Thursday, November 7, 1991
®lie Charlotte ^ost
RELIGION
lOA
Death, Hell And The Grave
I^eading The Obituaries Doesn't Have To Be Dreadful
Rev. Danny Mitchell
SPECIAL TO THE POST
I guess during the course of
life we all at some point
think about life's most com
mon denominator, that mys
tery we call death. I think
during life's course we pick
up the newspaper and read
the current events In the lo
cal, state and world commu
nities. We read of progress in
urban communities. We read
of tragedies In family af
fairs, humor In social rela
tions, and victories In ath
letic ^competition. We scan
the pages for the things that
Interest us the most. There
too are those who like to read
the Classified Ads, to get the
best deals or opportunities In
the listings.
But, there Is a section that
some people dread to go
through before they get to the
classified ads. There is al
ways that section, that If
they had their way about It,
would never be In the paper.
There is always that sec
tion that reminds some folk
of the event that every man
must face, that something
we call Death. I don't know
what It Is, about the obituar
ies, but 1 have heard folk say
the older you get the more re
alistic they become.
There seems to be some type
of psychological or strange
Interest that comes over one
when he or she reads the
"Death Report." Questions
arise. How old was he? What
did they die from? How and
where did they die? We get
sure enough afraid when we
see a lot deaths very close to
our age. What Is it about
death that never comes up In
teh dally conversations of
people?
I hear some folk say that
they love Jesus, and long for
the day to live with Him eter
nally. But, they dread to take
that step from mortality to
Immortality. Why this fear?
Some believe that Jesus
feared death when he said,
"Father If it be thine will, re
move this cup from me". It
was not death that Jesus
feared, it was the suffering,
the psiln that came before the
death.
There are some of you today
who have the fear of suffer
ing and pain, but not death.
When we have had a loved
one who may have lived the
last days of his or her life In
agony, you may have said to
yourself I sure don't want to
leave that way. There may
have been a close associate of
yours who may have loved
people, and in his service to
humanity he was gunned
down by the hands of some
murderer. That, too may
have left an everlasting Im
pression on your mind about
dying. Most of us have the
fear of pain and suffering but
what will happen beyond
death is what you should
fear.
Those folk who cheated,
lied, stole, used, neglected,
and help dig ditches for folk
on earth, don't want to see
death. They are scared of
what will happen after leav
ing. Conscience makes men
afraid to go to the dust.
Death Is not something to
be feared, but something to
look forward to. Eke 3:7 says,
“The day of death Is better
than the day of birth." Walt
Whitman says, “nothing can
happen more beautiful than
death." How Is this so? How
many times have we ridden
through the countryside In
the early fall to notice the
beauty of the trees in It's red,
orange, brown, yellow and
greenish leaves. Yet they are
dead. Dead but beautiful. A
seed doesn't look like much,
yet plant on In the ground
and It will rot and decay, and
produce one of the tallest
trees one could Imagine.
There Is power and beauty In
death.The reward is Resur
rection.
Death Is a necessary part of
the cycle of life that Is very
Important In nature. If
everything lived and nothing
died the earth could not sus
tain life. It would be too
crowded, too chaotic, too dis
ease Infested. Someone died
that you may have a chance
to live your life and leave
your footprints In the sands
of time. Jesus died that you
might have eternal life.
Jesus stepped through the
valley of the shadow of
death. Yet he also said that
In three days I will rise. What
does this mean? The grave is
not the end. There Is an ex
tension, Just beyond Jordan.
An extension that Jesus
called Paradise. It Is but a
step from a world of corrupt-
ability to a world of Immor
tality. It Is everlasting life. If
death should come I don't
want to.
Eye On Gospel
Loss Of Davis Brings Void To Gospel Music Industry
By Margaret Mansfield
SPECIAL TO THE POST
The gospel world Is mourn
ing the recent death of Rev.
Ernest Davis. Davis won gos
pel fame over the last several
years at the helm of the
Wilmington Chester Mass
Choir, as well as for his work
with the Gospel Music Work
shop of America. He was Just
39 years of age, but last
month Rev. Ernest Davis
succumbed to an Illness
which for the last year and a
half, had him in and out of
the hospital. Specifics of his
death were not available but
his gospel accomplishments
are well-known. He's been di
rector of the Wllmlncton
Chester Mass Choir since he
founded It back In 1978,
while stm hi college at Dela
ware State University. After
recording a handful of al
bums, his last effort entitled
"He's Preparing Me" paid off,
winding Its way up the gospel
music charts. Reported his
las wish was that the choir
go on. Choir members say
Davis will be sorely missed.
Gospel Honors Its Best:
Nominations for the upcom
ing Seventh Annual Stellar
Awards are an indication,
that the gospel Industry's
farewell to Rev. Ernest Davis
wUl be a fond one. Davis tied
with Tramatne Hawkins for
the most Stellar nomina
tions with a total of four. In
cluding album of the year
(traditional), and best music
video. Coming as no surprise
to anyone were the four nom
inations Tramalne Hawkins
racked up, including best
solo performance by a fe
male (traditional) and song
of the year. The annual cere
monies, singing out the best
in gospel. Is set to take place
next month In Los Angeles.
Noticeably absent from the
recently released list of nom
inations were the Wlnans,
whose latest album has been
thler best-selling. However,
Bebe & Cece are among those
artists receiving multiple
nominations. Others Include
Daryl Coley, John P. Kee,
Fiance Allen, James Moore,
Yolanda Harris, and the
Sounds of Blackness. The
ceremonies are being taped
for ijbroadcast sometime in
January. Up for song of the
year are John P. Kee ("Jesus
Is Real"), Rev. James Moore
("Joy"), Tramalne Hawkins
("The Potter's House"), and
Rev. Ernest Davis & the
Wilmington Chester Mass
Choir ("He's Preparing Me").
Nominees for album of the
year (traditonal) are Tra
malne Hawkins ("Live"),
James ("Live With the Mis
sissippi Mass Choir"), John
P. Kee ('Wash Me"), and Rev.
Ernest Davis & the Wilming
ton Chester Mass Choir fea
turing Daryl Coley ("He's Pre
paring Me"). Contemporary
nominees: Ricky's Dllllard's
New Generation Chorale, Da
ryl Coley, Fiance Allen and
Yolanda Adams.
Just Briefly: Guess who's
back—none other than the
Clara Ward Singers. The
group reorganized this year
and signed to True Believers
Records has Just released a
whole new album of all old
material. The album wUl be
distributed on Capitol
Records.
This week's scrip
ture: 'Kkinsider there
fore the kindness
and sternness of
Cod: sternness to
those who fell, but
kindness to you, pro
vided that you con
tinue in kindness.
Otherwise, you also
will be cut off,"-
Romans 11:22.
Sunday School Lesson
A Commentary
Introduction:
The first Christians were
Jews, and for some time they
Invited only Jews to accept
Christ. When all were con
vinced that Gentiles might
lyecome Christians, some
^tUl Insisted that they could
not be saved unless they be-
dame Jews as well. The Holy
Spirit and the church togeth
er decided that salvation was
fcrough Christ, and Gentiles
tad no need to take up Jew
ish customs. One well-
taown custom was to take a
vow of consecration. A Jew
might do this In gratitude for
his blessings, or Just as a
means of drawing closer to
God,
At the end of the period of
consecration there were
specified sacrifices to be
made (Numbers 6).
Lesson Background:
Paul's action would be sim
ply to help the men who had
made the vow and to show
that Paul himself was still a
loyal Jew. Apparently there
was some act or ceremony of
purification for Paul and the
four men who were nearing
the end of the time of their
vow. They went to the priests
In the temple to arrange a
schedule for all the offerings
and ceremonies that would
mark the completion of
their time of special conse
cration.
And when the seven days
were almost ended, the Jews
which were of Asia, when
they saw him In the temple,
stirred up all the people, and
Idid hands on him. Crying
opt. Men of Israel, help: This
Is the man, that teacheth all
men every where against the
people, and the law, and this
place: and further brought
Greeks also Into the temple,
and hath polluted this holy
place.
For they had seen before
with him In the city Trophi
mus and Ephesian, whom
they supposed that Paul had
brought Into the temple. And
all the city was moved, and
the people ran together: and
they took Paul, and drew
him out of the temple: and
forthwith the doors were
shut. And as they went about
to kill him, tidings came
unto the chief captain of the
band, that all Jerusalem was
In an uproar. Who Immedi
ately took soldiers and cen
turions, and ran down unto
them: and when they saw the
chief captain and the sol
diers, they left.
Then the chief captain
came near, and took him,
and commanded him to be
bound with two chains: and
demanded who he was and
what he had done. And as
Paul was to be led Into the
castle, he said unto the chief
captain. May 1 speak unto
thee? Who said, Canst thou
speak Greek? Art not thou
that Egyptian, which before
these days madest an uproar,
and leddest out Into the wil
derness four thousand men
that were murderers? But
Paul said, I am a man which
am a Jew of Tarsus, a city In
Cilicia, a citizen of no mean
city (Acts 2: 26-30).
Apparently the ceremonies
and sacrifices were to take
seven days. Near the end of
that time there was an inter
ruption. Asian was the prov
ince where Ephesus was lo
cated, and probably some or
all of these Jews of Asia were
from that city. They knew
about Paul's three-year min
istry there. The people meant
the Jewish people: the law
meant the Jewish law: this
place metmt the Jewish tem
ple. As noted earlier, Paul
did nothing to deep Jews
from honoring the people,
the law, or the temple ac
cording to their ancient cus
toms. Trophimus was a Gen
tile Christian from Ephesus.
He came with Paul to bring
gifts to the poor Jewish
Christians In Judea (Acts
20:4). The hostile Jews from
Asia had seen him with Paul
somewhere In Jerusalem.
The shout of Asian Jews
was taken up by others, the
uproar was heard beyond the
temple walls, and people of
the city came running to see
what was going on. The ene
mies who had accused Paul
of defiling the temple with
Greeks would not themselves
defile It with murder, so they
dragged Paul outside.
The accusers meant to kill
Paul, but they were handi
capped by lack of weapons.
Word very quickly reached
the commander. No doubt
the soldiers were on full alert
whenever many people were
In the temple court. They
sprang into action Immedi
ately. Probably Paul's
bruised and disheveled con
dition made it plain that the
mob's fury was focused on
him. The commander put
him under arrest and had
him bound with two chains.
The commander told his
men to take Paul up the steps
See LESSON On Page 12A
Church Of The Week
Antioch Missionary Baptist
Church
Pastor: Rev. Preston Pendergrass
Address: 232 Skyland Avenue
Telephone: (704) 332-4951
Membership: 520
Founded: 1886
Services: Sunday Sehool - 9:45 a.m.. Morning Worship - 10:45
a.m.. Holy Communion Service, First Sundays - 12:20 p.m..
Baptist Training Union, Sundays - 5:30 p.m., Bible Study, Sun
days 6:30 p.m., Teacher-Prayer Meeting - Wednesdays - 7 - 9
p.m.
Programs: Youth Choir, Baptist Training Union, Young Adult
Missionary Department, Junior Hymn Choir and Laymen's
League, Lanes Creek Missionary Baptist Association, The Unit
ed Baptist Association (an interracial fellowship) and The
Baptist World Allowance.
Quote from The Pastor: "We at Antioch Missionary Baptist
Church are striving to implement and maintain a "wholistic"
ministry, fulfilling &e needs of body, soul and mind of all age
and interest groups. We endeavor to reach, convert and teach
all who are unsaved and/or unchurched."
If you would like to have your church considered for the "Church of the Week," send your
information as listed above in this week's featured church to Madelyn Hooker, Lifestyles
& Religious Editor, The Charlotte Post, P,0. Box 30144, Charlotte, N.C. 28230.