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RELIGION
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Life IB
Bible I Lesson j
The book of
Judges
LESSON BACKGROUND
The book of Judges records
the history of Israel from the
tune of Joshua’s death until
the time of Samuel, Israel’s
last judge (see 1
Samuel 7:15). This is rough
ly the time period 1400-1050
BC. During this tune period,
Israel had no king but was
instead guided by judges.
Judges were men and women
who arose providentially in
times of national crisis to
deliver the nation. They
seemed to be endowed with
the Spirit of God in a special
way (at least some of them).
The judges were a colorful
cast of characters, including
the woman-warrior Deborah,
the fleece-man Gideon, the
left-handed assassin Ehud,
and the ancient “superman”
Samson.
The judges of Israel served
several ftmctions. At times
tliey were judicial arbiters.
More often they were national
deliverers, fi^uently as mili
tary leaders. Judges were not
like kings in that there was no
hereditary succession. 'The
one son of a judge who tried to
succeed his father in this
manner failed (Abimelech,
son of Gideon; Judges 9).
PurihOTQore, the judges of
Israd did not function like
kings by imposing taxes or
negotiating treaties with
other nations-flmctions
expected of kings. Israel’s
judges had no standing army
but relied on the tribal leaders
of Israel to provide men when
military action was necessary
The judges did not have grand
palaces or courtiers. They
were seen as regular citizens
with extraordinary responsi
bilities.
The period of the judges is in
many wavs the record of
Israel’s “Dark Ages.” The
Israelites had become a set
tled nation, hving in
cities and villages. They
were farmers, not nomadic
shepherds like the patriarchs.
Ye this is a time of crisis
between faith and culture,
between covenant loyalty and
the enticing sins of the
Canaanites-
Chapter 2 gives a preview of
the book and outlines a cycle
that is repeated many times
in the period before Israel has
a Idi^. The cycle is tragically
repetitive: apostasy leads to
crisis, which leads to repen
tance, which leads to deliver
ance, which drifts back to
apostasy The verdict of the
book of Judges is that this
was atimeofmoralchaos. “In
those days there was no king
in Israel: every man did that
which was right in his own
eyes” (Judges 21:25).
TODAYS AIM
Facts: to examine how God
rmsed up leaders to meet the
need of His people at every
crucial moment in their histo
ry
Principle: to show that God
raises up the right people at
the r^t times to do His work
in this world.
Application: to demonstrate
that when we turn away from
Please see JUDGES/7B
Strengthening ties that bind
Author’s goal is to help produce long-lasting marriages
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Charles Rivers’ new book is all about having a Christ centered marriage without driving your partner away.
By Chens F. Hodges
cheris.hodgesp}fhechario/fepostcom
Charles Rivers wants to save your .
marriage.
With his new book, “Heart of The
Marriage,” Rivers lays out how to
have a Christ-centered union with
out judging your spouse who may
not have the same type of relation
ship with God.
“The religious audience has a
higher divorce rate,” Rivers said.
“As soon as someone finds God, (he
or she) tries to remake their
In the book. Rivers teaches cou
ples how to L.O.VE: Leave - learn
how to jointly leave what was self-
centered about your relationship in
order to achieve a Christ-centered
maniage.
Observe - learn how to observe
using your five senses, your spouse’s
wants, needs and desires of the
heart. Volrmteer - learn how to cater
to your spouse’s desires of the heart
while avoiding the pitfalls that
recreate past hurt and pains. Evolve
- learn how to evolve into a more lov-
irg prosperous relationship because
you dared to venture on the journey
called love.
‘T show couples how to attain the
Agape level of love and live mar
riages according to God’s will,”
Rivers said.
He said people often think every
thing they had prior to finding God
is dirty and that sometimes includes
Please see AUTHOR’S/6B
NYC priest gets prison for thefts from his parish
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK—An apologetic Roman
Catholic priest was sentenced to prison
for stealing more than $800,000 from his
parish to finance vacations, country clubs
and fancy clothes.
‘T am truly truly sorry for what has
taken place,” Monsignor John Woolsey
said Friday before a judge sentenced him
to one to four years in prison. “I used
money to which I had no right. I am
deeply deeply sorry for my conduct.”
Woolsey, 68, who was pastor of the
Church of Saint John the Martyr, pleaded
guilty to grand larceny in May in return
for the sentence. He could have gotten up
to 15 years in prison if convicted and will
be eligible for parole in one year.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew
Amatruda said Woolsey spent the money
on luxuries for himself, including expen
sive watches, trips to Europe, golfing
vacations, fancy clothes and cosmetic den
tistry Woolsey doctored church records to
hide what he had stolen, the prosecutor
said.
Woman hired to cleanse spirits from dwellings
THE ASSOCIAFED PRESS
RICHMOND, Va. — Some
people would say B.J. Wall is
a psychic, but she calls herself
a communicator.
Wall says she sees and talks
with spirits.
Real-estate ^ents call her
to cleanse spirits fium houses
that won’t sell; by homeown
ers who see, hear or sense
strange things; or by people
whose dogs bark incessantly
for no apparent reason.
The problem is usually
stuck spirits, said Wall, a
Henrico County resident.
‘T get them to move on I
look at them and I talk to
them,” she said. ‘Tt’s like hav
ing a sixth sense. I have
always been able to see
them.”
Animals can perceive spirits
as well, she said. That’s why
they behaye strangely at
times.
Wall said stuck spirits
might have guilt or anger, she
said. It could be unfinished
business. Sometimes they are
just lost, she said.
‘T gently move them out,”
V3 trio a
so-so
effort
V3
V3
Produced by
Doubledufch
EMI Gospel
'There ai'e several female
gospel tiios and quailets that
sound as if they are striving
to be the next Destiny’s Child,
only singing for the hol'd.
. Add V3 to tliat gi-owing
group. These women - Shel
ley LaTbya and Sacha - ai'e
pretty and create ti^t, filting
harmony but posses little of
the emotional fire that makes
gospel, well, gospel.
That’s not smprising. As
much as artists sing about
leaving the seculai' behind,
gospel music inches closer
every yeai' to vanilla urban -
not the earthy stuff that can
stiU send chills
It’s not that V3 isn’t ti'ying.
There ai-e moments when
things start to smolder. “I
Need You,” “IiTeplaceable”
and even tlie wispy “Thaiik
You” aU stall to gather steam,
but never really reach a boil
ing point.
However, there’s a lot that
shouldn’t be here at all. ‘Tak
Me There” gives shout outs to
the “ATL.” On “Have Yoti
Ever,” the group is a bit too
seductive vocally for my
tastes. “Let Go” soimds as if
the women ai'e ti'ying to stall
a party
The lyrics don’t help much.
This is more “message music”
than gospel. It wouldn’t take
much to make this a pop
urban CD. You don’t hear
Jesus, Loid or God mucli.
There are a lot of ambiguous
references to liigher forces,
morality and the hke, but not
often enough.
For those who tike gospel
lite, this may be your ticket.
You could easily play this CD
and casual listeners couldn’t
teU this is a gospel CD. That’s
exactly why this CD misses
the mark.
State Supreme Court Justice Bruce
Allen received dozens of letters on behalf
of Woolsey which he said he considered in
deciding the sentence.
One letter, signed by Cardinal Edward
Egan, asked that when Allen sentenced
Woolsey he ‘lake into consideration the
more than 40 years of service to others
that Monsignor has given as a priest of
the Archdiocese of New York”
Woolseys attorney Nicholas DeFeis
Please see PRIEST/7B
2'fie deadline for the calendar is noon Fridays. Fax
announcements to (704) 342-2160 or e-mail
cheris.hodges@lhecharloUepost.com. Please put
"church news " in the subject line.
Ongoing
We Empower Women For Life At Women of
'The Harvest Bible Study Wednesdays at 6
p.m. at 6636 Suite L Hickory Grove Business
Park.
September 28
Nazareth Primtive Baptist Church, 2230
she said. ‘T do it with love,
always with love.”
And where do they go?
Some people call it heaven.
Wall said. ‘Tt is a place to rest,
have fim and imderstand
what it is all about. No matter
if the spirit is 5, 50 or 500,
they want to understand
what that (fife) was all about.”
Please see HIRED/8B
Church News
Bancroft St., will host its Jubilee/Homecolning
2006 through September 28. For more infor
mation, call (704) 525-6433.
• Greater Gethsemane AME Zion Church,
531 Campus St, will host its homecoming and
revival services, celebrating 134 years of Chris
tian service. Revival runs through Sept. 28.
September 29
The Southwestern North Carolina District of
the Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of
the Americas will host a one-night back to
school revival. The event begins at 7 p.m. and
will be held at St. Matthew FBH Churdi,
located at 205 Nat Barber St., Gastonia. For
information, call (704) 867-0701.
September 30
Calvary Church of Nazarene will present a
full length drama and dinner theatre at 5 p.m.
For more information and tickets, call (704)
536-6485.
October 1
Youth Missionary Society of Myers Tabema-
oo
cle AME Zion Chm'ch, 509 Cherry St., invites
youth choirs, soloists, liturgical dance and
other Christian perfoi-mers to a “Sharing Our
Faith” program at 3 p.m. This progi-am is
being held to conclude the \Tctorious Living
Through Evangelism Weekend Celebration.
For information, caU (704) 222-6408 or (704)
391-5580.
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Chm-ch, 3001
Beatties Ford Road, will host the Harvest
Please see HARVEST/6B