Though, at this writing, there is no way to determine who, or how many, may be attending our Fellowship Meeting on November 24-25, WE WELCOME YOU with a warm, Christian love! We want to be a blessing to you, as your very presence is to us.
    It is the earnest prayer of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, and her pastors, that the very "spirit of Christ" will prevail throughout these meetings. And we are trusting God for such a series of messages as will challenge every heart onward and upward for the glory of our God.
    WELCOME, BRETHREN! And may the Lord bless our fellowship together!

    The Garden Island MBC, Kilauea, Hawaii, has scheduled a Fellowship Meeting December 23-24. Bro. Lonnie Ford has resigned the pastorate, but continues to lead them in the search for a new shepherd.
    Remembrance of past blessings makes me wish that I might be with them again. But that seems impossible at this time. I do pray that the Lord will bless this meeting

    On October 11-13 "The Pillar Bible Conference" was held in Simpsonville, S.C. "THE PILLAR" is a unique publication sponsored by the Hallmark Baptist Church of Simpsonville.
    Though it was my privilege to attend only the first four sessions of this conference, it was a real blessing to discuss, with other brethren, a number of things concerning "Biblical Unity in Truth".
    A "Proposed Agenda", with five basic divisions, was given to each of those participating in the first session:
    1. At 9:00 A.M., on Tuesday morning, an 80-minute orientation session was held, in which Pastor Willard Ramsey presented a biblical mandate and precedent for such a meeting - showing that discord among His people is a misrepresentation of our Lord. Pastor William Hawkins presented an "Historical Synopsis" - showing that this was not the first time Baptist people had come together for such a purpose. Then, opportunity was given for participants in the conference to suggest any needful alteration or modification in the proposed agenda.
    2. In the nest three sessions

an attempt was made to arrive at a definitive understanding of what Biblical Unity in Truth actually involves. This closed the discussions of the first day.
    On Tuesday evening Pastor Glen Kerr led the choir and congregation in a heart-warming song service - which included several special numbers that touched the heart. Following this, it was my privilege to bring a message entitled: "That They May All BE ONE". (At this point it was necessary for me to return home for a church Business Meeting.)
    3. In the early session, on Tuesday morning (Session 5), the group looked at some of the problems caused by discord: a) God's hatred of it, and b) The issue of credibility.
    4. The final three sessions (6-8) on Wednesday involved a discussion of "The Root Cause of Discord and The Way to Overcome it".
    5. When the group came together

for its final session, on Thursday morning, their discussions were devoted to IMPLEMENTATION. An attempt was made: a) To identify differences, b) To establish priorities, and c) to prepare a long-range agenda designed to work through those differences.
    According to Pastor Ramsey, though attendance was low, the spirit manifested by those participating in the conference was so encouraging that another conference will be scheduled for next year. Then will begin the task of closely examining the Word of God for such a mutual understanding of His Word as will begin to resolve the difficulties.
    A full report of this Conference will be published in the January- March issue of THE PILLAR. You may subscribe to this very worthy publication ($5.00 per year) by addressing E.G.


    With great joy, and praise to our Heavenly Father, we welcome Sister Valerie Nunally into our fellowship upon the profession of her faith and her submission to baptism on November 13. May the Lord be with her in her Christian walk. And may she be blessed of the Lord in reaching others! E.G.

in such a way as to strengthen, encourage and unify the body for a more faithful and effective witness to our dear Lord. E.G.

    "... for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith", Phil. 3:8c-9).
    Not only has Paul repudiated the things for which he once lived; in his evaluation, as a Christian, they have been devalued to the level of pure garbage! No longer does he search for eternal treasures in the garbage heaps of carnal religion. He has wholly abandoned the old life in order to concentrate on a higher goal; a more noble ambition - "that I may WIN CHRIST"! The spiritual riches to e appropriated in Christ Jesus are of ever-increasing value. Nor may one live long enough to fully explore, much less exhaust, the infinite dimensions of "the riches of His grace".
    To win (gain, or appropriate) Christ, is life's highest goal or ambition. Just to be able to say, with confidence, "I am His and He is mine!" To be so fully identified with Him, in an. intimacy of living relationship, as to be ENSPHERED IN HIM; this is the supreme appropriation of faith. It is a position limited to those who are walking in a living relationship with Him, as members of His body, in local New Testament churches. The present experience of that relationship is only a foretaste of the ever- increasing blessedness which God has prepared for those who love and serve Him, (I Cor. 2:9).

    No longer does such a person attempt to establish a righteousness of his own making. Whoever attempts to do so is not subjecting himself to the righteousness of God! (Rom. 9:30-33; 10:3). But, recognizing that the righteous demands of the law have already been fulfilled by "the faith of Christ"; Paul now looks unto the Son of God Who is made UNTO us: "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption", (I Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21), so that we, henceforth, may glory ONLY in the Lord.
    "The faith of Christ" involved His unwavering trust in, dependence upon, loyalty to and obedience of the Father's will. To settle for less than this, where such language is used, is a perversion of biblical terminology. It involves the kind of faith as was perfectly manifested in the life of Jesus. "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" (Lk. 2:49) "I can of my own self do nothing ... I seek not my own will, but the will of him that sent me", (Jn. 5:30). "I do always the things that are pleasing to Him", (Jn. 8:29). "I knew that thou hearest me alway" (Jn. 11:42). "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do", (Jn. 17:4). And, having borne our sins, in His own body on the cross, Jesus said: "It is FINISHED!" "Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit", Jn. 19:30; Lk. 23:46). Thus, He died, as He lived - ever faithful to the Father's will, word and way.
    "The faith of Christ" is that sterling quality of faith which joyfully leaves everything to the

Father's discretion and direction; that says: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth!" It is to this high quality of faith that we are called IN CHRIST JESUS. Through it the very righteousness of Christ is imputed to us by our Father-God.



    Most Missionary Baptist people recognize the origin of the New Testament church to be described in Matthew 4:18-20. Here Jesus, having already begun to preach, "walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they

were fishers. And he saith unto them, FOLLOW ME, AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF HEN. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him". Then He also called James and John, in like manner. But these men WERE NOT APOSTLES! It was some time LATER that they were "ordained" as apostles, (Mk. 3:14; Luke 6:13-16). All of these had, obviously, followed Him "beginning from the baptism of John", (Acts 1:22).
    Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:28, is not discussing the origin of the church. It should be obvious that nothing can be "set" into a non-existing entity! Rather, Paul is discussing the origin of the "spiritualities" (called "spiritual gifts" by some) - designed to aid in the growth and development of the newly established church toward spiritual maturity. Thus, the very first of those divinely bestowed endowments was that of twelve apostles who, under the control of the Holy Spirit (as bestowed on the Day of Pentecost), would assist in the "rooting and grounding" of a New Covenant people in the way of truth. Nor was any provision made for a succession of apostles to be appointed or approved by men.
    While it is true that those who first formed the nucleus of the church BECAME apostles, they were NOT apostles at the time they originally became a part of the church.
    Who would think of suggesting that "miracles, helps, healings, and tongues" were early members of the church that Jesus established See? E.G.