Are you willing to stand for what is right?
Lesson Scripture: Daniel
1:8-20
Lesson Aims: To explain
Daniel's commitment to God,
to recognize that obedience to
God is expected even in com
plicated situations, and to
commit to live for Him no
matter the cost.
Background: The four
kings of Judah that followed
Josiah did not continue the
revival. Instead they did evil,
bringing God's judgment to
the kingdom. God ysed
Babylon as His instrument
Note that Babylon was pagan,
implying that God is powerful
enough to use anyone for His
will. We must also remember
that God created everything
and can do as He pleases.
Babylon captured Judah in
three waves. Each time they
entered the kingdom, more
and more of their freedoms
were taken away. The initial
invasion was in 605 BC. The
invading army took their first
captives (today's lesson).
They returned in 597 BC and
again in 586 BC. Our study
today (and the remainder of
the month) comes from the
book of Daniel. This Old
Testament book covers the
personal account of Daniel
(and others) in captivity, along
with his prophetic visions of
the "political future of the
Mediterranean world "
(Richards' Complete Bible
Handbook). The distant future
is also found there. The book
takes the author's name as he
gives a first hand account of
what happened. Babylon
treated its captives differently
from Assyria. They deported
the best of the captives to be
trained for administrative
positions. Their king was
Nebuchadnezzer who had just
defeated the Egyptians at
Carchemish establishing them
as the new world power. Let's
begin our study.
Lesson: Once the captives
arrive in Babylon their trans
formation begins.
Their training will last for
three years.
All of the captives name1!?
are changed; Daniel 1:1-7
notes that for the people in this
lesson. It isn't stated exactly
why the king's diet is offen
sive to Daniel for the Law
allows them to eat meat and
drink wine. It could be that
the food was used for their
pagan gods or that Daniel rec
ognizes the king's aim (trans
forming them into
Babylonians)! Daniel is truly
committed to God. Because
of this, Daniel requests that he
and his friends be allowed to
eat vegetables and drink
water. This is not a mandate
to be vegetarian The request
is to demonstrate the Lord's
provision when one is faithful.
Now when the training period
is complete, the menlh^eharge
cofild lose their lives if the
trainees came up deficient in
any way. Daniel has favor
with these eunuchs because of
God. His proposal is for ten
days! After that period, the
four are to be compared with
the others. Lo and behold they
look better than the others!
Melzar put all of Jhem on the
pulses and water diet God
blesses the four with knowl
edge and wisdom. When the
training period comes to an
end (three years), the faUr are
found to be ten times better
than all the magicians and
astrologers in the empire.
Application: Too often we
Christians compromise our
beliefs in complex situations.
We say all of the right things
when there is no threat to our
security. When the threat
comes, a lot of times we hide,
or just simply say nothing.
God wants us to stand fast on
His teachings even in the face
of adversity. How do people
recognize God's children.'^
Our speech and our actions
proclaim our identity. Are we
willing to stand for what is
right in God's sight? Like
Daniel and his friends, do you
stand or do you allow the
world to change you? Our
society is more complex but
God is the same yesterday,
today, and tomorrow. Are you
willing to take the stand what
ever the consequences may
be? Sure we wear or carry a
lot of symbols (Bibles, jewel
ry of all sorts), but do we live
according to God's standards?
In the face of adversity, do we
stand like the four or do we
fade into the woodwork?
Let's take a personal inventory
to determine the areas of com
promise in our lives. Then
commit yourself to stand in
those areas. This stand will
not be for your glory but for
God's. See you next week.
Please continue to pray for my
husband. j
Mildred
Peppers
Sunday
School Lesson
Women 's conference planned at Emmanuel Baptist
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The women of Emmanuel Baptist Church will celebrate its
annual Women's Day. Accenting Emmanuel's theme for this year,
"Living by Faith, the women of Emmanuel" will be "Leading the
way towards a Faith lift." Under the leadership of Sonya Weaks
and Harriette C. Evans, chairperson and co-chair respectively.
Women's Day events will be held Friday, April 1 1 - Sunday, April
13 at the church, located at 1075 Shalimar Dr. where the Rev. Dr.
John Mendez is pastor.
The celebration begins Friday, April 11 with a semi formal
Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Ball from 7 - 9 p.m. in the church
multipurpose room. There will be refreshments, dancing, picture
taking and more. ,
Saturday, April 12, the ladies will kick off events at c7:45 a.m.
with a warm-up mile walk to Salem Lake followed by a continen
tal breakfast and morning aerobics with Ernestine Griffin. From 10
- 11 a.m., motivation speakers will be presented with a noon day
health and beauty vendor expo. To conclude Saturday's events,
Emmanuel will be transformed into a coffee house with Karaoke
from 7 - 9 p.m. Poetry, skits, and dances will be a part of the fun
evening.
On Sunday, April 13, back by spiritual demand, the Rev. Edna
West, associate minister of Union Baptist Church will deliver the
Sunday morning 10 a.m. worship message. The public is invited to
come and support the.Emmanuel women leading the way for all
women towards a faith lift. ? ..
For more information, contact the Emnianuel Baptist Church
office at 788-7023.
Calendar
from page BIO
Overdale Ave. They will
also release their much anticipat
ed CD "Psalms From the Heart ."
Featured vocalists on the CD are
Bishop John Heath, Bishop
Steve Williams, Minister
Beverly Alexander. Gospel
Dream winner Cristina Perrin
will be performing. For more
information, call 336-287-9867
or 336-918-9437.
9
Spring Community Day
United Metropolitan
Missionary Baptist ChucpH lis
staging a Spring Community
Day on April 1 2 from 12 ^ 4 p jn.
Events will include: music,
games, food, clothing and toy
give-a-ways, health care screen
ings and voter registration. The
church address is 450
Metropolitan Dr. The event is
free to the public. Call 761-1358
for more information. ^
Women 's conference
A Women's Conference will
be held at Dreamland Park
Missionary Baptist Church on
April 12. Registration will be
from 8-9 a.m. Keynote speak
er is Minister Parthenia
Galloway from Morning Star
Baptist Church. Other speakers
are Minister Velma McCloud
from Piney Grove Baptist
Church and Quanita Whitlock of
Destiny Christian Center of
Greensboro.
The conference theme i?
"Are The Women of Today
R pari ftp Their Children by The
ElSwerTSfcGod?" (Proverbs 22^>).
The conference is free. The
church is at 2340 Dunbar St.
Rev. Ronald C. Fisher, Sr. is pas
tor. Chairperson is Yetta J. Cain.
Praise Fest Cafe
Rich CDC Singles Program
are holding their Praise Fest
Cafe' on Saturday, April 12;
from 7-10 p.m. for ages 14 and
older. There will be comedy,
poetry, Holy Trinity's Majestic
Dancers, Tribe of Judah, special
soloist and much more. The
activities will take place in the
fellowship hall of Holy Trinity
Full Gospel Baptist Church, 651
Akron Dr. For more informa
tion.caill 744-9293.
April 13
Concert at Konnoak Hills
A concert featuring the Band,
Adult Choir and Handbell
Choirs of Konnoak Hills
Moravian Church will be held on
Sunday, April 13, 4 p.m. at the
church, 3401 Konnoak Dr.
A love offering will be
received to benefit Sunnyside
Ministries.
Hallelujah Day
The Pilgrim Rest Missionary
Baptist Church family invites
one and all to their' annual
Hallelujah Day service which
will be held April 13 at the 11
a.m. service with Pastor Hart
speaking. The afternoon special
guests will be New Direction
Christian Center and church
family from Lexington N.C.
The speaker will be their pastor
Bishop Donald Newkirk at 4
pjn. The church is at 1905 N.
Jackson Ave. Pastor Paul W.
Hart is pastor and First Lady is
Sandra D. Hart.
Beginning April 14
Spring revival
The High Point Educational
and Missionary . Baptist
Association, Inc. will have its
Annual Spring Revival on April
14, 15", and 16 nightly at 7 p.m.
at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church
. located at 3230 Heitman Dr. The
guest Revivalist for this occasion
is the Rev. Wesley McLaughlin,
pastor of Mt. Olivet Missionary
Baptist Church In Petersburg,
Va. For more information call
336-509-8717.
Holy TVinity
from page BIO
The workshop continued
with a presentation and exercise
by Sis. Latoya Stevenson. She
explained to the crowd about
budgeting and pqpritizing.
Alter
she made
sugges
tions on
how the
family
can better
budget
their
money,
the par
ticipants
were split
into groups.
Groups were given a differ
ent family to scrutinize the same
way as the example.
As the workshop came to a
close, Sis. Trenia Miller
explained the importance of
each person and family taking
the information they learned and
applying it at home. She
expressed that God is empower
ing His people to "Maximize
Their Potential Through Radical
Change."
Co-Pastor Ernestine Miller,
who is a consultant with the
finance ministry, was then asked
to make comments about the
workshop's presentation. Miller
encouraged everyone to take
what he or she had been taught
and not let it go to waste. She
expressed that in her opinion,
the best investment is always to
sow seed because it yields some
30, 60, and sometimes a 100
fold return, which is better than
any bank could offer.
The next Finance Workshop
is coming this Fall. For details,
call the church office at 336
744-9293. Richard C. Miller,
Sr. is the pastor of Holy Trinity.
|l'
Ernestine Miller
TjdwrjChdjur
Sound system solutions! |
Sales ? Training ? Repair
Contact
Brent Jones 336-403-6452
pianomanjones@yahoo. com
Macedonia Holiness Church Of God
Of The Apostolic Faith, Inc.
Bishop Rl. Wist, Sr.
DJ)^S.TD.- Pator
Sunday Services
Sunday School 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship 11:00 a.m.
M.Y.P.U 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Services
Prayer & Bible Study 7:30 p.m.
4111 Whitfield Drive
Phone: 336-767-3700
Fax: 336-767-7006
The death of a loved one is enough
of a burden without it becoming a
financial one^too.
Plan ahead and save.
Peace of Mind ? est. 1979
>
For more information contact:
(336) 788-4959
Calvary Hill to
celebrate pastoral
anniversary Sunday
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Calvary Hill Church of
Greater Deliverance, Inc.
extends an invitation to all to
come and fellowship with
them as they honor the 27th
Pastoral Anniversary of their
Founder, Teacher and Pastor
Bishop Claude C. Turner and
Minister Virginia W. Turner.
The celebration will
begin Sunday, April 6 at 11
a.m. with Elder Sherman R.
Hart, associate minister of
Galilee Missionary Baptist
Church. The conclusion is
with Bishop Joseph P.
Lowery and St. Matthews
Apostle Church at- 4 p.m.
The church is at 495 1
Manning St.
Bishop Claude C. Turner and
Minister Virginia W. Turner
0 . ? "
C
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Thurs., April 17, 11:30 a.m.
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1507 Cotton Grove Rd.
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Wed., April 23, 11:30 a.m.
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H3449_4003, 3/17/08, H3404_4003, 3/17/08 U422S. V08