The Chronicle
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October 18, 2018 B3
Religion
The Birth of the
Promised Son
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 18:9-15; 21:1-7
By the end of this lesson, we will
*Remember to trust the promise of God.
* Appreciate the value for God promises.
*Celebrate that God keeps promises in unex
pected ways by grace.
Background: The time is 2065 B.C. and the place
Hebron under the Oaks of Mamre. God has already
made a promise to Abram in the twelfth chapter of
Genesis. God has built Abram’s wealth and promised
him an heir from his own loins and God gives Abram a
glimpse of the future of his descendants and the
Promised Land. Abram was good with it all until God
said the heir would come from Sarah ... he responded by
laughing.
Lesson: Abraham has had visits from God singularly
... now God comes and is accompanied by two others.
Abraham extends the customary manners and invites the
visitors to sup with him under the Oaks of Mamre.
During dinner conversation God announces that He will
come back to this place in a year’s time and Sarah will
have a son (vs. 9-10). Sarah listened inside the tent and
reacted the same as Abraham when he was told that
Sarah would be the mother, but she laughed to herself,
not out loud. She was thinking in the natural sense being
convinced that, at their age, childbearing was impossible.
She did not consider God’s unlimited abilities (vs. 11-
13). Reading Sarah’s thoughts, God says, “Why did
Sarah laugh? Is anything too difficult for the Lord?”
God’s divine declaration is, “At the appointed time Sarah
will have a son.” (vs. 14-15). Caught and afraid, Sarah
denies laughing, but God’s response is, “No, but you did
laugh.” (vs.15). Life goes on, time and events pass, and
God ends Sarah’s barrenness as He had promised. She
conceived and bore a son in God’s timeframe at the
appointed time of which God had spoken to him (vs. 1-
2). Abraham named the child Isaac, which means “he
laughs,” thought to be an abbreviated form of “God
laughs,” as did both Abraham and Sarah (vs.3). Keeping
the covenant, circumcision was performed identifying
Abraham’s physical and ethical lineage. Isaac was cut
when he was eight days old (vs.4). Abraham was one
hundred years old and Sarah was ninety years old when
Isaac was born. Sarah happily acknowledged that God
kept His promise to both her and Abraham and now not
only will she and he laugh, but God will cause all those
around them to laugh with them (vs.6-7). (The.
MacArthur Study Bible, UMI and the Oxford Bible
Commentary.)
For Your Consideration: Do you have doubts as to
what you hear God speaking into your life at this time?
Do you have the faith to believe it and act?
Life’s Application: Sarah is reminded that God has
unlimited power and can bring about the impossible.
Like Sarah we have doubts. Maybe we perceive our own
shortcomings and believe we are not up to the task. Or
maybe the season has passed (we think). What God
speaks to us may sound laughable, but it is not impossi
ble. We can miss out when God confirms what He’s spo
ken to us if we are not watchful. It is important to be
both watchful and mindful so that when God comes
through for us, we can show appropriate appreciation by
doing with the blessing what God has instructed.
Obedience is always the proper response to God, whether
it’s the mundane or the fantastic that He does for us. “In
all things give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Jesus
looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
www.wschronicle.com
Oct.18
Revival services
Greater Galilee Church “The Gathering Place”,
1355 Peachtree St., will host a revival service on
Thursday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. For additional information,
call (336) 784-1062. Dr. Robert McGowens is the host
pastor.
Oct. 18-21
Church anniversary
Miracle Temple Deliverance Church, 2930 Prescott
Drive, will host its 20th church anniversary on
Thursday, Oct. 18-19 at 7 p.m. each night. The
event will culminate on Sunday, Oct. 21 at an 11 a.m.
service.
Clergy alliance seeks
volunteers for cleanup
in Eastern N.C.
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
Mayor Allen Joines
speaks during the
press conference at
Emmanuel Baptist
Church last Tuesday.
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
The people of eastern North
Carolina are still dealing with the
aftermath of Hurricane Florence. The
Minister's Conference of Winston-
Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV), Love
Out Loud, the City of Winston-
Salem, and others held a press confer
ence at Emmanuel Baptist Church on
Oct. 9, to update the community of
the citywide collaboration to respond
to the devastation.
The alliance announced there will
be a mission trip planned for Oct. 21-
27. They are looking for 100 volun
teers to assist them with the clean up
efforts that will take place in Craven,
Jones and Onslow counties.
Rev. Dr. Preston Harris, modera
tor of the Trent River Oakey Grove
Missionary Baptist Association, was
Photo by Timothy Ramsey
Following the service, the various ministries of the church gave Dr. Bishop anniversary gifts and presenta
tions.
Pastor
celebrates
anniversary
Calendar
Oct. 20
Fish Fry
New Gospel Tabernacle Church, 206 Laura Wall
Blvd, will have a fish fry fundraiser at 9 a.m. on
Saturday, Oct. 20. For more information, call (336)
528-3399.
Oct. 21
CROP Walk
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County CROP Hunger
Walk to raise money to end hunger will be Sunday, Oct.
21 at Bailey Park Long Branch Trail at Wake Forest
Innovation Quarter, 445 Patterson Ave. in downtown
Winston-Salem. Registration time is 1:30 p.m. Walk
Time is 2:30 p.m. Contact: Carol Wilson, cwilson@cri-
siscontrol.org or (336) 724-7875, ext.1060.
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
THE CHRONICLE
Rev. Dr. Dennis Bishop is one of the most well
respected pastors in the city. This past weekend he
celebrated his 50th anniversary in the ministry, with
35 of those years at his current church, First
Waughtown Baptist Church.
The church organized a multi-day celebration
culminating in a special Sunday morning service.
The scheduled service Thursday evening was can
celed due to Hurricane Michael, but that did not
dampen the spirits of the congregation for the
remaining events.
“I am just so thankful to have my family here to
celebrate this day with me,” said Bishop. “I also
wanted to thank the congregation of First
See Anniversary on B4
Oct. 21
58th Church anniversary
The Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 1905
N. Jackson Ave., will be celebrating its 58th church
anniversary at the 11 a.m. worship Sunday Oct. 21. The
pastor is Paul W Hart.
Oct. 21
173rd anniversary
Bethania A.M.E. Zion Church, 2120 Bethania-Rural
Hall Road, will celebrate its 173rd Anniversary on
Sunday, Oct. 21. The Rev Allen W. Stimpson Sr., pastor
of Bethania, will deliver the 11 a.m. message. Lunch
will be served at 2 p.m. At 3 p.m., Rev Daryl Napper,
pastor of First Baptist Church in Lexington, N.C., will
be the speaker.
See Rel. Cal. on B4