"WHEREAS, it is the duty of nations, as well as of men to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations are blessed whose God is Lord; and
    WHEREAS, we know that we have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown; but we have forgotten God; and
    WHEREAS, we have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own; and
    WHEREAS, intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the

necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us; and
    WHEREAS, we have made such an idol out of our pursuit of "national security" that we have forgotten that only God can be the ultimate guardian of our true livelihood and safety; and
    WHEREAS, we have failed to respond, personally and collectively, with sacrifice and un compromised commitment to the unmet needs of our fellow man, both at home and abroad; as a people, we have become so absorbed with the selfish pursuits of pleasure and profit that we have blinded ourselves to God's standard of justice and righteousness for this society, and
    WHEREAS, it therefore behooves us to humble ourselves before Almighty God, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness: Now, therefore be it
    RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, that the Congress hereby proclaims that April 30, 1974 be a National Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer; and calls upon the people of our nation to humble ourselves as we see fit; before our Creator to acknowledge our final

dependence upon Him and to repent of our national sins."

    That Congress cannot "legislate" righteousness is a settled fact; but it is heartening to see that our national leaders are finally beginning to recognize the direction that our nation is being driven by sin.
    Is it too much to hope that the various branches of our government will cease their search for skeletons in the other fellow's closet, acknowledge their own lust for increased power - (at the other fellow's expense), and abandon their divisive, partisan policies? Is it too much, in connection with the acknowledgement of our national & personal sins, to ask the God of heaven and earth to "unite our hearts to FEAR HIS NAME", and to be ONE NATION -- at peace with Him and with one another? Let us pray that the Congress and the President may be brought to a workable peace! EG

    We extend a hearty welcome to Bro. Lloyd Andrews who united with us last Sunday evening. He came into our fellowship on STATEMENT. This is a rather UNUSUAL PRACTICE for us at Landmark, but was recommended by the pastor on this occasion.
    Having stood by Antioch MBC, of Rockford, since the time of its organization, I felt compelled to ask Landmark to follow this procedure to emphasize our utter repugnance toward the accommodation and outright compromise that, in recent months, has been practiced by that church with regard to alien baptism and open communion.
    While I cannot say at what point the Lord will cut-off a church that goes into error, I do know that this sort of error places any church in serious jeopardy. This pastor will NEVER KNOWINGLY treat any departure from biblical principles as INSIGNIFICANT; nor will he attempt to cover the sin of any church or pastor -- no matter how staunchly he may have (in the past) defended their right to chart their own course according to New Testament principles.
    Let us pray that pastor and people will turn aside from this hazardous course BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!

    The business of the church is the business of EVERY member. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" May it continue.

    Too many churches that proudly insist on calling themselves "Baptist" are departing from the New Testament order in our day -- determined to MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES. The passion for success, recognition and "bigness" has supplanted the once lauded willingness to "suffer the loss of all things", or to be counted "the filth of the world, the scum of the "universe" & "fools" for Christ's sake.
    Fidelity to the New Testament order of faith and practice is being abandoned by a glory-seeking ministry in order to accommodate a sensation seeking people. Success is measured by statistics; spirituality by decibels, or "highs" of emotional hilarity sometimes accompanied by a garble of "uncertain sounds" that fail to edify the saints or glorify God. Yet, such as are moved by "feelings" alone presume that their spirituality rating has far surpassed that of those out-dated fanatics who still insist on doing God's work in God's way and according to God's Word.
    Unless it is with a design toward deception, it is a matter of amazement to me that so-called churches will insist on being Baptists after repudiating the very principles for which Baptists have suffered and died for 19 centuries past. And it is even more amazing to me that so very few, in churches that have been taught the truth, will raise their voices in opposition to departure from the New Testament order when an unscrupulous leader undertakes to make shipwreck of their

faith.
    The Lord once asked a rhetorical question that is most appropriate to consider in these lost days: "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find (the) faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). "The faith", in this setting, involves far more than a simple "trust in Jesus as Saviour"; it involves the utter abandonment of one's self unto His direction. And the implication of His question is that such faith will be found in very small quantity.
    The church (every local assembly that functions according to the New Testament order) is Christ's body. It is His possession, and more; the "fulness of Him that filleth all in all". Through the church He manifests Himself -- His very life -- to men. As a New Testament assembly looks unto Him who is the "author and finisher" of faith, it is changed "into the same image" -- becoming a reflector of His glory. When it turns aside from the way of His commandment it distorts the vision, robs Him of His glory and involves itself in actual misrepresentation of Him who purchased the church with His own precious blood. What terrible INGRATITUDE!! What indescribable SHAME will be theirs at the appearing and kingdom of Him who is coming to reign in righteousness as King of kings and Lord of lords!
    Church authority is important in the matter of baptism. And no one has the right to compromise the rules that the Lord has given to govern His table. Compromise with false lovers who entice the church of God away from fidelity to Him

will soon lead to such spiritual whoredom as will bring rejection by the Lord. And that can happen to a church that insists on calling itself "Baptist", but repudiates the distinctive principles for which its ancient fathers died.
    It may be impossible for me to "prove" the principles of Baptist perpetuity and church succession to a single skeptic; nevertheless, I may still BELIEVE IT -- upon the basis of My Lord's promise and unfailing purpose. He Who cannot lie has stated, concerning the church He established and ordered during His own earthly ministry, that "the gates of hell shall not prevail

against it", (Matt. 16:18). But hell is getting an awful lot of cooperation from people who insist on being Baptists in these last days!
    FAITH may lay hold of God's promise -- according to God's order. PRESUMPTION claims the promise while rejecting and repudiating that order. WHICH PRINCIPLE CHARACTERIZES YOUR LIFE -- your CHURCH life -- and action?
    Are you FOR Christ? or AGAINST HIM? The proof is in ACTION, not Argument!         -- Eugene Garner

    Time is drawing near for the Fellowship Meeting scheduled at Calvary Cross MBC in St. Louis on April 26-27. The first service will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, followed by a full day on Saturday. A good attendance is expected.
    Calvary Cross is easily located. Take the ARSENAL EXIT off Interstate 55. Go West approximately 10 blocks to California. Turn left one block and you will find the meeting place on the corner of Juniata.
    HOPE TO SEE YOU IN ST. LOUIS!

    It is now only 10 weeks until time for that trip to Denver, and a time of Fellowship with the Bethel MBC of Arvada. Pastor Willard Spilman and brethren look forward to a good meeting. Don't forget the date -- June 20-22.

    Remember to pray for the Melancens & Thompson's as they begin the new Madison Mission this Sunday!