2 SWORD OF THE LORD June 24 , 2022
National Sword Conference
When we get to late June and early July we are focused like a laser on making ready for the National Sword of the Lord Conference .
I hope you are making plans to be with us at the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Walkertown ( Winston-Salem ), North Carolina , July 18 – 21 .
Interestingly , I recently ran across a column I had written in 2007 . That ’ s fifteen years ago , but every word I wrote then is totally ap - plicable to this year ’ s Conference . So I ask you to take a look at the column once again .
With our National Sword of the Lord Conference just a few weeks away now , my thoughts are turning that way often .
I ’ m well aware that pastors and their key workers are all people who lead very busy lives . I know so well the pressure that comes with a hectic schedule .
Across our nation , there are a lot of events to which you could go . Many of them are good , but I think you would agree that only a few are “ must do .”
I believe the National Sword of the Lord Conference is in that circle of “ must-do ” annual events . There are several reasons for that .
1 . Over the years many thousands of pastors have been greatly in - fluenced by the Conference .
It is not just another meeting . It has been greatly blessed of the Lord in influencing several generations of fundamental Christian leaders .
2 . It is , in fact , almost like a nationwide homecoming of the fundamental Baptist crowd . The fellowship is something very special . When you are gathered with a big group of same-page , like-minded folks , good things are going to happen .
You ’ re going to meet people from far and near . You ’ ll meet the preachers whose sermons you ’ ve read in the Sword of the Lord . You ’ re going to make friends . It ’ s a great part of the Conference .
3 . The pulpit is the center of it . “ Where preaching is still the main event ” is more than rhetoric : it is the heart of what we do . Check out the list of this year ’ s scheduled preachers ( see ad on pages 12 and 13 ). What an outstanding group of godly servants of God — and preach they will do !
4 . Each afternoon from 1:30 until 3:00 I will lead a special teaching session for pastors and Christian workers in the School of the Prophets sessions . At the same times Dr . Sterling Walsh will lead special sessions for music personnel .
5 . The music is uplifting ! It is solid , sane and Spirit-filled ! No junk ! No junky presentations ! Nothing with a contemporary flavor . None of the charismatic-style nonsense !
6 . The emphasis is on the Bible , the Lord Jesus Christ , revival , soul winning , the local church , standards , separation , taking a stand and contending for the faith .
7 . The spirit of the Conference reflects the heartbeat of the funda - mental movement . Alert to the events of our day but attuned to the mandates of the New Testament , the Conference voices will ‘ cry aloud and spare not ’ ( Isa . 58:1 ). It will be exciting , edifying and en - couraging ..
“ And the cost is ?” That ’ s the question everybody asks and it is , or course , an understandable one . Honestly , I sometimes forget to stress that part of it ; but the truth is there are no registration fees , no fees of any kind . All the main sessions and all the workshops are open to everyone who attends .
The next question logically is this : “ How do you pay the bills ?” The Sword VIP Club , the Sword VIP Gold Club , the Sword VIP Diamond Club , plus the offerings taken during the week are the primary sources of support .
We believe the National Sword of the Lord Conference is so im - portant that we do not want to make it difficult for even one person to attend . So we step out by faith each year with a prayer in our hearts that the Lord will produce
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a mighty impact and that He will give us a sufficient number of partners to pay the bills .
That ’ s our vision ! That ’ s our plan ! That ’ s the way we do it !
Now we are fast approaching the dates — July 18 – 21 .
I ’ m looking forward to seeing you there ! Your pastor needs to come ! Your staff men too ! Their wives should also come ! Your church folks should also be there !
It ’ s time now for you to think about having a strong representa - tion from your church .
How You Can Help
You can help us have a successful National Sword of the Lord Con - ference in 2022 . Here ’ s how :
1 . Be there yourself . 2 . Bring your family .
3 . See to it that your pastor , the church staff , other key leaders in your church ( and their families ) are in attendance .
4 . Encourage others to come .
5 . Be a VIP Club member , a VIP Gold Club member , or a VIP Diamond Club member .
6 . Pray for us . We want the scent of Heaven and the strength of God to be upon us .
7 . Share the vision with us . See what we see , believe what we be - lieve and step up by faith to help us further the cause of revival and soul winning .
So there you have it . That was our story then and that is our story now .
I look forward to seeing you July 18 – 21 in Walkertown . Check the ad on pages 12 and 13 or the Sword website for hotels and other Conference details .
The School of the Prophets ( for Pastors and Church Workers )
Yes , my School of the Prophets at the National Sword of the Lord Conference is for anybody and everybody who serves in a local church . The pastor , the staff , deacons , Sunday school teachers , bus workers , choir members , ushers , etc ., will all be helped in this afternoon session at the Sword Conference .
The sessions are right after lunch Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday from 1:30 until 3:00 p . m .
With our Conference theme of “ Building on the Rock ,” we will address a number of topics for “ building ” a solid and strong church . These are the things we have scheduled .
Tuesday afternoon — 1:30 1 . Let ’ s Get Over It ! ( Dr . Smith )
2 . Let ’ s Be Fundamentalists ! ( Dr . Hamblin )
3 . Let ’ s Be Soul Winners ! ( Dr . Wells )
Wednesday afternoon — 1:30 1 . Let ’ s Have Church ! ( Dr . Smith ) 2 . Let ’ s Run Buses ! ( Dr . Fugate ) 3 . Let ’ s Do Big Days ! ( Dr . Godsey ) Thursday afternoon — 1:30 1 . Let ’ s Pay the Bills ! ( Dr . Smith )
2 . Let ’ s Reach Young People ! ( Dr . Ross )
3 . Let ’ s Do Great Things ! ( Dr . Leatherman )
All of these sessions will be taught by men who are doing tremendous work in the places where the Lord has placed them . They will us very practical help which will aid you in your church .
Rea ; izing church growth never happens by accident . Somebody is employed of the Lord to do it .
Seeing people saved regularly is Continued on p 3▶
In my view , the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed .… No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people .
— Noah Webster
Middle Schooler Accused of Sexual Harassment for “ Misgendering ” Classmate
School boards across the country seem to be putting transgender and gender-fluid ideology above the safety and well-being of their students .…
A Wisconsin middle schooler has been accused of sexual harassment simply for misgendering a classmate .
Thirteen-year-old Braden is one of three students being charged by school district officials with sexual harassment over accusations they referred to a student as “ she ” rather than “ they ” or “ them .”
Braden ’ s mother . Rose Rabidoux …[ asserted ], “ This is outrageous ! It is outrageous ! Sexual harassment has absolutely nothing to do with incorrect pronouns … misgendering .…”
— theblaze . com
Maine Department of Education Removes Kindergarten LGBT Lesson Following Backlash
The Maine Department of Education has removed a video introducing the concepts of sexual orientation and gender identity to kindergarten students from its website after it became the subject of an attack ad in the state ’ s upcoming gubernatorial election .…
In the clip , teacher Kailina Mills described trans-identified individuals as people “ the doctors made a mistake about when they were born .” She suggested that “ when a baby is born , the doctors will tell the parents what gender they think that baby is .”
— Ryan Foley , christianpost . com
EDITOR ’ S COMMENTS : In kindergarten they are doing this !
Left-Wingers at College Graduations ; Most Speakers Are Liberals
This year , just three of the top 100 colleges ranked by U . S . News and World Report are hosting conservative commencement speakers , while 53 are hosting left-of-center lecturers , according to the Young America ’ s Foundation 2022 Commencement Speaker Survey .
The remaining colleges and universities are not tallied in the foundation ’ s study if they are hosting speakers without apparent political affiliations , hosting multiple speakers , opt [ ing ] for university personnel to give the address [ es ], or [ if they ] hadn ’ t announced their commence ment speakers as of the conclusion of the survey .
The trend of political liberals dominating the list of graduation speakers has been ongoing for the past 30 years , according to the foundation .…
The foundation says the only three conservatives this year at commencement lecterns will be Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin , former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis . However , other leading conservatives , such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis , Senator Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem , were not expected to speak at any commencements this year , according to the foundation ’ s survey .
“ Even as Americans are beginning to wake up and wholly reject the left ’ s disastrous economic policies and culture wars , America ’ s universities are working overtime to rehab the left ’ s failing image ,” it concluded . “ It ’ s truly sad that up until their very last day of school , students are being indoctrinated by speakers with a clear ideological agenda — people who have no intent on giving an actual inspiring , powerful send-off to our future leaders .”
— Bernadette Hassan , dailysignal . com
Arizona Department of Education Promotes Chat Room to Talk About Gender , Sexuality
The Arizona Department of Education ’ s list of student resources provides minor children with links to LGBT-themed chat rooms where they can discuss gender and sexuality , possibly without their parents ’ knowledge .
The ADE website directs students to … a list of resources ADE assembled for students , educators , school leaders and parents “ to assist in the support of LGBTQ students in our schools and communities .”
In addition to the chat rooms , the website also includes information about local and national LGBT organizations . The list of resources was collected by “ members and allies of the LGBTQ + community as part of ADE ’ s Equitable and Inclusive Practices Advisory Council .”…
The LGBT-themed chat room is operated in collaboration with the Planned Parenthood Federation of America , the nation ’ s largest abortion provider .
— Samantha Kamman , christianpost . com