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Thursday, August 3, 1989 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page SB ^fie SuncCay Scfioot Lesson by Bessie Wllbon INTRODUCTION; The account of Samson's life and work occupies four chapters In the book of Judges (chapter 13-16). For forty years the Israelites were In subjection to the Philistines, a warlike people who lived .along the Mediterranean seacoast. Toward the end of this period "the angel of the Lord" appeared to the wife of a man named Manoah, who lived in Zorah. Though the woman had been barren, the angel told her she was to bear a son, who would "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." Special Instructions were given concerning the child. He was to be considered a Nazarlte. (A person separated or dedicated to God, ei ther for a specified period of time or for life.) In Samson's case, his separation was to be for life. The razor was not to touch the child's hair. He was not to come near any dead body and was to abstain -‘nfom the use of grapes In any form. This Included wine, fresh grapes, p"alsins or vinegar made from wine. No other type of fermented bever age was to be used either. The birth of Samson Is terse and beautiful. "And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him." The account of Samson's life begins with the story of his marriage to a Philistine girl of the city of Timnath. During the week-long wed ding feast, Samson made a wager with thirty young men that they could not solve a riddle he would put to them. In danger of losing the wager, these young men threatened violence to the biTde-to-be and to her father unless she revealed the secret of the riddle. She finally wheedled the answered from Samson and told the young men. Enraged, Samson went to another Philistine city, where he kjUed thirty men and took their possessions, with which he paid the -debt he owed. During Samson's absence, the woman he was to many 3fas given to one of his closest companions. •> Samson later tried to reestablish contact with his wife, but was re- Ibuffed 1^ her father. (Read Judges 15: 1-16: 3) Samson continued to be attracted to Philistine women, and this led ;to his undoing. He fell In love with a Philistine woman named Deli- ■■lah. You know the story - - Samson told Delilah the secret of his “strength. (In his long hair) Delilah had his hair cut while he slept. Of jcpurse, his ultimate source of strength was God, who finally ceased tp help this persistently disobedient man. Samson's enemies qulck- ily subdued him and put out his eyes. They then brought him to Gaza ;tod bound him with fetters of brass. Fastened to a treadmill, he was »used as a workhorse, grinding grain for his captors. A significant note Is added here - Samson's hair "began to grow Jhgaln-" (Judges 16:22) ;; THE LESSON; 'The Philistine kings met together to celebrate and offer a great leacrtfice to their god Dagon. They sang, "Our God has given us victory Jbver our enemy Samson !" They were enjoying themselves, and so •they said, "Call Samson, and let's make him entertain us.!" When they ilbrought Samson out of the prison, they made him entertain them iipnd made him stand between the columns. When the people saw ;hlm, they sang praise to their god! "Our god has given us victory over •our epemy, who devastated our land and killed so many of us!" Sam pson said to the boy who was leading him by the hand, "Let me touch Jpie columns that hold up the building. I want to lean on them." The •building was crowded with men and women on the roof, watching "feamson entertain them. Then Samson prayed, "Sovereign Lord, 'please remember me; please, God, give me my strength just this one ;Ume more, so that with this one blow I can get even with the Phllis- •tines for putting out my two eyes. So Samson took hold of the two jnlddle columns holding up the building. Putting one hand on each X:olumn, he pushed against them and shouted, hand on each column, ‘he pushed against them and shouted, "Let me die with the Phllls- "ilnes! He pushed with all his might and the buUdlng fell down on the Tive kings and everyone else. Samson killed more people at his death Jhan he had killed during his life. His brothers and the rest of his family came down to get his body. They took him back and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol In the tomb of his father Manoah. He had been Israel's leader for twenfy-five years. (Judges 16: 23-31) r God's gift to Samson was great strength. Used for God, It could have Accomplished much good. But even Samson must have realized that reliance on brute force alone may well be’ self-defeating. We must not suppose that God approved of all that Samson did. The gift of ^rengto was from the Lord. The responslblUfy for Its use rested on Him (Samson). I God's gift to His people today are many. Whatever the ability that Is given each of us shoiild receive It as a sacred trust. But the mere pos session of some great endowment from God is no evidence of His ap- ^oval. The approval depends on the use we make of the gift. It is ^sslble that we may neglect It or waste It on triples. We may even prostitute It to evil purposes. , We need not look only to the Bible for examples of spiritual failures Ijrought on by the force of sensiial appeals. Such Impulses, once ;^elded to, have brought many to spiritual disaster. Anyone ac- (Jualnted with the life and work of the church can remember mini sters, organists, elders, deacons, and others whose immoral behav ior has disrupted families, divided churches, and curtailed service for Christ. “Our age with Its constant stress on attractiveness and relaxed standards, with the many work situations in which men and women ^e closely associated outside the home, makes such temptations frequent and pervasive. Samson knew success, fame and power, but lost It all because of his reckless Indulgence In sensual pursuits. He thus serves as a warning and helps bring home to us the force of Paul's testimony concerning his need of physical discipline: "I am i)iy body's sternest master, for fear that when I have preached to oth ers I should myself be disqualified. (ICor. 9:27). i Spiritual failure Is certain If we do not stay close to God; spiritual Success Is certain If we do. Amen. POST OBITUARIES Continued From Page 4B. ganders, of 4608 Ogbum Ave., Winston-Salem died July 29, 1989 - In Baptist Hospital, Winston-Salem. Funeral service jvas held August 2 at Long and Son Mortuary Chapel. Burial was In York Memorial Park Ce- inetery. : Mrs. Joereatha Little Gar rett, of 1112 Mulberry Ave. died July 24, 1989, In Huntersville fJurslng Home. Funeral service was held July 29 at Greater Gethsemane AMEZ Church. Bu rial was in York Memorial Park Cemetery. Mrs. Beatrice Johnson, of 2701 Ravencroft Dr. died July 24, 1989, In Mercy Hospital. Funer- Al service was held July 28 at Long and Son Mortuary Chapel. Burial was In Beatties Ford Me morial Gardens. Mrs. Alberta Williams Price, of 1728 Edwin St. Apt. F, died Jufy 28, 1989, In Mercy Hospital. Funeral service was held July 31 at Simpson-Glllespie United . Methodist Church. Burial was in North Plnewood Cemetery Au gust 1, 1989. KING'S FUNERAL Mrs. Irene Caldonia Bar ringer, 65, of Rt. 4 Box 146 Bud Henderson Rd. - Huntersville died July 31, 1989, at her place of resident. Funeral service was held August 3 at Mt. Olive Bap tist Church hi Huntersville. Bu rial was In church cemetery. Eastway Surgical Center B. Victor Olowofoyeku, M.D. GENERAL SURGERY COLON - RECTAL SURGERY BREAST - SKIN SURGERY X-RAY, ENDOSCOPY and MINOR SURGERY ON SITE 508 Eastway Drive • Suite A Charlotte, NC Hours: Mon.-Fri.: 9:00am-5:30pm 332-2686 The Way Up Is Down By J. M, Little Before the Lord really showed me my awful corrupt and rebelli ous condition, I didn't believe I was all that bad. But on the af ternoon In 1972 when God saved me, the Holy Spirit so opened my heart and let me see my ha tred and unbelief for God, His Word, and His people so much until I almost died, and I did die. I died to my opinion. And soon after that He revealed Christ to me. Until He showed me the hell on the back side of my heart I just couldn't believe I was all that wicked. But when He did open my heart and let me see what was there, all my arguing against the Lord ceased. I was willing to go on to Hell where then I knew 1 truly deserved to go. And I resolved right there, "I've done ever5dhlng I know to be saved; I'm not going to read any more, pray any more, or lis ten to any more messages. I'll just go on to Hell where I be long." I meant that thing, too. But It wasn't long, just a few minutes, that the Lord slipped up on my blind side, as It were, and saved me. 1 didn't know it at the time but when I threw up my hands to do nothing else to get saved, that was the Lord bringing me to the end of my way. Looking back by the grace of God I know that eve ry sinner must be brought to the end of his way before Christ Is revealed to his heart. Many of you here say you are saved but these truths I'm set ting forth from week to week are a foreign language to you. If you knew the Lord I could find fel lowship with you In Christ. "Christ Jesus came Into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief." (I Tim. 1:15). are you a sinner? If not, Christ did not die for you. Every sinner who ever gets saved feels that he is the chief of sinners. Paul was talk ing about a group who feel Indi vidually that he or she Is "chief of sinners." Most of you don't want to be a sinner. One day soon you'll wish you were a sin ner. That sinner who sees him self lost, guilty, totally depraved, ruined, helpless, hell-bom, hell bent, heU-bound, and having no righteousness that God will ac cept Is the sinner for whom Christ died. The way up Is down. The way to Heaven is down In repentance. That Is contrary to worldly wis dom. "...the world by wisdom knew not God..." (I Cor. 1:21). If you wanted Christ as much as you want an education, then you'd be saved. You have made a god out of education. I believe a person should learn all he can to the glory of God. But around the world you have looked to the god of education to solve all your problems. And that god Is crumbling today and I'm glad. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. You talk about going to the moon again, that's ABC's with God. Satan has access to the moon. The moon won't corrupt man, but man will corrupt the moon. "Two men went up Into the temple to pray: the one a Pharis ee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." (Luke 18:10, 11). Tills pharisee repre sents every unsaved religionist on a profession without Christ. He is a very self-righteous devil, and filled with religious pride. He named a long list of sins he didn't commit. 'W^en I was In the religious world I was the Pharis ee. I boasted of my religious ac complishments. Let me tell you something, my religious friend, the only reason you are not out there wallowing In sin as other men are Is because of the re straint of God on you. You may not have gone out In sin but your heart Is full of those devils. Don't you boast that you haven't lived In adultery? Every soul out of Christ has degenerated himself to the level of a spiritual prostitute! Continue to listen to our late pastor, L. R. Shelton, with THE VOICE OF TRUTH BROADCAST each Sunday morning at 7:30 over WAGI-FM, 105.3 Me. and now on a new station also on Sunday morning at 10:30 over WGHB-AM, 1250 Kc. The Prophet's Column is a paid advertisement. PROFESSIONAL HAIR BRAIDING Give Your Hair A Rest From The Summer Dragons: SUN CHLORINE WATER CURLING IRONS BLOW DRYING Get A Professional Braid Design AGES 1 TO 50 Hair Original Beauty Center 2020 N. Graham St, Charlotte, NC • 332-5049 An additional 10% savings with this ad! r AFFORDABLE DENTURES SAME DAY SERVICE I ON PRODUCTS ADVERTISED I IF IN BEFORE 9 AM (M F) No Appointment Necessary OFFICE HOURS; 6 AM • 12 PM & 2 PM • 5 PM FULL SET $140 (Upper & Lower) SINGLE 90 PARTIAL 90 EXTRACTION 15 X-RAY (Full Mouth); 15 RELINE 50 DRS. EDWARDS, HENSONS & POWELL, P.A. General Dentist 3401 Brookshire Blvd. Charlotte, NC 399-4531 NC 1-800-682-5715 Other 1-800-334-5761 Other Locallona In Asheville, CoUai, Durham, Hickory, Wilminglon, Fayetteville, Kinston, MoyocR ARE YOU AN ELIGIBLE BACHELOR OR BACHELORETTE, AGE 24 OR OLDER? /> to Vi 3 D> D ; IQ If SO, we would like for you to be a part of The Charlotte Post SINGLES EDITION. To enter send a black and white photograph or yourself, your name, age, occupation, hobbles, describe your perfect mote (In 10 words or less) and Include your daytime phone number (phone numbers will be kept strictly confidentioD. MAIL INFORMATION TO: THE CHARLOTTE POST NEWSPAPER P.O. BOX 30144 • CHARLOnE, NC 28230 AHN.: SINGLES Summer Cleanmee Sale Mojidowns 30-50% eff AdJewelry and Accessories 50% Off Includes Aden Nipon, Uptown—Ovastreet Male 230 CfiaHotte Pinza Mondc^-Fridi^ 10-6, Saturdc^ 11-3 333-5393 IWI OnKlRVIM muE ws 9UP«?WlRK5f oral im MoMAItr IF YOU LOVE MEATS, YOU'LL LOVE PESO'S • Mkt. Sliced Country Ham $1.99\b. • Chicken Leg Qtrs 499 lb. • Croaker Fish - 251b box $25A9 • Fat Back 699 lb. • Ribe/e Steak $2.99lb. • Turkey Wings 499 lb. • Cold Beer - by the case $13.10 • Surfine Med/Large Diapers $5.79 PRODUCE SPECIALS • Collards 996 a bunch 'H • 4ib, Bag Oranges $139 • Firm Green Cabbage 216 lb. • Turnip Rape Mustard Greens 696 lb. PRICES GOOD JULY 31st thru AUGUST 7th BURGLARS HATE OUR DOORS .. . Hell give up before our door will. Because, he needs time and our doors don’t give burglars tin OUR SUPERIOR HAND-CRAFTED FEATURES: ■ 2*inch Steel Frames ■ Pre-Hung weather stripped Door Jamb ■ Steel Security Flange B Tempered Safety Glass • Double-Seal, adjustable Sweep • Welded Pickets and Aluminum Castings B Heavy-duty. 7- inch Hinges B Shock- absorber Wind Chain. PATIO GATE LXLUTiLnzmr WINDOW GUt Ornamental Iron, Security/Storm Doors. Over 80 designs to PROTECT ^adcT INSULATE Available Double-Cylinder Dead Bolts No Down Payment We fabricate matching: • Door-Side Panels • Window Guards • Patio Security Gate • Railing and Fence FREE AT HOME ESTIMATES NO OBLIGATION 100% financing available SECURITY METAL CRAETE 7810 TYNER STREET CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 2821 (704) 597-7264
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 3, 1989, edition 1
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