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RELIGION
THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2006
Life 1B
/ 1 1
(' ^lill Cross
/ Bible 1 Lesson 1
An roaster argument
OU
Did Jesus really rise bodily from the grave?
Petties
Job’s
reflections
of life
STUDYING JOB
This lesson sets two pas
sages of Scripture in counter
point; one finm Job and the
other from Mark. The pas
sage in the book of Job offers
a personal encounter
between God and Job. The
section from Mark deals with
a personal encounter
between the risen Christ and
Ihs disciples.
How do these two passages
fit together? They both deal
with difficult issues. They
both deal with the need to
trust. Both passages provide
tangible reasons to trust. In
the first passage God appears
to Job and honors his request
for a personal meeting. Many
of Job’s questions go luian-
swered. But Job is content in
fellowship with God. Job is
content to trust in the God
who gives life.
Some of Job’s unanswered
questions are dealt with in
the passage fiom Mark and
elsewhere in the New Tfesta-
ment. Job wondered about
life after death. Jesus’ cruci
fixion and resurrection settle
the issue. Job wondered why
the good suffer. Jesus was
perfect, yet He faced horrific
suffering. The disciples had
something in common with
Job: personal encounter with
God caused them to trust God
for what was not clear.
God’s Powei- Revealed to
Job
1. What does the “whirl
wind” (Job 38:1) signify?
A whirlwind is defined by
Webster’s Dictionary as a
mass of air, as a tornado,
rotating rapidly and advanc
ing over land or sea. It is also
defined as a destructive force
hke the great wind that came
out of the wilderness and
caused the house where Job’s
children were feasting to col
lapse {Job 1:19). Referencing
Job 13:3, Job asked for an
audience with God - he want
ed to question God (see also
9:14-19; 31:35- Job’s desire is
that God answers him). In
Chapter 38, Job gets just
what he asks for. God makes
his presence known by the
onset of a “whirlwind” by
which He clearly speaks
through in response to Job.
This whirlwind not only sig
nifies the power and strength
of God but it also moves by
the command. By having
such a storm accompany His
response, God was giving Job
a striking object lesson of the
point He woidd make with
His probing questions.
2. How did God demon
strate the foolishness of Job’s
questioning of His ways? (vs.
4-17)
In verses 4 thru 17, God
silenced Job’s presumption in
constantly wanting to ask the
questions of God, by becom
ing Job’s questioner. Specifi
cally in vs. 4, Grod asked Job
Please see JOB/7B
The deadline for calendar announcements is noon
on Fridays. Fax announcements to (704) 342-2160 or
e-mail cheris.hodges@lhecharlottepost.coni.
Ongoing
Inspiration Networks is holding a gospel tal
ent search for its nationally televised series
Christian Artist Talent Search. The winner
will receive a national recording contract with
Point Of Grace Entertainment. All entrants
must be at least 15 years old by April 21.
Entries are due by April 21. For rules and
entry forms, log on to www.insp.com or call the
CATS hotline at (704) 561-7955.
April 15
Signs and Wonders Life Center, its congrega
tion and pastor Lola Saxton wfil host a prayer
breakfast feast with the theme of “Women
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
“I do not think anyone, anywhere,
at any time brings dead people
back to fife,” says John Dominic
Crossan, an energetic liberal now
retired firom the Roman Catholic
DePaul University in Chicago.
“The proposal that Jesus was
bodily raised fixim the dead pos
sesses unrivalled power to explain
the historical data at the heart of
early Christianity,” says articulate
conservative N.T. Wri^t, a Church
of Er^land bishop who has tau^t
at Cambri(^e, McGOl and Oxford
universities.
There you have it, the old yet
ever-new Easter debate as repre
sented by two current New Tbsta-
ment experts. Both use resurrec
tion language but mean totally dif
ferent things.
New Orleans Baptist Theological
Seminary decided a Crossan-
Wright faceoff on Jesus’ resurrec
tion was the perfect starter for a
series of annual “point-counter-
point” debates. The resulting con
frontation last year is recorded in
“The Resurrection of Jesus: John
Dominic Crossan and N.T. Wright
in Dialogue”(Fortress), including
PHOTO/ADAMCARMICHAEL.COM
papers fiom other participants.
Wright, first up, crisply defends
the traditional Christian belief
usir^ matoial fiom his Fortress
book, “The Resurrection of the Son
of God,” this generation’s most
important orthodox treatment.
Some of his reasoning:
• We must ecplain why the earli
est Christians believed in Jesus
Christ’s bodily resiurection and
risked hostility and danger to
rapidly spread the message.
• Pagan Roman culture didn’t
anticipate such a miracle. Neither
Please see DEBATE/6B
mixes
R&B,
gospel
Darrel Betties &
Strength In Praise
Count It AllJoy
Smokie Norful &
Myron Butler, producers
EMI Gospel
ys
Combining traditional gospel
with contemporary gospel and
R&B is a slippery slope. Geni
ally one set of fans gets the
short end of the stick. It’s either
too much of one and not enough
of the othi.
Darrd Petties and his choir
Strength & Praise are new, but
they’ve got the formula down.
There’s enough hei-e for every
one and all of what’s here is
done well.
Petties can even blend these
styles effortlessly within a
song. “Gloiy Hallelujah” is ol’
school church but he flips it,
twists it and nearly rewrites it
into something modem with
out losing the song’s simple
Prayers, answers offered at War Cry
By Victoria Elmore
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Christians will send up a
War Cry this Good Friday as
Briar Creek Baptist Church
hosts a city-wide prayer
event..
“War Cry 2006,” the
church’s event, begins att 7
p.m. and is for people who
are in need of answers and to
voice thedi* concerns to God.
“Our doors are open to the
community for prayer. Many
are fitting battles and deal-
ir^ with issues that they fed
are a losing battle,” said
Sharon Jackson, the vision
ary at Briar Creek. “The bat
tle is not over.”
Jackson said this event wfll
allow people to acknowledge
that they can go directly to
their knees and reach out to
God.
‘War Cry 2006” is a vision
Jackson received during
prayer. She said that God
told her to open the doors for
everyone who needs prayer
and desires to seek God’s
direction. “ It’s time for peo
ple to realize they need a
God, comforter, and coim-
selor, and He is all those
thii^,” Jackson said.
Eight prays’ warriors will
dfrect prayer. Minists- Carol
Bates, the youth employ
ment programs coordinator,
wfll pray over schools, par
ents and children, Bob
Lowan, the executive direc
tor of Metrolina Network will
pray for the unity of church
es. Sharon HaU, wife of Briar
Credc Baptist pastor Dennis
Hall, will pray for the pas
sion of the church. The other
five leaders wfll pray over
other areas. Jackson said
individuals wfll be able to
pray one on one with one of
the eight prayer leaders.
“People with be there to pray
with you about your situa
tion,” Jackson said.
‘We want people to come
and receive healing and
transformation,” said Dennis
Hall. ‘We’re praying for the
presence of God. When you
are in his presaice deliver
ance happens.”
Jackson believes that peo
ple would be better off if they
realized that their pain is
needless if they woifld just
give it to God. ‘We’re not
alone in our trials. We have
direct contact,” Jackson said.
‘We just need to cry out.”
Along with prayer, there
will be three performances of
dance at the event.
Prayer Dance, featuring
artist Michael Stanley wfll be
accompanied by Dance &
Disciples, wfll be among
some of these artists who wfll
perform at the Briar Creek,
event.
Pastor Hall is making per
sonal preparations for the
event. He has been spending
more time in prayer because
he feels that it’s whole pur
pose and message of War
Cry
“Prayer is our communica
tion with God. It is the vehi
cle God has given us to move
his heart,” said Hall, whose
preparation includes reading
his Bible more often and fast
ing. “I want to make sure my
personal fife is in fine so that
I can be an open vessel. This
event is always in my con
scious.”
For more information on
this event contact Paula
Emrich at (704) 537-0660.
The CD’s title track is cer
tainly contemporary gospel
with a dash of R&B. It’s the
kind thing that young folk will
like a lot.
For those looking for the
more ti’aditional, “Surely He
Knows” is the ticket. Nikki
Rose-Tumely sings the life out
of the verses and the choir rips
the backing vocals. Ihere are
bridges and vamps galore on
which leader and choir sang.
“Mighty God” is pure energy
Yeah, it’s repetitive, but Angela
Holmes’ bombastic vocal
styling fifts the song into a dif
ferent level.
Smokie Norful co-produces
the CD and takes lead vocal
duties on “It Is Well.” It’s typi
cal Smokie - i.e. he interprets
the song with unbridled pas
sion. Norful discovered the
group at a conference and
quickly signed it to his produc
tion company which lead to
this CD. Smart move on his
and his company’s part. Petties
and SIP should be areund for a
while.
.Ratinip
“Prayer is our communication with God.”
Rev. Dennis Hall, pastor at Briar Creek Baptist Church
Church News
Against All Odds” at 7 a.m at 4110 Triangle
Drive.
April 16
RABO Records wfll host an Easter Sunday
celebration at the Robert L. Bowers Fellowship
Auditoriiun, 407 Rocky River Road,
Mooresvflle. Doors open at 2 p.m., event starts
at 4 p.m. Some of the performers include, Lil
Willie and The Gospel Keynotes, Ronica and
The Mighty Blazing Stars and The Singing
Angels. For more information or to purchase
tickets, call (704) 333-7729.
April 21
Chappell Memorial Baptist Church wfll pre
sent an evening to uplift and celebrate women
through song and ministry during “Soulful Sis-
tas in the Spirit” at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary at
Chappell Memorial-
Hosted by the Chappell Memorial EAGLES
Women’s Ministry vocalists includii^ Ametta
Murrfll-Crooms and Deborah Clybum wfll
minister through song and testimony
Emceed by "Praise 100.9 FM radio personali
ties Ibnya Ravens andA.C. Stowe, Ihe program
wfll provide an interview and question-and-
answer session after each performance that
wfll allow the guest artists to share their expe
riences and testimony
The churdi is located at 110 Bradford Drive.
April 22
Preserve Pro Inc. is offering a workshop on
“Optimizing Your Church’s Records; A Preser
vation Workshop.” This workshop will be held
onApril 22 fixim 9-11:20 a.m. on the campus of
mmo
(Stud ‘PlY'vJ
Central Piedmont Community College, Room
215, Professional Development Building.
The purpose of the workshop is to bring
together individuals who have an interest in
preserving the history of churches. The work
shop is open to the public. The registration fee
for the workshop is $50.
For more information contact Preserve Pro
Inc at 704-995-0731 or email
preservepro@earthiink.net.
April 23
Melva Costen Ph.D, an authority on music
and worship within Afiican American church
es, wfll speak at Charlotte First United Pres
byterian Church, 406 N. College St., from 4-5
p.m. Ihe title of her presentation, “In Spirit
Please see HOLY/6B