mm
‘THe Sunday ScftooC
Lesson
By Bessie Wilbon _
INTRODUCTION
Each of the four Gospel writers becomes something of a specialist
In recording events surroimding the Lord's resurrection. Among them
they preserved the reports of those who were there. Each participant
tells what happened as he or she saw it.
Matthew deals particularly with the experience of certain women at
the tomb, and with God's angel who instructed them, and with the ap
pointment in Galilee where Jesus met and commissioned His disci
ples,
Mark's account is similar, but adds that the account of an evening
session with the apostles tn Jerusalem!
Luke tells of the women at the tomb, then adds details from two dis
ciples, who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus, an evening with the
disciples In Jerusalem, and Ihe Lord's ascension from the Mount of
Olives.
John elaborates on the account of Mary Magdalene; tells of Peter
and John at the tomb, recounts two of Jesus' meetings with His disci
ples In Jerusalem, one with Thomas absent and the other with him
present, and details the Lord's morning meeting with seven of His
disciples at the Sea of GalUee.
No one writer tells all that happened: and much obviously went un
recorded. The fact, however, fall into place as we combine the testi
mony of all. The Gospel writers simply told It like It was and trusted
us to understand the telling.
THE LESSON
The next day, which was a Sabbath, the chief priests and the Phara-
sees met with PUate and said, "Sir, we rememlir that while that liar
was still alive he said, '1 wIU be raised to life three da}^ later.' Give or
ders, then, for his tomb to be carefully guarded until the third day, so
that his disciples will not be able to go and steal the body, and then
tell the people that he was raised from death. This last He would be
even worse than the first one." 'Take a guard," Pilate told them, "go and
make the tomb as secure as you can." So they left and made the tomb
secure by putting a seal on the stone and leaving the guard In watch."
(Matthew 27:22-68). (Read the remaining Scripture for today - Mat
thew 28:1-10).
The Jewish Council suspected Jesus' disciples of being like them
selves: IncUned to schemes and deception. How poorly they judged
their opposition! Even after Jesus arose from the dead the apostles
did not use His resurrection In promoting the gospel until after seven
weeks had passed. Then, directed by the Holy Spirit, they made the
resurrection central in their preaching from Pentecost onward.
Pilate also wanted this matter concerning Jesus to be ended and
forgotten as quickly as possible. So he gave the Jewish rulers a band
of soldiers, and told the rulers to secure the tomb to their satisfac
tion. The soldiers were posted to prevent any trespassing. The coun
cil's elaborate precautions against grave robbery provide strong evi
dence that the emptying of that tomb was not grave robbery, but
resurrection.
Luke 24:4 speaks of two men standing by In shining garments when
the women entered the tomb. The angel, then, was In the form of a
man reflecting the glory of God. The description reminds us of Je
sus at His transfiguration. "His face did shine as the sun, and his rai
ment was white as the light." (Matt. 17:2). The angel did exactly what
he soldiers were there to prevent, but faced with that situation, brave
men might well find their knees first knocking together and then
turning to Hquld as they feU to the ground, perhaps in a faint.
It seems that the guardsmen had gained control of themselves and
had left before the women arrived at the tomb. Thus while the women
were soon on their way with good news for the disciples, some of the
guards were going into the city with bad news for the high priests. Af
ter due counsel, and a substantial pay-off, the soldiers spread a slUy
yam about disciples coming while they slept and stealing Jesus'
body. Having been assigned to guard the tomb against any such tam
pering, they were now paid to say they had blown their assignment.
"Go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead!"
Isn't the gospel story addressed to unbelievers, to persuade them
that Jesus is the Christ in whom they must be saved? Why tell the
disciples? Why, when Jesus had told them many times that He must
die and rise again? But they didn't understand, or they forgot. Tell
them!
TeU Peter, who has wept bitterly over his own failure, that the Lord
he denied is risen from the dead and calls for him. TeU John, who
took the Lord's mother from the tragic scene of the cross to his own
home. Tell the bereaved ones that Christ has conquered the grave.
TeU Thomas, who talked of going to Jemsedem and dying with Jesus.
Tell the disciples despondent in a hopeless world that Christ has
rescued hope in rising from the dead.
Run to teU His disciples — all His disciples -that He Is risen and His
resurrection belongs also the them (us).
He arose! He arose! HaUeluJah! Christ arose!
Give Your Child A Head Start
Why Does The Heathen Rage
Thursday, March 31. 1988 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page 3B
Beginning Monday, March 28,
1988, the Social Services com
ponent of the Bethlehem Center
Head Start Program wlU be tak
ing applications for the 1988-
1989 school year.
Head Start Is a comprehensive
child development program for
low-income pre-school children
ages three, four and some five
year olds who were born after
October 16, 1983 and are still
too young for public kindergart
en. Head Start serves the handi
capped child regardless of In
come.
To apply, a parent must pro
vide (1) proof of income, such as
a copy of your 1987 - 1040 in
come tax return, a copy of your
1987 W-2 tax statement, a verlfl-
able statement from your em
ployer, Veterans Benefits, Social
Security Benefits or Aid to Fam
ilies With Dependent Children
award letter. In addition to the
Income verification, parents will
need to bring (2) the child's shot
card, (immunization record), (3)
birth certificate, (4) social se
curity card and (5) Medicaid
card, if applicable.
Registration will extend
throughout April. All eligible ap
plications received by May 6,
1988 will be given priority dur
ing selection.
Parents are encouraged to ap
ply as soon as possible. Check
the schedule below for the loca
tion nearest you. For further In
formation, call 376-9401, ,376-
9404 or 333-0203.
SCHEDULE
All Times are 9 am -12 pm un
less noted otherwise.
March 31 -Hidden Valley
Elem. (Cafeteria) 9 -11:30 am.
Pence Rd. Apartments.
April 11 - Southslde Homes
Rental Office, Meadow Oaks
Apartments.
April 12 -Belmont Regional
Center,. Naomi Drenan Grayson
Park Center.
April 13 - Sunridge Apart
ments, Leafcrest Apartments.
April 14 - Double Oaks Com
munity Center, Belvedere
Homes Center.
April 15 -Alexander Street
Center, University Garden
Apartments.
April 18 - Greenville Center,
Earle Village Recreational Cen
ter.
April 19 - Tliomasboro Ele
mentary School. Coliseum Drive
Apartments.
April 21 - Gladedale Apart
ments, Mallard Ridge Apart
ments.
April 22 - Dalton Village Ren
tal Office, Live Oak Apartments
(Offlce). _ _ _
April 25 - New Zion Baptist
Church (Todd Park).
April 26 -Boulevard Homes
Recreation CenterDillehay
See Head Start On Page 8B.
Partn
By J. M. little
All over the world men are In rebellion
against God as never before. Your heart
attitude is; "We will not have this Man to
rule over us.” Now that is why our govern
ments, churches, schools, and communi
ty organizations arc grappling with drugs
today. The drug problem is out of your
control. You'll never control it. This gener
ation today has been given over to a
strong delusion. "And for this cause God
shall send them strong delusion, that
thty should believe alie." (II Thess. 2:11)./
literally, it means believe The Lie, the An
tichrist. The Antichrist has spread his lie
all across the world and poor, blinded hu
manity has believed him. The world is in
the strong delusion today because you
will not have the Lord to rule over you. It
is the belief of a lie that causes a soul to
turn away from the truth. The truth is:
you are a lost, guilty, totally depraved,
and hell-deserving sinner. But your belief
of Satan's lie; that man is an evolutionist
with some good In the worst of men has
caused you to turn away from God's
truth. Therefore God has sent you a
strong delusion/ What a tragical state the
whole world is ini
Many of of you will admit the world is in
an awhil state, but when I call upon you to
repent and turn to Christ, you will not re
pent. Friends, it’s repent or perish! Turn
or buml When an individual has accepted
Satan's be. hell preach that repentance is
not for us today. Any man that tells you
that repentance is not for us to today Is a
deluded dupe of Satan and he is an enemy
of your soul! That man us wrapped up in
the strong delusion that has engulfed the
world today. Oh, may the Holy Spirit so
open your heart today that you'll see
your lost and undone condition and flee
to Christ. Christ and Christ alone is your
only hope.
There is no safety out of Christ. You arc
not safe in a church or denomination.
Christ and Christ alone is salvation. Do
you know Christ? That is an eternal
question, don't run from it. Ask the Lord
ta«dlscover your soul to you. It won't be an
easy thing if the Lord awakens you to
your lost condition, but it will be grace
ujx>n grace if He awakens you to your lost
condition. Every soul, get this; every soul
is going to be awakened to his lost condi
tion, here or there! Which will it be in your
case? You can laugh and make fun of
these messages if you want to, one day
soon you’ll be lookii^ back in regret.
Back in the early 60s a noted preacher
spent a week In our home along with an
other preacher. This noted preacher (if I'd
call his name practically everybody would
know him) was presented some messag
es by my late pastor, along with the other
preacher. The noted preacher raged
against the messages, he would not have
the truth. He died in rebelbon. There was a
great preacher, counted by the world, and
pastoring a prestige church not many
miles from here. Let me tell you some
thing, friend; you can’t win fluting
against God. Over the years I've watched
as souls rose in rebellion against God and
His anointed servants. Every rebellious
soul has always gone down. When a soul
goes away fro, the truth, they always go
down. You are defeated to begin with. You
may succeed in killing God's servant, but
you won’t win b doing that, you'll only
seal your soul for Hell. Herod’s illegal wife
and daughter thought they had won by
cutting off the head of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist would not exchange
places today with anyone. At the Great
White Throne Judgment the most un
godly scream will be heard; "Mama, look,
there’s John the baptist! We cut his head
off but look he has it back on like we didn’t
do it!" And, oh, the destruction that will be
set off in hearts of those two wicked wom
en. Yes, they thought they had killed
John by cutting his head off. They didn’t
know Christ would put John’s head back
on.
There will be no words to describe the
remorse of their souls. Friend, there will
be no words to describe the sorrow of
your hearts cither if you go on in your re
bellion against God. Many souls here In
this state have gotten a big bang out of
persecuting this servant of the Lord. I
would not be in your places for ten million
worlds./ If you could just sec that I’m on
the winning side In Christ and ypu are on
the losing side in Satan. You can rage and
pitch and snort all you want to, but you
cannot change one iota of what the Lord
has done for me in salvation. When I have
been in Heaven with Christ ten thousand
years, you will have been in Hell and the
Lake of Fire with Satan ten thousand
years.
My hope is beyond this life which is
filled with disappointments and vanity
and vexation of spirit. My hope is Christ
and His soon coming. So let the heathen
rage and imagine a vain thing, Christ is
coming soon.
We are coming down to the very end of
this age. Every two thousand years of
man’s history has seen a great event take
place that altered the entire course of
man’s history. From Adam's time until
the flood was a period of about2.000
years. From the flood until the coming of
Christ as a babe in Bethlehem was about
2,00 years. We are almost at the end of
another 2,000 years. The next great hap
pening that is to occur that will change
the entire course of man’s history will be
the Second Coming of Christ, ll’m looking
for Him to come. His coming is my Hope.
You can laugh and mock all you want do.
but I piraise the Lord He singled me out
for salvation In Christ here in the last
days. In the story of the good Samaritan
the Lord told us He wais coming back in
two days. A thousand years is one day
with the Lord. That means the two day
period is almost up. The Lord will do ex
actly as He promised.
I say to every believer, our redemption
is nearer than we think. I believe I will be
living when Christ comes. I want to know
what it means to cross over without hav
ing to pass throu^ death. Don’t you? My
prayer is that the Lord will turn you unto
Himself, and you'll be watching, praying,
and longing for Him to come as I am. The
grace of God rests upon you. Amen!
The Prophet's column is a paid adver
tisement.
The Gastonia Chapter of Las Amigas celebrated Founders Day in con-
junction with Black History Month at Our Lady of Consolation Cath
olic Church. Pictured left to right: Jeanne Holtzdaw, Dora Mason,
Father Pharr and Versie Craiir.
Easter Sunrise Service
The fifty-second annual com
munity ecumenical Easter Sun
rise Service will be held on Sun
day, April 3, at 6:30 am at the
Freedom Park Bandshell. United
Methodist Bishop L. Bevel Jones
will preach. Special Easter mu
sic will be sung by the Covenant
Choir of Eastern Hills Baptist
Church. Also participating will
be The Reverend Smith Turner,
III, AME Zion Charlotte District
Superintendent and The Rever
end Terry Hamilton, Queens
College Chaplain. In the event
of rain, the service will be held at
Westover Hills Presbyterian
Church, 1113 Fordham Road (off
West Boulevard near 1-77).
Reverend Samuel Poore, West-
over Hills Presbyterian Church,
is In charge of planning.
Nearly one thousand people
attend the service each year,
which is sponsored by The
Charlotte Area Clergy Associa
tion.
y/7lG.
Special
*i For March Only
All
hs in Stock, Bridals, Formals
Va^d Proms Half Price
No Layaways
No Refunds
Mastercard & Visa
Accepted
215 ‘East ECvd.
CharCotU, 9{,C 28203
37S-0592
Mon.-Thur. 10-8
Fri. & Sat. 10-6
Maieed For Countv Commission
Skate-A-Rama
Kates Skating Rink
3646 Centrai Ave.
Aprii 6, 1988 7-10 pm
Donation $3.00 Skates inciuded
For Tickets Contact:
Maxine Eaves 563-8423 or 334-8777
Paid For By Eddie Green
Janitorial
BLANKET BONDS
For More Information
Call:
333-6499
Like a good neighbor State
Farm is there
STA1I FARM
See me for car, home,
life and health insurance
Debra J. Ciark
Agent
Like a good neighbor
State Farm is there
7100 Lawyers Rd.
Cliarlotle N.C. 28212
(704)532-6671
Vote
James
Baldwin
County Commissioner District #2
Voter Education -hVoter Registration=
Political Determination in District #2.;
Paid For By James Baldwin For County Commissioner Distridt #2.
Asklbur Veterinarian
Does it really matter what Ifeed my pet’’
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Freedom Animal Hospital
3055 Freedom Dr.
399-6534
Freedom
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*Boarding & Grooming Services Available!
CAFETERIA
Coming Sl^rtC 10
Sunday buffet SpeciaC
11:00-3:00p.m. $4*45 plus tax
IneCudes: Entree, 3 ‘l/e£etaSCes, SmaCC SaCad
and E>essert.
eftoose from: fried Cfiid^n, Ea(^d tHam,
9(past Eeef SirCoin, and (Baf^d fisfi
i^DW1CHEC
fpastfe^.. .1.60 efiefs SaCad..... i.eo
Ba/^d 3fam i .eo
SCiced Cfiic/^n i.60
l^TuitT^ed. 1.60
SpeciaCs (DaiCy!
(VegetaSCes plus 9daccaroni & Chttst)
‘DaiCy Buffet SpeciaCs
$3.4Spius tax
Lunc^,(ours: 3411 Varied SI. Suiu %
11:15-2:00 p.m, (l-77Soulk -Eipt al CCanUm ‘Rf.)
522-8477
394-3354