Dealing In Particular With His Work of Organizing, Consecrating and Accrediting His Church.

     There is a reference to this in the book of Ephesians 1: 20-23.   In verst 20 he is speaking of the power of Christ being raised from the dead and sitting on his own right hand in heavenly places "Far above all principality, and power and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all."

     Now, you could not help but note here that next to the Son of God is His church.   I don't believe that there is any way at all to read the Bible apart from seeing this, if we read it aright.

     The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, by her being His church, makes her obedient to Him.   Due to the fact that she is His church she obeys His commandments.   She goes, therefore, recognizing that He is her Master and has all authority to give instructions.   He is seated yonder, and has declared, "All power (authority) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.   Go ye therefore, and teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them.... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, (if you go and do this) I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. (the consummation of the age.)" Matthew 28:18-20.   I am by you, I am with you.

     Someone called me the other night and wanted to know where and when the first Baptist Church was started.   Well, you know, I have tried to be kinder in my older days, and I took it as a good question, but I know who was talking.   That fellow has tried to trap me a number of times in my life, but he doesn't know that I know it.   Like Paul before Agrippa, I count myself happy to testify again.   I said, "Well, I can't just drive down a peg and tell you exactly where, but the church began as the Lord Jesus began to call his apostles unto Him and set them up."   And he said, "Do you have any scripture for that?" And I said, "Well, yes. Somewhere in the Bible; and if I were going to look for it, I would look in the twelveth chapter of First Corinthians.   There we are told that He put first in the church the apostles.   Jesus did that.   They were first in the church.   They are called in the book of Revelation, the foundation under Christ to the church.   He built it upon the apostleship that He called out to be with Him, and then commissioned them to go forth, and so this is the beginning.

     Now, from that time until Jesus comes again:   It may not be Damascus Baptist Church, or Vashti Baptist Church, and it may not be Society Baptist Church, but somewhere in this world, there is going to be somebody (a little band of baptized believers, a church) that is carrying on in the tradition that our Lord gave and set back yonder in Matthew 28.   Somebody is going to be doing that when He comes again.   This is so because He left a church here, when He went away, and promised that it would never cease to have His presence until He returned.

     He did not start His church after He got back to heaven.   He built it in the day of His flesh.

     After He set up His church He then went to the cross and offered a sacrifice.   He thereby consecrated and dedicated it with His own blood, after the same manner by which Solomon dedicated the temple which he had built in that other day.   When it was finished and completed, he called the elders and all the witnesses to come in.   He had the temple complete in every way; the roof on, the doors up, the landscaping done and the trash and rubble carried out and carted off.   He then offered a sacrifice to consecrate and dedicate it, after which the glorious presence (the shechinah glory) of God filled the temple to accredit it as His accepted place of worship and service.   When Christ had finished His church--got it together and completed it--one thing remained.   As He talked to His Father just like Solomon prayed to his Father--to God, yonder in the book of Chronicles--just the same way our Savior began to talk to His Father in the seventeenth chapter of John.   He said, "Father, I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do."   He was not talking about His death, because that was finished a little later, but about the fact that He had built His church.   Then He was going yonder to Calvary to make the sacrifice and to dedicate it with His own blood.   It was already built.

     Afterward the church was baptized in the Holy Spirit to accredit it as His authorized agent and messenger in the world.   Well, thank the Lord!

     It is a comfort to know that from sea to sea, from Oregon to North Carolina, there are here and there still a few Baptist churches and preachers holding to the old ways and respecting the same Landmarks of Baptist faith.

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     Friends, Sister Carla Jones has put a lot of work into this site, please take a little time and take a look at it.   There is a whole section about Crystal Springs Camp and that is the place to get camp updates now.

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     February 18, 2010 at 7PM there will be a Gospel Sing with "THE NELONS" at First Missionary Baptist Church of St. Helens, OR.  This will be a great opportunity to enjoy the music of this very professional Gospel singing group.  I hope you will be able to take the time to join them.   You can check them out at the link below.

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Letters To The Editor

     Still there have been no letters to the editor.   I guess I need to stir the pot a little.   In Revelation 3:16 Jesus said, "So then because thou art luke warm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."   Well, I wouldn't want anybody to get spued out so maybe this will get you heated up.

     Maybe you've noticed, as I have, that if you pick up a Baptist newspaper or magazine now-a-days every article is written by someone with the designation Dr. in front of his name.   This seems to imply that we should believe what they have written because they are far better qualified to understand God's Word by virtue of their doctorate degree.   I am afraid that there are going to be some Baptist preachers who, when they get to heaven, will be told that they have already received their rewards at the hands of men and in this world.

     Don't get me wrong, a good education from a sound Baptist college or seminary is something to be greatly desired.   In Second Timothy 2:15 Paul says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth."   You should study God's Word daily.   Meditate on it day and night.   Yes, even attend a good sound Baptist college and earn a Doctorate degree if you can but never use that degree as the foundation for your argument of the faith folks should have in what you preach.   Don't expect them to call you doctor.

     Where then should the authority for our preaching come?  It should come from the Word Of God.   We should give reference to the scripture which is the basis for what we are preaching so that the listener can search the scripture whether those things are so.  Acts 17:11, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scripture daily, whether those things were so.

     God's Word is the only thing that gives preaching authority and we are each responsible to search the scripture to see if those things were so.   God's word actually tells us right out that we are not to call any man doctor.  Matthew 28:8 But be not ye called Rabbi:   for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.   Here the word Rabbi is best understood as doctor, often people say it means teacher but in this day and age that doesn't convey the obedience, fear and respect given to a Rabbi.   No, demanding to be called doctor is exactly what this verse is all about.   "They love the uppermost rooms at the feasts, the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the market place..."   Doesn't that just fit the men who demand to be called doctor?

     Pastor is the sweetest name any man can be called.   Few have made the necessary sacrifices or have lived the life that allows a man to be called pastor.  Every man is responsible for every word of scripture, and someday will be judged from it. Matthew 4:4.  Each church member is responsible for bringing that Word to a lost and dying world, and our pastor is to point us to Jesus.   As Baptists let's end this practice of calling men doctor.   If he is a pastor then call him pastor, if not call him brother.

     Folks if you want to respond to something you have read in "Baptist Landmarks" please E-Mail your response to edit@BaptistLandmarks.org   Your response will be printed here.

     I would like to have a cartoon in each issue if possible.   If there is someone reading this paper who can draw cartoons that will cause us to laugh at the foolish things we sometimes do and cause us to think of how we could better serve our Savior, please E-Mail me and let me know.

     WILL YOU TAKE A POSITIVE STAND FOR LANDMARK DOCTRINES, HISTORIC BAPTIST INDEPENDENCE AND DIRECT MISSION PRACTICE?   THEN SIGN UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION TO THIS PAPER AND SPREAD THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN THE WORD OF GOD.