"To testify the gospel of the grace of God." Acts 20:24
**PUBLISHED AS A MISSION PROJECT OF PILGRIMS HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH**
Bouquets and
Brickbats
TEXAS: Thanks for the good work you are doing in The Grace Proclamator and Promulgator, especially with the articles on Wine, Promise Keepers, and the Scriptural messages on Starting Churches. You’re right on target. Enclosed is a small token of our appreciation for the paper, use as needed.
WWW: I look forward to reading more of your material on your WebSite.
OKLAHOMA: Daughter churches . . . Christ and His church wife having daughters . . . Whatever happened to the "chaste virgin" "espoused" to Christ? Has the "marriage of the Lamb" come and gone and I missed it?
VIRGINIA: Although I am not at all surprised, I am deeply saddened to see that those Baptists who hold to your position on church successionism have now been branded as "apostate Landmarkers" and "liberal Baptists." I look forward to reading your response to this charge.
TEXAS: I continue to appreciate your Grace paper. Keep up the good work.
IOWA: Bro. ________ did an excellent job of misrepresenting what we believe and what you have written. Bro. _______ has a lot more ammunition than Bro. Wilson, even though it is the wrong caliber. Hopefully, this issue can soon be put to bed for awhile; however, I am afraid that many are going to be left with some erroneous ideas.
VIRGINIA: You have been accused of not believing in church succession because you do not subscribe to the formal, link-by-link concept. Most all of the men that you quoted in your earlier articles believed in church succession, but not in the formal, link-by-link idea. This is brought out by ________ and other writers. It seems to me that all Landmarkers believe in an informal, unofficial, link-by-link church succession. Some Landmarkers insist, however, on a formal, official, link-by-link church succession. The term "church perpetuity" is often used in order to make a distinction between the two Landmark positions. Just a few thoughts.
MASSACHUSETTS: I would like to get on the Mailing List to receive The Grace Proclamator & Promulgator. God Bless and Keep staying by the stuff!!!
WASHINGTON: ________ told me that you have a newspaper that you send out. I have read some things on your web page and I am always amazed at how much more you open my eyes to the truth and how you and I believe so much alike. I would love to get your newspaper and read it. If possible could you add me to your mailing list, please?
I would really appreciate your sending it to me. I know that you have a lot of wonderful and truthful things to say. Also thank you so much for the articles you sent me for the research I am doing for my book. May God bless and keep you always.
FLORIDA: Yesterday it (The GP&P) came addressed to me. I just wanted to write and say thank you. I enjoy reading it. Yes, I agree with your position on the organization of churches. You know it just occurred to me today that with all this emphasis on chain link there is another question that I have not heard or read considered. How can these people, who are so dead set on chain link, be absolutely sure that one of those churches through which they succeeded was not one of the General Baptist Churches? Were they not all together at first? Could it not be that a Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in searching its "ancestry" might find that it traces back to a General Baptist Church? Were the General Baptists not Arminian? . . . I know you are busy, and I will not go on. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your sending the paper to me personally.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This brother has raised an issue that many do not like to discuss. I read an article recently in an issue of a paper dating back to the 70’s in which a writer defined a true Church. He insisted that it must teach the five points of grace to be a true church. Yet, the church that baptized this brother, according to a number who know the facts, was rather Arminian in its doctrine. He would also be hard pressed to prove that there are no Arminian churches in his churches ancestry. If his position on a true church be correct, and there is an Arminian church in the ancestry of the church where he was baptized his baptism is unscriptural. If he cannot prove there is no Arminian church in his church’s ancestry, he very well may be unchurched. This extreme position taken by some must haunt them at times when they know there may be a broken link back there somewhere.
WWW: Thank you for your article, The World’s Worst Possible Famine. I agree with you completely. I attend a Baptist church where the Word of God is preached and taught by a very gifted pastor. This man can preach a whole sermon on one or two verses. Week after week I am amazed and wonder how he keeps coming up with such good stuff and then it dawns on me that one reason is that he spends much time in prayer and always preaches and teaches directly out of the Word. We are truly blessed in our church.
The reason I am writing is that when I read your article a thought came to mind which takes us in a different direction. We have this godly man for a pastor and another godly man for an associate pastor (also very talented) so we are hearing the Word as it should be heard and taught but the trouble is that the people in our congregation don't appreciate what God has given us. We have a core of people on fire for the Lord but I see so much lukewarmness in the rest of the congregation and of course I realize that I can't know what's in a person's heart but so many people seem to be lukewarm. I can't understand how they can sit in church and listen week after week and not respond. I fear this could also bring on the famine you talk about and the removal of God's lampstand from our church. I pray that our pastors don't get discouraged and that our sleeping church will wake up before it's too late. Thank you for listening to me and for your article.
SOUTH CAROLINA: I am writing to say thank you very much for your paper. I do continue to enjoy your teaching very much . . . Thank you and I do look forward to future issues of The GP&P.
TENNESSEE: I'm glad that no more time will be wasted discussing link-chain succession when scripture does not teach it. Please devote more time and paper to doctrinal issues rather than "mans ways" of applying them. I know that is proper to correct wrong ideas, but we have more (?) important truths to publish (like the doctrine of grace).
WWW: I would like permission to duplicate your articles on the PKs for distribution in my church and also to make links to them on my web site (listed below). I fear many of our people are unaware of this latest danger to true biblical Christianity and I desire to correct this as soon as possible.
Many thanks for the hard work you have put into this.
GREATEST CONFERENCE IN THE LAST TEN YEARS
I honestly believe we have just had the best conference this past week-end that we have had in the ten years I have been here as pastor. Every, yes, every preacher was right on target on his subject. The theme was "There is No Condemnation Because . . . !" Every sermon was from the eighth chapter of Romans and God was so very present in the services. My, how we were blessed and edified.
Another wonderful thing was the great spirit of unity that prevailed among those present. There was real fellowship among the brethren and around the word. Why not make plans right now to attend next year on October 2-4, 1998?
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Last updated on Friday, March 04, 2011