A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.
The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation.

The New Testament Church is the most important institution in the world. As stated above, we as members, are responsible and accountable for the function of the Church in the world through the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Your labor in and for the Church is not in vain. The Church shall prevail.

Examine your faithfulness to the Church and resolve in this new year to give God your best in promoting His cause in the world through the New Testament Church.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Bro. Gary

IV. Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Bro. Gary

Read carefully the following statement:

C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

Does your life reflect the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23? Are you thankful to God for the gift of salvation through God the Son and for the presence of God the Holy Spirit in your life?
Bro. Gary

Sponsored by: Jonesville Ministerial Alliance

Sunday, November 20, 2011 at 6 PM

Everyone Welcom
Location: Liberty Worship Center, Hwy 84 West, Jonesville
Speaker: Rev. Ricky Barnes, Pastor, Pure Light Baptist Church, Jonesville

All area churches are asked to consider moving their evening service and join other churches from our community as we praise out God and offer Thanksgiving for our many blessings.

D. God the Son
Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

One would assume that all Baptists agree on the essential doctrines, such as, the divinity of Jesus, however, they do not. Do you have a basic understanding of the biblical truth that Jesus of Nazareth is God the Son?

Dig deep. Study hard…………….

Bro. Gary

We as Baptist are and have been called “People of the Book”. This description is sometimes an over statement because we are not the students of Scripture that we should be. “The Baptist Faith and Message” is a statement of our basic beliefs as Baptists. This writing is not perfect or all inclusive but gives a good general guide to the major Biblical doctrines that frame our faith.

Last issue was on the doctrine of Salvation. This issue will cover the Scriptures. I hope that by addressing these in segments will allow for easier reading and better comprehension. To view the complete document, with related scriptures, go to www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp

I. The Scriptures
The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

II Timothy 2:15 & 3:14-17. As young Timothy, let us also be students of God’s Holy Word.

Bro. Gary

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.

B. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person’s life.

D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
I have had some questions ask me of late concerning the meaning of “salvation”. The above excerpt from the “Baptist Faith & Message” will give a good starting point in answering this question.

Bro. Gary

October 22, 2011 – 9:00 A.M.

Associational wide training on “The Value of a Vibrant Sunday School.” A general session will be held followed by break-out sessions for individual age groups. Consultants from the Louisiana Baptist Convention will be leading sessions. Refreshments will be served.

Unity of purpose benefits the efforts and end result of any group of people. Throughout the scriptures there are stories of great accomplishments by God’s people when they followed His lead and had unity of purpose. Gideon’s army was a great and mighty force of 32,000 men. However, through God’s selection process there were only 300 who had unity of purpose. These few met the challenge and won the victory in Judges Chapter 7.

This past Sunday night, unity of purpose was evident in our monthly business meeting. Though a small event in comparison, this was a good example for us as to what can be accomplished when there is unity of purpose. There were six major items to discuss and vote on and the entire meeting was less than 20 minutes. Thanks to all the committees and everyone that united in these common goals.

As we look toward our prayer meetings and the services next week, we must continue to have unity of purpose. I feel we all have a desire for personal and church wide revival. All pray to see others come to know Christ. Services have been scheduled, a speaker is selected, prayer meetings are set, however, the purpose of all our efforts is true heaven sent Revival.

Especially pray for Bro. Craig James, spiritually and physically, as he prepares for the messages each night.

Bro. Gary