Brothers

Brotherhood: Men’s Fishing Tournament

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Greetings Brethren,

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for the brethren to dwell in unity! The Brotherhood is growing strong and more active in the Lord.

On September 17th, the Brotherhood held its first annual fishing tournament. The men had a great time fishing and good food afterwards. Bro. Butch Wilkinson (Ozark Heights) took 1st place, Bro. David Hays (First Baptist, Potosi) took 2nd place, and Bro. Hunter Moorman (Central Baptist) took 3rd place. Congratulations to the winners! I suppose I didn’t have enough faith in us so I brought fish to cook for the men. Thank you to Bro. Chris Dicus for helping cook all of that fish for the men and to Bro. Don Burke for coming out to take pictures. We were able to raise some money for missions and enjoy time together.

We are already looking forward to the next tournament, and we are looking forward to other fellowships as well. Some things in the works include: a spring fishing tournament, the Brotherhood retreat, and a fall golf tournament.

Please pray for the Brotherhood as it grows. Remember, your church does not have to have a local Brotherhood to participate. Let us encourage and pray for one another to be the men God has called us to be.

Your humble servant in Christ,
Brotherhood President, Bryan Buckley

A Prayer for Help in Hopelessness

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Psalm 88:1-8
by Dennis Baker, BMAMO Brotherhood President

Heman, the son of Korah, was a temple musician during the reign of David. The Psalm begins with pain and perplexity but, unlike other psalms of lament, it closes without triumph. The psalm speaks of darkness (vs.1, 6, 12, 18), life in the depths (vs. 3-4, 6), the immanence of death (vs. 5, 10-11), feeling of drowning (vs. 7, 16-17), loneliness (vs. 5, 8, 14, 18), and imprisonment (v. 8). Heman was a servant of God who was suffering intensely and did not understand why, yet he persisted in praying to God and did not abandon his faith. Not all of life’s experiences have happy endings, but that does not mean that the Lord has forsaken us. From Heman’s experience we can discover instructions to follow when life falls apart and our prayers seemingly are not answered.

Come to the Lord in faith, vs 1-2. Heman’s life had not been an easy one and it seemed like it was getting even more difficult, and he felt that death was very near. Heman spoke as if he was ready to give up. But he did not give up! He still trusted in the Lord of his salvation. Heman prayed day and night believing that God would hear his prayers. No matter how we feel and no matter how impossible our circumstances, we can always come to the Lord with our burdens.

Tell the Lord how you feel, vs 3-9. There is no place for hypocrisy in personal prayer. When we pray, we need to be completely transparent and not tell the Lord anything that is not true or that we do not really mean. Heman confesses that he was “full of troubles” and felt like a “living dead man.” He was without strength and felt forsaken by the Lord. Heman told the Lord that He was responsible for His servant’s troubles! God’s hand put him in the Pit (the grave), and God’s anger was flowing over him like breakers from the sea. Whatever sickness he had was caused by the Lord and made him so repulsive that his friends avoided him He was without health, without light, and without friends. He felt like he was without God! He was a prisoner and there was no way to escape. Like Job, Heman wanted to know why all this suffering had come to him.

Defend your cause before the Lord, vs 10-14. The Scottish minister Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661) who suffered much for his faith wrote, “It is faith’s work to claim and challenge loving kindnesses out of all the roughest strokes of God.” He also said, “Why should I tremble at the plough of my Lord, that maketh deep furrows in my soul? I know He is no idle husbandman; He purposeth a crop.” Heman’s argument was simply that his death would rob God of a great opportunity to demonstrate His power and glory. What service could Heman be to the Lord in sheol? Heman prayed for healing and strength. Heman felt rejected and knew that God’s face was turned away from him. But he kept on praying.

Wait for the Lord’s answer, Vs 15-18. It appears that Heman could not even look back to a time in his life where he enjoyed good health, v 15. The billows that had almost drowned him (v 7) now became fiery waves of torment (v 16) as God’s “burning anger” went over him. The flood was rising, and he felt he was about to drown, and there was nobody near enough to rescue him. He was alone! The darkness was his friend because it hid him from the eyes of those who observed his suffering and may have said (as Job’s friends),“He must have sinned greatly for the Lord to afflict him so much.” He continued to pray and to look to God for help! “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him” Job 13:5. “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage, yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:13-14). The Lord always has the last word, and it will not be “darkness.” When life falls apart and our prayers seemingly are not answered, come to the Lord by faith, tell the Lord how you fell, defend your cause before the Lord, and wait for the Lord’s answer. Not all of life’s experiences have happy endings, but that does not mean that the Lord has forsaken us. No matter how we feel and no matter how impossible our circumstances, we can always come to the Lord with our burdens.

Beware of Empty Philosophies

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Colossians 2:4-7
by Dennis Baker, President of BMAMO Brotherhood

There was once a pastor who was concerned about some unsavory businesses that had opened near a school. His protest led to a court case, and the defense attorney did all he could to embarrass the concerned pastor.

“Are you not a pastor?” the lawyer asked. “And doesn’t the word pastor mean ‘shepherd’?”

To this definition the pastor agreed.
“Well, if you are a shepherd, why aren’t you out taking, care of the sheep?”
“Because today I’m fighting the wolves!” was the pastor’s quick reply, and a good answer it was.

Because of the enemies that were attacking the church in Colosse, Paul offered encouragement that would help them overcome their enemies. He encouraged them to continue making spiritual progress in their Christian life.

There is a need for spiritual progress because Satan is deceptive. Satan uses enticing words to lead believers astray. Satan is a liar and by his lies he leads believers down the wrong path. John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” In order for the believer to have spiritual discernment, it is important for the believer to continue to grow in his knowledge of biblical truth.

Paul used several vivid pictures to illustrate spiritual progress. In verse five the words “order” and “steadfastness” are military terms. They describe an army that is solidly united against the enemy. “Order” describes the arrangement of the army in ranks, with each soldier in his proper place. Not everybody can be a general, but the general must have an army to fight the enemy. “Steadfastness” pictures the soldiers in battle formation, presenting a solid front to the enemy. Christians ought to make progress in discipline and obedience, just as soldiers on the battlefield.
The Christian life is compared to a pilgrimage, and believers must learn to “walk.” We are to walk in Christ the same way we originally received Christ-by faith. The false teachers wanted to introduce some “New truths” but Paul encouraged them to continue in Christ. The only way for a believer to make spiritual progress in his Christian life is by faith. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

The word “rooted” in verse seven is an agricultural term. The tense of the Greek word means “once and for all having been rooted.” Christians are not to be tumbleweeds that have no roots and are blown about by every wind of doctrine. Ephesians 4:14, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Nor are we to be transplants that are repeatedly moved from soil to soil. Once the believer is rooted by faith in Christ, there is no need to change the soil! The roots draw up the nourishment so that the tree can grow. The roots also give strength and stability. The words “built up” is in the present tense: “being build up.” When we trust Christ to save us, we are put on the foundation; from then on, we grow in grace. Continual growth should characterize every Christian’s walk with Christ.

It is the Word of God that builds and strengthens the believer. Christians who study the Word become established in the faith. Satan has a difficult time deceiving the Bible taught believer.

The word “abounding” pictures a river overflowing its banks. The believer’s first experience in the Lord was drinking the water of life by faith. The well should become a river of living water, which gets deeper and deeper as we grow in our spiritual life. John 7:37-38, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

“Thanksgiving,” a thankful spirit is a mark of Christian maturity. When a believer is abounding in thanksgiving, he is really making spiritual progress!

By reviewing these pictures of spiritual progress, we see how the growing Christian can defeat the enemy and not be led astray. If his spiritual roots are deep in Christ, he will not want any other soil. If Christ is his sure foundation, he has no need to move. If he is studying and growing in the Word, he will not be enticed by false doctrine. And if his heart is overflowing with thanksgiving, he will not even consider turning from the fulness he has in Christ. A grounded, growing, grateful believer will not be led astray.

Preservation of God’s Salvation Plan

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Revelation 12:1-6

by Dennis Baker • President BMAMO Brotherhood

From the beginning, Satan has tried unsuccessfully to prevent the coming of the “promised Seed.” Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

The establishment of the nation of Israel as chosen people has been God’s avenue for introducing His salvation plan to the world. Matthew traces the lineage of Christ through Joseph via King Solomon back to Abraham. Luke traces the lineage of Jesus through Mary via Nathan back to Adam. The text, through the three characters of the woman or the nation of Israel, the red dragon or Satan, and the man child or Jesus Christ explains how Satan has stood over the woman Israel to destroy her child as soon as Christ was born into humanity. Since the beginning of time there has been a spiritual battle going on in heaven for the souls of mankind.

Genesis 6:5-10 records an attempt of Satan to prevent the coming of the” Promise Seed.” “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Satan had corrupted all of mankind except Noah and his family. Only Divine intervention preserved mankind from a total overthrow. The promise of Satan’s defeat was preserved through Shem.

Satan attempted to break up the “royal line” by which the “seed of the woman” was to come. On the death of Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoran killed all his brothers with the sword reducing the royal line to himself. Jehoran had children but the Arabians killed all of them except Ahaziah as they fought against Judah. Ahaziah was the only living descendant of the “Royal Line” of the “seed of the woman” through David, Abraham, and Shem. Ahaziah had children but at his death in an attempt to destroy all the “royal seed” of Ahaziah, Athaliah his mother (II Chronicles 22:10) attempted to kill all the descendant of Ahaziah. Satan would have succeeded but Jehoshabeath the wife of the high priest, daughter of King Jehoran, “took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons that were slain and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber.” (II Chronicles 22:11). II Chronicles 23:3, “And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.”

When the time came for the “seed of the Woman” to enter the world the Devil used Herod to kill all the babies in Bethlehem two years of age and under. Satan though he had devoured the seed of the woman. Matthew 2:13.

When Satan saw Christ on the cross, laid in the sepulcher, the stone sealed and the watch set, Satan thought he had conquered the “seed of the woman.” But when Christ was raised from the dead and ascended to the Father, Satan was defeated.

No wonder Jesus declared that He is the only way to heaven. Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” God has no other plan for the salvation of mankind. Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The death, burial, and resurrection were, and are, God’s only plan for the payment of our sins. Since Satan’s desire is to be like the most high it is no wonder that he has worked so hard to destroy God’s plan of salvation. But it is more amazing that despite the failures of mankind and the power of Satan, God has preserved His salvation plan throughout history.

Faithful Till Death

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Revelation 2:8-11
by Dennis Baker, President BMAMO Brotherhood

It costs to be a dedicated Christian, in some places more than in others. In the midst of persecution and poverty the Lord’s evaluation of the Smyrna church was that she was rich and encouraged her to be faithful unto death. The church of Smyrna was poor in material possessions because of not being able to secure employment due to strong labor unions that did not respect their Christian values. Other religions considered them atheists because they did not worship God like they did or because they worshipped a different god.

Included in American history is God’s blessings on His churches to have the resources to not only evangelize the people of America but to be able to send God called individuals into other countries so that they can share God’s blessing of salvation through Jesus Christ. But as the Lord’s churches move forward, Satan is rising up strong opposition from governments and religious organizations. Biblical values concerning family, marriage, morals, and death are being challenged in our schools and courts. The current economic situation is not only affecting the family budget but the budget of the local churches.

As the Lord’s churches move forward how will they respond to these increasing pressures? Do our Mission, Focus, and Core Value Statements still have any value? Are we willing to be faithful unto death?
In John’s day, Caesar was looked upon as a god and anyone refusing to say, “Caesar is Lord” would be subject to execution or at the very least excluded from the labor unions. Being excluded from the labor unions resulted in unemployment and poverty. The large Jewish community was accepted by the Roman government, but they did not cooperate with Christianity.

Polycarp, a disciple of John and pastor of the Smyrna church suffered a martyr’s death in 155 AD, at the age of eight-six, because of his faith in Jesus Christ. Polycarp when under threat of being consumed by fire if he refused to recant responded by saying, “Thou threatens the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of the judgment to come, and the fire of eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou. Bring what thou wilt.” When the authorities tried to persuade Polycarp to recant his faith by asking, “Now what harm is there in saying “Lord Caesar” and offering incense, and so on, thus saving thyself? Polycarp responded by saying, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

As end-time pressures increase persecution will also increase. I Peter 4:12-13. In my opinion Polycarp was not a super Christian but a man who genuinely loved his Lord and Savior. As I think about what it means to die for my King, and Savior, I wonder what would happen to my family if I were called by the Lord to die for my faith. How would God provide for my family’s needs? The best answer I ever received was from one of my seminary professors, Dr. Hal McNeil.

As we studied the life of Polycarp in his class, someone commented, I wonder if I could stand for my faith in Christ and die for Him? Dr. McNeil responded by saying, if God were to call on me to die for Him, He would give me the grace to do so.

We should be encouraged by the reassurances that God is in control!

Be faithful unto death.

Justification By Faith Illustrated

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Romans 4:1-25

by Dennis Baker

Justification in both the Old and New Testaments has always been by faith and grace. No one has ever been justified by works or keeping the law. The text provides three principles illustrating the spiritual experience of believers today is similar to that of Old Testament believers Abraham and David.

Principle One, justification is by faith and not works, Vs. 1-8. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness”, V. 3. At the age of seventy-five God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation, Genesis 12:2-3. Later in life, Abraham raised a question to God concerning his promise, “what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless,” Genesis 15:2. God confirmed His promise by assuring Abraham that his seed would be like the stars. Abraham simply took God’s Word at face value and believed God. Abraham believed in his heart that God had told him the truth. Abraham’s faith was never something that he could boast about or for which he could receive praise, he simply believed God would accomplish what He had promised.

Quoting from Psalm 32:1-2 in verse 8, David’s song of confession of sin, Paul illustrates that God forgives sin and imputes righteousness without works. Today, believers can be assured that once they are justified by faith, our record contains Christ’s perfect righteous and our record can never again contain our sins. Christians do sin, and these sins need to be forgiven if we are to have fellowship with God, but these sins are not held against us. God does keep a record of our works, so that He might reward us when Jesus comes, but he is not keeping a record of our sins.

Principle Two, justification is by grace and not the law, Vs. 9-17. Abraham was declared righteous fourteen years before he was circumcised. Circumcision had nothing to do with God declaring Abraham justified. Circumcision, as a sign, was evidence that Abraham belonged to God because he believed God’s promises. Circumcision, as a seal was a reminder to Abraham that God had given the promise and that God would keep His promise. Today the believer experiences a spiritual circumcision of the heart and is sealed by the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13. Circumcision did not add to Abraham’s faith, it merely provided evidences of Abraham’s faith. The fact that Abraham was justified by grace and not the law proves that salvation is available to all. God’s promise is by faith, so that it might be guaranteed to all people who believe. If we could be saved by keeping the law, and not grace, there would be no guarantee that salvation would be available to all who believe.

Principle Three, justification is by resurrection power and not human effort, Vs. 18-25. God’s delay in sending Abraham and Sarah a son was to permit their natural strength to decline. It would seem impossible for a ninety-nine-year-old man and an eighty-nine-year-old woman to have a child. From the reproductive point of view, both of them were dead. Abraham did not walk by sight but by faith. Abraham believed God’s promises. Application, God waits until the sinner is “dead” or not strong enough to do anything to please God for salvation. When Abraham admitted that he was “dead” God’s power went to work on the body. It is when the lost sinner confesses that he is spiritually dead and unable to help himself that God can save him. The Gospel “is the power of God unto salvation” because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of Christ is proof that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and we can be justified without God violating His own law or contradicting His own nature. The Key to salvation is “if we believe,” v. 24.


Dr. Harry Ironside, who for 18 years was pastor of the Moody Church in Chicago, was on vacation visiting a Sunday school class. The teacher asked, “How were people saved in the Old Testament times?” One man replied, “By keeping the law.” That’s right,” said the teacher. But Dr. Ironside interrupted: “My Bible says that by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified.” The teacher was

a bit embarrassed, so he said, “Well, does somebody else have an idea?” Another student replied, “They were saved by bringing sacrifices to God.” “Yes, that’s right!” The teacher said and tried to go on with the lesson. But Dr. Ironside interrupted, “My Bible says that the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away sin.” The unprepared teacher was sure the visitor knew more about the Bible than he did, so he said, “Well you tell us how people were saved in the Old Testament!” And Dr. Ironside explained that they were saved by faith-the same way people are saved today!”

The good news for the people of the world, all of whom are guilty before God because of their sin, is that God in His grace offered His Son as a sacrifice to pay the penalty of sin. Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ are counted as righteous and receive the gift of eternal life.

Bibliography: Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Right NT Commentary Romans. Colorado Springs, Co: David C. Cook, 1977.

Trust in the Salvation of the Lord

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Psalm 13:1-16 – by Dennis Barker

This psalm was probably written by David during the difficult years of exile from King Saul. During his exile David confessed that, “there is a step between me and death” (I Samuel 20:3). By God’s grace, David turned his suffering into songs that help to encourage the believer in times of trials. The Lord allowed David to pour out his anxiety before him. But by the end of the psalm, David’s prayer ends with God giving him a correct perspective of the situation. In this brief psalm, David deals with his feelings, his enemies and his faith.

In verses 1-2, David pours out his heart concerning his inward struggles and feelings. God had promised David the throne of Israel, yet he saw King Saul doing evil things and it seemed like God was not judging him. Yet David was doing good things and he felt like God had abandoned him. The phrase “How long, O Lord” indicates that David was disturbed by what the enemy was doing, but he was more concerned about what the Lord was not doing. When we are in trouble and pray for help, but none comes, we tend to feel deserted. David felt like God was ignoring him and that God’s alienation was final. He also, felt that God was hiding His face from him instead of smiling upon him.

Feeling like he was abandoned by God, David tried to devise ways to overcome the enemy, but nothing seemed to help. Faith is living without scheming; not leaning on our own experiences and skills and trying to plot our own way. We must not deny our feelings and pretend that everything is going well. It is not sin to ask, “How long?” But, we must realize how deceptive our feelings are, and that God is greater than our hearts and can lift us above the emotional storms of life.

David learned to replace the question “How long, O Lord?” with “My times are in your hands.” Psalm 31:14-15. This is a lesson that we must all learn.
Verses 3-4 speaks of David’s outward struggles with his enemies. When the mind and body are weary, it is easy to be discouraged. David requested that the Lord “Consider and hear me.” David felt that God had hidden His face from him, and he wanted God to turn His face toward him again. A second request, “hear Me,” was that the Lord would answer him and send some kind of encouragement. David felt he had been deserted and that his prayers were accomplishing nothing. A third request, “enlighten my eyes” involved spiritual explanation and physical and emotional vitality and strength.

David was concerned about his own needs, but he was more concerned with the glory of God. God had chosen David and had commanded Samuel to anoint him King. If David failed, God’s name would be ridiculed. “Don’t allow the enemy to gloat over me.” The word “moved” in verse 4 means “to waver, to be troubled. If David began to waver, the faithful people of the land would think that God was unable to fulfil His own promises.
Verses 5-6 declares David’s Faith. The word “but” indicates a transition from fear and questioning God’s promises to faith. David’s feelings had been on a roller coaster, but God was still on the throne, and His character had not changed. God’s mercy (steadfast love) was all David needed, for it would never fail. God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises, and those promises are as unchanging as the character of God.
Relying on the Lord leads to rejoicing in the Lord and His salvation. The word “bountiful” focuses on the goodness of God and His generosity in dealing with His people in grace.

Promised Comfort

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John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

The hearts of the apostles were troubled because Jesus had announced to the apostles that He was going to leave them and return back to the Father. The apostle’s lives were about to be turned upside down, things were going to change. They were afraid because in their mind their leader and Savior was leaving them. All of this change would be a test of their faith.
Jesus promised comfort to the apostles that even after He returned to the Father, they could be assured that they would be in His presences both in this life and life after death. The believer in Jesus Christ can be assured that Jesus will always be present in their lives.

Jesus promised comfort to the believer by promising that they will go to heaven. In Scripture, heaven is a place where God dwells. Heaven is described as 1) a kingdom, II Peter 1:11, “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 2) an inheritance, 1 Peter 1:4, “To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.” 3) a country, Hebrews 11:16, “But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” and 4) a home, John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” Heaven is a place where Jesus dwells. John 14:4, “And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” The believer in Jesus Christ can have comfort in the knowledge that no matter what we face in this life we will go to heaven!

Jesus was claiming to be God. When the believer discovers that Jesus is the God of creation and the Governor of the universe, he will also discover that there is no need for his heart to be troubled. The believer can be assured that God is in control.

The success of the disciples would be based on communication with Jesus through prayer. When the task seems impossible the believer can pray. We can accomplish great things for God because we are able to communicate with the Father through prayer.

The Christian cannot live the Christian life without the help of the Holy Spirit. II Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The same Holy Spirit that helped to write the Scriptures helps the believer to understand the Scriptures. Jesus promised, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;” Only the believer can know the comfort of the Holy Spirit because He dwells in the believer. He can rest assured that the Holy Spirit will guide, guard, and teach him the things of God as taught in Scriptures.

Jesus assured the disciples that there was no need for the heart to be troubled because He would give them the gift of peace. Jesus was going back to the Father, but He assured the disciples that they would have fellowship with Him through study of Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit.

John 14:28, “Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.” Many will face death, but death is not the end of God’s comfort in the life of the believer. Jesus stated in John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Jesus assured the disciples that they knew the way home. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

The Christian life is a personal walk with the living God through increased knowledge of God found in study of the Scriptures, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful journey! It is interaction with The living God!

Thoughts Concerning Creation

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by Dennis Baker, Brotherhood President
The Christian world-view of creation is that there is no ultimate reality other than God. God did not have to work with material already in existence, He created the material that He used. God’s only limitations are those of His own nature and the choices He made. He did not have to work around the limitation of available materials. Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

The Christian world-view of creation gives special meaning to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Since God created all raw material, the material world is not inherently evil. The study of Christianity reveals that some denied the reality of Jesus’ physical body because they regarded the material world as inherently evil. John 1.1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The Christian world-view places the responsibility of original sin on humanity. Because the material world is not inherently evil, sin did not originate with God and sin must be an exercise of human freedom. Since all of creation began with God, there is a connection and resemblance of all things. The Scriptures indicate that God loves all His creation. This should cause the Christian to be more concerned about practicing responsible stewardship of God’s creation.

The Christian world-view rejects the ideal of worship of any creature or combination of creatures. Only God is worthy of worship, praise, and obedience because He is the creator. The Implications of the Christian world-view is that everything has value. Each part has its place just as God intended it to have. Nothing other than God is self-sufficient or eternal. Since God is the creator, we must respect the creation, but we must maintain a clear distinction between God and His creation. Hebrews 11:3, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

Report of 7th Annual Brotherhood Fall Retreat

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by Dennis Baker, Brotherhood President

A total of eighteen men attended the Brotherhood Fall Retreat at Camp Garwood. Bro. Jason Redden, pastor of Emmanuel
Baptist Church, Sikeston, provided an excellent devotional concerning “Making Choices.” Jason also shared his personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ.

Following the devotion, we were blessed by the testimonies of the men and boys who shared their experience of salvation. Some of the men were moved to tears as they shared what God has been doing in their life. Bro. Rick Garza provided us with three excellent meals. Friday menu was chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn on the cob. Saturday morning, we enjoyed eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy. For lunch we relished cheese burgers.

The annual archery competition seemed to be enjoyed by all the men. Even those who did not compete seemed to enjoy watching. The best overall score for the amateur level was Andrew Wilhing from Stony Point. The best overall score for the advanced level was Brian Vollersten, also from Stony Point. We are thankful for the financial support of those who attended. We received a total offering of $150.00. We are also thankful for the churches that regularly support this ministry. I personally enjoyed the beautiful weather and fellowship with my brothers in Christ. The life changing testimonies were a spiritual encouragement. Thank you, Bro. Garza for the wonderful meals. Bro. Rick Garza has posted several pictures of the retreat on Camp Garwood’s Facebook page