In order to rightly understand Pentecost I believe it is necessary first to know what a Scriptural church is.   This definition:   "A church is a congregation of scripturally baptized disciples of Christ, covenanted together to carry out His commands," is the one and only true definition of a church.   It is the Baptist definition.   It may be expressed in different words, in a slightly different way, but the true definition of a church will always agree with the above.

     When you talk about the meaning of church to some people, they will say, "Oh yes, I know.   It's the ekklesia, the called out."   It is a fact that the word for church, ekklesia in the Greek, is derived from the Greek words, "ek" (out of) and "kaleo" (call).   This has to do with the origin of the word, when first used for town councils of the Greek democracy, many years before Christ.   These councils were called from their homes by a crier, who went around calling them.   This is the origin and etymology of the word.   However etymology does not determine the meaning of a word.   Common usage does.   By the time of Christ "ekklesia" had come to mean any kind of assembly or congregation, municipal, religious or otherwise.

     The distinctive thing about Christ's church is that He called it, "My church."   It was to His church that He gave rules for discipline (Matthew 18:15-17), that He taught to observe the Lord's supper (Matthew 26:26-30), to which He gave the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), and to which He gave the promise of power from on high. (Luke 24:49)   "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you:   but tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."   (Also Acts 1:8) "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:   and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

     It is now about the season of the year that Pentecost arrives, 50 days after the Passover feast.   Jesus was crucified on the Passover.   He arose three days later.   He was with His disciples for 40 days and then ascended up to Heaven.   So it was just a week that the "promise of the Father" was fulfilled.   I recall noticing the announcements of many of the churches in this city at this time of year, how they announce that they are celebrating the "birthday of the church."   The Roman Catholics teach that Saint Peter was the rock upon which the church was built and that at Pentecost he founded the church.   The Protestant daughters of Rome all follow suit in teaching that Pentecost is the birthday of the church, and many so-called "Baptist" churches go right along with them.

     However it is plain from the Scriptures that Jesus had a church, an assembly of disciples, long before Pentecost came.   He said, "And upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."   Only enemies of Christ would seek to take that honor away from Him.   He did build His church long before Pentecost, and He told that church to tarry in Jerusalem, then He left them and ascended to heaven.   That church returned to Jerusalem to conduct a prayer meeting.

     "The number of names together were about an hundred and twenty." Acts 1:15.   During the week of their waiting they held a church meeting, and they elected another of their number to take the place of Judas among the apostles.   It seems silly to me to say that they were not a church.

     When Pentecost arrived, just as Jesus promised, the church He had established received power from on high.   They had been trained and equipped for the work they had to do, and then they had been given a world wide mission.   They lacked only the power, and on the day of Pentecost the power came ~~ the Holy Spirit in person came into the church.

     The Holy Spirit did not suddenly come into the world at Pentecost.   He had His part in creation.   He strove with man in the Old Testament days.   He inspired men to write the Holy Scriptures.   I don't believe there was ever a man saved but that the Holy Spirit did a work in his heart.   But at Pentecost He came upon the church,the assembly that Jesus set up, and He came to be their power, their paraclete, their helper and guide in the great work of carrying the gospel to all the world.

     Jesus told His church, "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:5.   In Acts 2:2 we read, "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."   Here we see that the whole congregation was literally baptized ~~ immersed in the Holy Spirit.   Cloven tongues like as of fire appeared and sat upon each of them.   A similar experience is recorded in Acts 10:44, when Peter was preaching at the house of Cornelius, by which God gave a special sign to convince the Jewish Christians that Gentiles were also to be received into the church. (Acts 11:15-17)   There is no other record in the Scriptures of baptism with the Holy Spirit.   The Holy Spirit had come into the church to stay, and He did not need to come again.

     The Holy Spirit came as He was promised, and His coming was as sure as God's Word is true, but the great thing is that, when He came the church was prepared for a blessing.   First they were all with one accord. (Acts 1:14, 2:1)   Jesus once said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.   By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one for another." (John 13:34-35)   This love for one another is the basis for harmony in the local church and that church had it.   Second, they were in prayer and supplication. (Acts 1:14)   They were talking to God, asking for help of Him.   Some people will ridicule those who are always asking help of God, but the true child of God always realizes his own utter helplessness and his continual need of the support and aid of his heavenly Father; and such ones rejoice the heart of God.   Any church today, that will in one accord, in love one for another, in sincere humility, pray together and ask God for help, will surely receive a blessing.

     So we find that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit not only came upon the church and baptized the church, but also, because they were in the right condition, He filled them as individuals.   "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:3)   The baptism of the Spirit occurred to the congregation, but being filled with the Spirit is an individual experience.   Again and again we read of the apostles being filled with the Holy Ghost.   Nowhere is anyone commanded to be baptized in the Spirit, but Paul, in Ephesians 5:18, does command, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the spirit."

     At Pentecost, when these people were filled with the Spirit, a great marvelous miracle happened.   They were able to speak in foreign languages that they had never learned.   The apostles were Galilaeans, and though they all knew Greek to a certain extent and perhaps a little Hebrew also, yet their local dialect and regular speech was a form of Aramaic.   Somehow word of this miracle got out, and a great crowd of people gathered together.   They were told, "No matter what country you are from, you will hear them speaking in your language."   So all the strangers from other lands gathered together to hear these strange things.   Did they hear a great hubbub, one person speaking Chinese, another Egyptian, another Babylonian, another Latin or Greek?   Did they have to ask, "What is this?   I don't understand a word.   I need an interpreter."?

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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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She has a task to do for God:
     To show the Lord's sustaining grace,
     Maintain a steady, daily pace,
     And keep a smile upon her face,
For she's a missionary mother.

Four things combined in one is she:
     Good cook, and wife, and at the core,
     God's servant, one who keeps store
     A time for children and for more,
For she's a missionary mother.

Though many things may claim her time
     As day by day she fills her roles;
     To bring to Christ her children's souls,
     That's number one among her goals,
For she's a missionary mother.

Reward enough!   She'd ask no more.
     But give her, Lord, in love profound,
     A crown with jewels all around,
     These tribute words upon it found,
"She was A MISSIONARY MOTHER."

     ~~by Charles Willoughby

Letters To The Editor

     Still there have been no letters to the editor.   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.

     If you will remember the tower of Babel and what happened there.   Because of man's sin and pride, his language was confused.   They could no longer work together, but were scattered over the face of the earth.   But on the day of Pentecost it was quite different.   No one heard a foreign tongue.   No one needed an interpreter.   With seventeen different nationalities present, they all said, "Are not these which speak Galilaeans?   And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" (Acts 2:7-8)   "God is not the author of confusion." (Corinthians 14:33)   At Pentecost there was no confusion, only perfect harmony.   Each one heard the Gospel preached in his own language.   How different from the modern tongues movement, where you hear only gibberish, more like the chatter of monkeys than human speech.

     But, as I have said, the Holy Spirit came upon the church at Pentecost to empower that church to carry out the Great Commission.   A world wide mission Christ had given it.   When the Holy Ghost was in control, they became foreign missionaries, witnessing to strangers from seventeen different countries.   The Holy Spirit came to stay in the true churches of Jesus Christ until the end of the church age.   And today, whenever a church is humble and subject to His leadership, they will surely receive a blessing, and they cannot but be a missionary church, desiring to carry the gospel of Christ to every land.

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