It is now only two months until time for the Thanksgiving Fellowship Meeting to be hosted by the Landmark M.B. Church, of Rockford, Illinois. We cordially invite our brethren to share with us in this time of fellowship together in the Word - beginning on Wednesday evening November 23, and continuing until noon on Friday.
    We have invited Bro. Edward Byrd of Harrison, Arkansas (recently returned from a pastorate in Hawaii), to speak for us each evening during the week of November 20. But, in the daytime services we will be hearing from a number of visiting brethren - as the Lord leads.
    It is our earnest prayer that the Lord will use these meetings as a means of strengthening the bonds of Christian love and fellowship among the brethren.

    On October 11-13 the Hallmark Baptist Church, of Simpsonville, S.C., will host a Bible Conference for the specific purpose of concentrating "on biblical studies and

    Paul has just warned his brethren against the carnal, Judaistic outlook which was legalistic to the core. He has shown that THE CHURCH of the Lord Jesus Christ is the TRUE CIRCUMCISION: 1) Worshipping God - not only under the direction of the Holy Spirit, but in the very spirit of Christ; 2) REJOICING in Christ Jesus; and 3) placing NO CONFIDENCE in the flesh.
    Paul is in a position to understand the Pharisaic pride full well; there had been a time when HE was controlled by it as well as they. He had a unique way of exposing the false confidence of the Judaistic teachers. Were he willing to BOAST IN THE FLESH, he had a far broader basis for glorying then those who had been troubling his beloved churches! (vs. 4; 2 Cor. 11:16-30; comp. 2 Cor. 5:16). But Paul is determined that, henceforth, he will not view ANYTHING from a fleshly viewpoint, (I Sam. 16:1-7; Jn. 7:24; 8:15).
    For this man of God "old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new", (2 Cor. 5:17). No longer does the man "in Christ" view life from a fleshly

perspective. He has deliberately abandoned the old carnal principles by which he previously viewed things. Now every decision is made from the vantage point of his new position IN CHRIST. Thus, he does not pamper the flesh to fulfil its desire. He lives FOR CHRIST - that His name may be exalted, and that others may be pointed to Him as Saviour and Lord.


    Should he resort to religious boasting, Paul's pedigree was one with which these Judaistic perverts of the Gospel could not stand comparison!
    1) He was CIRCUMCISED the 8th day - exactly as the word of God commanded - identifying him as a "son of the covenant" by inheritance and sign, (Gen. 17:12-14; Lk. 1:59; 2:21).
    2) He was OF THE STOCK OF ISRAEL - of unblemished pedigree! (Jn.

1:47; Rom. 9:3-7; Eph. 2:11-12).
    3) He was OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN - the son of Rachel, whom Isaac really loved, and the only son of Israel to be born in Palestine, (Gen. 35:17; 49:27; Rom. 11:1). Benjamin had given Israel its first king - Saul, (Acts 13:21). They had remained true to David's throne after the majority of the nation had forsaken him. It is also significant that Mordecai was of Benjamin, (Est. 2:5). And the Holy City stood within his borders.
    4) Furthermore, Paul was AN HEBREW OF THE HEBREWS - a Palestinian Jew who had been brought up at the feet of the great teacher Gamaliel; no Hellenist, he adhered strictly to the customs and language of his people, (Acts 22:3).
    5). He was separated, or devoted, to the law of Moses as a straitlaced Pharisee (Acts 23:6; 26:4-5) - intensely nationalistic and exclusivist. As a Pharisee he cared ONLY for the welfare of his own nation, and had the attitude that God Himself loved no others! He was a Pharisee-member of the great Jewish Sanhedrin - the highest court of the land. This was regarded as the ULTIMATE of religious attainment. His Pharisaic narrowness had imposed a yoke of ceremonialism and strict adherence to the rituals of the law.
    6) Paul's zeal as a Jew WAS DEMONSTRATED BY HIS PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH. He was a conscientious, zealous and religious persecutor of all sects (as he viewed them) that opposed his religious views. But, he was all this WITHOUT any

real SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE! (comp. Gal. 1:13-14; Acts 8:3-4; 9:1, 13, 21; 22:4, 19; 26:10; I Cor. 15:9; I Tim. 1:12-13).
    7) As regarded the righteousness of the law - the formal rules, precepts and practices required by Pharisaic tradition - Paul was considered to be CEREMONIOUSLY BLAMELESS! He was IN! As a practicing Pharisee he could not be charged with fault! (comp. Matt. 6:1-18; 23:1-12; Mk. 20:17-22; Matt. 5:20).
    Paul would surely shame any who attempted to establish claim to religious aristocracy, or super- spirituality! And it is STILL POSSIBLE for men, claiming to be the servants of Jesus Christ, to swell with religious pride - which is still CARNALITY AT ITS UGLIEST!
    But, when this man came fact-to-face with Jesus Christ, his sense of values was utterly revolutionized! It was a spiritual and intellectual revolution. It will be well to note with care the sharp contrast to his old standards and attitudes when, with measured and deliberate words he declares: "But what things were gain TO ME, those I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST!" - or for the sake of appropriating the fulness of Christ! E.G.


    Whatever else Paul may be trying to say in Galatians 1:6-7, he is surely declaring that there is ONLY ONE GOSPEL! But, this Gospel is many-sided. There are various aspects of the ONE GOSPEL - a number of ways in which it may be considered. It is called:
    1. THE GOSPEL OF GOD (Rom. 1:1).

designating it as originating in His mind.
    2. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (Rom. 1:16); He is its central theme.
    3. THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (Matt. 24:14), for it designates Jesus Christ as King and declares that He will rule from the throne of his ancient father, David, (Luke 1:32).
    4. The Gospel of the CIRCUMCISION & UNCIRCUMCISION (Gal. 2:7), for by it both Jew and Gentile are saved.
    5. The Gospel OF THE GRACE OF GOD (Acts 20:24). It declares that God saves ONLY BY GRACE, on the basis of His righteous throne being satisfied with the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus upon the cross, whereby He is enabled, righteously, to lavish His grace upon unworthy sinners.
    6. The EVERLASTING GOSPEL (Rev. 14:6), which proclaims a message that is permanent in its effects to redeem from ruin and to save from sin.
    7. Paul called it MY GOSPEL (Rom. 2:16), it being the message that he proclaimed and so called because its power had availed to save him as the very "chief of sinners"! (I Tim. 1:15-16).
    8. And it is called The GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED GOD (I Tim. 1:11) - showing that, in the salvation of the sinner, God gets all the glory - in view of the fact that grace glorifies Him, while works would glorify man.
    What Paul calls "another gospel" (Gal. 1:6), denies the substitutionary death of Christ and the sufficiency of God's grace to save.

keep and perfect those trusting in Him. With "free grace" it mixes some form of human merit. But, the humanistic gospel of self-sufficiency is forever UNDER THE CURSE OF GOD! (Gal. 1:8-9).

A UNIQUE CONFERENCE ... Continued

mutual dialogue that pertain to the unity of the faith around Scripture truth".
    In his letter of invitation, Pastor Willard A. Ramsey stressed the fact that this was NOT a part of the modern "ecumenical movement which seeks unity at the expense of truth". Rather, the day-time sessions will be devoted to an exploration and discussion of a number of biblical passages pertaining to the unity of the faith. The

evening sessions will involve: worship, inspirational music, prayer and messages around the theme of the conference.
    Pastor Ramsey continues: "We must leave behind the sins of self-promotion and the need for approval of men; we must bring with us a spirit of humility, the courage to give up error, the determination to stand with and to actually implement Scriptural truth, regardless of personal sacrifice or cherished tradition".
    This could prove to be a most interesting and profitable conference E.G.


Tomorrow, Lord, is Thine,
   Lodged in thy sovereign hand;
And if its sun arise and shine,
   It shines by thy command.

The present moment flies,
   And bears our life away;
O make thy servants truly wise,
   That they may live to-day.

Since on this fleeting hour
   Eternity is hung;
Awake, by thine almighty power,
   The aged and the young.

One thing demands our care;
   0, be that still pursued,
Lest, slighted once, the season
      fair
   Should never be renewed.

To Jesus may we fly,
   Swift as the morning light,
Lest life's young, golden beams
      should die
   In sudden, endless night.