Government of a New Testament Church

Government of a New Testament Church.

Every local New Testament church is an independent, self-governing body, having Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its leader.

In accordance with the law of Christ, the members of each local church have the sole right to determine and safe-guard the vital and fundamental principles as outlined for its procedure her in the world for His work.

Places in the Bible where taught:

• The church receives members into its communion. Romans 14:1. Rom. 15:7.
• The church excludes unworthy members. 1st Cor. 5:1-5; II Thess. 3:6.
• The church restores excluded penitent members. 2nd Cor. 1:6-8.
• The church chose another apostle to take the place of Judas. Acts 1:23-26.
• The church chose deacons. Acts 6:1-6.
• The church chose pastors (Elders) in every local organization. Acts 14:23.
• The pastors are not to be rulers over the church. 1st Pet. 5:1-3.
• The deacons are not rulers over the church. Acts 6:1-3.

The Fundamental Faith and Doctrine of those called Missionary Baptists, Compiled and Arranged by Henry Filmore Sanders, Nacogdoches, Texas (Printed by Baker Printing Company, Nacogdoches. No date, no pagination) – with slight punctuation and formatting changes.

Make your marriage a priority

“Make your marriage a priority. Children grow up and move out, parents leave this world, and friends change over time. In the end, it is just the two of you—so build a bond that cannot be broken.”

“Real Mom Thoughts” Facebook page, November 3, 2025

Mercy, O thou Son of David

XCV. Bartimeus. [Mark] x. 47, 48. [8s.7s. meter]

1. “Mercy, O thou Son of David!”
Thus blind Bartimeus prayed;
“Others by thy word are saved,
“Now to me afford thine aid.”
Many for his crying chide him,
But he called the louder still;
Till the gracious Saviour bid him,
“Come, and ask me what you will.”

2. Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted,
Alms, which none but he could give:
“Lord, remove this grievous blindness,
“Let my eyes behold the day.”
Straight he saw, and, won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.

3. Oh! methinks I hear him praising,
Publishing to all around;
“Friends is not my case amazing?
“What a Savior I have found!
“Oh! that all the blind but knew him,
“And would be advised by me!
“Surely, would they hasten to him,
“He would cause them all to see.”

By John Newton, in Olney Hymns, In Three Books, Hymn 95, pp. 117-118.

John Newton (1725-1807) is best known – is some cases almost exclusively – for his hymn “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.” It is certainly a good one! One that has been called a “spiritual national anthem” or “Christian national anthem.” Newton wrote many good hymns on texts of scripture. “Mercy, O thou Son of David” is one of these. In it he takes the historical incident and related miracle of “Blind Bartimaeus” and teaches us a lesson on spiritual blindness. It needs to find broader use in conservative Christian communities. Listen to three four-line stanzas (1a, 2a, 2b) of John Newton’s hymn, sung with the grand tune Villulia. 

J. M. Day wrote this tune, but nothing is known of who he was.

In the seed, and other quotes

The posting of quotes of human authors does not constitute agreement with either the quotes or their sources. (I try to confirm the sources that I give, but may miss on occasion; please verify if possible.)

“In the seed lives the hope of the harvest.” -- J. T. Harris

“It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors.” -- A. W. Pink

“Slogans are often unhelpful, because they leave too much unsaid and often end up creating more confusion.” -- Tim Barnett

“Social media is warping our reality and our humanity.” -- Kaizen Asiedu

“The clock keeps moving toward an appointment written on a calendar we cannot see” (Hebrews 9:27). -- Rich Bitterman

“A dead man’s calendar can still look busy.” -- Rich Bitterman

“A good day doesn’t begin with perfect circumstances; it begins with a perfect God.” -- Matt Gholson

“Bitterness ensnares you in yesterday. Anxiety enslaves you to tomorrow. Jesus gives peace for today.” -- Garrett Kell

“Many go into court to get wool, but come out closely shorn.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“The spiritual enemy doesn’t ‘fight fair.’” -- Shane Wiggins

“The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home.” -- Augustine of Hippo

“Our Father dwells in tents as well as in temples, but his favorite abiding-place is in the hearts of mankind.” -- J. Fred Jones

“You can be born again, but you cannot be born again and again and again.” -- Charles H. Spurgeon

“If you can’t tell the difference between a female athlete and a male athlete in a wig, you’re a pallbearer for the death of common sense.” -- Nancy Mace

“When your funds run out, your ‘friends’ will run out.” -- James V. Peoples

Spiritual adultery in U.S. pulpits

Jeremiah 2:12-13, 23-24

Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

As I notice the wild unbiblical raging and rambling that is multiplied in U. S. pulpits, I think of the condemnation God brought against his people through the prophet Jeremiah. After all that God had done for them, they forsook the eternal fountain of living waters in trade for broken cisterns that would not hold water. They in their flagrant idolatry were like the wild donkey used to the wilderness. This wild donkey in heat (in her occasion) runs around seeking paramours; she sniffs the wind, and sends her scent over the winds; she is not hard to find. Oh, how descriptive of the depravity of debased so-called Christianity in our day. It will neither love the Lord nor heed the word of God, but in spiritual adultery turns away to seek that which is vile, debased, and broken.

Jeremiah 3: 2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

Every minister of Christ should

A statement on ministers recorded at the annual Kehukee Baptist Association held in May of 1784, at Sandy-Run Meetinghouse, Bertie County, North Carolina.

Upon the whole, we suppose that it is necessary every minister of Christ should, in the first place, be truly converted, and regenerated by the grace of God, that he have a general acquaintance with the word of God, and that he should be called of God to preach the gospel: ‘No man taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.’ Heb. v. 4. An evidence of his call, for his own satisfaction, is, first, if his views in preaching the gospel be not for the sake of lucre, nor for honor nor applause; but, secondly, if he aim at the glory of God and the good of souls. An evidence of his call, to the satisfaction of others, is, first, his spiritual understanding in the word of God; second, his ability in explaining the meaning of the word; third, the success of his ministry in the conviction and conversion of sinners, and comfort of the saints. It is necessary that a person thus called to the ministry, should preach on trial for some time, and when the church is satisfied with his call and usefulness, he shall then be set apart by fasting and prayer, by the hands of the Presbytery…

A Concise History of the Kehukee Baptist Association, From its original rise to the present time, Joseph Biggs. Tarborough, NC: George Howard & Tarborough N.C.  Free Press, 1834. pp. 65-66.

Good preaching

“That’s some good preaching,” he said—but what did he mean? Was it good because of how it was delivered, or good because of what was delivered? Too often folks just mean the how and not the what!

On Facebook, Monday September 28th, Pastor Herman Johnson posted this quote: “Preaching is only good when the doctrine is sound.” That caught my eye because earlier that same day I told a preacher his sermon was good—then thought to add, good because it was true. It was a very well-preached sermon, but it was the truth that was preached. Well-preached would not matter if he had not preached the truth. (Well, we could say it does matter, but in a negative way. It is a bad thing when error is “well-preached.”)

It is a good thing, a plus, that the truth be presented well. When we hear someone who is so detached from and dispassionate about his message that it seems he himself is not moved by it—we might wonder if he actually believes what he is saying. We should like the truth to be “well-preached.” Nevertheless, it is the truth, sound doctrine, that makes the sermon good rather than how well it is preached.

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Two other preaching quotes:

 “If people leave worship saying, ‘What an amazing preacher!’ we have failed. Instead, we must long for them to say, ‘What an amazing God.” Alistair Begg

“A desire to preach without a burden to study is a desire to perform.” H. B. Charles Jr.

Christianity As A Costume

“Churches that accommodate the surrounding culture’s moral assumptions tend to empty out within two or three generations...Theological substance — creation, fall, redemption, resurrection, judgment, human dignity, sexual ethics, and the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ — is precisely what makes Christianity worth believing. Strip that away in the name of openness, and you’ve kept the brand while destroying the product.”

Andrew T. Walker