HISTORY
Zion's Lamp
By Elder Bill Walden
By the time you receive this issue of ZION’S LAMP the current year may have become a page of history like a river that runs into the sea is swallowed up and gone.
So many circumstances have touched and changed our lives and, as with David’s house, have grown with newborns and some become smaller by the passing of beloved family members. God’s mercy toward us has been constant.
We want to say “thank you” to Brother Young for faithfully editing and mailing the Lamp each quarter; also to those who contribute articles and time in putting it together. While he didn’t request me to say this, we should remember to contribute to the expense of mailing it.
As we embark on a new year may we find strength in Him each new day and be mindful of His abundant blessings. Among the chief is being blessed to have the Church and His wonderful truth.
There are many distractions in this life -- we are reminded by the daily newscast that the earth is still filled with violence, our foundations are challenged, and many destroyed as we look on. May we continue to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”
I hope to include some historical extracts of our people beginning with this issue. While I am very aware that we do not live in years past, we live today and are well guided by the truth and struggles our people endured in the past. In this issue I want to include some statements of belief of the Fisher’s River Primitive Baptist Association organized in 1832 at Cody’s Creek meeting house near Dobson, North Carolina (See article beginning on page 3).
As we read these statements we will notice some differences in their practices from what we are accustomed to today. For instance, the use of one communion cup was common among our Churches, and generally is not now. There was a time when Pilgrim’s Rest Church here used one cup. They used hymnbooks without musical notes; some still do. There were some Churches then who didn’t follow communion with feet washing; most of our Churches do now, thankfully.
There is a common thread that goes all the way back to the Church at Jerusalem. Every generation had to struggle and contend for the truth and in these articles we can see the same truth and the same demand on the Churches to “earnestly contend for the Faith”.
Our prayer is that you and your children benefit from these articles as you have a glimpse of your heritage.
