^Bj. Bessie Wtltm
Sunday
SPcAcc/
Stetson
« - 1
*' INTRODUCTION
ri Today’s text from Jude contains some rather strong
words denouncing false teachers who had come among the
. churches. Even stronger words appear in verses 5-16. It
would be easy to charge Jude with harsh judgmental
• negativism. But look again at the first and last para
graphs'of his letter. His original purpose was wholly
affirmative. He sef out to write a careful treatise extolling
„ the Christian faith. But then he learned of a condition that
needed attention right how. The resulting emergency
letter might be rough and sharp, but it would serve the
’• purpose'of Christian love-to protect the people and the
principles he held most dear. And before that letter was
' concluded, it would plead for the rescue 'of the very
offenders against whom his sharpest judgment was
,» leveled.
Jude’s letter reminds us'of Jesus, the emBodimentof
divine love, who 'on occasion denounced violently the
scribes and Pharisees with words that made Jude’s
. expression seem mild in comparison. The most loving
protector can become a terror when the beloved little'ones
are in danger.
THE LESSON
“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother "of
James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and
preserved in Jesus Christ and called, Mercy unto you,
and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave
? all diligence to write unto you"of the common salvation, it
I was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that
; ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was"once
- delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept
1 in unawares, who were before ~of "old "ordained to this
[ condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace'of'our
5 God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God,
- and"our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1-4)
: With the humility taught by Jesus, Jude identified
: himself as the servant (Bondservant)'of Jesus Christ. The
; Lord had said that the relationship"of faith in Him was
' more important than blood relationship to Him. Perhaps
„ for this reason Jude did hot mention his blood relationship
* to Jesus. For further identification, then, Jude referred to
£ his brother who was well known in the church.
’ Jude’s greeting speaks something more than good
* wishes for his friends. It prays for them eternal blessing
* with present dividends. Mercy is God’s gift beyond our
* deserving. Peace is that wholeness" of Body and spirit that
* mercy conveys and serenity enjoys. LoVe received without
* measure from God, flows through Christians to one
_ another so that each receives his portion'of abundance.
When God pours out His blessings, ho man has room.to
receive the whole'of it. i
1° *!®ve been engaged ^preparing a >
, pastoral letter of encouragement and instruction, but was
impelled by the circumstances to substitute a hurried note
of warning against the false teachers who had come,
among the churches.
The salvation about which he was eager to write to God’s
provision Tor life eternal in Christ. It is the basis for the
hope that motivates the believer in all he does. The
salvation is common in that it is available to all men alike,
and is shared by all believers.'
The faith is the substance'of Christian teaching. It is
» Christ. It is what. the apostles taught and the saints
£ believed. It is summarized in 1 Corinthians 15: 3, 4 and 2
I Corinthians 4:18-21.
i ne tnreat to unnstian hope and faith is personal. Just
as the faith itself centers in the person"of Christ the
'{ opposition centers in Satan and his servants. If the false
* teachers were called by name, the message would mean
* little to us after their departure.
; Jude has given to all'of his readers a difficult- even
1 humanly impossible - assignment in the face'of the threat
l he has'outlined. He has charged them, to ken themselves
1 by keeping'one another in God’s love and to build up
* themselves' on the foundation of their faith. On the face'of it
j the pfospects for their guarding their hope seem hopeless.
*. But hope rests where it always did, in God.
■ Since the Christian faith comes from God by revelation,
f any challenge'or threat Jo that faith must be met in His
: power. Would we defend it from attack? Would be revive it
in weak and uncertain believers? Would we advance it
1 among those who may be bfought to believe? All these
things are possible, but"only in His way and according to
His word and His power, “My help cometh from the Lord,
i which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2) “If God be
* for us, who can be against us? He that spared hot his'owh
* Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he hot with
- him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31, 32)
; Almighty God, stir'our hearts to thanksgiving for the
, .glorious hope that comes through Christ Jesus. Amen.
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Thomas Earns “Young
Career Woman” Award
• • ' * . ■ ii'
«*y jaiyne strong
Post Staff Writer
Michelle Felicia Thomas, Human
Services Coordinator for the Char
lotte Housing Authority, has recent
ly been awarded the title of
“1966-87 Young Career Woman" by
the National Federation of Business
and Professional Women’s Organi
zation.
It’s an honor of distinction earned
by the 24-year-old Thomas, daughter
of Mrs. Jane Elizabeth Love Thomas
and the late Mr. Herman Thomas of
Charlotte. A 1983 graduate of
Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga., the
young professional has many
notable achievements to her credit.
While a psychology major at
Spelman, Thomas’ name appeared
on the Dean's List and the Honor
Roll. She was the corresponding
secretary for the Student Govern
ment and from this organization she
received the "Outstanding Service
Award." She was also listed as one
of the “Young Personalities of
America” and is a member of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority. Inc.
Thomas is affiliated with
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community
Relations as a Dispute Settlement
Mediator, and Teenage Parent
Services (TAPS), as a member of
the Board of Directors. She is,
additionally, an advocate for abused
and neglected youth through Juven
ile Court Appointed Ad Litem. She
has received supplementary certi
fied training from the Charlotte
Council on Alcoholism, Inc., the
Dispute Settlement program of the
American Bar Association and
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Mental
Health Services.
She was nominated for the “Young
Career Woman” award by Kitty
Huffman, a member of the Board of
Commissioners of the Housing
Authority. Thomas maintains that
Huffman has served as an inspiring
role model for her. “She is im
pressed with me as a person,”
Thomas explains. “She has a sen
sitivity for others and has been
dedicated to anything I’m interested
in.”
r.
Michelle Thomas
.Human Service coordinator
Thomas, herself, has been im
pressed by many persons who have
been positive influences in her life.
Primary are her mother and her late
father, parents who, she attests,
brought her up to be unselfish and
giving. “I am an only child," says
Thomas, “but I was raised to help
others. I enjoy helping people. And
God plays a very important role in
my life," she reveals. “I believe that
the gift He gave me was to help
others through my profession.”
This belief has been reinforced to
Thomas by significant people in her
life, such as: her surrogate father,
Harold Clawson, principal at Steele
Creek Elementary School, who has
maintained his role since her
father's death; and, Betty Harris,
Community Services Director of the
Housing Authority, Chairman of the
Board of Directors for the Charlotte
Mecklenburg Urban League and
owner of Harris Freight Trucking
Co. Thomas says of Harris, "She's
career-oriented and an entrepre
neur and she’s taught me to 'seek
God first."’ Then there’s John
Crawford, initiator of the Housing
Authority Scholarship Fund, whose
work with the community Thomas
deeply respects. And finally her
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supervisor, William Simmons.
With such supportive people as
backup, Thomas envisions a bright
future ahead. The fact that she is
only 24 years of age, she considers a
plus. “It feels good,” she smiles,
“that at my age, through work and
volunteer activities, I'm setting the
foundation to build upon for my
goals."
There are three purposes Thomas
desires to accomplish in the next 10
years. “I, first, want to establish a
scholarship fund in memory of my
father," she notes. She goes on to tell
how when she began college she
was denied financial aid, but her
father was determined to get her
through. He did so, and sadly, the
year his daughter graduated
Herman Thomas learned he had
cancer.
Her other goals are to become a
member of City Council as an
"honest politican.” and she wants
to own her own consulting firm
specializing in youth employment.
"Success begins with a woman's
will,” is a line from a poem
Thomas has selected to serve as her
motto. Apparently her will to suc
ceed has brought her far in a short
time. Thomas will go on to compete
in the district competition, as the
"Young Career Woman" from the
Charlotte area, at the Cabarrus
County Country Club on April 12.
She’s also planning to attend the
SCLC Women's Convention and
Martin Luther King Award
Dinner in Atlanta, Ga., courtesy of
the Housing Authority. Xnd if
Thomas is ever questioned as to
whether she’U go on to do greater
things, she’U more than likely
respond with the last verse of her
inspirational poem: "The woman
who wins is the woman who thinks
she can.” It has served her well so
far.
CPCC Seminar
A seminar on Professional De
velopment for Secretaries wiU be
sponsored by Centrak Piedmont
Community CoUege.
The April 22 seminar is designed
to help secretaries and other office
professionals develop skills and
strategies needed to increase their
responsibility and prestige in the
office.
Through lectures and demonstra
tions, those who attend wiU learn
how to project a professional image
through communication and war
drobe coordination, how to com
municate and listen actively, the
importance of telephone communi
cation, and how to create good first
impression.
Nancy Bryan and Margaret
Hobbs, Secretarial Science instruc
tors at CPCC, will conduct the
seminar.
The seminar will be from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m in Room 220, Citizens
Center on the CPCC campus. Re
gistration fee is $12 and the dead
line for registration is Tuesday,
April 15. For details, call Shirley
Luckadoo at 373-6781.
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