CHURCH
, Sunday School lesson
GOD WILL NOT
FORSAKE HIS OWN
(Zechariah 2:1-12)
? "They shall be my people,
-and I will be their God, in truth
?And in righteousness." (Zecha
riah 8:8)
- The Scripture text given for
Our Bible lesson for this week is
) taken from the book of Zecha
riah. Zechariah was one of the
minor prophets who worked in
Jerusalem, Judea about the
year 520 B.C.
The Hebrew meaning for the
ftame "Zechariah" is "He
Whom Jehovah remembers."
He was a young contemporary
of the prophet Haggia. The time
I was the period following the Is
" raelites return from Babylonian
Exile.
In the year 539 B.C., when
Cyrus, King of Persia, defeated
and captured Babylon, he re
leased the Israelites who had
been defeated and taken into
Babylonian captivity some
years previously, about 587 B.C.
The fact of the matter was
that God was using King Cyrus
and the Persians as His instru
ment. For the Israelites, it was
a time of beginning again. They
streamed back to Jerusalem,
their beloved Zion, and their
homeland.
What they found were cities
and a country that had been
laid waste by the conquerors.
Foreigners had pillaged the
land during their absence. The
Israelites were confronted with
a massive rebuilding program.
Not only the cities, buildings,
farms and homes needed re
building, but high on the list of
priorities was the rebuilding of
the temple. Their relationship
to Jehovah was at a low ebb;
the temple, or tabernacle, was
essential for worship and offer
ings.
They had been a disobedient
people ? God had punished
them; now their greatest need
was to reestablish a right
relationship to God. God loved
them dearly. His plans for them
were still intact. God had for
given them, but they had a bad
case of the doldrums and
needed to pull themselves out of
them.
They needed some joy and
enthusiasm in their lives. Jeho
vah, God, was their answer.
A CITY
PROTECTED BY GOD
(Zechariah 2:1-5)
The book of Zechriah opens
with a call to repentance, Tlien,
the prophet is given a series of
visions. The scripture text for
today begins with the second .vi
sion. The city of Jerusalem had
been laid waste, even it's walls
had been broken down; the peo
ple were exposed to the threats
of their enemies.
God moved through His
prophet to assure them that
they were under His protection
The future Jerusalem would not
need a protective wall around
it. God was telling the people
this, but He was, also, telling
them more, much more.
The new Jerusalem is not to
be as the old. The people who
were returning from Baby
lonian exile were the remnants
of the Israelites through whom
God had made the covenant
and had given the law. It would
be through these, also, the de
scendants of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, that God would
bring forth Christ, the Messiah,
the Savior, and a new covenant
of love and grace.
The new Jerusalem would be
made up of all nationalities,
multitudes of people. There
would be no need for city walls
to protect them as in genera
tions past.
Verse five of the text makes
it plain, "For I, saith the Lord,
will be unto ho- a wall of fire
round about and will be the
glory in the midst of her." One
cannot get better protection
than that.
EXILES CALLED HOME
(Zechariah 2:?-9)
Babylon lay to th e north and
east of Palestine. It covered a
great stretch of land lying north
and south in the land of Chal
dea. When the Israelites were
taken to Babylon, they, no
doubt, were scattered through
out the land and separated by
distances of hundreds of miles.
The Babylonians were not
particularly tough task mas
ters. The Israelites were al
lowed much freedom to worship
and to go about individual work
and were allowed to practice
their trades. Some even went
into business.
In fact, when Cyrus decreed
their freedom to return to their
homeland, many were not quick
to move; many did not return.
Those who returned did so over
an extended period of time.
In these verses of the text,
God issues a call for all to re
turn, an invitation, as it were.
Along with the call came a
warning. God instructed them
to flee from the land of Babv
lon. He is about to bring judg
ment and destruction upon that
country, and those who remain
there will be caught up in it.
Even though Judah and Jeru
salem had been rebellious, and
God had punished the, they
were still His chosen, "the
apple of His eye." (vs 8-9); and
God will not forsake His own.
Z FOR YOUR INFORMATION::
Dear Friends ,
TO mr YOU UMDCMTANO . . .
B. USE OF FACILITIES
1. Fixed Overhead
This item is our monthly bills totaled for the year and divided by the number of services that
were held that year Included iif fixed overhead
Taxes Cleaning
Specialized continuing House cleaning and supplies
education Building maintenance (complete)
Surgical instruments Yard maintenance
Inventory of caskets
Maintenance of Autos
Stationery supplies
Advertising and promotions
Utilities - light, heat, telephone
Mr conditioning
Insurance ? (ire, theft, liability, auto.
casualty, workmen's comp unemployment comp
2. Funeral Home Facilities I Equipment
Thu charge is made for time during arrangements, visitation periods and the day of the service
It is used for Capital Improvements replacing carpeting, drapes, chairs, furniture, funeral equip
ment and any other item not covered in the fixed overhead No allowance for Church Service.
3. Preparation Room for
Embalming (when necessary) Dressing
Disinfection and Sanitation Placing in Casket
Applying Cosmetics Necessary fluid and supplies
HERTFORD NORTH CAROLINA 27944
426-7311
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS
NINA'S FABRIC BARN
1510 North Road Street Phone 338-1605
Church news
WOODLAND UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
The Woodland United Method
ist Church will begin revival
services on Sunday, August 11
and continue through Thursday,
August 15 at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
The Rev. Richard Derreth
will be the guest speaker. Spe
cial music and a nursery will
be provided. The public is cor
dially invited to attend.
THE LIGHTHOUSE
Kevin Jones, a contemporary
Christian artist, will be at the
Lighthouse, 505 E. Church St.,
Elizabeth City, Saturday, Au
gust 10, at 7:30 p.m. Come
worship the Lord with us.
This Sunday, August 11, at
10:30 a.m. The Crown of Life
Church will be open to all peo
ple, come and join us.
NEW BETHEL
BAPTIST CHURCH
The Deacon and Deaconess
Boards of New Bethel Baptist
Church in Hertford are sponsor
ing a program titled "The
Seven Ups" on Sunday, August
11, at 4:00 p.m. The Porter's
Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church Ju
nior Choir will furnish the mu
sic. The public is invited to at
tend.
THE REV. RICHARD DER
RETH
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
Revival services will begin at
Bethel Baptist Church Sunday,
August 11 and continue each
evening through Friday, August
16 at 7:30 p.m. The Rev. James
H. Shaw, pastor of the Hillmon
Grove Baptist Church, Cam
eron, N.C., is the Evangelist.
Both pastor and people of the
Bethel Church sincerely invite
you to attend these services.
PERQUIMANS UNITED
METHODIST CHARGE
Services for the Perquimans
United Methodist Charge will
be held Sunday at 9:00 a.m. at
Oak Grove; 10:00 a.m. at Ep
worth, and 11:00 a.m. at Cedar
Grove by the Rev. William E.
Clements.
A Word
From
Mt. Sinai
The prophet Ezekiel was
called up to inspect and preach
to a valley of dry bones (ch. 37)
It is a scene of revival, putting
life again to something that
once lived.
The bones are all individual,
useless when separtated from
each other. Ezekiel is told to
preach over them. They, the
bones, the congregation are
commanded (37:4) "to hear the
word of the Lord."
We have some meetings yet
this week, Thursday night and
Friday night. We have come to
gether to hear God's word. God
is joining us together and
breathing life into us, make us
a useful body. How about you?
Are you a dried, bleaded bone,
unattached and useless? We
want you to come and accept
this promise from God's word.
"TTjus saith the Lord God
unto these bones, "Behold, I
will cause breath to enter Into
you, and ye shall live." (Eze
kiel 37:5)
George Wilmore, Pastor
Mt Sinai Bantist
W
Card of Thanks
We gratefully acknowledge the many expressions of love and con
cern shown our family during our recent time of sorrow at the loss
of our newest little member, Ryan Rodriguez, three month old son of
Dawn and Richard Rodriguez. Little Ryan was token from us by SIDS
(Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) on July 9, 1985. His family asks,
that those who wish to do so may donate to further research of this
disease by sending your donations to:
National SIDS Foundation
330 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, Md. 21202
Please include the name: Ryan Rodriguez
and the name and address of his parents:
Dawn and Richard Rodriguez
2071 1 Stone Mountain Lane
Houston, Texas 77073
Again our heartfelt appreciation for the love and concern ex
pressed to us.
Dawn and Richard Rodriguez
Dee B. Stallings and Shannon
Janice, Eugene, Chris and
Lizzie Boyce
When you buy from Clifton S Clifton
? YOU see the stone fou ate purchasing!
? YOuTetrmmrHinStMHTT'cr^ stTtc
flOBI QUI large Selection!
. TOO approve the complete laj out 01 four
stone prior to cutting!
? YOU are asked to be in the cemetery to see
your stone netted on 5 toot pilings ?t concrete.
? WE make sure each step of production is
approved by iou leawng nothing to chance
Call Anzie at 264-2572 after
5 P.M. for home
appointment.
Hwy. 17 South across from
Whistling Pines.
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 to 5
Saturday 8 to 1 2 noon
335-1570
Jollish I
Sheila Clifton,
The Following Merchants Take This
Opportunity To Invite You To Attend
A Church Of Your Choice this Weekend
Member FTD
? DOZER'S
FLORIST
Harris Shopping Center
Day Phone 426-5721 Night 426-7592
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