A Fellowship Meeting is planned, on April 18-20, by the West Bronston Baptist Church of Bronston, Kentucky. Brother Samuel D. Arnold is the pastor of this young, but rapidly developing church. It is my understanding that they have already completed a very commodious church building, and that it is debt-free! In addition, to this, they have endorsed Bro. Roger Murrell as their missionary, and are sending the Murrell Family to Madeira, where they will be working with the Edgar Potters.
    Lord willing, I hope to be able to attend this Fellowship Meeting - with the expectation of seeing some brethren that I have not seen for a number of years. According to Bro. Arnold, the services will begin on Wednesday evening and continue through Friday.
    If YOU plan to attend, why not write, or call, the host pastor. Not only would he appreciate your consideration; it would greatly assist the host church in assuring your comfort while there. Write:

---

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM!

---

    It will be noted that John records not a single word from the Master concerning the past unfaithfulness of His erring disciple. His guilty cowardice is not mentioned - his base denial, his oaths and curses, his treacherous desertion - all unmentioned! The memory of a threefold denial is implied, and no more, by the threefold question asked with indescribable tenderness "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?"
    When Jesus finds His disciples sleeping at the gate in Gethsemane, He rebukes them; but the rebuke is robbed of its poignancy by the merciful apology which is added - "The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak!" How different from their own unkind insinuation regarding Him, when, in the vessel on Tiberius, He was asleep. "Master!" they had inquired of Him, "Carest thou not that we perish!"
    The woman of Samaria is full of worldliness, carnality, religious bigotry and guilt. Yet, how

    During His personal ministry on this earth the Lord Jesus Christ established the only church that He has ever recognized as authentic - or that He will approve. To this, already-existing, church He gave the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). And, to this same church He promised His age-long presence through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The "gates of hades" would not prevail against this organism - of which He is the living Head, (Matt. 16:18). And He promised His own age-long presence with them as they observed and walked according to the pattern that He set before them in His Word.
    As a matter of conscience, and as a safeguard to the purity of the two pictorial ordinances set within the church by our Lord Himself, true Baptists have never recognized as authentic (and, thus, have rejected) the baptism of any

religious institution, that traces its origin to a human founder and head. Like our spiritual fathers in the early days of the church's existence, if we observe our brethren (called Baptists) deliberately and persistently compromising, repudiating or departing from the order that our Lord established for the perpetual purity of His body, we reject the baptism of those assemblies also - though they were at one time true churches!
    Too many so-called Baptists have begun to shamefully compromise the principles of separation enunciated by our Lord. There is no longer any clear line of demarcation between them and Protestant or Reformation assemblies - all of which were born hundreds of years TOO LATE to be recognized as New Testament churches, and which, from the time of their origin, rejected the very principles that our Lord designed to govern the life of His body.
    Protestantism has ALWAYS been a compromise between New Testament Christianity and Roman Catholicism; it always rejected BOTH! And no matter how loudly it may proclaim its virtues, and talk of getting back to New Testament Christianity, its concept thereof is a FARCE - made possible ONLY through a deceitful handling of God's Word!
    Divinely given authority is essential to the proper administration of Scriptural Baptism! And that authority resides ONLY in a New Testament church that faithfully adheres to biblical principles. Any other religious organization

gently the Saviour speaks to her - with what forbearance, yet faithfulness. He directs the arrow of conviction to her seared and hardened conscience, until it lies bleeding at His feet! Truly "He will not break the bruised reed - or quench the smoking flax". By the very "goodness of God" He led men to repentance. When others are speaking of merciless violence, He can dismiss the most guilty profligate with the words: "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more!"
    How many professed Christians find an unholy pleasure in discovering some wrong in a brother (or sister) and publishing the sin abroad - administering rebuke, not in gentle forbearance and kindly dissuasion, but with harsh, cruel and impatient severity! But, how beautifully did Jesus unite deep sensitivity to sin with the most tender compassion for the sinner - showing that "He knoweth our frame!"
    The disciple of Jesus needs to learn His gentleness in chastisement. The reverse will crush a sensitive spirit, or drive it to despair. Jesus carefully considered each separate case needing discipline and dealt with each one according to its individual need. In the picture of the Good Shepherd, bearing home the wandering sheep, He illustrated, by parable, what He had often taught by example. There is no word of needless harshness; not a single upbraiding word to the erring wanderer! Ingratitude

is too deeply felt to need rebuke! In silent love, He lays it on His shoulder - REJOICING!
    Let us endeavor to mingle gentleness with every necessary rebuke - bearing the infirmities of others. Remembering that we also are flesh, let us consider the weaknesses of others - never speaking harshly if words of kindness will do as well. And let us carefully refrain from unnecessary words of cutting reproach, when recalling past delinquencies. (After all, these are most often spoken because our own flesh is aroused, rather than "for Jesus' sake!") "Consider thyself" is a searching scriptural rule for dealing with an erring brother.
    In the presence of fierce accusation, it is well to recall our Lord's method of silencing harshness: "Let him that is without sin cast the first stone!" In reality, anger and severity are not effective means of reclaiming backsliders or melting the hearts, of stubbornness. Like the smooth stones with which David smote Goliath, gentle and loving rebuke are usually the more powerful. It was said of Leighton, that "he rebuked faults so mildly, that they were never repeated, not because the admonished were afraid, but ashamed to do so".
    "Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind!"

---

---

WEST BRONSTON ... Continued


    May the Lord bless this meeting to the glory of His worthy name and the enrichment of all who are able to attend! E.G.
A STRICT VIEW ... Continued
has no more authority to administer Christian Baptism than the Boy Scouts, the Masonic Lodge, or the American Civil Liberties Union!
    But, like Israel under the law, Protestantism never had the blessing of the abiding, indwelling, directing and empowering Holy Spirit that the Lord promised and sent to direct the affairs of His church - to the end of the age! E.G.

    A recent letter from Pastor Russel D. Shuffield informs us that he is now pastoring the Washita Baptist Church of Mt. Ida, Arkansas. He also states that he has recently given up his secular job that he may devote more time to the work of the church.
    Bro. Shuffield suggests that he will be available to assist in a few Revival Meetings as the Lord may lead. He may be contacted at:

---

---