of God, and is enjoined wit te earts of tose elect unto salvation. Suc a love cannot be imitated, nor experienced by tose wo only ave a pretense of religion. Men may make a sow of loving God. Tey may even (Continued on page 7)

7 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 7 Love from on ig (Continued from page 6) make an open demonstration of teir love for God. And yet, if tat love did not come first from te Fater, and is Son, Jesus Crist, tan tat love is a fake, a fraud, and a blaspemous lie. Tis true love will be our bencmark and our guide. onesty and openness is sadly lacking in our society. True love of God, and true love for God is someting tat we sould igly value, and someting tat we sould propagate in tis wicked, lying, deceitful, and depraved generation tat we live in. MORE SINCERE A love in te spiritual sense, wic takes into account te Creator and te Redeemer of mankind, must be a love tat inspires genuine love, umility, and sincerity of devotion. And tou, cild, salt be called te propet of te igest: for tou salt go before te face of te Lord to prepare is ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto is people by te remission of teir sins, Troug te tender mercy of our God; wereby te dayspring from on ig at visited us, To give ligt to tem tat sit in darkness and in te sadow of deat, to guide our feet into te way of peace (Luke 1:76-79). Not a fraud. Genuine. Not a pretense. Not occasional, but always present, and always evident. Tis love cannot (or ougt not) be feigned. And tey watced im, and sent fort spies, wic sould feign temselves just men, tat tey migt take old of is words, tat so tey migt deliver im unto te power and autority of te governor. And tey asked im, saying, Master, we know tat tou sayest and teacest rigtly, neiter acceptest tou te person of any, but teacest te way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no? But e perceived teir craftiness, and said unto tem, Wy tempt ye me (Luke 20:20-23)? Tere are many wo seem to want to make an attempt at being a Cristian. Tere are many wo seem to want to play at serving te Lord. But tere were false propets also among te people, even as tere sall be false teacers among you, wo privily sall bring in damnable eresies, even denying te Lord tat bougt tem, and bring upon temselves swift destruction. And many sall follow teir pernicious ways; by reason of wom te way of trut sall be evil spoken of. And troug covetousness sall tey wit feigned words make mercandise of you: wose judgment now of a long time lingeret not, and teir damnation slumberet not (II Peter 2:1-3). For it is impossible for tose wo were once enligtened, and ave tasted of te eavenly gift, and were made partakers of te oly Gost, And ave tasted te good word of God, and te powers of te world to come, If tey sall fall away, to renew tem again unto repentance; seeing tey crucify to temselves te Son of God afres, and put im to an open same. For te eart wic drinket in te rain tat comet oft upon it, and bringet fort erbs meet for tem by wom it is dressed, receivet blessing from God: But tat wic bearet torns and briers is rejected, and is nig unto cursing; wose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better tings of you, and tings tat accompany salvation, toug we tus speak. For God is not unrigteous to forget your work and labour of love, wic ye ave sewed toward is name, in tat ye ave ministered to te saints, and do minister (eb. 6:4-10). Tis is not te attitude of tose wo ave experienced te agape love tat comes from te Fater in eaven! Tis is not te attitude of tose wo ave felt te love of God troug te person and te work of Jesus Crist on our bealf! Seeing ye ave purified your souls in obeying te trut troug te Spirit unto unfeigned love of te bretren, see tat ye love one anoter wit a pure eart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by te word of God, wic livet and abidet for ever (I Peter 1:22-23). Tere is no pretense at religion in our lives. Instead, a genuine desire to serve persists. Tere is no pretense at love in our earts. Instead, a sincere love for God permeates our inner man. Tis leads me to my next observation. DEEPER Te love tat we ave for God, is a deeper love tan oters may know. Sure, men ave deep love one for anoter. Te love of spouses; te love of parents for teir cildren; te love of cildren for teir parents. Te familial love tat family members ave for eac oter. Tese can all be deep and abiding loves toug, many times, in our day and age, it seems tat even tis type of love is sadly lacking. And yet, te love tat we ave for God te love tat emanates from te eart of God is a love tat is far deeper, and far more effectual tan any oter love tat can be experienced by men. Tis love tat we ave for God affects te innermost parts of a man. Tis love can penetrate to te deepest and furtest reaces of our very existence. Is it any wonder tat tis love tat we ave for God is suc a deep and powerful love? After all, we are speaking of a love from God tat spans te distance from eaven to Eart. Suc a love, wen sared wit mortal men, must ave some terrific effect upon te earts and minds of tose wo experience it. Tis love for God will rule in our lives. Govern our beavior. Influence every decision we make. LONGER Lasting from te moment it is imparted, even into eternity. A love tat was known to God in eternity past, must ave an enduring and everlasting effect on te cildren of God, upon wom tat love is bestowed. Our love for God, ten, will be a love tat as its beginning in God s person and will, and it will endure in our earts and lives into eternity never ending, never diminising, never ceasing to rule in our lives. Te Kind of Fait (Continued from page 1) four aspects of Abraam s fait, tat we also need today. 1. First, we want to notice - Fait tat believes God can raise te dead (verses 17, 24-25). Tis is an absolutely essential element of true saving fait. If we do not believe tat God can raise from te dead, ten we are still (Continued on page 8)

8 Page 8 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Te Kind of Fait (Continued from page 7) lost in our sins. We must believe tat Jesus was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification (v. 25). In oter words, we must believe tat Jesus died on te cross as te sacrifice for our sins, and tat e was raised again te tird day for our justification, and for te forgiveness of our sins. Tis is te eart of te gospel message, and te foundation of our fait. We must also believe tat Jesus as raised us up spiritually in regeneration and by fait in te gospel. We wo believe in Jesus are new creatures in Crist, and ave been passed from deat unto life. Old tings are passed away, and all tings are become new. We must also believe tat Jesus sall raise our mortal bodies, and cange tem and fasion tem like unto is glorious body. Beloved, te resurrection is our ope. Tis is our expectation. Tis is wat we wait for and long for, to be cloted upon wit tat body tat te Lord as prepared for us. And so, we need te kind of ope tat believed in te resurrection. 2. Secondly, we want to notice - Fait tat believes in te sovereignty of God (verse 17). Beloved, we need te kind of fait tat believes tat God is sovereign. Do we believe tis morning tat God is sovereign over time, and over te pysical world, and even over te spirit world to do wit as e pleases? Do we believe tat God is absolutely sovereign over all tings, including all te events of providence. Abraam, te fater of te fait, believed in te sovereignty of God. God calls tose tings tat are not as toug tey were; weter it be te creation of te universe; or te creation of te Jewis nation troug te loins of Abraam; or te re-creation of is people in regeneration; or te restoration of all tings at te end of te age. Beloved, God is sovereign over all te affairs of tis world. e as a plan and purpose for tis world and for all men. e as revealed is plan to is cildren in is Word. And e is going to carry out is plan to te very jot and tittle of is Word. Not one ting sall be canged or altered, or left undone. Te kind of fait tat we need today will embrace te sovereignty of God; not only in is control of te wole world, but also in our lives. Beloved, te understanding of God s sovereignty will elp us to be strong in fait, and to accept all tose difficult tings tat come our way in life. 3. Tirdly, we want to notice - Fait tat, against ope, believes in ope (verse 18). Beloved, God s cildren today need a fait tat against ope, believes in ope. We face so many situations and circumstances in life, for wic tere is no natural eartly solution or remedy. Witout tis kind of fait, te burdens and trials of life could be more tan we are able to bear. Wat is meant by against ope? Tis means tat tere is no natural or uman solution tat could possibly fulfill our opes. In our text, Abraam s body was dead in terms of fatering cildren. Likewise, Sara s womb was dead to conceiving cildren. By natural means, tey could not possibly bring a cild into te world. Te only way for teir opes to be fulfilled, was for God to perform a miracle. Wat does it mean to against ope, believe in ope? It means to believe in te promises of God in spite of natural limitations. It also means tat our only ope is in te supernatural God of eaven, and not in te natural laws tat govern te pysical universe. To believe in ope against ope, te following tings must be true: 1) First, God must truly be te God described in is Word. e must be te eternal, all-knowing, all-wise, and all-powerful God. Most of te world does not believe e is. Beloved, te world must be wrong about our God if we are to believe in ope against ope! 2) Secondly, e must ave power to perform miracles at will. In te case of Abraam and Sara, e must be able to cause te dead, barren womb to conceive. If we are to believe in ope against ope, ten our God must be a miracle working God. 3) Tirdly, e must be faitful and true to is promises. e must not lie. e must be true to is Word. If we are to believe in ope against ope, ten our God must to faitful and true to is promises. 4) Fourtly, we must believe tese tings to be true about God. We must embrace te attributes of God by fait. We must not doubt God s Person or is power. We must not doubt is faitfulness to is promises, or is ability to keep is Word to is people. Yes beloved, if we will believe in ope against ope, ten we must put our full fait and trust in im. May God enable us as is cildren to ave te kind of fait tat against ope believes in ope. May God elp us to believe in is supernatural, miracle working power. 4. Fourtly, we want to notice - Fait tat is strong (verse 20). Beloved, we need a fait tat is strong today. Sometimes we feel so weak. Sometimes we feel like our fait is so weak. But peraps it is at tese times tat we are te strongest, wen we realize tat we are weak and feeble, and all of our dependence is in God and not ourselves. We want to notice tree tings about strong fait. 1) First, strong fait does not stagger at te promises of God. Tat is, strong fait does not esitate, waiver, or falter. It is not double minded or wisy-wasy. Strong fait is consistent and stable. Strong fait keeps on going forward. It does not stop and sit down, and it certainly does not go backward. 2) Strong fait gives glory to God. Weak fait, or unbelief, does not give glory to God, but rater brings a reproac upon im. Unbelief causes doubts and fears, and fretting, and murmuring and complaining. But strong fait will praise, and worsip, and glorify God trougout te good times and te ard times of our wilderness wanderings. 3) Strong fait is fully persuaded tat God is able to fulfill is promises (verse 21). Strong fait does not doubt God s ability to keep is promises to is people. And strong fait does not doubt God s faitfulness to is promises. Strong fait is not a weak, Arminian fait, tat believes God someow as lost, or as forfeited is rigt and power to carry out is will and purpose in te affairs of men. Yes, strong fait is persuaded tat God is sovereign, and is able to fulfill is promises. May God give us a strong fait (Continued on page 9)

9 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 9 Small Drops By Josep M. Sidders of Temperance, Micigan My doctrine sall drop as te rain, my speec sall distil as te dew, as te small rain upon te tender erb, and as te sowers upon te grass: Because I will publis te name of te LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God (Deuteronomy 32:2-3). Needs and Wants My wife and I ave found tat every trip into a store wit our tree cildren results in a lesson on needs and wants. Our oldest tries to work is way around te principles of tis life lesson troug umor. is teory is tat if we are smiling and lauging, cances are greater tat e migt get wat e wants (weter e needs it or not). Our middle cild applies te anger approac. I suppose er ope is tat we will cave to er emotional outburst, despite a zero-success rate. Our youngest, wo is tree, usually tries to emulate er sister s anger, but se can not keep it togeter for very long before se ends up testing er broter s tecnique of umor. For te most part, we successfully combat tese metods by giving explanations for were our money will be going instead, wic is towards our needs. We ave all eard te country song tat mentions our inability to tow a trailer beind te earse at our funerals, rigt? Tis is based on te Bible verse I Timoty 6:7, For we brougt noting into tis world, and it is certain we can carry noting out. Tis text speaks more to moderation and generosity tan most people migt tink. God is not telling us to live as ermits, using leaves as toiletries and enjoying te finer cuisines of grassoppers and oney, as muc as e is insisting tat we live for oters and find our contentment in te joy we spread. Wen we do not distinguis between te tings we need and te tings we want, we can become dependent on all tat we ave obtained instead of focusing on te future provisions of te Fater. Jesus defines te ric man in Mark 10:24-25 as someone wo as is fait in te tings of tis world, focusing on te tings e can see, rater tan in te spiritual comfort God provides for is people every single day! Jesus was not saying tat it was a sin to be ric, or even a sin to want nice tings. is point was for us to recognize were tese blessings come from, and to be generous wit wat we ave been given. You can be poverty stricken and still ave an issue wit needs and wants witout te proper perspective. In Mark 12, Jesus tells us of a poor widow wo ad te perfect perspective. e describes ow tose wo were ric were casting teir abundance into te collection box, wic is to say wat tey did not need, tey would not miss. Toug te widow ad very little, wit little ope of more coming in, se gave all se ad. Our oldest is eleven now and loves to clean gutters for is grandparents to make a little money. Wen e sees someting e wants in a store, e now comes to us seeking our opinion over te purcase. We assure im tat it is is money and we discuss is options. It is incredible to see te weels turn as is young mind processes te cost of parting wit is own money; it is not te funny matter it was wen e was trying to spend ours. I ave watced tis young man pile up is money to te point were e says e as too muc. Wat a wonder, aving suc a grasp on contentment tat we find ourselves wit too muc! Tose tings tat we ave, will go on to be someone else s wen we leave tis world. ow muc more would we enjoy possessions if we were giving tem to someone wo desperately needed tem rater tan letting tese tings manipulate our earts? Te Kind of Fait (Continued from page 8) today, tat we migt not stagger at is promises, tat we migt be fully persuaded tat e is able, and tat we migt give im all te glory wit our lives. Conclusion Te kind of fait tat we ave been writing about, was imputed to Abraam for rigteousness (v. 22). Tis same kind of fait is also imputed to all true believers for rigteousness (v. 23). Do we ave fait tat believes in te resurrection of te dead, especially te resurrection of Jesus? Do we ave fait in te sovereignty of God? Do we ave fait tat, against ope, believes in ope? And do we ave strong fait tat staggers not at is promises, tat is fully persuaded tat e is able to keep is promises, and tat gives im all te glory wit our lives? May God elp us to ave te kind of fait of our fater Abraam! Worsip By Curtis Pug ( ) And te LORD ad respect unto Abel and to is offering (Gen. 4:4). Man is a worsipping creature. From early records of mankind down troug te istory of our peoples even to modern times men ave been seen worsipping. From recorded istory we learn tat men in early times worsipped certain spirits as well as elements found in nature. Images and carvings, statues and pictures, as well as relics began to be worsipped eiter along wit God or separate and apart from te supposed worsip of God. Te record of beginnings, te Bible Book of Genesis, tells ow our first parents sinned and lost te blessings and presence of God. A tougtful reading of te first few capters of Genesis reveals tat wile our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned and id temselves from God, God came in searc of tem and even slew certain animals in order to provide a covering for teir nakedness. Tus God seeks men today and as provided a sacrifice (te Lord Jesus Crist) wose blood was sed as e was slain on Calvary. In Genesis capter 4 we are given te record of te first worsip of te two sons of our first parents. Notice tese four tings: (1) eac young man came as an individual to appear before God and to worsip; and by te way, eac of us stands before God as an individual and eac will be judged individually: (2) eac young man came to worsip (Continued on page 16)

10 Page 10 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 ONESTY TE BEST POLICY A gentleman wo was one day a passenger on te river Tames, observed on te stern of te boat tese words: onesty te Best Policy. Taking notice of it, e determined to enter into conversation wit te waterman; and inquiring into is situation in life, found tat e ad a wife and five cildren, and supported also an old fater and moter-in-law by is labor. Te gentleman, upon tis, was still more desirous to know wy e ad given suc a title to is boat, and asked im te reason of it. In reply te young man spoke as follows. My fater and moter died a few years ago, and left a large family. My fater was a waterman, and I was is assistant in te management of a ferry-boat, by wic e supported is family. On is deat it was necessary (in order to pay is just debts) to sell our boat. I parted from it even wit tears, and resolved if possible to purcase it back again. I accordingly went to te person wo ad bougt it, and telling im my design, e engaged tat te boat sould be mine again wenever I could raise five pounds. My eart bounded at te tougt, and I resolved to do my utmost in an onest and fair way to obtain my object. I was at tis time married to a good young woman, and we lived in a small cottage. My fater used to say, Always do wat is rigt; labor diligently, manage frugally, trust in God, and rest assured tat e will bless your store. We treasured up tese rules, and determined to try te trut of tem. I obtained work as a day-laborer, and my wife employed erself in needle-work, spinning, or knitting at ome; not a moment of te day was suffered to pass unemployed. We lived sparingly; not a silling was spent on any improper object; and by tese means we were enabled to contribute a little bot to te support of religion, and to real objects of carity, and also to lay aside every week a little towards buying te boat. If our cildren got a penny at scool for a reward, or a present from a neigbor for any little service done, tey brougt it ome and gave it to teir moter, saying it would elp fater to buy te boat. I felt it my duty to teac tem, from teir infancy, to be obliging, industrious, and careful; recollecting tat early abits are most lasting; and wen we train up a cild in te way e sould go, we ave te assurance of God s promise tat wen e is old, e will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6). Tus our little store insensibly increased from time to time, till one pound only was wanting of te sum so muc desired; and often my dear wife and I used to remark, tat te blessing of eaven was very observable in te success of our onest endeavors. But te following accident seemed to disappoint all our opes. Coming ome one evening from my work at a late our, I saw in te road a small pocket-book, and on opening it I found a bank-note of ten pounds, wic plainly enoug belonged to my master, for is name was on te book, and I ad also seen im passing tat way in te evening. It being too late, owever, to return to te ouse, I went on my way. Wen I told my family of te circumstance, te little ones were trown into a transport of joy. My dears, said I, wat is te matter? O, fater, te boat! te boat! we may now ave two or tree boats! I cecked tem by my looks, and asked tem if tey knew wose money tat was? Tey said, yours, fater, as you found it. I reminded tem tat I was not te real owner; and bade tem tink ow tey would all feel supposing it ad been our box of money wic I ad accidentally lost, and wic a stranger ad found and carried away. Tis reasoning ad te effect on teir young minds wic I desired, and I begged it migt be a lesson to tem never to forget te golden rule, of doing as tey would wis oters to do to tem, and never to turn aside from wat God ad made teir duty. But to go on wit my story: te next morning I put te pocketbook into my bosom, and went to work, intending, as soon as te family arose, to give it to my master ; but wat were my feelings, wen, on searcing in my bosom, it was nowere to be found! I astened back along te road I came, looking diligently all te way, but in vain tere was no trace of it to be seen. On my return to te garden-gate, I was accosted by te gardener, wo told me I was suspected; tat our master ad lost a pocket-book, describing wat I ad found, and tat I being te only man absent from te garden at te our, tere was every reason to conclude tat I must ave got it. Before I could answer, anoter servant coming up, said I was detected, for tat a person ad been sent to my ouse, and tat my wife and family ad owned it all, and ad described te pocketbook. I told tem te real fact, but it seemed to every one unlikely to be true; every circumstance was (Continued on page 11)

11 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 11 Gleanings for te (Continued from page 10) against me, and I was arrested and urried away to prison. I protested my innocence, but I did not wonder tat I gained no credit. Grief now oppressed my eart; my poor wife, my dear cildren, and my gray-eaded parents were all at once plunged into misery; and wat was worse, my caracter was tarnised, and all my ungodly fellow-servants, wose practices I ad often condemned, were triumping, and reviling religion on my account. My misery seemed almost complete; and under tese accumulated sufferings I sould certainly ave sunk, if te consolation of religion ad not borne me up. I knew I was innocent, and tese words were a source of unfailing comfort, Commit ty way unto te LORD, trust also in im, and e sall bring it to pass (Ps. 37:5) I resolved, aving been te cause (toug witout any design) of te second loss of te property, to offer te wole of our little store to make it good, as far as in my power, and accordingly sent for my wife to give er tis sad commission; but, alas! wen se came, I found tis sacrifice would be of no avail, for, said se, my master as been at te cottage, and I told im freely ow you ad found te note, but unfortunately ad lost it again; and I added, tat I was sure my usband and I would make te best return in our power: after wic I produced our little box and begged im to accept te contents as all we ad to offer; but, se added, tat my master angrily refused, saying tat our being in possession of all tat money was, of itself, te clearest proof of my guilt, for it was impossible, wit my large family, and no greater opportunities tan my neigbors, tat I could come onestly by suc a sum; terefore e was determined to keep me in prison till I sould pay te wole. My distress for te moment was certainly very great, but, conscious of my innocence, I soon recovered my composure, and grew confident tat we sould not trust in God in vain. And so it appened. One of my fellow-laborers proved to be te person wo ad picked up te pocket-book after I ad dropped it. aving come a few minutes after me along te same road to is work, and earing tat te suspicion ad fallen upon me, e was tempted to turn te accident to is own advantage, and conceal te property; wic, aving kept for a few weeks, till e tougt no suspicion would rest upon im, e offered te note for cange, and being ten suspected, was taken up, and I was released. Te sudden cange from so muc misery to appiness was almost too muc for us. It was te Lord s doing, and it was wonderful in our eyes. My master sent for me, and wit many expressions of concern for wat ad passed, made me give im an account of te means by wic I ad collected te little fund tat fixed is suspicion upon me. I accordingly related te istory of it as I ave now done; and wen I came to tat part were I cecked my cildren for teir inconsiderate joy on my finding te note, e rose wit muc kindness in is looks, and putting te bank-note into my and, e said, Take it, te note sall be teirs; it is te best and only return I can make you, as well as a just reward for your onesty; and it will be a substantial proof to your cildren of te goodness of your instructions, for tey will tus early see and feel te benefit of onesty and virtue. Tis kind and worty gentleman interested imself muc in te purcase of my boat, wic in less tan a week I ad in my possession. I ave now te pleasure of being able to elp oters; for wen a ric passenger takes my ferry, as my story is well known in te neigborood, e often gives me more tan my fare, wic enables me to let te next poor person go over for alf price. My employment in tis way as become also a pleasure. I see te blessing of God on my onest and lawful industry; and wen I go ome to my family at nigt wit my little earnings, I find it a paradise of domestic enjoyment. My wife, according as our slender circumstances will permit, is always contriving ow se can make me appier at ome tan any were else. My cildren are waiting to sare a fater s smile, and tell me all teir little tales of wat as passed during te day. And my little cottage, toug poor, is always neat and clean, and te abitation of peace. Vice and extravagance, sir, are te fruitful parents of misery, but godliness, as te Scripture says, is profitable unto all tings, aving promise of te life tat now is, and of tat wic is to come (I Tim. 4:8). Te gentleman was extremely pleased wit te waterman s story, and was very desirous of knowing wat became of te unfortunate fellow-laborer wo ad so dreadfully gone aside from te principles of onesty. e learned tat e was, after a sort imprisonment, set at liberty at te earnest request of te onest waterman; tat te tougt of wat e ad done, togeter wit te generosity and religious conduct of te waterman, ad so strong an effect on im, tat e afterward ad tis written on is cottage door, Do as you would be done unto. And in dependence on Divine aid, e as resolved to follow tis rule imself in future, and to impress it wit care upon is cildren. Surely, ten, tose wo ave lived long, and seen muc of life, and enjoyed te advantages of religious instruction, sould never depart from tis simple and certain rule. It is te sum of te second table of te law; and te man wo does not act under its influence, sows too plainly tat e as never been canged by te renewing of is mind ; for te oly Scriptures teac us, very clearly, tat man is, by nature, dead in trespasses and sins (Ep. 2:1); but wen e becomes a new man, and is created in Crist Jesus unto good works (Ep. 2:10), te dispositions and affections of is mind are quite altered; is practice is reformed; and is devout, regular, and onest conduct are te most certain evidences wic we can ave tat e is a true Cristian.

12 Page 12 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. 1. Could you please explain Psalm 66:18, If I regard iniquity in my eart, te Lord will not ear me? -Indiana Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV If we ave unrepented sin in our lives, we fall into te category of regarding iniquity or esteeming sin as valuable. Sound ars? Well, wat are we doing wit tat sin in our lives? Wy are we keeping it, unless it is because we want to we value it too muc to repent of it, and discontinue it. Te Bible is very clear tat God ates sin and does not regard iniquity. Tou art of purer eyes tan to beold evil, and canst not look on iniquity (ab. 1:13). Sela! Tink about it! In fact, if we carry tis tougt to its ultimate conclusion, we will reac ell. God will eventually (in is time) trust every unclean ting into an eternal separation from is oly person. But te fearful, and unbelieving, and te abominable, and murderers, and woremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, sall ave teir part in te lake wic burnet wit fire and brimstone: wic is te second deat (Rev. 21:8). Te only way tat any of us, as cildren of God can attain unto is oly presence is for ALL of our iniquity to be purged, atoned, and reconciled unto te perfection of is oly Son, Jesus Crist. Do you know te ONLY time tat Crist Jesus experienced our text verse? te LORD will not ear me? Yes, it was tere at Calvary, during tose tree ours of darkness, wen e at made im to be sin for us, wo knew no sin; tat we migt be made te rigteousness of God in im (II Cor. 5:21). Listen to te words of our Innocent Substitute, as te eavens became as brass to im and te oly communion of te Fater was ijacked because of is assumption of te sins of is people. Now from te sixt our tere was darkness over all te land unto te nint our. And about te nint our Jesus cried wit a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabactani? tat is to say, My God, my God, wy ast tou forsaken me (Matt. 27:45-46). Forsaken for tose infinite tree ours of darkness! Crist regarded te iniquity of my eart as a culpable debt tat could only be paid by te deat/ ell/separation of is spirit from te triune godead. And our text verse is fulfilled by tis word forsaken. Ecoing trougout eternity are te words te Lord will not ear me. Sela! ow awful to tink about! But our oly God as prerequisites for communion and acceptable prayers. ow can we consider ourselves worty of answered prayers? Maybe we ave not considered wat a patronizing act it is for God to answer any uman being s prayer? Wy sould God answer Adam s prayer after Adam rebelled against te Creator s autority? Wy sould God ear te groanings of a people given to idolatry and umanism (Ex.2:24)? Wat kind of religion would obligate a sovereign God to offer pardon and mercy to tose seeking teir own profit (Rom. 3:10-18)? God s love is first of all reserved for rigteousness and oliness. If we reject tose premises, wat basis can we ave a conversation, muc less communion or a relationsip, wit im? 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 (Prov. 1:28-30). God will not ear us, until we come to im te rigt way. Sela! Tink about it! Wo sall ascend into te ill of te LORD? or wo sall stand in is oly place? e tat at clean ands, and a pure eart; wo at not lifted up is soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. e sall receive te blessing from te LORD, and rigteousness from te God of is salvation (Ps. 24:3-5). 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 (Ps. 145:18-19). If we regard or esteem sin, ow can (not just will) te Lord ear us? Repent, beloved reader. Repent of tose regarded sins in our earts. If we confess our sins, e is faitful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrigteousness (I Jon 1:9). Tat is a prayer tat e will ear. Te eyes of te LORD are upon te rigteous, and is ears are open unto teir cry. Te face of te LORD is against tem tat do evil, to cut off te remembrance of tem from te eart. Te rigteous cry, and te LORD earet, and deliveret tem out of all teir troubles. Te LORD is nig unto tem tat are of a broken eart; and savet suc as be of a contrite spirit (Ps. 34:15-18). Sela! Let our earts be contrite! MATTEW STEPP Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio Iniquity defined: 1) gross injustice or wickedness. 2) A violation of rigt or duty; wicked act; sin. Te literal translation is lawlessness, wic of course is sin. We are rigt wit God wen tere is a repentant eart, and God answers our prayers. We sould especially tell tose tat fear God wat e at done for our souls, and ow e as eard and answered our prayers, inviting tem to join us in prayer and praise; tis will be to our mutual comfort, and to te glory of God. We cannot sare tese spiritual privileges if we retain te love of iniquity (sin) in our earts, toug we refrain from te gross practice. If one wo professes godliness regards iniquity as a man regards a welcome visitor; if e gladly admits it in te tougts and of is eart, taking pleasure in it, and is reluctant to part wit it, it is ypocrisy; te Lord ears not te prayers of te wicked. Te LORD is far from te wicked: but e earet te prayer of te rigteous (Prov. 15:29). Toug it be but a eart-sin tat is tus tolerated and made muc of, if we deligt in it after (Continued on page 14)

13 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page Te early curc met in members ouses and outdoors, so, wen did curces start meeting in curc buildings? -Mississippi Te Berea Baptist Banner Forum Submit your questions on any Bible topic. Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O It is true tat te early curces often met in members omes as was te case of te curc tat met in te ome of Priscilla and Aquila (I Cor. 16:19). It appears tat te curc of Tyatira met in te ouse of te newly converted Lydia (Acts 16:13-15). Te curc at Jerusalem assembled in te Outer Court of te Temple (Acts 2:46-47; 5:20, 21, 25, 42). Peter preaced is famous sermon on te Day of Pentecost in te Temple precincts and 3000 souls were saved and added to te curc of Jerusalem, wic was already in existence. Paul often ministered and taugt in te various synagogues were local curces gatered for worsip (Acts 17:1-4; 19:8-10). Because Cristianity was so reviled by te eaten world, it was difficult for believers to meet in public for worsip witout molestation or persecution. Tey would often assemble in secluded places in te woods, in caves, and catacombs. It was also very difficult for Cristians to obtain public property wit a clear deed of purcase. istorians agree tat te first public building set aside for Cristian worsip were believers assembled was used between 233 and 256 AD. As Cristianity became more accepted by te pagan world, public buildings set aside for believers to worsip in became more commonplace. As te Catolic Curc became more and more centralized and wealtier, teir buildings were built larger and more ornate. Te Lord s true curces tat never identified wit te Roman curc continued to meet in omes, open spaces, woods, caves, etc. Teir assemblies were often small and poor. Tey were often persecuted by eaten autorities, te Roman Catolic Curc, and later Protestant curces tat came from te unoly womb of te Moter of arlots. As Baptists grew in influence and numbers tey began to build meeting ouses to worsip in. Tey were usually small and modest buildings tat were functional rater tan expensive and ornate. Generally speaking, Baptists troug te centuries ave empasized te work of missions in communities of all sizes. In cities wit large populations Baptists began to build larger buildings to accommodate larger membersips. In smaller communities, modest buildings were built according to te size of te congregation. I ave never advocated te idea of curces going into massive debt to build large and ornate buildings tat are only used on Sundays and Wednesdays. Some may call me a little tinker and a big stinker, but I would rater ave a modest, functional building tat is debt free tan one tat requires uge montly payments over several years. Debt places a uge burden on congregations and often becomes te main focus of te ministry. Te size, cost, and design of a building is of very little consequence in te grand sceme of tings. Far more important is te saved congregation of baptized believers wo meet togeter to worsip te Lord and to carry out te Great Commission. I tank God for te modest building tat ouses te congregation of te Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Curc. It is debt free, and it meets te need of our congregation. TOM ROSS Roger Reed 20 Ledgewood Dr. Mansfield, Oio Missionary of West Jefferson Missionary Baptist Mission 90 E. Main St. West Jefferson, Oio And daily in te temple, and in every ouse, tey ceased not to teac and preac Jesus Crist (Acts 5:42). I ave no idea wen curces started meeting in curc buildings. But by te above Scripture te early Cristian would still ave met in te temples for prayer and te breaking of bread. And tey, continuing daily wit one accord in te temple, and breaking bread from ouse to ouse, did eat teir meat wit gladness and singleness of eart, Praising God, and aving favour wit all te people. And te Lord added to te curc daily suc as sould be saved (Acts 2:46-47). Te only ting tat I can say after some researc is tat te early Cristians were so persecuted tat to ave an actual curc building would ave basically been suicide. If tere was a certain building tey would ave met in, ten tat would ave been easy pickings for te Roman solders. If my understanding is correct, it would not ave been well after te Dark Ages A.D., te most dark and bloody and awful time for te Cristian Baptists. Of course te Catolics would ave ad teir elaborate Catedrals! Te first one was built and finised in A. D., oter tan tat I do not know wen Baptists started meeting in buildings. Te Trail of Blood by J.M. Carrol may elp wen Cristian Baptist curc buildings were erected. It was not until te s tat Baptist persecution started to decrease. Tis is my opinion, Baptists in many ways ave become so passive, and terefore are not persecuted as tey once were. O we ave te trut, and preac it from te pulpit, and ave our little Bible Conferences, but if we really fougt like our ancestors did, we would ave a very difficult time today. Wat do you tink te mainstream media and our government would do if we really spoke out against abortion, and sodomy? We can write a book or article, but wo reads it oter tan a Baptist. Wat would tey do if tey really knew wat we believed and practiced? Not tat te question asked is not a good one. But let me put a question to you, dear reader, tat was put before me because of me being a missionary. Are we in te business of building curces or buildings? God Bless! ROGER REED (Continued on page 15)

14 Page 14 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Forum #1 (Continued from page 12) te inward man, God will not ear our prayer, will not accept it, or be pleased wit it, nor can we expect an answer of peace to it. Iniquity, regarded in te eart, will certainly spoil te comfort and success of prayer; for te sacrifice of te wicked is an abomination to te Lord. Tey tat continue in love and league wit sin, ave no interest eiter in te promise or in te Mediator, terefore cannot expect to receive an answer to teir prayer. But if te feeling of sin in te eart causes uneasiness, and desire to be rid of it; if it be te presence of an intruder, one urging a demand we know we must not, cannot comply wit, tis is an argument of sincerity. And wen we pray in simplicity and godly sincerity, our prayers will be answered. I believe God is not taken serious enoug, and people believe in an all loving God and e will bend to te will of man, but tose wo believe suc are very foolis and are infidels. I ear te same cry all te time, God would not do tat! But e did and e will continue to do so! God was so upset wit Israel tat e told Jeremia twice not to pray for tem. Terefore pray not tou for tis people, neiter lift up cry nor prayer for tem, neiter make intercession to me: for I will not ear tee (Jer. 7:16). Terefore pray not tou for tis people, neiter lift up a cry or prayer for tem: for I will not ear tem in te time tat tey cry unto me for teir trouble (Jer. 11:14). Imagine, not only would God not ear Israel s cries, but God would not even ear Jeremia if e prayed for tem. I believe tat same ting for America today. I no longer pray for America, but wat I do pray for is tat God would bring is elect people to te saving knowledge of Jesus Crist. God Bless! ROGER REED Tom Ross 6339 County Rd. 15 Sout Point, O Pastor Mt. Pleasant Baptist Curc 6939 County Rd. 15 Cesapeake, O In tis Psalm David is found exalting God and praising im for all is wondrous works. e is urging te Lord s people to acknowledge te great works of God and to onor im wit worsip tat is acceptable in teir tougts, words, deeds, and prayers. Certainly tis sould be te aim of all of God s cildren to acknowledge, onor, and praise te Almigty for wo e is and wat e as done. Psalm 66:18 sets fort a very reasonable principle in ligt of te oliness of God. We cannot expect God to ear prayers and accept worsip tat is offered wit willful iniquity and te arboring of secret sin in our earts. Part of acceptable prayer is te open, onest, and transparent confession of sin. If we would only meditate as we begin to pray ow foolis it is to tink tat we can ide any iniquity or sin from God, we would certainly be more open in our confession of sin. God already sees it and knows all about it. It is far better to follow te example of te Psalmist: Searc me, O God, and know my eart: try me, and know my tougts: And see if tere be any wicked way in me, and lead me in te way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24). If tis is our attitude and desire we can be sure tat te Lord will gladly ear our prayers. owever, if we are so proud and arrogant to assume tat we can enter into te trone of grace deceptively and disonestly we sould not expect a earing ear from te Almigty. Te Psalmist is simply acknowledging wat e knew by way of experience. Peraps e is reflecting upon te days in wic e tried to ide and cover up is sin wit Batseba. e experienced first and God s refusal to ear is prayers until e was open and onest in is confession. Psalm 32:3-7 details ow e felt: Wen I kept silence, my bones waxed old troug my roaring all te day long. For day and nigt ty and was eavy upon me: my moisture is turned into te drougt of summer. Sela. I acknowledged my sin unto tee, and mine iniquity ave I not id. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto te LORD; and tou forgavest te iniquity of my sin. Sela. For tis sall every one tat is godly pray unto tee in a time wen tou mayest be found: surely in te floods of great waters tey sall not come nig unto im. Tou art my iding place; tou sall preserve me from trouble; tou salt compass me about wit songs of deliverance. Sela. Tis verse does not imply tat tere are certain tings wic God cannot ear. is Omniscience demands tat e sees, ears, and knows all tings at once. Proverbs 15:3 states: Te eyes of te LORD are in every place, beolding te evil and te good. Neiter is tere any creature tat is not manifest in is sigt: but all tings are naked and opened unto te eyes of im wit wom we ave to do (eb. 4:13). Rater, te idea is tat God will not receive or act upon prayers tat are offered by tose willfully arboring iniquity and secret sin in teir earts. Te Propet Isaia offered a similar admonition: Beold, te LORD S and is not sortened, tat it cannot save; neiter is ear eavy, tat it cannot ear: But your iniquities ave separated between you and your God, and your sins ave id is face from you, tat e will not ear. For your ands are defused wit blood, and your fingers wit iniquity; your lips ave spoken lies, your tongue at muttered perverseness (Isa. 59:1-3). Jeremia 5:25 declares: Your iniquities ave turned away tese tings, and your sins ave witolden good tings from you. Jesus taugt te same principle in Mattew 5:23-24: Terefore if tou bring ty gift to te altar, and tere rememberest tat ty broter at ougt against tee; Leave tere ty gift before te altar, and go ty way; first be reconciled to ty broter, and ten come and offer ty gift. James also indicated tat prayers offered amiss would be rejected: Ye lust, and ave not: ye kill, and desire to ave, and cannot obtain: ye figt and war, yet ye ave not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, tat ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:2-3). In ligt of all tese scriptural admonitions and warnings regarding ow prayer is to be offered, ow solemn sould be our reflections upon tis sacred exercise! May God elp us to enter into te secret place of te Most ig (Continued on page 15)

15 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 15 Forum #1 (Continued from page 14) wit reverence and godly fear. O, tat we would understand te awful defilements of our carnal nature by confessing and forsaking our sins as we enter into te most oly place. May we also meditate deeply upon te sovereign grace of God tat as lifted us out of te miry pit and as enabled us to enter into eavenly places! May we learn to deligt and rejoice in is presence as we speak to im wit an onest, open, worsipful eart! I love te comment on Psalm 66:18 offered by C.. Spurgeon: If I regard iniquity in my eart If, aving seen it to be tere, I continue to gaze upon it witout aversion; If I ceris it, ave a side glance of love toward it, excuse it, and palliate it; Te LORD will not ear me. ow can e? Can I desire im to connive at my sin, and accept me wile I willfully cling to any evil way? Noting inders prayer like iniquity arbored in te breast: as wit Cain, so wit us, sin liet at te door, and blocks te passage. If tou listen to te devil, God will not listen to tee. If tou refusest to ear God s commands e will surely refuse to ear ty prayers. An imperfect petition God will ear for Crist s sake, but not one wic is willfully mis-written by a traitor s and. For God to accept our devotions, wile we are deligting in sin, would be to make imself te God of ypocrites, wic is a fitter name for Satan tan for te oly One of Israel (Te Treasury of David, Volume 2, page 114). TOM ROSS Forum #2 (Continued from page 14) Mattew Stepp 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Pastor Big Creek Baptist Curc 286 Big Creek Road Wayne, WV Te simplest definition of a Baptist curc is found in te Greek word tat Jesus Crist cose to use in Mattew 16:18, upon tis rock I will build my curc; and te gates of ell sall not prevail against it. Ekklesia, transliterated ere as curc in our Englis Bible, means a local, visible, called-out assembly. William Tyndale translated it primarily as congregation, as tose tat are called-out to worsip and conduct business under te direct autority of te ead of tis spiritual body, Jesus Crist. Sela! Tink about it! Weter it be a private ome, or a public sanctuary, te curc is NOT te building, but rater te people officially gatering togeter in obedience to God s command to worsip im. Not forsaking te assembling of ourselves togeter, as te manner of some is; but exorting one anoter: and so muc te more, as ye see te day approacing (eb. 10:25). So, after te curc/congregation departs, te empty living room, or sanctified collection of pews no longer maintains te name curc in a very important semantic understanding. Te Big Creek Baptist Curc as left te room. Wit tat establised, wen did te curces start meeting in curc buildings? As early as Acts 3:1, Now Peter and Jon went up togeter into te temple at te our of prayer, being te nint our. ere we find members of te curc coming togeter for te purpose of prayer, at a sceduled time. Inerent is te possibility of te oter members of te curc eading to tis same location, at te same our, for te same purpose. Te temple would be a very likely curc building for te early curc to meet and worsip in. Spacious and centrally located, it was probably te most common meeting ouse for te first Baptist curc of Jerusalem. Certainly tey could scedule meetings werever tey cose; sometimes outdoors, or because of persecution, sometimes at Jon Mark s ouse (Acts 12:12). But, it seems tat commonly, tey would meet in large numbers, in te capacity of curc business at te temple. But, te purpose of God was not for mega-curces, tat typically are out of touc wit te members, so e scattered tem (by persecution) and many Baptist curces sprang up all around te Mediterranean sores and beyond. Te Corintian Baptist curc met in a public sanctuary, differentiated from te members omes, as we see in I Corintians 11:20-22, Wen ye come togeter terefore into one place, tis is not to eat te Lord s supper. For in eating every one taket before oter is own supper: and one is ungry, and anoter is drunken. Wat? ave ye not ouses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye te curc of God, and same tem tat ave not? Wat sall I say to you? sall I praise you in tis? I praise you not. Paul admonises tem to eat teir suppers at teir omes, but to soberly take te Lord s Supper at te specially dedicated and set-apart Lord s ouse/curc of God. Tis is a passage tat migt confuse many universal curc proponents, but clearly te apostle demonstrably inquires weter tey despised te curc of God, wic references bot te ekklesia/body and te sanctuary tey were congregating witin. Paul is saying, Eat your dinner at ome, and wen you get to curc, unite soberly wit tenderness toward eac oter. Te apostle s letter to Timoty also speaks of te ouse of God, differentiated etymologically from te ekklesia/curc in I Timoty 3:15, But if I tarry long, tat tou mayest know ow tou ougtest to beave tyself in te ouse of God, wic is te curc of te living God, te pillar and ground of te trut. in te ouse of God makes clear reference to te specific beavior of te saints wen congregating in a specific place. Again, it could be a member s ouse, but already te saints were copying te Lord s precedent in separating te temple from te ome, by supplying a centrally located public place of worsip, tat tey are calling te Lord s ouse. Te root word of tat coined prase is kuriakon wic developed into te German kirce, ten into te Scottis kirk and te well-known Middle Englis curce. By te time te King James Bible was translated, te word was ensconced in te language, and by common usage, no difficulty was seen in transliterating te Greek word ekklesia into te (Continued on page 16)

16 Page 16 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Worsip (Continued from page 9) Forum #2 (Continued from page 15) familiar Englis word curc. Obviously, tere is a difference between te sanctuary and te curc body, but it was tacit and known by all members wat Paul was telling Timoty about te ouse of God, wic is te curc of te living God. Te ouse is tere, but a curc is not a curc, until it assembles, and so goes te explicit promise of Crist in Mattew 18:18, 20, Watsoever ye sall bind on eart sall be bound in eaven: and watsoever ye sall loose on eart sall be loosed in eaven. For were two or tree are gatered togeter in my name, tere am I in te midst of tem. Te prase in my name is in reference to autority and a curc capacity gatering (open in te name of te law!), not any private gatering of any of God s unconnected saints. And ow I kept back noting tat was profitable unto you, but ave sewed you, and ave taugt you publickly, and from ouse to ouse (Acts 20:20). Te Epesus curc tat Paul was addressing also ad a public place to worsip, tat was contrasted wit te private instruction (Bible studies) tat te apostle was able to also offer during is extended stays wit te curc. Modern vernacular is peraps not so very modern after all. It sounds like te apostles of old would say wit David of even more ancient times: Let us go to curc. I was glad wen tey said unto me, Let us go into te ouse of te LORD (Ps. 122:1). Sela! Tink about it! MATTEW STEPP te one true God: (3) eac must ave ad previous knowledge from is parents tat God required a blood sacrifice: and (4) wile Abel imself was accepted and terefore is sacrifice was also accepted, Cain imself was not accepted and neiter was is sacrifice. Do not make te common mistake of tinking tat it was te offering of eac one tat determined eiter is acceptance or rejection. Tis was not a matter of works. Te plain teacing of Scripture is tat one was accepted (and is offering) and one was rejected (and is offering). Tis was a matter of individual, personal election on te part of a sovereign God! Wile it is true tat Abel, te elect broter, brougt te required sacrifice and tat Cain, is non-elect broter, brougt a bloodless sacrifice of is own providing, let us ever be mindful tat it is out of te eart of man tat is words and actions spring. Let us keep te orse before te cart and not vice versa. Abel brougt te proper sacrifice because God ad worked in is eart and caused im to believe te trut and to want to follow after God. Cain refused to bring te proper sacrifice because God ad left im alone and e followed is own prideful ideas. Tis is ever te case. Man is a sinful, rebellious creature wo, wen left alone, brings fort fruits according to is nature. Man sins because e is a sinner. Man seeks to worsip God in Spirit and in trut only wen God as worked a work of grace in te individual. Cain was rejected. is sin was not te sin of worsipping false gods, but is sin was te false worsip of te true and living God. At tis very early time in man s istory no false gods were yet worsipped. Te worsip of oter gods, elements of nature, spirits, etc., tat as come down to us today ad its origin wit a man named Nimrod wo lived muc later tan Cain and Abel. Nimrod is mentioned in Genesis 10:8-10. By te way, te same tings tat were involved in Nimrod s worsip are involved in te worsip of false gods today, suc as te worsip of a woman wo ad a miracle baby, an evergreen tree, eggs as a fertility symbol, a woman riding on te back of a turtle, etc. Many very religious people of our own day are guilty of te false worsip of te true God. Tese are sometimes good folk wo ave ad no personal encounter wit te Son of God. Teir pitiful attempt at religion is dead and dry, boring and uninteresting. Because tey ave only experienced false worsip, many of tese so-called Cristians find mowing te lawn, sleeping late, or indulging in some oter self gratifying activity of more importance tan obeying God and being faitful to te meetings of a true Curc. Or peraps watcing some fake money-grabbing preacer on TV is better suited to teir taste for fles tickling entertainment tan going to te meeting ouse of te Lord s Curc to ear te Word of God preaced and to worsip te true and living God. Te Bible foretold suc tings in II Timoty capter 3 were it is stated,...tat in te last days... men would be...aving a form of godliness, but denying te power tereof... Te outward form is present at many religious gaterings - in fact it seems tat te farter men are from God and te trut te more attention tey pay to outward forms, rites and rituals. ow sad it is tat te vital, living, powerful working of God in is people troug te oly Spirit is sadly and noticeably absent from suc religious gaterings. Suc is te false worsip of te true God. Some today are not guilty of te false worsip of te true God, but are guilty of te worsip of false Gods. Te Bible says tat covetousness (te desire for tings belonging to anoter person) is idolatry (Col. 3:5). Many persons of affluence and many wo would like to be ric fall into te sin of worsipping money and tings - wat te Bible calls mammon (Matt. 6:24). Similarly, to worsip and onour spirits, wind, water, te sun, te moon, moter Eart, animals and elements of nature, etc., and to pray to tese created tings rater tan worsipping te Creator is worsip of false gods. God ates suc idolatry and tose wo do not repent of suc false notions and actions will suffer te terrible torments of eternal fire (I Cor. 6:9; Rev. 21:8). King David wrote in Psalm 135:5, For I know tat te LORD is great, and tat our Lord is above all gods. God alone is to be worsipped. e seeks worsippers wo will worsip im in Spirit and in trut (Jon 4:23-24). Any worsip aving its beginnings oter tan in te sacrifice God imself provided is false worsip regardless of were and wen it began. Suc worsip of false gods may display power and cause many to fear, but te power of suc is not te power of God. Turn from all worsip tat is not worsip of te Ancient of Days. Worsip oter tan te truly ancient worsip of God is an invention of man and is condemned by God. Repent of all te inventions of men and return to te Ancient Worsip of God Wo as revealed imself to mankind from te beginning of man s istory. Seek salvation in te Lord Jesus Crist Wo said,...i am te way, te trut, and te life: no man comet unto te Fater, but by me (Jon 14:6).

17 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 17 From te Pen of a Country Preacer Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) Te Virgin Birt It is te universal belief of te Cristian curc tat Jesus Crist was born witout a uman fater, being conceived supernaturally by te oly Spirit in te womb of te virgin Mary. Te curces ave believed tis because te Son of God was so conceived and so born. Religious infidels in multitudes of teological scools deny tis doctrine, but God s Word, settled for ever in eaven, is still true. And wence is tis to me, tat te moter of my Lord sould come to me (Luke 1:43)? Tree false doctrines ave grown out of te Biblical teacing about te virgin birt of Jesus Crist. I want to briefly discuss tese. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION Roman Catolic dogma olds te soul of te virgin Mary was conceived free of original sin by divine grace. On December 8, tey observe a festival in commemoration of te supposed immaculate conception. If immaculate conception is a Bible doctrine, ten te regeneration of te uman race began wit Mary instead of Crist. Tis is Catolic foolisness and pure uman tradition. It is in direct conflict wit te teacings of God s Word. Mary erself testified tat se was a sinner and rejoiced to know tat Crist was er Savior. Se declared: And my spirit at rejoiced in God my Saviour (Luke 1:47). If se needed a Savior, ten se was a sinner like all oter women wo ever lived. er own statement proves se never dreamed of er immaculate conception, or even er immaculate life. MARY NOT MOTER OF GOD Te same people wo teac immaculate conception also speak often of Mary as te moter of God. Mary was te moter of te Lord only in te sense se gave birt to im. But Mary, a mere mortal, was not in te absolute sense te moter of God. Te eternal God as no moter. Suc dogma is an insult to te Divine Being. If Crist s umanity came from is moter, ten it would ave been sinful. Te cells of Crist s body came from te sinless oly Spirit. And te angel answered and said unto er, Te oly Gost sall come upon tee, and te power of te igest sall oversadow tee, terefore also tat oly ting wic sall be born of tee sall be called te Son of God (Luke 1:35). Te body of Jesus was created by te energy of te Godead conveyed by te oly Spirit. Tis extraordinary life of wic Mary was to be te moter was produced by te direct agency of God. God prepared im a body by direct creation wic was pure and oly (eb. 10:5). Suc a body was necessary to is work of redemption. MARY S PERPETUAL VIRGINITY Tere are some wo content tat Mary and Josep did not coabit after te birt of Crist. If tey did not do tis, ten tey violated te law of Moses (Ex. 21:10) and te teacing of te New Testament (I Cor. 7:2-5). Tis would be igly unusual and very doubtful. It is only logical to assume tat after te birt of Crist, Mary and Josep did coabit. Mattew seems to indicate tat tey did. e says of Josep: And knew er not till se ad brougt fort er firstborn son: and e called is name JESUS (Matt. 1:25). Te natural suggestion of te language implies tat Mary afterward bore oter cildren. Te term, firstborn son is applied to Crist in Luke 2:7, indicating Mary and Josep ad oter sons. Te overwelming probability is tat tey did onor te institution of marriage as oter Jewis couples did in tose days. Tere is noting in tis tat disonors Crist. Mattew 13:55-56 seems to forever settle tis question. is enemies asked: Is not tis te carpenter s son? is not is moter called Mary? and is bretren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And is sisters, are tey not all wit us? Te plain style used by Mattew can mean noting less tan tese were te sons and daugters of Josep and Mary after te birt of Crist. GENESIS 3:15 Te very first promise of a Savior implied is virgin birt. In Genesis 3:15 e is called te Seed of te woman, not te seed of man and woman. All te sons of Adam are te seed of te man and woman, but te great Deliverer came only troug te woman. Jeremia seems to bring tis trut to ligt also. By inspiration e wrote: For te LORD at created a new ting in te eart, A woman sall compass a man (Jer. 31:22). Te Apostle Paul likewise lays stress upon tis wen e said tat Crist was made of a woman (Gal. 4:4). Te apostle makes no reference to a man being involved in Crist s conception. ISAIA 7:14 Te most important passage on te virgin birt of Crist in te Old Testament is found in Isaia 7:14. Te propet told Aaz to ask for a sign from te Lord in order to confirm te word te propet ad spoken. Fearful to ask for a sign lest it sould not come to pass, Aaz refused tis sign. Isaia ten addressed te ouse of David and gave tem a sign of suc a caracter tat men would believe it impossible to come to pass. Terefore te LORD imself sall give you a sign; Beold, a virgin sall conceive, and bear a son, and sall call is name Immanuel (Isa. 7:14). Only unbelief would try to nullify te force of tis passage by reading in te place of virgin a young woman. Te meaning is easily ascertained: An unmarried virgin would become a moter and bring fort a cild named God wit us. Virgin is a translation of te ebrew word alma. Tis is one of te words translated virgin in te Old Testament. Te oter word is betula. Alma is found 7 times in te ebrew Old Testament. It is translated 4 times virgin (Gen. 24:43; Songs of Solomon 1:3; 6:8; Isa. 7:14), 2 times maid (Ex. 2:8; Prov. 30:19), and 1 time damsel (Ps. 68:25). Betula is applied in Joel 1:8 to a young wife, but alma is never applied in tis manner. It is true tat alma can be (Continued on page 18)

18 Page 18 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Te Virgin Birt (Continued from page 17) translated maiden or girl. Alma is te word wic describes a potential bride (Gen. 24:43) or an unmarried girl (Ex. 2:8). It certainly does presume a state of virginity and is a term outgrown at marriage. It comes from te root, to lie id. Te virgins in te East were closely kept from men s gazes in teir parents custody; ence, it must be used of a pure virgin. Every unmarried girl is presumed to be a virgin, unless evidence proves oterwise. Te translators of te Septuagint rendered alma in Isaia 7:14 by te Greek word wic can mean only an unmarried virgin. Te context of Isaia 7:14 demands te word to be virgin. Tere is a special sign spoken of in it given by Jeova imself. Te birt of a cild by ordinary means is not a sign. But te birt of a cild by a virgin called God wit us would certainly be a great sign to te ouse of David. Te propet speaks of tis virgin born cild again in capter 9:6-7: For unto us a cild is born, unto us a son is given: and te government sall be upon is soulder: and is name sall be called Wonderful, Counseller, Te migty God, Te everlasting Fater. Te Prince of Peace. Of te increase of is government and peace tere sall be no end, upon te trone of David, and upon is kingdom, to order it, and to establis it wit judgment and wit justice from encefort even for ever. Te zeal of te LORD of osts will perform tis. MATTEW 1:23 Mattew by divine inspiration quotes Isaia 7:14 in te New Testament: Now all tis was done, tat it migt be fulfilled wic was spoken of te Lord by te propet, saying, Beold, a virgin sall bring fort a son, and tey sall call is name Emmanuel wic being interpreted is, God wit us (Matt. 1:22-23). In te Greek it reads te virgin, referring to te very one mentioned by Isaia. Virgin in Mattew 1:23 is te Greek word partenes. It is found 14 times in te Greek New Testament, and it is always translated virgin in te King James version. Te term means unspotted virginity as can be seen from its use in Revelation 14:4: Tese are tey wic were not defiled wit women; for tey are virgins. Paul described te curc as a caste virgin (II Cor. 11:2). OTER PROOF One must eiter impeac te integrity of Josep and Mary or doubt te Divine cronicle of Mattew and Luke, if e rejects te virgin birt. Only a person possessed wit te spirit of Anticrist would dare to do eiter. Mattew distinctly removes all possibility of Josep being te uman fater. e wrote: Now te birt of Jesus Crist was on tis wise: Wen as is moter Mary was espoused to Josep, before tey came togeter, se was found wit cild of te oly Gost (Matt. 1:18). e adds tat Josep knew er not till se ad brougt fort er firstborn son (Matt. 1:25). Luke describes Mary as a virgin (Luke 1:27). Mary was troubled about te angel s announcement concerning te birt of Jesus simply because se was a pure virgin (Luke 1:28-33). Ten said Mary unto te angel, ow sall tis be, seeing I know not a man? (Luke 1:34). Te angel calmed er questions by telling er it would all take place by te direct operation of te oly Spirit (Luke 1:35). Mary was not a poor little Jewis girl wo lived too near a camp of German soldiers as religious liberals claim. Josep was te only man in er life. Se was no fornicator. Instead se was one of te most godly women wo ever lived in tis world; oterwise, se would not ave been cosen to be te moter of Jesus Crist. TE PURPOSE OF IT First, Crist must be born of a virgin to fulfill Old Testament propecy. It was predicted tat e would be te Seed of te woman (Gen. 3:15). Isaia foretold e would ave a virgin birt (Isa. 7:14). In Mattew 1:23 we ave recorded te fulfillment of tese two Old Testament propecies. Second, Crist must be born of a virgin to be entitled to David s trone. It may ave seemed to some tat Jeremia set up a bar to prevent Crist from being entitled to te crown rigts to David s trone. Te propet wrote: Is tis man Conia a despised broken idol? is e a vessel werein is no pleasure? werefore are tey cast out, e and is seed, and are cast into a land wic tey know not? O eart, eart, eart, ear te word of te LORD. Tus sait te LORD, Write ye tis man cildless, a man tat sall not prosper in is days: for no man of is seed sall prosper, sitting upon te trone of David, and ruling any more in Juda ( Jer. 22:28-30). Mattew s genealogy sows te title to David s trone must descend troug te line of Jeconia (Conia is te ebrew spelling of te Greek word Jeconias). Te crown rigts descended troug te Fater, not te moter. Tis meant te Messia must be te son of David witout being te seed of Jeconia. Josep was a son of Jeconia (Matt. 1:1, 11-12, 16). ow can Crist establis is rigt to te Davidic trone and yet not do arm to Jeremia s propecy? Te answer is found in te virgin birt wic made Crist te legal son of Josep witout is being te seed of Jeconia (Luke 2:4). Tird, Crist must ave been born of a virgin to ave been our Savior. All te natural seed of Adam inerited Adam s guilt and sin. For as by one man s disobedience many were made sinners (Rom. 5:19). In order for man to be redeemed, One must come into our race not descended by natural generation from Adam. Paul seems to bring tis out in writing to te Corintians: And so it is written, Te first man Adam was made a living soul; te last Adam was made a quickening spirit. owbeit tat was not first wic is spiritual, but tat wic is natural; and afterward tat wic is spiritual. Te first man is of te eart, earty: te second man is te Lord from eaven (I Cor. 15:45-47). Crist condemned sin in is sinless uman fles (Rom. 8:3). e could not ave done tis except by is virgin birt by wic e escaped te taint of sin common to our race. Jesus Crist frequently went up to te temple, but e never offered sacrifice. e prayed on te cross: Fater, forgive tem (Luke 23:34), but e never prayed: Fater, forgive me. Our Lord told Nicodemus tat e needed to be born again, but e imself ad no suc need. Jesus Crist never personally experienced sin in is uman body, soul, or spirit. (Continued on page 19)

19 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 19 Te Virgin Birt (Continued from page 18) Te Messia ad a uman nature, yet e was witout original sin or any personal acts of disobedience. Te Scriptures give no uncertain sound on tis subject. Te Savior said: Te prince of tis world comet, and at noting in me (Jon 14:30). e could call upon is critics and ask: Wic of you convincet me of sin? (Jon 8:46). is critics could only stand in utter silence. Te Apostle Paul wrote of Crist: Wo knew no sin (II Cor. 5:21). Te writer to te ebrews tells us tat Jesus Crist was in all points tempted like as we are, yet witout sin (eb. 4:15). By is virgin birt our Savior is oly, armless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made iger tan te eavens (eb. 7:26). Te entire life of Crist on eart was witout spot (eb. 9:14). Simon Peter declares tat our Lord was a lamb witout blemis and witout spot (I Pet. 1:19). e later in is first epistle wrote: Wo did no sin, neiter was guile found in is mout (I Pet. 2:22). CONCLUSION iger critics and religious liberals ave gone to great lengts to deny te virgin birt of Jesus Crist. Te late arry Emerson Fosdick ( ) said tat e did not believe in te virgin birt or in tat old-fasioned doctrine of te atonement and I do not know of any intelligent person wo does (Cited by R. T. Ketcam in Te Answer, pp ). Nels F. S. Ferre publised tis statement as to is views on te birt of Crist: Mary, we remember, was found pregnant before er engagement to mild Josep. Nazaret was ard by a Roman garrison were te soldiers were German mercenaries. Jesus is also reported trougout a continuous part of te istory of art, it is claimed, to ave been blond. Tis is supposedly unnatural for te Mediterranean countries were tis same tradition started and was continued. ence Jesus must ave been te cild of a German soldier! After all, te claim develops, suc is te experience of many girls near military camps (Te Cristian Understanding of God, p. 191). Suc rank statements of religious infidelity stink to ig eaven! Tese remarks could come only from wat te world calls today Cristian ateists. To deny te virgin birt of Crist is to say a sinful unmarried pair gave life to te purest uman being wo ever lived in te world. It is to declare tat te man Crist Jesus, Wo forgave te sins of oters, never knew te same of is own origin. Suc ideas are utterly repulsive to any onest believer in te oly Scriptures. If we cannot believe wat te Bible says about te virgin birt, ten we cannot believe anyting wic it says. If Crist was not born of te virgin Mary, ten te Bible is a forgery and all Cristians are te biggest fools tis side of ell. We ave no Savior and are yet in our sins. One cannot be saved unless e believes te Biblical record about te virgin birt of te Messia. e tat believet not God at made im a liar; because e believet not te record tat God gave of is Son (I Jon 5:10). All rejecters of tis doctrine will suffer eternal torment. 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 Museum of te Bible Visitors Top alf a Million in First Six Monts (C)---Te Museum of te Bible, te newest tourist attraction near te National Mall, as drawn 565,000 visitors since it opened. We are pleased tat more tan alf a million people ave walked troug te iconic Gutenberg Gates since last November to experience te largest museum dedicated to te Bible, said Museum of te Bible President Cary Summers. By comparison, oter museums ave ad a smaller draw in teir first alf-year. More tan 1,700 groups ave visited te ig-tec Museum of te Bible. Officials said visitors travel an average of 260 miles to te 430,000-squarefoot museum. Massacusetts Voters May Repeal Transgender Batroom Bill (C)---Transgender rigts laws ave been controversial across te country, but one of te nation s most liberal states (Massacusetts) could become te first to overturn suc protections tis fall. A referendum tat would repeal te 2016 state law likely will appear on te ballot in November. Te law allows men and women to use te restroom or locker room tat corresponds to teir gender identity. In oter words, men wo identity as women are allowed to use te women s restroom. Supreme Court May Take on Case of Florist Wo Refused to Serve Gay Wedding (C)---Te Supreme Court may take on a case tis week about weter artists can be forced to provide services for same-sex weddings. Justices meet for a private case to discuss anoter case involving te rigts of artists to provide services based on teir religious beliefs. Tis case involves a dispute between Arlene s Flowers, its owner Barronelle Stutzman, and a gay couple, Robert Ingersoll and Curt Freed. Te Wasington Supreme Court ruled tat Stutzman violated te state civil rigts law wen se refused to make floral arrangements for Ingersoll and Freed s wedding in Stutzman appealed te ruling to te U.S. Supreme Court and in July America is a Cristian Nation Billboard Forced Down as too Divisive (C)---Te pastor of First Baptist Curc in Dallas says billboards is congregation sponsored calling America a Cristian nation were taken down because te company called tem too divisive. Te removal also took place after te city s mayor and newspaper criticized tem. We were told by te billboard company tat te message was divisive. It sould greatly concern people of any fait wen tose in te press or government proactively seek to defeat, censor or silence any religious message wit wic tey disagree, e said. In te end, anoter billboard company stepped up and agreed to carry te curc s message. Supreme Court Cake (Continued on page 20)

20 Page 20 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 19) Decision Aligns wit Most Americans (C)---Te Supreme Court ruling (7-2) is tat Jack Pillips will not be forced, against is conscience, to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. Some ave argued tat te Cristian baker was only iding is innate anti-gay bigotry beind a religious facade. But a majority of te American people do not see it tat way. Wen asked weter it sould be up to te federal government to determine wat constitutes legitimate religious beliefs, only 11 percent agreed and a massive 79 percent disagreed. Tis is were te Supreme Court came down ardest on te Colorado Civil Rigts Commission, for attacking Jack Pillips s religious beliefs as illegitimate. Dr. Frank Wrigt said Tus, te figt for religious liberty continues. Today s decision is a victory, to be sure but a very limited one. Te fact tat we must wait for future Supreme Court decisions to declare tat te First Amendment is still in effect sows tat our judicial system is out of control. Cristian Teacer Forced Out for Not Following ig Scool Transgender Policy (C)---A Cristian ig scool teacer in Indiana says e was forced out because e refused to follow a new policy tat requires transgender students be called by teir preferred name. Scool administrators ad been allowing teacers to refer to transgender students by teir last name. But in February, tat policy was rescinded. Tey told me to start using te transgender students opposite-sex names and if I was not willing to do tat I would be terminated by May 1st. Te oter option tey gave me was to resign so I could get paid over te summer. Democrats Oppose U.S. Abortion Laws, Gallup Poll Sows (C)---A recent Gallup poll found tat wile 60 percent of Americans back legal abortion in te first trimester, support plummets to 28 percent in te second trimester and 13 percent in te tird trimester. Even among Democrats, wose party supports legalized abortion, support for legal abortion in te second trimester is only 46 percent and in te tird trimester 18 percent. Furter, only 45 percent of Americans support legal abortion for any reason in te first trimester. Town Says Yes to Museums and Libraries, But No to Curces (C)---A Nort Carolina curc filed a federal lawsuit Monday against te town of Monroe after it prevented te congregation from meeting in a building tat previously was used by anoter curc and tat as been zoned for use only by museums and libraries and oter nonprofits. Te lawsuit states tat te town as treated te Curc on less tan equal terms wit similarlysituated nonreligious assemblies and institutions, substantially burdened te Curc s free exercise of religion, and infringed on te Curc s rigts to free speec, peaceable assembly, and equal protection. Te suit notes tat te curc is proibited from meeting in te building even toug te ordinance allows te building to be used for education, training, or resources of a public, nonprofit, or caritable nature. NYC May Allow A 3rd Gender on Birt Certificates (C)---A new proposal supported by te mayor and city council speaker would allow people wo were born in New York City to select a tird gender known as X on teir birt certificate. Already, parents of newborns wo don t want a gender on teir cild s birt certificate can place asterisks in te gender category until te cild is old enoug to coose a gender. Newborns wose parents don t want to enter a gender would continue under te current system of being documented wit four asterisks as a placeolder until teir kids are old enoug to coose for temselves. Tree states (California, Wasington and Oregon) allow people to coose a tird gender on teir birt certificates. Record Support for Gay Relations and Polygamy; Plurality Still Oppose Abortion (C)---A recent Gallup poll sowed a record percentage of Americans believe tat gay and lesbian relations, pornograpy and polygamy are morally acceptable, altoug a plurality believe tat abortion is morally wrong. A record 67 percent of American adults believe tat gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable, an increase from last year s ig of 63 percent. On oter issues, 76 percent say divorce is morally acceptable versus 73 percent in 2017; 43 percent say pornograpy is morally acceptable versus 36 percent in 2017; 19 percent say polygamy is morally acceptable versus 17 percent in Te seven-point jump in te acceptance of pornograpy was driven by unmarried people, Gallup s Andrew Dugan wrote. Tis year, te percentage of nonmarried individuals wo find pornograpy morally acceptable rose 15 points to 50%, e wrote. Acceptance of pornograpy among married individuals, at 35% tis year, is essentially no different from last year s 37%. Meanwile, 67% of men aged 18 to 49 tis year say pornograpy is morally acceptable, a 14-point increase from last year. Oldest Manuscript of Gospel of Mark Discovered (C)---An ancient and mucdebated fragment of te Gospel of Mark as been dated to te late second to early tird century A.D., making it te oldest fragment of Mark ever found. Te Egypt Exploration Society made te announcement about te fragment on May 24. After rigorous comparison wit oter objectively dated texts, te and of tis papyrus is now assigned to te late second to early tird century AD. Te two sides of te papyrus eac preserve brief traces of a passage from Mark, te society said. It was found around 1903 along wit many oter ancient documents. Judge Temporarily Blocks Iowa s Fetal eartbeat Law (C)---A judge temporarily blocked Iowa s newest abortion restrictions from going into effect until a lawsuit callenging te law s constitutionality can be resolved. Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed te law on May 4t. It banned abortions after doctors detect a eartbeat, wic usually appens around te sixt week of pregnancy. Te fetal eartbeat law, wic gave Iowa te strongest pro-life legislation in te country, was sceduled to go into effect on July 1st. Reynolds said se signed te law to protect uman life. If deat is determined wen a eart stops beating, ten doesn t a beating eart indicate life? For me, it is immoral to stop an innocent beating eart. Te law s critics believe it is unconstitutional and overly restrictive, arguing tat te law restricts abortions to a period of time in wic some women may not even know tey are pregnant. Televangelist Needs New $54 Million Jet (C)---Televangelist Jesse Duplantis is under scrutiny for asking donors to pay for a new multi-milliondollar jet e says e needs to spread God s Word. e said e feels led by God to purcase a Falcon 7X at a cost of $54 million to replace is current jet. You know I ve owned tree different (Continued on page 21)

21 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 21 Bible & te Newspaper (Continued from page 20) jets in my life and used tem and just burning tem up for te Lord Jesus Crist, e said. Daniel Akin, president of Souteastern Baptist Teological Seminary, criticized te plan. You cannot make tis insanity up. Tis is wy te prosperity gospel is no gospel. It is eresy plain and simple. Pope Francis Reportedly Told Gay Man: God Made You Like Tis (C)---Juan Carlos Cruz said tat te Pope told im regarding is identity as a gay man, You know Juan Carlos, tat does not matter. God made you like tis. God loves you like tis. Te Pope loves you like tis and you sould love yourself and not worry about wat people say. Tis is not te first time te Pope as garnered attention for more lenient views on current issues and controversies in te Curc. It also marks a departure from te traditional teacing of te Catolic Curc on omosexuality, wic is tat it is contrary to God s plan. Te Vatican as not officially confirmed or denied te Pope s comments to Cruz. Sanctify yourselves terefore, and be ye oly: for I am te LORD your God. And ye sall keep my statutes, and do tem: I am te LORD wic sanctify you. If a man also lie wit mankind, as e liet wit a woman, bot of tem ave committed an abomination: tey sall surely be put to deat; teir blood sall be upon tem (Lev. 20:8-9, 13). MORE Cristians Today Believe Evangelizing is Optional (C)---A new study from te Barna Group as found tat Cristians are not evangelizing as often as tey used to. A revealing cange in te statistics between 1993 wic 89 percent of Cristians wo ad sared teir fait agreed tis is a responsibility of every Cristian compared to today, just 64 percent say so; a 25-point drop. As of note, a majority of Cristians 25 years ago also reported empasizing te beneficial aspects of accepting Jesus (78 percent) a strategy tat today is less common (50 percent). INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS Cristian Law Scools Can t old Cristian Beliefs, Canadian Supreme Court Rules (C)---Canada s Supreme Court dealt a major blow to religious freedom last week, ruling tat a Cristian university s law scool could be denied accreditation because it requires students to affirm and practice biblical sexual etics. Trinity Western University s law scool requires students to follow a Community Covenant, wic, in part, says sexual intimacy is reserved for marriage between one man and one woman. Te law societies of Britis Columbia and Ontario ad refused to grant te law scool accreditation on te grounds tat te covenant proibits lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students from attending. By a 7-2 margin, te court ruled tat te law societies ad not violated Canada s Carter of Rigts and Freedoms. In our respectful view, te [law societies] decision not to accredit Trinity Western University s proposed law scool represents a proportionate balance between te limitation on te Carter rigt at issue and te statutory objectives te [law societies] sougt to pursue, te court ruled. Alliance Defending Freedom allied attorney Gerald Cipeur said te ruling as major implications. Te Supreme Court of Canada as abandoned te promise of freedom tat led to te creation of te Canadian Carter of Rigts and Freedoms 36 years ago. Individuals will need to turn to teir legislators to protect freedom of religion. A Brief Look at Our Baptists By Milburn R. Cockrell ( ) (Written in February 1992) Wen I first came among Sovereign Grace, Landmark, Independent Baptists in 1969, it seemed to me tat teir wole movement centered around tree great pillars based upon a literal interpretation of te Bible: te local curc to te exclusion of te universal, invisible curc; te doctrines of grace; and premillennialism. To te best of my knowledge, about 95 percent of te bretren at tat time stood firmly on tese points, altoug tey differed on oter points of doctrine. As te years ave passed, tese tree great pillars ave cracked and crumbled to some degree. TE PILLAR OF PREMILLENNIALISM Te first pillar to suffer was premillennialism. ere and tere appeared a few mid-tribbers and post-tribbers. Some of tese went on to embrace amillennialism, altoug some continued as tey were and remained premillennialists. A very few returned to pre-trib premillennialism. I would guess tat te present situation is about as follows. Te vast majority of our preacers are still pre-trib premillennialists, altoug te post-trib position as gained some strengt and te midtrib as lost a few. It is to be greatly feared tat most premillennialists ave received teir views mostly by tradition from teir faters, and tat tey in te main do not ave any deep-seated convictions based on personal study of te Scriptures. Tis makes tem an easy prey of amillennialists. A growing number ave no stable views on escatology. Tey are disgusted wit te conflicting views about propecy, and tey seldom study it, preac it, or teac it in teir curces. Tere exists also a growing number of amillennialists wo are convinced of teir position by personal Bible study. Te pillar of premillennialism as not fallen to te ground, but it is tottering. TE PILLAR OF CURC TRUT Peraps no pillar as suffered as muc as curc trut. It as suffered from te ands of conservatives and liberals. Te first to attack te pillar were te conservatives. In te early 1960s a few of our preacers invented te priestood of te curc teory. Tis was a reactionary movement started to elp stabilize curc trut. Tese men limited God s priestood on eart to Baptist curces. Some of tese went on to teac tat only Baptists ave te oly Spirit and are regenerated, and will be in te first resurrection. A very few taugt tat tere was no sin but a doctrinal sin and tat te cild of God can commit te unpardonable sin. And, as is always te case, tere was a reaction to tis making a god out of te curc and its anointed priestood. Most of te bretren repudiated tis new teacing. Some were so upset wit te priestood doctrine tat tey left our ranks and became immersed Presbyterians. Te majority of te priestood men saw noting more in teir view tan new arguments for curc autority. A few priestood men went into ardsellism, or some sort of cult, or gross immorality. Wile te teacing of an anointed priestood is on te decline at present, wen it appeared it split our ranks and drove some weaker bretren from us into Protestantism. Curc trut in te last few (Continued on page 22)

22 Page 22 Te Berea Baptist Banner July 5, 2018 A Brief Look at Our (Continued from page 21) years as suffered in te ouse of er friends. ere and tere Landmarkers attack Landmarkism. Te start of tis attack came in te 1960s wen one of our preacers wrote a book against Landmarkism. e was disfellowsipped and is book repudiated. We went on for a brief time at peace. Ten anoter broter wrote a book against Landmarkism, carging tat water baptism is our golden calf and tat most Landmarkers do not ave te mental capacity to read. Tis book was well received by a few Landmark Baptists, but it was rejected by most bretren, as was te first, as eresy. Unlike in te case of te first book, te writer of te second book continued in good grace among a few professed Landmarkers. In te last few years te idea of a moter curc as come under attack from witin te ranks of Landmarkers. One of te fundamentals of Landmarkism is tat tere as been a succession of true curces across te centuries wo preserved te ordinances uncorrupted. Any new curc organized must derive its autority and curc rigts from anoter curc in te line of succession. Any curc not in tis line of succession is not a scriptural curc. Now we are being told tat tis is all wrong, and tat it is not at all necessary tat one curc descend from anoter curc. Furtermore, we are told tat any curc wic ad a moter curc was organized in an unscriptural fasion. We also are told tat a curc need not be concerned about its origin, for to do so would be to old to a papercain succession. Among tose wo are propagating tese ideas are some bretren wose curces were started out of excluded members from anoter true New Testament Baptist curc, or, in some cases, teir curces sprang out of te ground. Tese bretren ave raised more questions tan tey ave answered. Consider a few. If tere is no Scripture for a moter curc, ow can curces wic ave a moter be scriptural curces? Can you ave a true curc wic was started in an unscriptural manner? If ow a curc is started is not important, ten are all socalled Baptist curces scriptural curces? Wat about te Protestants if tere is no need to be in te line of Baptist succession? Can you ave a true curc witout scriptural baptism? If not, were do you get te autority for scriptural baptism if not from anoter true Baptist curc? Can excluded members from a true Baptist curc be constituted into a scriptural curc? Can tere be any scriptural baptism apart from te body of Crist? Tere is also a growing problem about te reception of alien immersion among our curces and pulpit affiliation wit eretical groups. If you go to a Bible conference do not be surprised if tere are Arminians, ardsells, Reformed Baptists, universal curc men, or even Protestants on te program. Te pillar of curc trut is all but ready to fall to te ground. Worse still, most Landmarkers do not know tis and some do not care. TE PILLAR OF TE DOCTRINES OF GRACE Te doctrines of grace ave suffered te least of te tree in my opinion, but tis pillar is now under eavy attack. Some bretren ave taken tese doctrines to te extreme and ended up in ardsellism. But a great number in our ranks wo claim to believe tem do not. Tere is a growing number of Calminians (an Arminian wo wants people to tink e is a Calvinist). A strong sermon on te covenant of grace, or election out of pure grace, would split some Sovereign Grace Baptist curces! Gospel regeneration as been stressed until it as neared te point of te teacing of Free Will Baptists more tan Sovereign Grace Baptists. Some even see no difference between te gospel as preaced by Arminian Baptists and tat preaced by Sovereign Grace Baptists. Tey inconsistently contend tat te Arminian gospel is te same as ours, but ten trow a fit wen it comes to Arminian baptism, altoug te Bible teaces baptism is a picture of te gospel. Anoter pillar is tottering. TE PILLAR OF MORALITY Sad to say, tere is anoter growing problem wic I never expected to see. I refer to te moral declension in our curces. I continue to be appalled at te growing open sin of adultery among some preacers and deacons in our ranks! Preacers I considered strong in te fait ave left te wife of teir yout for a wore. Our curces are filled wit people wo ave broken omes. Most preacers are silent about tis problem, lest tey offend some good-paying members. I am utterly astonised to see tat some see no evil in a preacer living wit a number of women as wives wo are not is wives. If any one dares to raise questions about tis e is branded a trouble-maker wo seeks to destroy te ministry of our best preacers. Te words in te Bible about adultery and lying means noting to some preacers and teir curces. Verily, if we cannot agree tat lying and adultery are sins, ten it stands to reason we cannot agree on anyting, and tat we are opelessly divided. It is now no longer doctrinal issues wic divide us; it is moral issues as well. Unless tese moral problems are cecked we are doomed to deat and destruction. God will not bless a people wo try to justify te sins of lying and adultery. None of te facts tat I ave called attention to in our ranks are pleasing to me. Te knowledge of tese tings is very grievous to tis writer. ow e would like to see unity on te tree great pillars once again, but e does not expect to see it. Instead, I expect te apostasy to gain strengt in te next few years. God is slowly but surely removing our leaders. T. P. Simmons, Berlin isel, Rosco Brong, E. G. Cook, and Roy Mason are no more. Most of our preacers are middle aged or older. In 10 to 20 years most of te present population will be no more. Wo will take our place? ow many young preacers do we ave wo are sound? Wo will teac te world te trut in te next generation? Will our doctrines all but fade from te American scene? God only knows. A SOLUTION None of te tree pillars will fall to te ground unless we let tem. We can reverse present trends. We could ave a revival. We could rise up wit united voices and defend te great truts wic ave distinguised our people in te past. Tose of us left wo still believe te old truts need to stand up and be counted. Trut needs no apology and error deserves none. Indeed, we are left but a few of many (Jer. 42:2) and wat we do we must do quickly. Wat sould we do? I want to offer a very good suggestion. Wy not ave our able preacers to write a brief commentary on te New Testament? Suc a book, or books, could remain to teac te next generation as well as te present. Look ow te writings of Gill and Graves continue to (Continued on page 23)

23 July 5, 2018 Te Berea Baptist Banner Page 23 A Brief Look at Our (Continued from page 22) teac our people. I doubt tat any preacer will live long enoug to do tis work by imself. I suggest tat qualified men be assigned a book of te New Testament and ten put tese all togeter. Noting is needed more tan suc a brief commentary in my opinion. We sorely need a Sovereign Grace, Landmark Bible Commentary on te New Testament. We ave men capable of writing suc. Ten wy not now? FORECASTS FOR TE FUTURE Te forecasts I am about to give are based on present trends and observations of te past. Tey do not ave to come to pass. We can cange te future. No one would ope to cange tis future more tan te writer of tis article. Te curces and pastors will continue a gradual decline doctrinally and numerically. As te older pastors die, young men from oter groups will take over a great many of our curces and lead tem into Arminianism and universal curc eresy. Bickering and backbiting will continue until we are opelessly divided so tat most cooperation among te curces will cease in missions, education, and publication work. A few sound preacers will be overworked, trying to preac and pastor te sound curces wic remain. Te present generation will leave beind very little written material to teac te next generation. Tis is a dark and dismal picture, but I fear it will become a orrible reality in te next 10 to 20 years unless we wake up now! Let me assure and reassure te readers of te BBB tat as long as I keep my rigt mind and pysical ealt I will do my best to keep te BBB in te mail. We will not diminis from te tree great pillars toug all oters forsake tem. My love be wit you all in Crist Jesus. Amen (I Cor. 16:24). Te Sort Pews Brief Articles by Curtis Pug ( ) OW MANY PATTERNS DO YOU NEED? As a boy I remember my moter making er own dresses. In order to turn out te product se desired se followed a pattern, making sure to cut te material according to te proper sapes as dictated by te one pattern. Se did not need nor make use of more tan one pattern for eac garment. One pattern was enoug. It enabled er to reproduce te dress pictured on te pattern envelope. We ave a pattern in te New Testament sowing ow new curces were gatered and by wom and by wat autority. We ave no pattern in te New Testament of any group of scripturally baptized persons forming temselves into a curc apart from an ordained man sent out by a previously existing scriptural curc. Tere are some curces about wic we know noting, but te argument from silence proves noting. All competent students of te Word are agreed: silence proves noting! Tose wo do not insist on following tis pattern claim tat we just do not ave sufficient patterns in te Bible. But, I ask, ow many patterns did my moter need to make a garment? Only one was necessary to turn out wat se wanted. And tis preacer insists tat te one pattern found in Acts 13:1-4 is a clear and sufficient revelation from God. Surely one is enoug: we need no oter! Acts 13:1-4 is very instructive. It says: Now tere were in te curc tat was at Antioc certain propets and teacers; as Barnabas, and Simeon tat was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, wic ad been brougt up wit erod te tetrarc, and Saul. As tey ministered to te Lord, and fasted, te oly Gost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for te work wereunto I ave called tem. And wen tey ad fasted and prayed, and laid teir ands on tem, tey sent tem alway. So tey, being sent fort by te oly Gost... Notice tese six tings: (1) All te persons involved ere were in te curc tat was at Antioc. No freelancers ere! (2) In te midst of teir service (preacing?) and fasting (probably ere in connection wit prayer) te oly Spirit made is will known regarding two of tem. (3) It is stated tat te oly Spirit ad called tem (past tense) to tis work. Tis explains te willingness of tese men to go fort. (4) Te congregation fasted, prayed and as a public demonstration of giving, tese two curc autority tey laid teir ands on tem. (5) Ten te curc sent tem away. Implied in tat statement is tat te curc gave unto tem money and oter tings tey migt need for teir travels. (6) So it is stated tat tey were sent fort by te oly Gost - but not witout te involvement of te congregation. Curc involvement was a part of being sent fort by te oly Spirit! Tose wo are familiar wit te New Testament know tat tese men went fort making disciples, marking tem by baptism, and maturing tem by teacing tem (Continued on page 24) BEREA BAPTIST BANNER Financial Report to Beginning Balance... $1, RECEIPTS: Amazing Grace B. C., Stockdale, TX Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Berea B. C., Stonington, IL Betel B. C., Pasadena, TX Big Creek B. C., Wayne, WV Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Carol Willett, Edgewater, FL Citrus M. B. C., Inverness, FL Fait B. C., Lynn, AR Gail Knowles, Scarboroug, ME Grace B. C., Corbin, KY Grace B. C., Rural all, NC Grace B. C., Tulsa, OK Grace M. B. C., Marion, IL Indore B. C., Indore, WV Landmark B. C., Moncks Corner, SC Te Lord s Curc, Goose Creek, SC Micael Serman, Asland, KY Mt. Pleasant B. C., Cesapeake, O New Testament B. C., Gosen, IN Parkway Landmark B. C., Springfield, OR Piladelpia B. C., Decatur, AL Portland B. C., Plumerville, AR Soutside B. C., Fulton, MS Sovereign Grace B. C., Silsbee, TX Victory B. C., Courtland, VA Subscriptions Anonymous Dividing cecks Sub Total... $3, TOTAL... $4, EXPENDITURES: Printing Postage Wages... 2, FICA Supplies Dividing cecks Bank Carge Total Expenditures... $3, ENDING BALANCE... $ BEREA BAPTIST BROADCAST Financial Report to Beginning Balance...$ RECEIPTS: Berea B. C., Mantacie, MS Briar Creek B. C., Williamsburg, KY Calvary Ind. B. C., Sumas, WA Grace B. C., Corbin, KY TOTAL...1, EXPENDITURES: Radio Time Bank carge TOTAL EXPENDITURES Interest ENDING BALANCE... $1,653.10