C hurch God pleads with his followers to repent from their evil sins A PLEA FOR GENUINE REPEN TANCE (Read from yoar Bible Hue* "I desired mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6) Our lessons continue in the Spring quarter of studies under the general theme of "Love that will not let us go." This is the third of five lessons from Hosea. The first lesson centered on the tragedy of Israel. God was going to bring Judgement upon the sinful nation. The second lesson cen tered on the love of God. Though His mercy must end for a time, while His judgement reined, and Israel could not be His people for a while, yet His love did not fail. Now, our lesson for today makes the difference between tragedy and triumph; it is repentance. Sin ws bringing disaster to Israel. Restora Honanrt triumph must wait for Israel to forsake his sin and turn back to her God. CALL AND PROMISE (Hosea S:1S4:S> "I will go and return to my place, til they acknowledge their offence, and see my face: i their affliction they will seek my face early." The call to repentance and the promise of restoration once repentance comes forth from the nation, Israel. What a picture we get of a just God. In the Old Testament the relationship be tween God and His people is ex pressed in terms of a husband and a wife. In the New Testament we see this same relationship expressed in terms of a father and a son relationship. In both cases, the prin ciple of love, disobedience, repen tance, forgiveness and restoration are the same. God created people in His own image and He pronounced His creation to be very good. God cre ated the earth and, in it. He supplied, all that people need for sustenance. He made a covenant with man to provide his needs, under certain con ditions; man must live obedient to God commands. Israel, like many people and nations of today, choose to pursue lust, greed and self-centered ness. They do so to their own hurt. God is Holy and righteous. Sin sepa rates man's relationship to God and brings God's perfect justice and judgement as recompence. THE LORD'S LAMENT "For I desired mercy, not sacri fice; andthe knowledge of God more than burnt sacrifices." (Verse 6) There are some great gems of spir itual wisdom in these verses. In an other time, when Micah was a prophet in Judea, the people were asking what God required from them. Perhaps one of the foremost ques tions of our day is, "What does God want from us?" In these verses God, through Hosea, reminded the people what He expected of them. One re quirement was knowledge of God. A person cannot be obedient to God's commands without first knowing what He has commanded. Outside of sure knowledge, we just wonder, and speculate. Secondly, God said that He wanted mercy. Mercy may be interpreted as loving kindness, or steadfast love, or broth erly love. Surely an expression of un selfishness towards others. In gen eral, I believe these verses tell us that we are not to live during the week according to the world's values, and expect a hefty offering on Sun day to right the wrongs in our lives during the week. ISRAEL'S RESPONSE (Rosea "I have seen horrible things in the house of Isrel ; there is the whoredom of Ephraium, Israel is defiled." Is rael responded to God's call (or re pentance by doing exactly the oppo site of what He desired.' She continued in her worship of baal idols, she continued her un justice to the poor, her unfair weights and mea sures in business, her adultry and other iniquities. Consequently, Is rael's days were numbered. A sad ending for a nation and people with so great promise. (Lesson based on the International Sunday School Lessons) rerquimans residents participate in Asian mission study Almost 400 United Methodist, in cluding men, owmen and children, form the Elizabeth City District, par ticipated in a Southern Asian Mission Study held recently in Edenton, Ahoskie and Manteo. The study was held two Saturdays and a Sunday under the direction of Mrs. Robert Turner of Jarvisburg, district coordinator of global con cerns. Presented in the form of a festival in a marketplace setting, the study focused on Parkins tan, Bangladish, India, Nepal and India, a film on the work of Mother Teresa, displays from countries studied and a covered Church calendar ?First Baptist schedule The First Baptist Church begins Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Morning worship starts at 11:00 a.m. Pastor London will preach from the subject "A Building Code for Homes" Gene sis 2:24. The senior choir will sing un der the directin of Barbara Shannon, ^organist. j fellowship Union W % to meet f The Perquimans County Felowship ;? Onion will meet at the Bagley Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. George ' , "Harper and the Galatia Missioinary ' baptist Church in charge of service. /The Rev. Willie B. Moore is host and the Rev. J.H. London is president and , founder. 3 I '' Bible study to meet Midweek Prayer and Bible Study is held on Wednesday night at 7 : 30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church. The pub lic is invited to attend. NAACP to meet The Perquimans County Associa tion for Advancement Of Colored Peoples (NAACP) Branch will have a musical program at Bagley Chapel Baptist Church on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. This program is for the ben efit of Sister Leslie Riddick whom will represent this branch as Mother of the Year in Raleigh for the State Annual NAACP Mother of the Year Contest. Each church or civil group is asked to give $25. Any and all per sonal donations are accepted. Areas choirs will sing. Mrs. Rid dick is a native of Perquimans County and a member of the Riddick Grove Baptist Church. The public is invited to attend. Church records microfilmed , WINSTON SALEM, NC-Bethel Baptist Church, Route I, Hertford, N.C., has recently had their records, n'- 1850-1857 microfilmed at no cost by - the North Carolina Baptist Historical Collection, Z. Smith Reynolds li brary, Wake Forest University. This filmed volume will join records dat ing from the formation the church in 1805 that had been filmed earlier. A security copy of the church records will be stored in the Collection in the .event that something happens to the original records. John R. Woodard, Director of the N.C. Baptist Historical Collection said that the records would also join those from Great Hope and Hertford Baptist churches that are on film. Mr. Woodard invites all other Hert ford County Missionary, Primitive and Black Baptist churches to have their records filmed at no cost. Inter ested individuals and churches may call Mr. Woodard at (919) 761-5089 or write to him at P.O. Box 7777, Rey nolds Station, Winston-Salem, N.C. Card of Thanks The family of Noah Felton, Jr. ac knowledges with great appreciation everything done for us during his ill ness and death. We thank you for the * visits, food, flowers, cards and pray ers offered on our behalf. Your ex pressions of sympathy have helped us through a difficult time. Elizabeth Felton Betty Ann Gregory & Family Becky Boynton & Family The Family of Benjamin Haywood / Chappell would like to thank every ' one who remembered us with flow ers, cards, visits, food, prayers, and any other acts of kindness shown to us during his sickness and death. May \ God Bless each of you. Virginia Chappell f William Wray Chappell Sharon Stanton ? Ann Ayscue ) I would like to thank everyone for - the visits, cards, food, flowers, tele f phone calls, and especially your pray ers and all other acts of kindness, dur ing the time I was a patient in Chowan \ Hospital, and since my return home. May God bless you. Julian Powell dish dinner made from Southern Asian recipes. The study groups took turns partic ipating in the varied activities and while some were dinning, others learned methods of batik printing on materials and paper art work with the remainder brousing in the mar ketplace where exhibits fromthe va rious countries were displayed. More than $1,000 worth of native crafts ob tained through SERV, an organiza tion that promotes the sale of crafts from underdeveloped countries, were sold during the three sessions of the festival. Teachers included Mrs. Lena Bird of Grandy, Mrs. Orion Wallace of Edenton, Mrs. Pat Familar of Gates ville, Mrs. Elizabeth Zarbach of Edenton and Mrs. Rebecca Rhodes of Columbia. All teachers and number of others assisting were dressed in native apparel. Jimmy and Helen Hunter along with Pat Harrell are shown here as they sing God Bless America at the conclu sion of Saturday's program. Pat's Upholstery Serving the Hertford Area Quality Work Free Estimate 335-0747 - office Dear friends. In this age of travel and mobility there is no way of knowing beforehand exactly when, where, aHd how death will come. Therefore, the prearrang ing of a funeral most hove a certin flexibility. Careful counseling with an experi enced funeral director cdn avoid unwise planning. * Respectfully, ? I g>uiini>ell Jffuneral Home, 3nc. 509 Dobbs Street Hertford, N.C. ? 426-7311 WHEN YOUR CHICKENS COME TO ROOST m Rev. J.H. London First Baptist Church Hertford, IN.C. So they hanged Hamon on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. "The mills of God grind slow. But they are exceeding small". It is a Law. "What so ever a man soweth that shall he also shall reap." You don't plant beans and ex pect blueberries; if you expect love, you got to give love. If you expect people to follow you, you got to be a good follower. Your deeds will come home to roost. Haman had made elaborate plans to have Mordecai the Jew hanged on a gallows fifty cubits high. But, his scheme was thwarted by the intervention of Queen Es ther. And Haman died on the very gallows he had made for Mordicai. His evil intentions had come back upon his own head, his chickens had come home to roost. King Solomon said in Proverbs 26:27-28 Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall there into and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him; "Yes your Chickens will come Home to roost." A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it. And flattering mouth worketh ruin. Psalm 7:16 David said; His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. God grant that this day we may serve Him, and treat our fellow men as we ourselves want to be treated. Before you act, turn the table around, and ask yourself if you want to be treated the same way. Remember ? Chick ens Come Home to Roost ? and some day we will be rewarded according to our works. II Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. That every one may receive the things done in His body. . Whether it be good or bad. " Romans 14:12-13 Let us not therefore judge one an other any more: But judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way> for your deeds will come home to Roost. ? People's Bank & Trust Co. MEMBER FDIC Hertford, N.C. Reed Oil Company EXXON PRODUCTS HERTFORD, N.C. HOLLOWELL OIL CO. SUPPLIERS OF OIL PRODUCTS Phone: 426-5745 Quality Clothing Outlet Ward's Shopping Center us,7B'Po?*0*.H.e. I'll,. p And ? ??iy .% ?f'/e < "^Hacy "".I! oZ'fipiZ?" *? 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