2 SWORD OF THE LORD September 23 , 2022
Sunday and Wednesday at the Church of the Open Door , Westminster , Maryland
Another Sword Anniversary : Eighty-Eight Blessed Years
When the Sword of the Lord first came to my mailbox I was a twenty-one-year-old preacher / pastor . Betty and I had been married just two years . I was pastor of a small SBC church and a student at an SBC university .
As the Sword continued coming , I devoured every issue . I learned from Dr . John Rice . Little did I realize at the time that the education I got from the Sword would be my best and most fruitful training . For the next few years , I let Dr . Rice retutor , retrain and retool me for the ministry . I shall be forever grateful .
A few years passed and my frustration with the Convention grew so great that I just could not continue my association with it . So I resigned my church and walked away . I have never regretted that decision and to this day I ’ m very thankful to be a fundamental , independent Baptist .
For twenty-seven years now it has been my joy to serve here and give leadership to this great work . It is my privilege to keep Dr . Rice and Dr . Hutson visible on the pages of the Sword of the Lord . I want all of us in 2022 and beyond to have the benefit of their ministry and influence . I pray they will be - come special to you as they have been to me .
My front-page editorial , “ The Sword of the Lord ’ s Eighty-Eighth Anniversary ,” will give you some history and current details . I hope you will read it fully .
Let me thank you for standing with us and being our friend . The fact that you pray for us and support us is a major factor in the ongoing success that we are experiencing .
Sword Men ’ s Conference , November 11 – 12
The clock is ticking and the time is drawing closer . Just about six weeks from now we will be hosting the Sword Men ’ s Conference right here at Sword headquarters . Since seating is limited to 300 , early registration is a good idea .
Starting promptly at 6:00 p . m . on Friday and at 8:30 a . m . on Satur - day , it is a cram-packed event . Along with the great music , you ’ ll hear preaching and teaching from four very successful pastors , namely , Jeff Fugate , Mike Allison , Caleb Martin and Rex Carringer . I will also be on the program .
Guys , you ’ re going to enjoy this very much . It will be well worth the effort . I look forward to seeing you here .
The registration is $ 25 through November 7 and $ 35 after that date . You may register by calling the Sword at 800-247-9673 .
All ages of men from tenth grade through senior adults are welcome .
• • •
When the Bible says , “ Approve things that are excellent ” ( Phil . 1:10 ), it doesn ’ t require an expensive set of commentaries to explain what that means . Although it is a simple statement , it is an important one .
One thing is for sure — it is not an endorsement of mediocrity . Since it is addressed to Christians , it seems pretty clear that we should just apply it .
Admittedly the spirit of the age is a “ hang loose ” one . “ I will do what I want to do ” has a huge following .
For a Christian , “ excellence ” is found in the Word of God and in the will of God . Finding His Word and His will will take some effort , but “ approving ” them will require more than effort . “ Approving ” means we agree and we are committed .
“ Excellence ” in practice over a period of time will earn you a testimony as well as respect . It is never easy , but with the Lord ’ s help it can be done — and you can be the one to do it .
While a host of others are living a half-baked Christian life , if you will “ approve things that are excellent ” you will be a standout for the Lord . It is my strong encouragement that you go for it . Amen !
( USPS 531-160 ) ( ISSN 0039-7547 ) AMERICA ’ S FOREMOST REVIVAL PUBLICATION DR . JOHN R . RICE , Founder-Editor 1934-1980 DR . CURTIS HUTSON , President-Editor 1980-1995
DR . SHELTON SMITH , President , Editor
MARLON SMITH , Executive Vice President and General Manager BART WALKER , Treasurer JIMMY BARRETT , Director of Marketing and Customer Service CALEB PENLAND , Director of Development and Circulation
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On Sunday , August 21 , and Wednesday , August 24 , I preached for Dr . Norris Belcher at the Church of the Open Door in Westminster , Maryland . Some of you will re - member that I was pastor here for 17 years prior to becoming editor of the Sword of the Lord . Dr . Belcher came immediately there - after and has served faithfully for 27 years now .
The church has a strong funda - mental testimony in Maryland and has a long and continuing track record as a soul-winning church .
On Sunday I stood at the window in the pastor ’ s office and watched the parking lot fill up . As the people walked in , there was a quickness to their step that communicated their excitement about being at church . The folks are always so gracious to Betty and me .
Dr . Belcher has invited me back many , many times over the years . Every such visit means so much to us . This time , as always , the Lord gave His blessing and we absolutely had a great time . The folks turned out strongly for all the services and I had good liberty each time I stood to preach .
Dr . Belcher and I have worked together every step of the way through the years . Our friendship is strong and we always enjoy our labor in the Lord ’ s work . He and I are both quite interested in baseball , so , yes , we went to Camden Yard in Baltimore . We have done that many times and it is always a good time .
If you are in Carroll County , Maryland , or near there , you should go see Dr . Belcher and the Church of the Open Door sometime soon .
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October 2 ( Sunday a . m ./ p . m .)
Lighthouse Baptist Church 5005 Carlisle Road Dover , Pennsylvania
Sterling Walsh , pastor 717-292-5000
October 11 – 12 ( Tuesday — Wednesday )
Lighthouse Legal Seminar Lighthouse Baptist Church 2929 Carpenter Road Ashtabula , Ohio
John Jones , pastor 440-984-0222
October 23 – 25 ( Sunday – Tuesday )
Ramsay Hills Baptist Church 13300 Joe Batt Road Vancleave , Mississippi
Dale Greenwell , pastor 228-392-1752
October 31 – November 1 ( Monday – Tuesday )
Suburban Baptist Church 722 County Line Road Indianapolis , Indiana
Ford Glover , pastor 317-888-7289
Church ’ s Exit From SBC May Be Just the Beginning
Pastor Nathaniel Jolly … in Homer , Alaska , says the Southern Baptist Convention is “ a ship [ that ] is sinking , unrepairable ; and it ’ s time for us to get off .” The SBC , he says in the July 21 tweeted letter , “ seems to value the applause of men over that of God ,” is “ beholden to the world rather than the Word ,” hinders his church ’ s witness and is a threat to his flock .
Biblical apologist Dr . Alex McFarland agrees that the denomination has become too culturally relevant for its own good . “ When the hierarchy decides to improve itself out of business , this is what happens ,” he explains . “ People [ are ] patient — but then the time comes when they decide to pull away .”
In an earlier interview … McFarland alluded to a “ woke ” leadership in many of the SBC ’ s agencies and seminaries as “ more concerned with being in conformity to the culture than in conformity to Scripture .”
And the apologist admitted he is pessimistic about the future of the denomination . “ It is ego and politics and posturing that has rendered the SBC all but irrelevant ,” McFarland stated [ in July ]. “ It ’ s not dead , but now it ’ s terminal .”
— Steve Jordahl , Jody Brown , afa . com
Department of Defense Wokeness Killing Recruitment
In May , top Defense Department leaders told Congress this was the worst recruiting crisis since the start of the all-volunteer military half a century ago .…
This comes after lowering the bar and softening a number of previous standards and throwing a great deal of money at incentivizing recruitment . None of the extreme measures appear to be working .…
… Defense Department leaders continue to stonewall facing the real elephant in the room : The perceived wokeness of top DOD leadership ( and policies ) by the conservative half of the country .…
According to a recent Reagan National Defense Survey , the percentage of Americans who “ have a lot of confidence and trust in the military ” plummeted from 70 percent to 45 percent in the past couple of years . The debacle of the botched Afghanistan withdrawal caused a catastrophic 11 percentage point drop . To give greater clarity on which demographic had lost the most confidence , the poll showed conservative loss of confidence was beyond what we have seen in American history . A Ronald Reagan Institute survey showed that in 2018 “ 87 percent of Republican respondents said they had a great deal of confidence in the military .” That number plummeted to only 53 percent by 2021 and it continues to plummet among conservatives .…
Ironically , even “ uber-liberal ” publications like the Atlantic have recognized and reported on this issue .…
The overriding duty of Department of Defense leadership is to provide national defense —[ not to ] push woke ideology . Fixing the recruiting crisis will require the courage to push back against ideologues in the administration by putting the Constitution first . We either return to a politically neutral military focused on winning wars , or we will see the military and national defense wither away .
— Bill Connor , christianpost . com
One Hundred Six Florida Churches Sue United Methodist Church Over Disaffiliation Process
Over 100 congregations in Florida have sued a regional body of the United Methodist Church , believing they are not being given fair terms for leaving the second-largest denomination in the United States amid its schism over homosexuality .
A total of 106 congregations filed suit against the UMC Florida Annual Conference … in the Circuit Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit .…
A specific issue in the lawsuit is how the departing congregations are required to pay the conference a “ sum of money ” to retain control of their church properties .
The complaint alleges that this payment “ is determined in the discretion of the aforementioned parties and is always substantial and often prohibitive , yet nonnegotiable and unappealable .”
The plaintiffs also contend that the UMC Book of Discipline , which is the denomination ’ s central rule book , allows for them to “ amicably disaffiliate ,” citing Section 2548.2 .
— Michael Gryboski , christianpost . com
California Passes Bill to Punish Doctors Who Dissent From Government-Approved COVID-19 Narrative
The California legislature has passed a bill that would punish doctors and other medical professionals for spreading purportedly false information about COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments .
If signed by Governor Gavin Newsom ( D ), AB 2098 would make healthcare professionals accused of spreading misinformation or disinformation about COVID-19 liable to disciplinary action from the Medical Board of California for “ unprofessional conduct .” That could include suspending or revoking a doctor ’ s license to practice medicine in the state , according to the New York Times .…
… The most controversial part of the bill , according to its critics , defines misinformation as spreading information “ that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care .”
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