The Ohio Independent Baptist, July 1962

Low r court decision reversed l f1t 1=i1~l l~,l }lll~( l1,11t l1 ()r ,~ 1t l1ita 111, )' t10 l 1 ,, itl1 )1\ t\\ll fr( ,tll tilt' i \ tlll' tllclll l~:111t1,t (1ll\ l'nl io11 antl r<:)l .. 1tt'· l ~r\ tll' ' t'\ t'11 tl1c t1gl1 .1 111a1<)r1t , <) { tl1t' l' <J r1g-tcg'c1 - 1ic>11 , \,tl''tl f< r ,ttcl1 ,111 ,1ct1tlt1. '"l l1i~ c.l l'l' t~t()tl ,, ,1 l1,111cl cl t..l,,,, 11 I y · tl1, l .. 111s..1~ St1111c111c C ()tl r l . '"111~' '°' 11111t' t11t' ( ··'<.1t1rt. re, c1~111g tl clccisic)Il of a ta tc ti1,t1tt' t c< 11rt. tlc.'cL.11t' tl tl1 .. 1t ''11<)t c, c 11 i11 a 11 at1to1101nous r' .. 1 1 111\t l httrL'l1 111..1, tl1c clc.' 110111inatio1 of tl1e cl1urch ht' t..l1 .. 111gc.'tl b, ~1 llll'fC TI1c.lJOri t ) ' '() tc." I l1c co11gr gc.1t1011 t \, 1 0 ) "Cc.lr aoo, then the laroe t 1(1 tl1t' tlt'tl<)m111t1t1011, , otcd 739 to 294 to ,,rithdra,~ from tht"' 1\ 111cr1c..111 ar>ti.. t ,011,, n tion (r\B ) , the Kan as l3~11)t1 ·t C 011, cntio11 and the \ ;yich ita s ocia tion of B"1pt1st h11rche to pra te t the denomination 's affili a– tion ,, ith tl1e .1. 1 ational ouncil of h11rches. r\ minoritj· oroup lo) 1 al to the BC, a ked for an injunction from the di trict cou r t to pre, 1 ent the other fra ction from u ing the church propei.ity which is , ralu d at about · 2,500,000. Di trict Judoe H oi,,ard C . Kline had ruled tha t the church had a right to v, 1 i thdraw support of the B and end i ts affiliation with tha t body by a ma– jori t1~ , ,ote of the congregation . H owever, this decision ,,-a re, 1 ersed by the higher cour t. "One of the fi rr11 principles of the Baptist Church ha been that each church v\"as its own master and migh t run its o,, 1 n affairs as an auton omous church ," the upreme Cou rt said. But "the record is clear ," it pointed out, "tha t the \ ~"ichita church " 'as founded by the denomination of churches no\v represen ted b), the merican Baptist Con,·ention and f urther that the church took an active part in the denomination un til 1960." U nder an injunction issued by the Supreme Court, the majorit) 1 group is barred from using the church plant. \:Vhat then is to happen to other churches that ha,·e ,,~ithdra,,,n from the American Baptist Conven - tion? For if the Kansas Supreme Court decisio11 stands it jeopardizes the positions taken bJ, man y other church– es that ha, ,e ,, 1 ithdrawn and for those tha t might also ,,~ish to do so in the future. The ABC still holds the key. If He came on Prayer Meeting night \~There ,, 1 ould I be on a pra)·er-meeting n ight, If m~· Lord should suddenl 1~ come? t church in m) 1 place, or out \Vith th e crovvd, Just ha, 1 in~ some innocent fun? \~lhere \\ 1 ould I be? Getting food for m 1 1 soul , nd praying for those \\rho are lost? Or ab ent again - forgetting the One \~Tho bought me at infinite cost? \~There ,,rould I be? I ', 1 e excuses enough, But ho\\ 1 ,,,ould the 1 r look in His sigh t? \\l J1t' t · \\(Jt ll cl I ,,rc111l I l in , le> fi11c l 111 c ~,t lnsl Sl1< ttl ll l 1 ~ ,,11, • <ltl 1,ra)'Cr 111t·c t i11g 11ig l1t? - rr I I I I, (} r I I,,,~,, I (} ll7 I I Revival I{\ ,~l' \ 7. r l'SSl' I le)\\ ·11 • r ;C> J' f i\ l' lc> 11g CC\ J1lltJ ic~, tll l' \VC>r)c( f1 c1s f >C.'('11 SH \ 'C(l frc>111 ~i11 ar, cl clc\lr t1 c.~ti c>11 tl1rc, t1 gl1 tt·,i,ra l. 111 tl1c J(>t 11 cc.~1 tt1r r, I-' t1tl1 c r cl isCC) \re:· rccl tl1 a l url 11<.' jt1st s11a l1 ]i,,e ,))1 r~\11tl1 ." J le J)f('acl1 ccl tl1nt ,, 1 orcl, rcgarcll css () r tl1c C(>Sl, a11cl tl1 c.'rc \i\'H a g rea t rc, 1 i, 1 <1 l a111c>11 g (,<>cl 's 11e:·01le l,11c>,vr1 as tl1c l~cfc) rma tion. In tl1c 17th cc1 l t1 ry, rc, 1 i , 7 a] fiics ,, 1 crc l,cr>t b11 r1 i11g l)y t11 c li,,cs of Bax ter ancl I3 L1nyan. \V c. Icy, \ hiteficlcl, ancl Edvvards cl11 ring the I 8tJ1 cc11 t1t r) 1 JJreachcd on lo\'e and on I I ell ancl re, i,,al con– ti11ued . In the 19 th century it was 1oocly, p11rgcon, a11d Finney. In the 20th centUf)' we h ave hacl hap man , unday, and others. Bt1t the las t few years we ha,,e l1ad so few r e,,i,,als tha t the , ,ast majority of church goi ng people do n ot know what real H oly Ghost Re vival is! W e have our times of piritual blessing. W e l1a, 1 e seen souls saved, had our Bible Conferences, prayer meetings, and even evangeli stic meetings. But th is is not revival! Le t me remi11d you tha t there is an 011t– standing differen ce between evangel istic meetings and revival - and yet they go h and-in-h and. An evangelistic meeting is an effort to reach the unsaved. The Gospel is preached, and appeal to the unsaved is gi,?en , th ey are urged to trust Christ. But this is n ot revi,,al ! A revi,ral is some thing that takes place in the h earts and li,,es of God's people. There must first be spiri tual life in a person before h e can be re,rived. Suppose you had a dead rose bush in your garden. You could \Va ter it, fertilize it, and cultivate it, but ~here would be no signs of life, because it is dead. If, however, tha t bush were alive, but n eglected to the point that i t looked dead, fertilizer and cultiva tion would soon bring about signs of life - it would be revived. re,rival is the recove1-y of spiritual good h ealth in the minds, h earts and lives of God's people. W e get right with God! W e confess our sins! Wrongs we ha,,e done are made right! There is a return to tha t first lo, ,e for Ch ris t! I-Iearts are set on f ire and burn and blaze away v\ 1 ith a desire and deterrnina tion by His grace to do right! The H oly pirit h as l iberty and freedom to V\,ork according to God 's plan and pu rpose! ouls are saved, and all the honor and glof)' goes to our dear Lord! ]though the Lord u ses pastors, e,,angelists and other Christian ,vorkers as H is ins truments, ,ve must remember that a church is made up of indi,riduals. \ Ve canno t si t complacen tly by and vvait for someone else to poon -feed us the revi, ,al v, 1 e need . r\ s each of us 1neets · God 's terms for re,,i,,al it v, 1 ill come. God sa)'s,"If I)' People t t771 ich are called by l\ 1 l y a1 ,ze, sl1all l1it11zble tl1e11 eli}es a11d pra; 1 , and seelz. 1\1y face, a11d t1 tr11 f,·0 111 tl1eir 1t1icked 1vaJ 1 S, T l -IE 1t1ill I 111ear fro11i Hea11e1i 1 a11d ivill forgive tl1eir sin, a1id 1vill heal tl1eir la11d." II Chron– icles 7: 14.