Newspapers / The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, … / Dec. 5, 1957, edition 1 / Page 7
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WORDS OF LItE By *. T. HOUTS, Jr., Pastor first Methodist Chuck M?r?hy, N. C. WHEN 18 GOO ABLE TO HELP US? "Aad Jesus said uto kim, This day is salvatkM come to this havse." Lake It: ? Jesus came into a world where many people were attempting to buy their way into heaven. They were quite seriously concerned a bout such matters as washing their hands in the proper fashion before meals, and measuring how far a tailor could walk on the Sabbath, ?provided be left his needle at home. Some of the people whom Jesus met were certain that they had found the only way to heaven. They resented bitterly the words of Jesus when he told them that their righteousness must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, or they would in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Others were haunted by the feel ing that they had missed the way. They were conscious of a need in their lives which had not been filled, and they were desperately seeking someone who could help them find the way. It was this sec ond group that Jesus was able to help. Jesus found those who needed help in many peculiar places. He came one day to a certain pool where the lame and afflicted were known to gather. According to popular belief, if a man could get into the pool when the waters were troubled he would be healed. But few were ever able to get into the pool at the right moment. We may have the idea that the Pool of Bethesda was an attractive place, but probably it would be nearer the truth if we thought of it as a place where the sights and sounds and smells would turn a strong stomach. We might com pare it with the places we know today as "skid row", a place where people have lost all hope. And let us not think that Jesus found the woman taken in adultery in the best part of town. Probably it was the poorest pari of the city. In each case, Jesus was found where the greatest need was to be found. j We are not surprised when Jesus ' came upon a little man who had climbed a tree in his desire to see him. Jesus was being followed by a tremendous throng, for it was the most popular time of his min istry, yet he seemed to have had eyes only for the man in the tree who needed help When Jesus stopped to speak to Zacchaeus, there was an ugly mur mur which ran through the crowd. They were following him expecting to see some great miracle perform ed, and they did not like for Jesus to waste his time with a hated tax collector. Yet at that very moment the people murmured against Jesus, the ones who were so cer tain that this despised man was not worth the time Jesus was ?pending on him, were further from the Kingdom of God than the man in the tree- Any minister knows that the people who are hardest to reach are not those who are down and out and who make no pretense to righteousness. They are those who are secure in their own pride Many things can give rise to such a dangerous state of mind. Often a person who has gained some property or wealth is lulled into a false sense of security, or a person's claim to respectability may be based on his family or so cial position. Jesus made no promises to Zac chaeus. In fact, if you examine the record, you will find that he made very few promises. He understood human nature better than to do so. There is a stubborn streak in most of us which makes us avoid anything which is supposed to be good for us, whether it is carrots or religion. Some of us reach the point where we are perfectly sure that anything which is good for us is bound to taste bad. A mother says to her child, "Here, take this,", and the child shakes his head- He wants none of it. Jesus did not say to Zacchaeus, "Now if you will take me home with you I have something which will be good for you". He made the simp le announcement, "Come down, tor this day I will dine with you in your house". Jesus brought the greatest poss ible gifts to Zacchaeus. For the first time in his life be was able to see life as a whole. Whereas he had been living from day to day content to make his living by dis honest means believing that if he fed his body his soul would take care of itself, he came now to the point where he was able to see that each of us has eternity in thi% present Ufa. He saw that we do no! live to ourselves alone, and that we do not live for this day alone This has always been the viewpoint of the man who is truly religious There is a sense of direction and purpose in his life. He does not make his decisions with considra tion only for the present moment Also Zacchaeus came to the point where he realized for the first time that he had already been the recip ent of God's love- Someone has de scribed salvation by comparing it with the life that stirs in a flower ing bush in the Spring. There it is, a thing which seems to be dead, and then life begins to stir in the roots, and new life pushes up through the trunk and into every twig. The buds begin to swell, and finally life bursts into bloom- The bush brings its testimony to the love and power of God- Of course, even though the bush seemed to be dead, the possibility of new life was already there waiting for the right combination of conditions for God to quicken it into new life- Genuine conversion is like that It is not that we have been neglected by God and he suddenly bestows his blessings upon us- It is not that we pray down from heaven a mir acle- Conversion means that we who have been unaware of God's love and goodness become aware of in every fibre of our being and this realization brings about a transformation of life. Zacchaeus was completely changed when he became aware of God's love and forgiveness. The 'change was so complete that he was willing to try to make amends for every past misdeed. "If I have taken from any man wrongfully, I will restore to him four-fold." Jesus pronounced his bendiction upon what had happened in Zac chaeus- life. He said, "This day has salvation come to this house." Jesus knew the hearts of men bet ter than they knew themselves. He reminded us again and again that God judges us soley on the basis of our inward heart. If someone had been standing nearby and heard Zacchaeus make his declaration they would probab ly have said, " I know that won't last! Give him a few days, and he will be back at his old tricks a gain." Such skepticism is more characteristic of our da y than it was of Jesus' day. One of the lies which has common acceptance in our day is that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. How often have we heard someone say that? But the truth is that there | is not a single intention on the road to hell .The road to good intentions leads upward, and not downward. If our intentions are sincere and genuine, God will accept us on the basis of them long before the world is likely to do so. Any great experience with God must come from a sense of need, it has been said that God reaches us at the point of our greatest need. In other words when we become sick of life on the level of broken promises and sinful acts, so sick that we look upward to God alone for help, then will he be able to touch us. The story is often told of Sam Hadley's conversion- He was on the way to the river to throw himself in, convinced that there was no help for anyone who had been enslaved by drink as he had. On the way he passed Jerry McCauley's Mission. Jerry McCaul ey had himself been converted only after alcohol had gotten the better of him- As Sam Hadley stum bled into the mission that night he blurted out, "Pray for me, Jerry." But Jerry McCauley understood the problem of an alcoholic. He said in what must have seemed brutal fashion, "Pray for yourself, Sam!" To condense a rather long story, Sam was converted, and he himself started a mission work similar to Jerry McCauley's- Sam i Hadley could not reach very far toward God that night- He had reached the lowest depths and God had to bend low to touch him, but when Sam Hedley made the first! stumbling step toward God, he found him. A poet of long ago said, If with all your hearts, ye truly seek him, ye shall ever surely find him." If we really desire God with our whole hearts, he is ever near to give us the abundance of new life. QUESTION: Where is the best place to locate a poultry house? ANSWER: Locate poultry houses near the top of a southern or south eastern slope if possible. It'* ex tremely Important that poultry house* have good air and water drainage. Location should allow an t abundance of controlled fresh air- , jflfee goitr problems to Chtork this week ?-jm/foms fame tfiem tfiatf With the hope that It will, In hum measure, foster and help sustain that which is food in family and community life, this feature la sponsored by the business firms and organizations whose names appear in the adjoining columns. J. B. MULKEY Cash Grocery R. M. ADKINS DISTRIBUTOR Pare Oil Products VE 7-2216 ELMER KHGORE DISTRIBUTOR Sinclair Products VE 7-2321 DAVIS ESSO SERVICENTER VE 7-3128 QUINN HATCHERY VE 7-2930 INGRAM GULLEY GULF SERVICE Murphy) N. C. W.S.DICKEY DISTRIBUTOR Esso Products Murphy, IV. C. HAMPTON HARDWARE and SUPPLY VE 7-2314 IVIE FUNERAL HOME FARMER'S GARAGE VE 7-2030 CHARLES COLEMAN Tracking Contractor VE 7-2217 COBLE DAIRY PRODUCTS CO-OP. Incorporated Ph. VE 7-2158 FOWLER'S Sinclair Station VE 7-2610 FAITH IS SOMETHING REAL "i wui un up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." Psalm 121:1. "Faith" a noted religious educator has said, "forms the axle of the universe." Certainly we depend upon faith as a principle of daily living. It is not Just wishful thinking. We have faith that we will find the necessary food for our bodies when we go to the food store. We have faith that daylight will follow darkness. In other words faith is Jest as real as anything we can see, hear or feel. Some of us have more faith than others, hence the discovery of America and the electric light. Faith Is a great bulwark in time of illness, a valuable asset to the Invalid. The Bible Is a text book, or better still a prescription book, of faith. Passages such as the one quoted above show us the way. Attendance at church is another way to supply and to increase our faith. There are times in the lives of most of us when all Is not smooth sailing. Learn to draw from these two wells of faith in stormy times. They have supplied others. They will supply you. Church Directory First Baptist Church REV. J. ALTON MORRIS, Pastor. Sunday School 9:45 A.M. Morning Worship 11:90 A.M. Training Union 6:30 P.M. Evening Services 7:99 P.M. Wednesday Night Hour at Power. 7 :M P.M. First Baptist Beal Town Mission Services Every Sunday 9:45 A.M. Calvary Baptist Church REV. RAYMOND CARROLL, Pastor Services Every 2nd and 4th Sundays at 2:30 P.M. Wednesday Night Prayer Services at 7:00 P.M. Episcopal Church of the Messiah REV. ALEX HANSON, Pastor Sunday School 9:45 A.M. Moraine Service 11 A.M. Dally Service 7:30 A.M. Evening Service 5:90 P.M. Si Williams Catholic Chapel KEY. JOSEPH DEAN Sunday Morning Mm > A.M. Holy Days Aid First Fridays Man S P.M. Evenings First Methodist Church REV. R. T. HOLTS, Pastor Sunday School 9:45 A.M. Morning Service 11 A.M. Youth Fellowship ? P.M. Evening Service 1:80 P.M. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 7:80 P.M. First Presbyterian Church REV. ROBERT POTTER, Pastor Sunday School 9:45 A.M. Morning Worship 1144 A.M. Evening Worship 1:S0 P. M. Wednesday Night Services 7:30 P.M. Free Methodist Church REV. EARL NORRIS, Pastor Sunday School IS AM. Morning Service 11 KM A.M. Evening Service 7:M P.M. Young People's Service 2nd and 4th Sundays 6:45 P.M. Prayer Meeting, 7:3# p.M. Wednesday Thursday Night Community Prayer Service 7:50 P.M. Church of God REV. W. H. CBOTTS, Pastor Sunday School 19 m A.M. Morning Worship 1|M A.M. Evening Service 7:St P.M. Saturday Night Young People's Service 7:M P.M. ETHEL'S SHOP 119 Tennessee St BRITTAIN'S UPHOLSTERING SHOP TOWNSON FUNERAL HOME WAYNE'S FEED STORE Ph. VE 7-2710 QUALITY MARKET VE 7-2223 Brown's Deluxe Hatching Eggs, Inc. Ph. VE 7-3126 KAYE'S AUTO PARTS VE 7-2172 BRUMBY TEXTILE MILLS, Incorporated CANDLER'S Murphy, IV. C. VE 7-2241 W. C. KINNEY and SONS DISTRIBUTOR Gulf Oil Predicts Commonwealth Lumber Corp. Murphy, N. C. VE 7-2196 LOVINGOOD'S Murphy, IV. (X VE 7-2715 HALL'S DAIRY VE 7-2442 r .. ? *. ? % * *3
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
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Dec. 5, 1957, edition 1
7
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