Though purposed from ancient days the New Testament church was a mystery -- hidden from ages and generations, (Eph. 3:1-10). There is no clear Old Testament prophecy concerning it. But with the covenant nation's rebellion, and their failure to fulfil the purpose for which God had called them into fellowship with Himself, it became apparent that a new witnessing agent-community was needed.
    The simple origin of the New Testament church may be located at the point where Jesus began to specifically CALL disciples to Himself -- following His message from Peter's fishing vessel on the Sea of Galilee; (Matt. 4:18-19, 21; Mark 1:16-17, 19; Luke 5:10). Here, for the first time, Jesus began to gather around Himself a circle of disciples who would accompany Him wherever He went. His call was of a people already prepared by the message and baptism of John the Baptist.
    Thus, the church was founded by Jesus Christ during His own personal ministry, and before Pentecost. This appears to be an exclusively

How blest the sacred tie that
    binds,
In union sweet, according minds!
How swift the heavenly course they
    run
Whose hearts, whose faith, whose
    hopes are one!

To each the soul of each how dear!
What jealous love! what holy fear!
How doth the generous flame within
Refine from earth, and cleanse from
    sin!

Their streaming tears together flow
For human guilt and mortal woe;
Their ardent prayers together rise
Like mingling flames in sacrifice.

Together both they seek the place
Where God reveals His awful face:
How high, how strong, their
    raptures swell,
There's none but kindred souls can
    tell.

Nor shall the glowing flame expire
When Nature droops her sickening
    fire;
Then shall they meet in realms,
    above --
A heaven of joy, a heaven of love.

    Once again it is the privilege of Landmark Church to welcome our beloved brethren from various parts of the nation to our Annual Fellowship Meeting!
    Each year we wonder if it may be the last time we will be privileged to share together in the wonderful things of God -- ere the "god of this world" so disrupts things that it will be impossible for us to assemble as we have been accustomed to do in the past.
    Let each of us, therefore, lay aside all that would tend toward strife and division -- concentrating our hearts' attention on the manifold grace of God that has been so freely bestowed upon us. May the prayer & praise that ascend to His throne be a sweet-smelling savor.
    With all our hearts we welcome each of you, and pray that your visit will greatly strengthen and enrich your spiritual lives. E.G.

THE CHRISTIAN AND WORLDLY PLEASURE

    From time to time sincere people of God have come to me questioning whether it was right to engage in various forms of worldly pleasures. The very fact that they asked the question indicated that there was some concern in their hearts to do what was right. Others rush headlong into various forms of entertainments -- concerned only to escape the boredom of a life that has never found the secret of Christian joy, peace and contentment.
    The Scriptures teach that we are not to love the world "neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him", (I Jn. 2:15). We are urged to keep our garments "unspotted from the world" (Jas. 1:27). And there are various other admonitions along the same line.
    The present "world system" which has been designed, established and maintained by the devil (who is the "god of this world"), has one chief design: to distract and divert the hearts of men away from the true God -- so as to disrupt fellowship between God and His people. To constantly run hither and thither in pursuit of such diversions is to betray a stunted spiritual condition wherein one has not yet learned the true joy of the Lord and that daily fellowship wherein contentment, peace and glorious rest are found.
    To imagine that we can indulge in satanic distractions from the life that is real is to evidence a very narrow perspective. Whatever,

even briefly, diverts or subverts our heart's attention away from the Lord HINDERS our own spiritual development. It shames our dear Lord by relegating Him to second place in our pursuit of satisfaction. It evidences a definite lack of spirituality -- in that provision is being made for the "old man" whom the Scriptures declare is to be reckoned dead, and NOT provided for. And such action on the part of a Christian may also be a cause of stumbling to some weaker brother.
    True joy, peace and contentment -- the greatest possible in this present life -- are found in daily communion with God as we study His Word and "speak often one to another" of His goodness, mercy, love and grace.
    Worldly pleasure accomplishes no good thing; it is a hindrance to fellowship with God, the furtherance of the Gospel and the spiritual progress of those who pursue it. But the "joy of the Lord is your strength"; without it no one will be able to stand in such perilous times as we must face.
"Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister", (Matt. 20:28).

"Come, children, let us go,
    We travel hand in hand;
Each in his brother finds his joy,
    In this wild stranger land.
The strong be quick to raise
    The weaker when they fall;
Let love & peace & patience bloom
    In ready help for all."

    Paradoxical as it may seem, it is possible for the Word of truth to be proclaimed in a way that is false and sinful. Truth may be held in an unrighteous manner, (Rom. 1:15).
    It is never right to carry about the truth as a drawn sword -- ready to smite whoever dares differ from us in the slightest way. To witness is NOT, of necessity, to fight. To be loyal to truth does not necessarily require us to be dogmatic or self-assertive.
    The manner in which we hold the truth is as important as the truth itself. A sour or assertive temper in the man who holds the truth inevitably prejudices the truth itself. Love involves more than cold orthodoxy. A gracious spirit is as needful as correctness of opinion.
    A faith that works by love is the only faith that our Lord acknowledges. Love is patient and kind; never jealous, boastful or arrogant. It never acts in a manner unbecoming to the Christian profession. Love seeks nothing for itself. Unprovoked, and never affected by wrong suffered at the hands of others, it bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. It covers a multitude of sins.
"WE DO DIFFER when we most agree,
  For WORDS are not the same to
    you and me.
And IT MAY BE our several spiritual
    needs
  Are best supplied by SEEMING
    different creeds."
  With deep gratitude for the grace that has delivered us from bondage

to sin, let us be faithful and loyal to Him who has rescued us. Loving Him with heart, soul, strength and mind (and our brethren as ourselves), He will "unite our hearts to fear His name" and make us a blessing to others.
    Let us handle the life-giving Word of God in such a manner as to honor Him, rather than to bring reproach upon His worthy name!

IDENTIFYING A N.T. CHURCH..Cont'd.

Baptistic belief. Though others may claim Jesus Christ as the founder of their sect, they inevitably point to Pentecost as the time of its origin -- at least ten days after the Lord had already ascended to His Father's right hand in the heavens, and too late for His actual headship.
    Evidences for a pre-Pentecostal origin are as follows:
  (1) The gift of APOSTLESHIP was "set in the church" before Pentecost as the very first of various spiritualities designed for the development of the church to maturity (I Cor. 12:20). This is recorded as having taken place almost two years before the completion of Jesus' earthly ministry, (Matt. 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16).
  (2) Basic rules of DISCIPLINE, designed to maintain the purity of the church, were given before Pentecost, (Matt. l8:15-l8). They are later explained, refined and enforced under apostolic direction.
  (3) The ORDINANCES (baptism & the Supper) were given to the church before Pentecost, (Matt. 20:18-20; 26:26-30; I Cor. 11:23-26).
  (4) The COMMISSION, summarizing the church's responsibility, was given before Pentecost, (Matt. 28; Acts l:8).
  (5) The HOLY SPIRIT was PROMISED to it (in a special, abiding capacity) before Pentecost, (Jn.14-16).
  (6) And Jesus SANG IN THE MIDST of the church before Pentecost, (Heb. 2:12; Matt.26:30) in fulfillment of Psalm 22:22.