6B
RELIGION/The Charlotte Post
Thursday, March 26, 1998
The Prophet’s Column
This is a paid advertisement by J.M. Little
"MYSTERIES OF THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”
EARTH
BY J.M. LITTLE-
TEACHER
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent, ye shall all likewise per
ish.” (Luke 13:3,5). My Lord said
this twice in Luke 13.
Repentance is a gift of God.
What is repentance?
Repentance is a godly sorrow
over sin, the way you have treat
ed the Lord Jesus Christ. “For
godly sorrow worketh repen
tance to salvation not to be
repented of: but the sorrow of
the world worketh death.” (11
Corinthians 7.10). The repen
tance wrought in the heart of an
awakened sinner leads to sMva-
tion in Christ. I’ll say without
hesitation that the average reh-
gious leader knows as much
about true Bible repentance as a
doodle bug knows when Sunday
comes. I hsten to religious folks
and weep as I hear them talk
about their religious experi
ences and the hves they lead.
They are total strangers to true
heartfelt Bible repentance. This
is another great mystery of the
Kingdom of Heaven. The gift of
repentance comes from Heaven.
Are you seeing that salvation is
of the Lord? You can’t repent
unless the Lord grants you
repentance. When an elect sin
ner is granted repentance, there
comes a change in his entire hfe,
from center to circumference,
And, oh, what a change! You, as
a repenting sinner, come to hate
the very sins you once loved and
wallowed in. Yes, God is giving
you a godly hatred for those
sins. And to come to hate your
self for living in open reheUion
against the Lord God of Heaven.
Have you ever repented like
that? If not you are not saved,
my friend. And you caimot
remain where you are. I listen to
church folks and it is sickening
to hear them laugh about the
sins they used to waUow in. Let
me teU you something, friend, if
you say you are saved, but yet
you can laugh about the sins
you once wallowed in, hold it,
get it now, YOU A^ NOT
SAVED!
Now you hold that. You caimot
repent over the way you have
treated the Lord and wallowed
in sin and then laugh about it.
You are just on a religious pro
fession that leads and will daiim
your poor soul to HeU! As I listen
to church members I find no
hatred for sin in your heart. But
every hehever hates sin with a
measure of the hatred for which
God hates sin. That is so,
whether you beheve it or not.
And I am not giving you my
opinion. These truths I am set
ting forth are so regardless of
your unhehef. When you wake
up in HeU you’d see then I was
being true to your soul and you
were a fool for turning the truth
down. Now you let that soak in.
You are going out into eternity.
Where wiU you spend eternity,
friend?
Your Gospel Editor
and Teacher
JM. Little
GALILEE BAPTIST
CHURCH
Rev. F.A. Griffin, PASTOR
Rev. F.A. Griffin
Sunday School 9:45a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00a.m.
Sunday School Study - Wed. 7pm
Prayer Service - 8pm
2933 Shady Lane • Charlotte, NC 28208
333-0810
SIMPSON - GILLESPIE
UNITED METHODIST
CHURCH
Dr. Carl Arrington
"Join Wednesday Noon Lenten Services"
Each Wed. During Lent.
Sunday School 9:30a.m. • Sunday Worship 11:00a.m.
3545 Beatties Ford Road
(704)399-2717 j
xl
I
Minister finds peace
Continued from page SB
WUUam Hale’s younger brother,
Joshua Hale, 21, also pastors an
AME Church in Cynthiana. The
Hale hoys were bom after their
father, called to the ministry
whUe serving in Vietnam, joined
the AME Church. Frederick Hale
returned from his tour of duty to
work at a United Methodist con
gregation in Richmond.
But his practice of bringing
African-American children to
worship services caused friction
in the church, so he left. The elder
Hale strack up a friendship with
a youngster whose grandmother
attended St. Paul AME Church in
Richmond, and his caUing was
sealed.
Like his father, WiUiam Hale
chose African Methodism - hut as
an outgrowth of a life spent in the
all-hlack denomination.
William Hale grew up a preach
er’s kid in Richmond,
Harrodsburg and Shelbyvdle.
Called to the ministry at age 16,’
Church News
Thrmsday
• The First Community
Baptist Church, 4236
Glenwood Drive, will observe
the second anniversary of the
Rev. Rodney McCorkle. A pre
anniversary concert, featuring
the Temple Baptist Church
Mass Choir, will be held tonight
at 6 p.m. Sunday, the Rev. O.T.
McCray of Faith Christian
Ministries in Kings Mountain
will deliver the 11 a.m. mes
sage. Special services will also
be held at 4 p.m. featuring the
Rev. Anthony Jinwright of
Salem Baptist Church, will be
the guest minister.
• Charlotte-Mecklenhurg
Police Chief Dennis Nowicki
will lead a discussion on the
faith community’s response to
violence as part of Mecklenburg
Ministries’ monthly luncheon
series. The discussion begins at
noon at St. Martin’s Episcopal
Church, 1510 E. Seventh St.
Friday
• Harrisburg United
Methodist Church, 4560
Highway 49, will observe the
stations of the cross each
Friday through April 3 from 3-8
p.m and on April 10 from 12-8
p.m.
For more information, call
455-2311.
• Simpson-Gillespie
United Methodist Church
will hold it 1998 Barbecue
Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and
Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Dinners and three barbecue
sandwich meals are $6.
Delivery available. For more
information, call 399-2717.
Saturday
• New Zion Baptist
Church, 217 W. Todd St., will
honor its first lady, Jessie
Robinson, during the first
annual “Jessie Robinson
Calendar Tea” at 4 p.m. in the
church fellowship hall. Music
will be provided by Herman
Ellis and the Queen City Aires
and the FBH Sensations of
Mount Holly. For more infor
mation, call 399-4181.
• The Statesville District
Women’s Home and
Overseas Missionary
Society of the AME Zion
Church will present the come
dy “The Slabtown District
Convention” at McGray
Auditorium, 474 North Center
St., Statesville. The perfor
mance begins at 6 p.m. and will
end with the crowning of Ms.
Statesville District. Admission
is $7. For more information,
call (704) 241-3961.
• The Paradise Voices will
be in concert at 7: 30 p.m. at
New St. John Baptist Church,
2000 St. John Church Road.
Sunday
• Services will be held at 8
a.m. and 11 a.m. at New St.
John Baptist Church, 2000
St. John Chiu'ch Road. At 8
a.m., the Rev. Larry Jones will
deliver the message. At 11 a.m.
the Rev. Robert Leak will deliv
er the message, “Preparing for
the Good Times - The Bad Will
Come.”
• Friends and Family Day
will be celebrated at
Shepherd’s Fold AME Zion
Church, 428 West Blvd. The
Rev. J.R. Monrow of St. John
AME Zion Church in Raeford,
N.C., will be the guest speaker.
• The Men’s Choir of Little
Rock AME Zion Church, 401
North McDowell St., will be
in concert at 5 p.m.
• 'The West Charlotte High
School Gospel Chorus will be
in concert at Ebenezer Baptist
Church, 2020 West Sugar
Creek Road at 4 p.m.
Monday
• The Peacemaking
Committee of Statesville
Ave. Presbyterian Church,
3435 Nevin Road, will hold
Lentin Bible Study at 6:45 p.m.
(greater (getIjKemane Zion Cljurcl)
Rev. Eevid R. Baker
William Hale preached his fii^t
sermon at age 17. He was
ordained by the AME Church in
1992. He married his African-
American wife, Danna, in 1995.
His first congregation was com
posed of about 20 women “old
enough to be my mother or my
grandmother,” he said. “Thejfve
done a great deal to define who I
am in my ministry. I love those
people.”
Lifelong St. James member
Bleuzette Marshall, 27, of College
Hill, says that Wfiham Hale’s
abilities have helped him over
come any of the congregation’s
misgivings.
“I just wanted to make sure the
people gave him a chance,”
Marshall said. “It would truly test
people’s Christian views if a nega
tive reaction were to result
because of race.”
“The church is moving on under
his leadership,” added longtime
member William George of
-Covington.
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