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THURSDAY, MAY 15, 1997
13A
RELIGION
Revelations
of warfare
for saints
Sunday
School Lesson
Churches hitting Information Highway
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Devotional reading: Revelation
19:1-10.
Lesson scripture: Revelation
19,20.
Last week’s lesson from
Revelation 7 dealt with God’s
“sealing” or identifying His peo
ple to protect them from the
coming judgment. They are
described as having emerged
from “great tribulation,” which is
part of the continuing warfare
between God and Satan.
Chapters 8-18 depict that war
fare in dramatic visions that are
puzzling in detail but very clear
in showing the ferocity of the
conflict. Chapters 19 and 20,
from which today’s lesson comes,
depict the end of that warfare
through Christ’s coming in gloiy
and judgment. The outcome is
eternal joy for His people and
the consignment of His enemies
to the eternal lake of fire.
Chapter 19 opens with thun
derous hymns of praise by the
multitudes in Heaven (verses 1-
8), followed by the grand
announcement of the marriage
supper of the Lamb and His
bride (verse 9). It then depicts
the victorious Christ coming
forth to judge the earth.
That John saw heaven onened
signaled that something dra
matic and cUmactic was about to
unfold before him. Ezekiel 1:1
speaks of the heavens being
opened so that the prophet
might see “visions of God,” and
Matthew 3:16 says that “the
heavens were opened” to Jesus
at the time of His baptism.
As John watched in amaze
ment, there appeared before him
a white horse. The color white is
a symbol of both righteousness
and purity (see Revelation 7:9-
14 and 19:8). The horse is associ
ated with conquest and the
capability of making war (see
6:2). The primary focus then
turns to the identity of the
Rider, and the horse is quickly
forgotten.
Faithful and True are such
essential characteristics of the
living Christ that they are such
essential characteristics of the
Uving Christ that they serve as
His name. Jesus is described in
John’s initial greeting to the
seven churches as the “faithful
witness” (1:5). He later refers to
Himself as “true” (3:7) and as
the “faithful and true witness”
(3:14). these are the qualities of
divinity, for God eternally faith
ful (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1
Corinthians 10:13) and true
(Revelation 6:10).
The ability to judge and make
war with righteousness is one
that is sadly lacking in today's
world. Only Jesus possesses
such an ability. In one of Isaiah’s
numerous Messianic prophecies,
he declared, “With righteousness
shall he judge of the poor, and
reprove with equity for the meek
of the earth: and he shall smite
the earth with the rod of his bps
shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah
11:4). Jesus’ parables of judg
ment, such as those recorded in
Matthew 24 (verses 45-51) and
25 (verses 1-30) echo the same
theme. The era grace and recon
ciliation will end when Jesus
returns to hold both Satan and
the sinner accountable for their
endless rebellion and to pro
nounce judgment (Matthew
25:41; Hebrews 9:27). God’s
righteous judgment is as real as
His love and mercy; Hell is as
real as Heaven.
The description of eyes...as a
flame of fire calls to mind Jesus’
first appearance to John on
Patmos (1:14) and his later
introduction to the church
Thyatira (2:18). Such eyes as
these could penetrate the dark
recesses of the human mind and
perceive what is normally invisi
ble. They are fully capable of
rendering final judgment.
SALINA, Kan. - A group of
Methodist ministers spent part
of the weekend wandering
through the wilderness of the
Internet, learning how to use
computers to lead their churches
into a new era of technology.
A half dozen pastors attended
the workshop Saturday that cov
ered ways of conducting routine
church business and tapping a
wealth of religious information
through computers and the
Internet.
‘T knew it was available, but I
had no idea where to go looking,”
said Pastor Roger Winn of
Marquette.
The workshop was sponsored
by the Salina and Concordia
District Councils on Ministries
and Kansas Wesleyan
University.
“You’ve heard the saying that
the church is 10 years behind on
everything,” said the Rev. Kris
Brinlee, pastor of the Talmage
and Industry United Methodist
churches and the Safina District
Mission Coordinator for the
denomination. “We have to start
teaching people how to use com
puters so the church will come
into the new age.”
Computers can do the obvious,
such as fink networks of pastors
and churches by electronic mail.
And the Internet contains large
amounts of obscure resource
materials for use in sermons,
group discussions and other
church functions.
Ministers can check out the
latest debate about Jesus of
Nazareth. They can also com
pare a passage in the King
James Version of the Bible with
a newer translation, or with one
in Greek or Latin.
“All translations in all lan
guages you can think of, aU the
great masterpieces, are on-line,”
said co-presenter Paul Bube,
Kansas Wesleyan professor of
religion and philosophy.
But Bube was worried about
problems that computers might
create for churches.
“The downside is who has the
technology and who doesn’t,” he
said. “What will it mean for
See COMPUTERS page 15A
Who has right to preach?
Readers
debate UCC’s
controversial
decision
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The United Church of Christ’s decision to
end the ministerial standing of Ben Chavis
Muhammad has caused quite a stir.
The ruling handed down April 24 by the
12-member Church and Ministry
Commission of UCC’s Eastern North
Carolina Association stated Chavis
Muhammad’s standing should be “termi
nated without prejudice.”
The ruling ended debate brought on by
Chavis Muhammad’s conversion to the
Nation of Islam in February.
The decision suspends Chavis
Muhammad’s right to preach, administer
sacraments or perform other kinds of pas
toral leadership in the 1.5 nulfion-member
denomination.
The motion goes before the Eastern North
Carolina Association Board of Directors
later this month.
The Rev. Rollin Russell, a long time
friend of Muhammad said the decision was
difficult “because Ben is a friend and has
been a friend for many years.”
But he added the commission’s decision
was correct.
“Our confession is that Jesus Christ is the
son of God, Savior and Lord,” Russell said.
“If I could sum up the feeling of many on
the commission, it is “that there needs to be
no other name.’
“We understand that he has become a
member of another world faith.”
Chavis Muhammad has said that he will
fight the rufing, which he says violates the
tenant of both religions that there is only
one God.
“The God who called me to the Christian
ministry is the same God who called me to
the ministry of Islam,” Chavis Muhammad
said in a press conference shortly after the
rufing.
Many of you share Chavis Muhammad’s
view.
The Post took the debate to the Internet
last week. We asked readers, via our web
page, what they thought of the decision.
We received numerous responses.
Many of you felt the ruling violated
Chavis Muhammad’s right of free speech.
FILE PHOTO
Ben Chavis Muhammad, who joined Nation of isiam in February, says the United
Church of Christ is wrong to take away his ministeriai iicense.
“This is a violation of the first amendment
of the U.S. Constitution,” wrote Tim
McCormac, of New Jersey’s Rutgers
University (©eden.rutgers.edu. ) “Congress
shall make no law, prohibiting speech, reli
gion, or expression.”
Respondent Kenneth Hasty agreed.
“Dr. Ben Chavis has the right to join any
religion he would like to, this is our
inaifienable right as an American,” Hasty
wrote. “ And the sooner we all learn and
respect that; the better off we all will be.
More power to you Dr. Chavis.”
Others felt the decision was correct.
“I don’t think Ben Chavis was kicked out
of the United Church of Christ (if that’s
what the acryonym represents - 1 thought
it was the Church of God),” Margaretta G.
Rose (mrose@wpo.hcc.com.) said. “I think
See CHAVIS on page 14A
New black Bible to hit stores this week
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The African American
Devotional Bible is produced by
blacks for blacks.
And that makes some store
ovmers nervous.
The new Bible, published by
Zondervan Pubfishing House in
conjimction with the Congress of
National Black Churches, is the
first devotional Bible directed at
the African American market.
Retailers have ordered a con
servative 25,000 copies of the
Bible.
The book marks the first col
laboration between CNBC, a
coalition of eight historically
black denominations which rep
resents over 19,000 congrega
tions and Zondervan, the largest
producer of Bibles in the world.
“There were two forces at
play,” says CNBC project direc
tor, the Rev. Alicia Byrd. “CNBC
had an interest in publishing
and Zondervan had an interest
in reaching out to the African
American community and hav
ing more African American writ
ers in its publications.”
“Zondervan has become knovm
for its commitment to product
development and distribution
within the African American
community and with other
churched people of color,”
Thomas Mockabee, vice presi
dent and publisher of
Zondervan’s Bible group. “We’re
excited to establish this relation
ship with the Congress of
National Black Churches. We
look forward to working together
to create a Bible that meets the
real needs of black Christians
seeking spiritual growth.”
According to Mockabee,
Zondervan estimates first year
sales of around 90,000.
Zondervan has ordered an ini
tial shipment of 60,000 King
James Versions of the Bible
which will hit bookstores over
the next week.
An additional 30,000 New
International Versions will be in
stores later this year.
The book features 260 daily
and 52 weekend devotions tai
lored to African Americans.
Devotions touch on issues cen
tral to the African American
The African American
Devotionai Bibie
See BIBLE on page 14A
Christian
Coalition
denounced
By James Franklin
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE - Christian
Coalition members said they
gathered Saturday to promote
spiritual and financial aid for
impoverished black communi
ties.
But on the same floor of a posh
Baltimore hotel where the reli
gious and political group held its
event, critics gathered to
denounce the coalition as hypo
critically trying to promote its
conservative agenda.
The meeting's purpose was
not political, but to simply unite
Christians regardless of their
race or party affiliation, said
coalition executive director
Ralph Reed.
He also told the overwhekn-
ingly black crowd of critics that
the Republican Party has
ignored blacks' vote, while the
Democrats have “taken it for
granted.”
“We come here not with a
sense of righteousness but in
repentance,” he said.
Later that evening at a pre
dominantly black church,
Christian Coalition founder,
CEO and President Pat
Robertson said his organiza
tion's “Samaritan Project” is
strictly nonpartisan.
Robertson also made a predic
tion.
“We will see the elimination of
racial prejudice in this coimtry,”
he said. “I’m not going to cany
your burden, but when that bur
den gets too heavy, I want to be
the one that comes along and
helps you lift it.”
This year, the coalition has
been lobbying for school vouch
ers, school prayer and banning
late-term abortions.
Under the voucher system,
governments would give subsi
dies to families that send chil
dren to private schools. Some
community leaders say vouch
ers would only channel needed
resources away from public
schools.
“Vouchers only mean we will
get inferior public schools,” said
Charles Stith, a Boston pastor
and board member of the civil
liberties group People for the
American Way. “They are not
working in our interest.”
As part of its Samaritan
Project, the coalition has
pledged to award 1,000 scholar
ships in 100 school districts
with high crime rates, Reed
said.
Some audience members,
many of them black clergy, said
they agreed with the coalition
on a number of issues, including
abortion and homosexuality.
“We want to promote the bibli
cal model of the family,” said
Rev. Earl Jackson, the
Samaritan Project's director.
“(Gay) lifestyles need to
change,” said Alveda Celeste
King, niece of slain civil rights
leader Martin, Luther ]pa^>
“But we welcoitte everyboSy.
This is not about condemna*-
tion.”
But gay activists argued that
by touting traditional families,
the coalition was trying to polai^
ize blacks and homosexuals. .
“They’re not only driving a
wedge these communities, but
between gay African Americans
and their churches,” said Val
Tavai, co-chairwoman of the
Free Justice Campaign, an
organization that seeks to end
discrimination against
Maryland’s gays. “Homophobia
is preached in these churches.”
Meanwhile, some pastors said
they were drawn to the
Saturday event because of much
more than the coalition's stand
on moral issues; they said they
were attracted by the coafition’s
massive financial resources and
political clout.
In its eight years, the coali
tion’s budget has swelled from
$200,000 to $27 million.