Mn.Bmtfe Wllboo! Ik 1. te* i Sf'-dSw v-t-i - INTRODUCTION Motive U important in regard .to many things that we, do, but it is especially - • significant, in the realm that we call religious. One of the most despicable consider that the performance of religious activities somehow makes up for deliberate ethical and moral misdeeds. This makes legion the cloak of a rascal. &ich a practice called for one of God’s most scathing denunciations of Israel: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies,” (Amos “ 5:21). -- lesSon background Specifically, our text deals with fasting, but its basic teaching goes far beyond that tp me matter of attitude, motive and purpose in personal worship. More than this, (and this is the heart of the lesson) it - makes cieaf thatno ^liflouircxpression has any validity unless the life of the - worsmper-a-characterized by gOOd deedsT^ -Religious practice cannot possibly have , meaning apart from godly living, (Isaiah meaning ap&rt from Godly living, (Isaiah ■ 58:5). “When you fast, you make yourselves of grass and spread out sack cloth and ashes to lie on.’\___ Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will be pleased with that? : ' • * .W At the heart of the people’s problem was the fact that even during the time of the fast they were guilty of serious wrong-doing. Isaiah pointfe out that there are two kinds of fast, the wrong kind and the right kind. These people were quite religious. They sought the Lord daily, affirming an interest in His Ways, appearing to be concerned about Godly living, “See, we are fasting,” they might say. Their fault lay in the fact mat they were merely preserving the - arms of religions while their lives reality (See 2 Timothy 3:5). “On ytiftr fasting, you do as you please it all your workers,” Isaiah said. tese people, certain that they were God’s favorites, obstensibly fasting, yet all _the while doing their own pleasure and oppressing the poor who labored for them.. (Read James 5:4,5 few a description of this kind of behavior.) (Isaiah 58:9-7) “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your God with me hungry and open your hones to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.” There is nothing wrong with fasting. It can serve a worthy and a worthwhile purpose - not, however, as an end in itself, but as a means to an end. It can be a suppressing of one’s physical nature for a season in order to enhance the spiritual. It can be a genuine humbling of the soul and an expression of a penitent spirit* The test of whether or not the fast has meaning is seen in the conduct of the one fasting. True warship will develop within us, sensitivity to injustice and the desire to correct it wherever it is met. This means that if we do not show love and concern such as our Lord has for the oppressed, we cannot claim to love God, and our fasting, our worship, or ‘'service” will be in vain. . The right fasting will loose the bands of ^wickedness, or loose the fetters of injustice.” Certainly, tf I have been guilty of injustice myself, I will seek to correct the matter, but in addition, I must do what I can to correct the injustice that I see around me and or which I am not perlonaUy re sponsible. Undo the heavy burdens, lighten the loads that have teen placed by evil men or by circumstances upon others. “Bear ye one another’s burdens” Is God’s word to those who would worship Him, (Gal. 6:8). “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth toe Lord require of thee, but to de Justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with toy God,” (Mlcah 6:8). The test has to do with manner of living more than anything else. Mrs. Walter Crews .The former Miss Audrey M. Love Love-Crews Vows Spoken Wedding bells rang for Audrey Maria Love and Walter Crews on Saturday, February 18. at 4 p.m. in St. Paul Baptist Church. —Rwrnrrpahi-wrufiim-* mond officiated at the ceremony as the hride was given in mamage 'By her' father, John W. Love, Sr. The bride's gown was accented with white pearls and beads along with lacy design contained in her long train and gown. She carried a bouquet of silk flowers.— The matron of honor was the bride's sister. Mrs. Clara K. Witherspoon. Bridesmaids included Mary Kennedy, Lorrie Love of Greensboro, N.C.‘, Barbara Kennedy of Greensboro, N.C., and Sha vette Satterwhite of Dur ham, N.C. The matron of honor and bridesmaids wore sky blue gowns with a tailored waist tie belt and puffed sleeves. Melana Moore saved as flower girl, and Brandon Alexander served as ring bearer. The best man was Robert Jones, and ushers r included John Kennedy, . Ezekiel Crews, William Bullock and Eugene Jones. The bride’s mother wore a dusty pink gown with a tailored waistline, V-neck style and complemented bv _h_L_J___x_ a dusty pink corsage. The bridegroom’8 mother wore a navy blue gown tailored from the shoulder to breast line and accented with a ~na'