Church
Sunday School lesson
Sermon tells Christians how to live
MAKE PEACE.
(Matthew 5:#; 38-tt;
Luke 6:31; 34-3?)
"Blessed are the peacemak
ers: For they shall be called the
Children of God." (Matthew 5:9)
The Matthew scripture given
for today's study is part of Jesus'
sermon on the mount. Christ
gave this sermon sometime
about the middle of His Galilean
ministry; probably A.0. 28. In it,
He is not telling us how to be
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Respectfully,
saved, rather, bow we, as Chris
tians, are to live.
Jesus had said, in the proceed
ing verses that He had not come
to do away with Jewish laws, but
to fulfull them. That is, fill them
full. In response to questions put
forward by some Jewish leaders,
notably the Pharisees, He began
re-interpreting the old religion in
light of His coming? and the
needs of the new day.
It is interesting to note, how
ever, that in each instance where
Htf re-intet-preted the law, He did
not lower the demand of the law
but raised it. In today's scripture
verses 38-48 we are given an ex
cellent example of this. Our
scripture lesson begins with Mat
thew 5:9 which is one of the "Be
atitudes" which Jesus cited just
prior to giving the sermon on the
mount.
PEACEMAKING.
(Matthew 5:9)
The Beatitudes each begin with
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the word blessed. If the word
blessed means "happy" as many
theologians believe, then Jesus is
saying "happy are the peace
makers." Christ had much to say
about peace; He emphasized it.
He came to bring peace to the
world.
As He said on one occasion, not
peace as the world knows it, but
an inward personal peace that
comes only when people have the
right relationship with the Fa
ther. However, in this verse of
scripture, Jesus is emphasizing
the role of peacemaking.
He is speaking of the influence
of a life of promoting harmony
among people. Paul, when writ
ing the epistle to the church at
Rome, said, "How Beautiful are
the feet of them that preach the
Gospel of Peace." (Romans
10:15) In matters of controversy,
Christian people ought always be
on the side peace.
JESUS' WAY OF PEACE
(Matthew 5:38; Luke 6:31)
Many years ago I heard an
evangelist preach a sermon on
the "Four ways to give," refer
ring to Christians' every day in
teractions with others. He said,
"To give good for good is human;
to give evil for evil is beastly; to
give evil for good is devilish; but
to give good for is evil is devine."
It was an impressive sermon
and I remember most of it. .
Under the Old Testament law,
people were commanded to love
God first, and secondly they were
to love their neighbors, as noted
in the book of Leviticus. It isn't
too difficult ot love lovely people,
however, the problems for people
come into play when we are ad
monished to love the unlovely,
evil, despicable people.
That kind of love is not a hu
man trait, and I dare say that hu
manly speaking it borders on the
impossible. In verse 44 of this
scripture text Jesus says, "But I
say unto you, love your enemies,
bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate, and pray
for them who despitefully use
you, and persecute you."
If we are unable to do this hu
manly, how then may we fulfill
God's command that we do it? If
we love, and bless, and do good to
those who do us harm it is be
cause of the devine element that
is within us. As Christian believ
ers, we are indwelled with God,
the Father, God, the Son and
God, the Holy Spirit, and they be
come our enablers.
It is through devine power that
we are able to transcend our hu
maness and love our enemies.
The Lord expects us to walk obe
diently before Him and to walk in
daily fellowship with Him, and
He will enable us to overcome
our human tendacies of actions
an re-actions in our relationship
with others.
"Be ye therefore merciful, as
your father also is merciful."
(Luke 6:36)
(Lesson based on the Interna
tional Sunday School Lessons)
"LOVE, PEACE, AND JOY"
George Wilmore, Pastor
Mt. Sinai Baptist Church
Hertford, N.C.
When a man who has been living in sins turns
from his sins, and turns to God with all his heart, he
is met on the threshold of the divine life by these
sister graces. The love of God is shed abroad in his
heart by the Holy Spirit. The peace of God comes at
the same time, and also the joy of the Lord. We can
all put the test to ourselves, if we have them. It is
not anything that we can make. The great trouble
with many is that they are trying to make these
graces. They are trying to make love; they are try
ing to make peace; they are trying to make joy. But
they are not creations of human planting. To pro
duce them of ourselves is impossible. That is an act
of God. They come from above. It is God who
speaks the word and gives the love; it is God who
gives the peace; it is God who gives the joy, and we
possess all by receiving Jesus Christ by faith into
the heart; for when Christ comes by faith into the
heart, then the Spirit is there, and if we have the
Spirit, we will have the fruit.
"Make love, not war" as a popular slogan of the
last decade. The scriptures say, "God is love", now,
how are we going to make God? Love is to be re
ceived, and with love comes peace and joy. If the
whole church of God would live as the Lord would
have them live, Christianity would be the mightiest
power this world has ever seen.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meek
ness, temperance, against such there is no law. . .If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
(Galatians 5:22, 23, 25)
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Church News
Women's Aglow to meet
The Elizabeth City of Women's
Aglow will meet Saturday, Feb
ruary 15th, 9:00 a.m. at Virginia
Dare House on McMorrine
Street. Our guest speaker is Jean
Wilson of Currtuck. A brunch will
be served. This meeting is open
to the public. For more informa
tion, call 330-2647.
Semi- Annual Circuit Meet held
More than 1400 Jehovah's Wit
nesses and friends met Saturday
and Sunday at the Washington
High School, Washington, N.C.
for their Semi-Annual circuit as
sembly.
The theme of this assembly,
according to Kelly Bond, local
minister, was "Love For The
Worldwide Brotherhood." "Love
for one another proved to be ab
solutely necessary for the dis
ciples of Jesus Christ in the first
century. In this 20th Century it is
just as necessary that such love
be shown. The program was de
signed to consider many aspects
of this love that is so necessary
as a bonding agent, holding
God's people together in unity
and integrity," said Bond.
Principal speaker for the two
day event was D. Raftopoulos
from the world headquarters of
Jehovah's Witnesses. The climax
of the two-day assembly came
Sunday afternoon when Mr. Raf
topoulos spoke on the subject "A
Worldwide Brotherhood Saved
from Calamity." In his address
Mr. Raftopoulos identified the
true brotherhood as faithful and
loyal Christians dedicated to de
claring abroad Jehovah God's
name and the good news of His
established kingdom through His
son, Jesus Christ. "Among Jeho
vah's Witnesses there is a real
international brotherhood,", he
said. Raftopoulos also identified
the "calamity" to be that which
is spoken of in the Bible as Arma
geddon and pointed out how sur
vival of a worldwide brotherhood
was foreshadowed by ancient
types, such as Noah and his fam
ily, Jehovah's deliverance of the
Israelites from Egypt, and sav
ing of first-century christians
when Jerusalems was destroyed
in 70 C.E. Concluding his address
Mr. Raftopoulos drew attention
to the Bible's requirement to be
saved with the "Worldwide,
Brotherhood."
One of the highlights of the as
sembly came Saturday when 8
new Witnesses were baptized.
These new ones have joined over
three million other Witnesses
who spend much of their time
teaching the Bible to interested
persons free of charge.
First Baptist to hold service
Sunday school begins at 9:45
a.m. Morning worhip begins at
11:00 a.m. with Pastor London
preaching from the subject "The
Fate of God's Word." Luke 8:15.
The senior choir is singing under
the direction of Mrs. Barbara
Shannon.
?
Fellowship Union to meet
The Perquimans County
Fellowship Union will be held at
the Melton Grove Baptist Church
Winfall, NC. The Rev. Joseph L.
Wills and Pooles Grove Baptist
Church will be in charge. The
Rev. John W. Law, Host Pastor.
The Rev. J. H. London, Presi
dent. The meeting is scheduled
for Sunday at 7:00 p.m.
Gospel Singers to give concert
The Gates County Caranan
Gospel Singers will give a con
cert at St. Paul A.M.E. Zion
Church, Hertford, NC, Sunday,
February 23, 1986, at 3:00 p.m.
The public is invited to attend.
Church Unity Service held
The Elizabeth City area Min
isterial Association sponsored an
Ecumenical Prayer Service at
the Cornerstone Baptist Church
on Sunday, February 2, 1986 at
7:30 p.m. The service was at
tended by more than 400 mem
bers of various denominations in
recognition of the nation-wide ob
servance of Church Unity Week.
The Rev. John London, Pastor
of First Baptist Church, Hertford
and Sister Helen Scanlon, MSBT,
Director of Catholic Social Min
istries of the Albemarle Region
represented Perquimans County.
The Rev. Earl Alexander, Pas
tor of Pearl Street Pentacostal
Church was chairman of this an
nual event. The Rev. John Trot
man, President of the Ministerial
Association, was host pastor. The
sermon, delivered by the Rev.
Brad Horgett, Pastor of North
side Assembly of God, was a
stirring reminder that we are
"Commissioned to Witness to
Christ."
Greetings, Scripture texts and
prayers were offered by min
isters representing Disciples of
Christ, Baptist and Luthern de
nominations. A combined choir
offered hyms of praise accom
pained by Dr. Olive Wilson and
under ther direction of Mrs. Lo
retta Daniels. The Senior Choir
of the host church provided re
freshments for all following the
service.
I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who
remembered me in their prayers. Also, for the cards, vis
its, flowers, food, telephone calls and all other expressions
of kindness shown me and my family while I was a patient
in Albemarle Hospital and since my return home I shall
always be grateful.
Iona Baker
The family of Daniel Robertson would like to thank their
friends, families, and neighbors for the prayers, visits,
cards, food and other acts of kindness bestowed upon us at
the death of our loved one. Your though tf ulness and ex
pressions of kindness will always be remembered.
Clodie Hunter and family,
Polly Robertson,
Ray mond ( Funnyboy )
Rogerson and family
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone
for the flowers, visits, gifts, and prayers since my surgery.
Your though tf ulness will always be remembered.
Cheryl Phillips