To such as sincerely desire to worship God, "in spirit and in truth", you can find no deeper satisfaction than crossing the welcome mat at the Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, located at 3026 Horton Street on Rockford's Southeast end.
    It has never been the policy of Landmark Church to indulge in proselyting members from other churches; nor do we believe such to be an appropriate activity for any Christian congregation. But, to such as have searched elsewhere without finding any soul-peace, or genuine Christian love and fellowship, we extend a warm, hearty, Christian invitation and welcome to our services.
    At Landmark you will find a relatively small group of people who take God, His Word and His church seriously. We have nothing to offer one who merely wants to "play church"; nor is there a place for one who merely seeks a forum for expressing his own self-will; but, to such as are willing that Jesus Christ should be their "ALL", be assured that you will not be disappointed in our fellowship.
    Among our membership are some who have moved to Rockford for no other purpose than to 'share the

    To handle the Word of God deceitfully is to indulge in a very grievous sin. For a man of God to involve himself in such a thing is to play the hypocrite, preach a lie and become a "fool" by "tempting God". A serious warning was given to anyone tampering with the writings of the "Apocalypse", (Rev. 22:18-19); one wonders if God guards it more jealously, from corruption, than any other part of the revelation He has given to the sons of men.
    It is heart-breaking, for one who cares, to observe the progression of irreverence that has made such an alarming intrusion into the ranks of Baptists during the past half - century. With an apparent philosophy of "spiritual pragmatism", many have departed from the faith of their fathers -- devising such interpretations of the Holy Scriptures as will enable them to live comfortably with their sins, or to vindicate their "fraternal cronies" who have begun to practice what the Word of God forbids, and what their spiritual fathers have abhorred.
    One simple illustration of this is the loose attitude that so many

pastors; seminary instructors and churches are presently taking toward the qualifications of a "bishop" (pastor). Instructing young Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote: "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife .... he must have a good report of them that are without", (I Tim. 3:2, 7). There was good reason why such instruction was given. Christ desires the perpetual purity of His body, the church, that she may one day be presented to Him in spotless purity (Eph. 5:25-33; 2 Cor. 11:2-3). The relationship between Christ and His church is illustrated by that which God has designed to exist between a man and his wife. The man who casts off one wife and takes to himself another (for any reason) corrupts the figure and, by such action, inadvertently debunks (in the eyes of men) the true blessedness of that relationship which exists between the Lord and the church for which He shed His blood, and by which she was purchased as His own possession

-- His peculiar treasure.
    There certainly is no contextual basis for the suggestion that Paul meant a pastor should have "one wife AT A TIME"! Had he not already declared to the Romans that a woman "is bound by the law of her husband SO LONG AS HE LIVETH" (Rom. 7:2)? Did not John the Baptist denounce King Herod, who was only a POLITICAL leader of Israel, saying: "IT IS NOT LAWFUL for thee to have thy brother's wife", (Mark 6:18)? And Jesus surely did not intend to liberalize the divine attitude toward the sensual passions of man when He said: "Ye have heard .... Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart", (Matt. 5:27-28).
    Nor is there a single IMPLICATION in the Scriptures that it is proper for a Pastor to have two living wives -- provided he had one of them before he was saved. And whether one can "behave himself in the future" is not the question; GOD'S ORDER FOR THE CHURCH IS IMPORTANT!! And it is highly unlikely that a pastor with two living wives will be taken very seriously in counseling young people to live pure lives and be faithful to their marriage vows.
    Consistent with my convictions on this matter, I have refused, and will continue to refuse to lay my hands (in an ordination ceremony) upon the head of any man who, to my knowledge, does not meet the Biblical qualifications for a bishop. And the church, which ignores or flaunts this rule is deserving of the heartache, which so often comes as a fruit of such rebellion, or of such careless HASTE! E.G.

blessings' which flow through this church-body -- and who were willing to take a loss (materially) in order to do so. Others have come who had just poured their assets and energies into a new building program -- only to see their church hastily depart so far from the New Testament order that they could no longer conscientiously support its ministry and activity.
    With people from a variety of backgrounds, God has here fashioned for Himself a body that enjoys one mind, one purpose and one goal. It is a people who love each other, who love the body of which they are members, who love their pastor, who love and witness to lost souls, and who, above all, LOVE GOD -- desiring to so live as to bring glory to His name.
    Landmark church has always sought the fellowship of sister churches -- those that endeavor to abide by the pure Word of God. It has always been our policy to respect the authority of other churches to discipline their own members. Though this respect has not always been reciprocated, we have attempted to maintain a Christian attitude toward our careless brethren -- praying that God would bring them to an acknowledgement of their error of such looseness as tends to the disruption of fellowship, and the distortion of truth.
    For almost twenty years Landmark Church has borne a consistent witness in Rockford, and to regions far beyond. A steadily increasing number of saints in this area are becoming aware of the fact that this witness is not nearly so insignificant as they had been led

    "Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him", (2 Cor. 5:9). The soul that is truly espoused to Christ has but one care --- to please Him in all things.
    All who desire to share in the blessedness of that people whom the Risen Lord claims for His Bride would surely do well to heed the words spoken to the "king's daughter" in Psalm 45. She should give earnest heed to His Word. She ought also to turn her back on the world, her own people, and even her father's house. When her desire is truly unto her Divine, husband, then He will greatly desire her beauty and joyfully enfold her in His arms of love.
    Behold, the Bridegroom cometh! Today we tarry, and wait. We are looking for something -- yea, for SomeONE --- "the BLESSED HOPE, and the appearing in glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works", (Titus 2:13-14).

to think -- and are giving serious consideration to casting their lot with us. To such as desire to follow the Lord with their WHOLE HEART AND SOUL, we extend a warm welcome.
    "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good", (Num. 10:29).

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    "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."