RELIGION
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Understanding the importance of love in our daily lives
Umm Scripture: Mark
IIr2t-34, Luke 6:27-31; John
13:54-35
Less? Aimmc To underhand
the importance of love, incor
porate love in our daily lives
and become authentic disciples.
larky?4: Upon the death
of Alexander the Great (323
B.C.), hit empire was divided.
Palestine was caught between
two of these empires and was
ripe fruit for them as well. For
122 years, Palestine was domi
nated by the Ptolemies of Egypt
("Richard's Complete Bible
Handbook"). The Jews were
respected and permitted to wor
ship as they saw fit. Eventually,
the kingdom Syria, which was
north of Palestine, defeated the
Egyptian Ptolemies and gained
control of the Jews. Things
changed for them. The Jews
were now forced to embrace the
Greek world. This meant that
they must dress, speak and wor
ship a* the Greek*. The Jew*
resisted this change and bepan
to revolt (Maccabees) against
the Syrian* and developed way*
to keep Judaism pure. Thus the
proup of men known a* Phar
isee* was organized. Their ratio
nale 'or purpose was to hold up
the Mosaic Law and the oral
tradition* a* a mean* of identi
fying God's people. They, there
C' .
(ore, concentrated on keeping
every detail of the law. The
Pharisees were so committed to
obedience that they were Mind
ed to God's grace and mercy in
the Scripturcc of the Law. the
Psalms and the prophets. These
are. the people to whom Jesus
often referred as hypocrites.
They constantly challenged
Him on obeying the letter of
the Law and saw no need to be
loving and forgiving. Not all of
them were bad people. Remem
ber Nicodemus (John 3). The
Maccabees gained some inde
pendence for about 120 years
and then came the Romans.
Lesson: The lesson opens
after Jesus has answered the
Pharisees concerning taxation
to the Romans and resurrec
tion. They continue to try and
trick Jesus. Their next questions
is "What is the greatest com
mandment?" Jesus went to
familiar passages (Deuterono
my 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18)
and began his discourse. It
appears that this scribe a
lawyer) is sincere ? notice his
response in 12:32 and also pay
attention to Jesus in 12:34.
Luke goes on to record Jesus'
further explanation of this love.
At the center of this teaching is
"love your enemy." This is
beyond the Law and the Phar
isees don't understand it. This
love is unconditional. Once
again, the Pharisaic interpreta
tion comes up lacking. John
13:34-35 calls the followers to
an authentic discipleship. This
passage comes after the
Passover meal and just before
His prediction of Peter's denial.
This new way of identifying
with Cod commands you treat
people the way God has treated
you. That way all people will
know whose you are.
Application: The essence of
God is love. This love is ever
present, always open to recon
ciliation and is the basic ele
ment for building community.
This love is in direct opposition
to the Law if the "spirit of the
law" is ignored I am not saying
to disobey laws. However, if we
lose the spirit of the law (living
in community), then the law is
ineffective. God loves us. Hasn't
He proved it already? Then how
can we ignore the poor, the sick
and the disinherited based on a
law? They, too, are part of com
munity! According to Scripture
some may be lazy and trifling
but we are not to write them off
Think for a moment how easily
we love those in our inner circle.
That same love is to be extend
ed to our enemies. Do we
deserve God's love? Don't be
like the Pharisees and start to
number all of the laws you've
obeyed and your good deeds.
Romans 3:23 states that we alt
have sinned, therefore, by the
/ %
world'* standard*, we don't
deserve God'* Love! Thank* be
to God Almighty. Hi* love goes
beyond the Law. Obedience to
God is a must but Hi* grace and
mercy stand* in the gap for us.
His grace and mercy is agape
love. Whatever we do in our
lives as believers, we must have
unconditional love. That means
we must do right by our loved
ones as well as our enemies.
This season's gift is Jesus, the
epitome of God's Love for
humanity. If we are Christlike,
can we be any other way? Faith,
hope and love but the greatest
of these is love. This love comes
from the heart and is genuine. It
defies the standards set by the
world. Our friends and family
may say "stop making a fool of
yourself Love anyway. This
love that ha* to come from the
Holy Spirit will give you a dis
cerning spirit to lead and guide
you.
Mildrmd
Sunday
School Leftfton
New How AMEZjooQuA
Mdber Gives Initial Sermon
I
tcteUU to Ths CmomciM
'? 'Sifter Constance B. Hawkins,
a 'member of New Hope AME
Zfon Church of Lewisville, will
give her initial sermon on Dec.
31''at 9 p.m., followed by Watch
Ntght Service. She is one of
Zion's young women who is
excited and looking forward to
mihister and witness of God's
goodness. God has blessed
Hawkins with talents of writing
poetry and creating artwork. She
willingly share* these gifts with
the church family and the stu
dents with whom she works with
at Southwest Elementary School.
Being a member of New Hope.
Hawkins gives her service as a
member of the young adult mis
sionary society, Voices of Praise
Choir and as assistant children's
director for Christian education.
What a wonderful way-for a
young woman to start the year.
Hawk In t
Howard and Thoma>ina
Hawk inn are the proud parents of
Hawkins, and Alandous Hawkins'
is her son,
New Hope AMF, Zion
Church is pastored by the Rev, '
Johnny L Ruff.
Watchnight 498 at Goodwill Baptist
a
f. Ji a j?p._. i m ?*?? ?.?*
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Goodwill Baptist Church
invites all to come out to
Watchnight '98 service to be
held at Goodwill Dec. 31. The
service will begin at.10:30 p.m.
Tfye Rev. Philemon Samuels,
senior pastor, will bring forth
thi message from the provoca
tive topic "Your History Is No
Match for Your Destiny."
.Goodwill has a long tradi
tion of having Watchnlght ser-'
vices each year on New Year's
Eve. With God's grace, the ser
vices have grown each year with
the blessing of the Lord touch
ing .all those who have attend
ed. The van ministry will be
available to those who may
need transportation to this or
any other service at Goodwill.
For van pickup eall (336) 725
0792 or the church at (336) 764
3930. '
K?v. and Mrt. Samum 1$
God is Making a Survivor
OutofYouandMe
I have been successful in some things
antl have even reached some high mountain peaks.
But1 when the storms of life prevailed.
I have even failed.
Yet. Ood holds me securely,
because He is making a survivor out of me.
I have lost my footing from time to time
antf fallen into pity and despair,
but I have learned to keep on striving
and never lose hope.
In ail these trials I'll never give up.
be tkuse I know that Ood is making a survivor out of me.
J , \
W sare tossed by life's treacherous seas
and we cry out to Ood and say,
"L ltd help me if you please.
I j lit can't take anymore."
Bi if if we would listen we would hear God say.
"1 (fid on my child I am here.
I'l i making a survivor out of you."
T) ough the road of life is rugged
and we are bowed beneath the load.
wi must hold fast to Jesus and keep on toiling.
W ty? Because I see a small patch of blue sky
pe tlting through the clouds
ani God's love keeps shining through.
11 card God say;
" wur last days will be your best days,
I'm making a survivor out of you."
A
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Kev. Maryulk-c Scott
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to News is
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January 1-21, 1999 j
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Bailey leaves Lyons' defense team Trial
for Baptist leader begins in two weeks
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LARGO, Ha. - Criminal
defense attorney F. Lee Bailey
ha? left the legal team represent
ing the Rev. Henry J. Lyons, who
faces charges of state racketeer
ing and grand theft.
The Baptist leader's defense
team announced Monday that
the famed West Palm Beach
lawyer, noted for his defense of
O.J. Simpson and the Boston
Strangler, was no longer repre
senting Lyons.
One of Lyons' three remain
ing lawyers, Denis de Vlaming,
said that it has been difficult for
Lyons to pay Bailey's legal bills
ever since federal prosecutors
froze Lyons' assets.
De Vlaming also said Bailey
had a conflict with a trial in
Texas that will take place about
the same time that Lyons' trial
on state racketeering charges
begins Jan. 11.
"Is this a crippling blow to
the defense? No," de Vlaming
said. "Will we miss him? Cer
tainly. Personally, I wa> looking
forward to trying a caae with
him." '
Dc Vlaming laid Bailey part
ed on good termi and wished
Lyons good luck. Lyons, presi
dent of the National Baptist
Convention USA, and Bernice
Edwards, a former convention
employee who lives in Milwau
kee, are accused of stealing rtyjl
lions of dollars from companies
seeking to do business with the
convention and laundering funds
through secret accounts to
finance lavish lifestyles.
The scandal came to light in
July, of 1997, when Lyon's wife,
Deborah Lyons, set several small
fires in a $700,000 home owned
by the Baptist leader and
Edwards. After crashing her car,
a distraught Deborah Lyons told
sherrif's deputies she was upset
beca. She later recanted her
statement and in an emotional
press conference, claimed she set
the fires as a result of an addic
tion to alcohol.
Lyons and Edwards also
attempted to purchase a million
dollor home in Charlotte.
Since authorities have begun
investigating the case, allegations
of -drug use and other marital
fidelities have arisen, though
Lyons maintains his innocence.
Lyons has managed to illude
at least three attempts to unseat
him as leader of NBC, the
nation's largest black church
organization.
Lyons' legal fate is now in the
hands of three lawyers: lead
attorney Grady Irvin Jr., Largo
criminal defense attorney Jay
Hebert and de Vlaming, now the
team's senior attorney.
Anthony Battaglia left Lyons'
defense team earlier this year.
"I came into this case as the
third senior attorney," said de
Vlaming.
"Now I'm the most senior
lawyer by attrition.'*
Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge
Susan SchaefTer must approve
Bailey's departure from the case.
She was expected to do so by
next week.
^ SMPii^^l *?^** j
^H H^^^BSSSS SSU B .
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