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Pastor Lee Spencer
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MEET Pastor Lee Spencer: Born January 19, 1938 in St.Petersburg, Florida, Brother Lee was reared in the Scriptures by a godly grandmother, Mrs. Jennie Merrell. She took as God's promise Proverbs 22:6. On March 23, 1958, she realized the faithfulness of that promise as Brother Spencer trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour (II Timothy 3:15-17).
Pastor Spencer attended Tennessee Temple Bible School while Dr. Lee Roberson was the President. He eventually graduated from Freedom Baptist University with a Bachelor of Christian Education degree. He was ordained in February of 1965 at Highland Park baptist Church under Dr. Lee Roberson's ministry. Pastor Spencer has been in ministry for over 45 years, the majority of those years pastoring local, independent Baptist churches. He is currently pastoring Adrian Baptist Church in Canisteo, New York, and is the director of Our Bible Heritage Ministries.
Pastor Spencer's motto is three-fold, yet simple: Rightly dividing the Word of Truth, speaking the Truth in love, and letting your moderation be known unto all men. |
Pastor Spencer at the Mini Museum Bible display |
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS God has blessed Pastor Spencer with a growing collection of rare Bibles, one-of-a-kind reproductions of ancient manuscripts, actual pages from from many old manuscripts and Bibles, and much supportive books and papers. Many of these items are used in a portable display used when he is invited to do one of these conferences.
The Mini Museum Bible display includes such items as old Hebrew Scrolls and Bibles, a page copy of Codex Sinaiticus (350 a.d.), a full copy of Codex Alexandrinus (450 a.d.), a hand-written copy of John Purvey's 1388 Wycliffe New Testament a page copy of the first printed Gutenburg Bible (1455), a copy of a Biblia Pauperum (1460 - using the 1380 text of John Wycliffe), an original printed page from the Biblia Moralis (1474).
THE DISPLAY also includes a copy of the preface and the first 22 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew left in haste by William Tyndale as he fled his persecutors (1525), his completed New Testament, published as the Matthew's Bible by John Rogers (1537), various printed pages of the Bishops' Bible, the Great Bible, Cranmer's Bible 1539 - 1586), Fulke's Parallel New Testament (1601), and a complete copy of the Geneva Bible (1560). |
~ Our Doctrinal Statement ~
WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT
I. THE BIBLE - We believe in the Divine inspiration, unadulterated preservation and inerrant translation of the Holy Scriptures as presently found in the 66 books of the Authorized text commonly known as the King James Version. This Holy Book is the absolute and final authority for faith and practice in every area of life for all English-speaking peoples. (II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:15-17; Psalm 12:6,7; 119:89,90; I Peter 1:25; Ecclesiastes 8:4; II Chronicles 20:6; Daniel 2:21,22; Romans 13; 1,4; Matthew 4:4; Psalm 19:7-11; Matthew 24:35).
II. THE HOLY GOD - We believe in God, the Father; God, the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ); and God, the Holy Spirit: these Three are the One Everlasting God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth and the Sustainer of all life; the Self-existent Great I Am, besides whom there is no other god. (I John 5:7; Isaiah 45:5,6; Genesis 1:1-2:3,7; John 1:1-4; Exodus 3:13,14).
III. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST - We believe that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, that taketh away the sin of the world. He was miraculously and uniquely born of a virgin named Mary, lived an absolutely perfect and sinless life, died vicariously for all men and shed His pure, undefiled blood for the remission and cleansing of men's sins. He was literally dead and in the grave for three literal days and nights, arose from the grave bodily by the power of God, was seen by over 500 witnesses, ascended into Heaven 40 days later, and will very soon come again in like manner as He left. (I Peter 1:19,20; Revelation 13:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23; John 3:16; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21,22; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:22,28; I John 2:1,2; I Corinthians 15:1-7; Acts 1:1-11).
IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT - We believe in the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, Who convicts men of sin, righteousness and judgment; regenerates the repentant sinner who calls upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation; and Who indwells, seals, teaches, guides, comforts, empowers and seeks to manifest the resurrection life of Jesus Christ in and through every believer. (John 16:7-14; Ephesians 2:1,5; Titus 3:4; Romans 8:9-11; Ephesians 1:13,14; 4:30; I John 2:20,27; Acts 1:8).
V. THE FALLEN, SINFUL STATE OF EVERY MAN - We believe that every man is a sinner by nature and by his own personal choice, having by sin fallen from the image of God in which he was originally created. Man is totally incapable of initiating or obtaining salvation by his own efforts or merits, and left to himself without the gracious and loving intervention of God, would perish in his sins and enter eternity to suffer unending torments apart from God in the Eternal Lake of Fire. (Romans 3:10-23; 5:12; Isaiah 53:6; Genesis 1:27; 5:1-3; Job 14:4; 25:4; 39:9; Proverbs 20:9; Jeremiah 13:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:14,15; Luke 16:19-21; which is not a parable, but a true, historical fact!).
VI. THE SALVATION OF GOD - We believe that salvation is the free gift of God offered to every sinner, but only given to those who will call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in believing faith. Salvation is given by God apart from any and all works, good deeds, religious activities and law keeping by man, and it involves Holy Spirit-wrought conviction and repentance toward God, and God-given faith to trust the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary. Belief alone, apart from true repentance in the heart, is not sufficient to save, for even the devils believe and tremble, yet are not saved. ((Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; I John 2:2; Romans 3:22; II Peter 3:9; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5; John 16:8-11; Acts 17:30; Luke 13:3,5; John 6:28,29,40; Acts 16:30,31; James 2:19).
VII. THE ETERNAL LIFE OF THE BELIEVER - We believe that eternal life is just what it says: eternal, everlasting, unending life. Eternal life begins at the moment of new birth, is effected by the entrance of the Holy Spirit into the heart of the believing sinner, and is, from that point, effected by nothing. (Romans 8:1,28-39; John 11:25,26; I John 3:1-3; 5:11-13,20; Philippians 1:6; Jude 24,25).
VIII. THE CHANGED LIFE OF THE BELIEVER - We believe that salvation is an instantaneous act of God, and at that moment we are complete in Christ. We also believe that we are born into God's family as spiritual babes and must be fed the sincere milk of the Word of God in order to grow up into the full stature of Christ. The instant change at salvation also entails a changed heart which will be manifested in a new hatred of sin and a new love for Christ-wrought, biblical righteousness and holiness of life. It will result in a life of liberty to practice what is right, but not a license to sin, and in a steadily increasing desire for separation from the world, the flesh and the devil unto God, heaven and true holiness. (II Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:10; John 1:12,13; I Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:13-15; Matthew 4:4; II Timothy 2:19; Proverbs 8:13; 6:6; I John 2:15-17; John 14:15; I John 2:4; I Peter 1:16; Galatians 5:1; I Peter 2:16; I Corinthians 6:13-7:1).
IX. THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST - We believe that every born-again believer is a part of the body of Christ, which is to be His bride at His coming. The local New Testament church is the organized body of believers in any given area, and should be comprised of born-again, scripturally baptized saints. The two scriptural ordinances given to the local church are baptism by immersion after salvation, and the observance of the Lord's supper by believers who have solemnly examined themselves before partaking. The only two church offices designated through scriptural qualifications are Bishop (Shepherd, Pastor, Elder, Overseer) and Deacons (helpers, aides, servants). The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and the only earthly institution commissioned by Christ to propagate the Gospel, administer the ordinances and practice scriptural discipline with its erring members. The primary purpose of the church is not entertainment, social or political reform, but worship of the Lord Jesus Christ, fellowship and edification of the saints, and the giving of the Gospel to a lost and dying world. (I Corinthians 12:12,13,27; Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:23-27; I Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; I Thessalonians 1:1; Revelation 1:20-3:22; Matthew 2:18-20; II Timothy 2:2; I Corinthians 11:23-34; I Timothy 3:15; Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 5:1-7; II Corinthians 2:6-11).
X. THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE - We believe that the government is established by God for the punishment of wrongdoers and the protection of the innocent, law-abiding citizen. The authority of the state ends there. The Lord Jesus Christ is Sovereign over His church, and the state has no authority, implied or otherwise, to license, tax, regulate, restrict, control, censure or monitor the church, its God-appointed leaders and ministries, its members and contributors, or its properties. Education is not the responsibility nor the right of the state, but of the parents. Furthermore, the making of "laws" and regulations by bureaucratic decree is the usurpation of God-ordained government, and this humanistic wresting of authority from God has no scriptural, legal or moral right to impose its man-made, intrusive, unconstitutional "rules" and "guidelines" upon society, the family, and especially upon Christ's church. (Romans 13:1-7; Deuteronomy 4:8-10; 6:4-9; Acts 4:18-20; 5:27; Matthew 17:27).
XI. THE APOSTASY - We believe that we are now living in the last days of the church age, characterized by Laodicean apostasy, humanism and eastern mysticism; both inside and outside the church. Coldness, callousness, carelessness and compromise mark the majority of churches of today. An easy-believism abounds, even in some fundamental circles, in which it is easy to see superficial, outward changes without conviction of sin and true repentance in the hearts of many of our "converts". Crime and lawlessness skyrocket while church memberships increase. The Christian's faith is attacked and undermined by false teachers and spurious translations within and scoffers and mockers without. What Satan has not accomplished through Mariolatry, he has through liberal ecumenism, neo-evangelcalism, creationary evolution, charismatic pentecostalism, and most recently, by the occultic New Age movement of Satan's New World Order, which is the established vehicle through which the Antichrist shall soon rise to power. (Revelation 3:14-22; I John 2:18,19; II Peter 2:1-3.10-3:4; Jude; II Timothy 3:1-7; Romans 1:18-32; II Thessalonians 2:3-12).
XII. LAST THINGS - We believe in the pre-tribulational resurrection and rapture of the saints to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air, and our judgment in Heaven before Christ's judgment seat, where Christians will be judged, not for salvation or loss of salvation, but for rewards or loss of rewards according to our actions and attitudes since salvation. This is the next important event in the prophetic plan of God. On earth, there will then immediately begin the seven-year Tribulation Period, in which God will save and seal 144,000 Jews (12,000 from each of the twelve tribes), who will then preach the Gospel throughout the entire world. At the same time God will pour out His unabated wrath upon an unbelieving, Christ-rejecting, God-cursing world. The Tribulation will end with the visible, bodily return to earth of the Lord Jesus Christ with His saints, where He will rule and reign on the throne of His father David in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. All the saints of all the ages shall also rule with Him. At the close of this Millennial Period, the dead, both small and great, will stand before God at the Great White Throne Judgment, where the books will be opened as an irrefutable recorded testimony to their rejection of God's Son, Jesus Christ. These rejecters will be cast alive into the Lake of Fire, to suffer forever the torments of eternal separation from God, an unrequited conscience and a literal, black unending flame. A new Heaven and a new Earth will usher the saints of God into eternal bliss in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:9; Romans 8:1; John 14:1-3; Revelation 4:1,2; I Corinthians 3:13-15; Romans 14:10; Matthew 24:8-25; Revelation 6:1-18:24; 19:1-20:15; 21:1-22:21).
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