Religion
The Perquimans Weekly, June 25, 2003 5
The exiles dedicate the temple
MICHAEL ALEXANDER
Central Newspaper Services
Ezra 6:13-22
Cyrus, king of Persia
had released the Jews from
captivity with the express
instructions to return to
Jerusalem to rebuild the
temple.
God had put this in the
heart of Cyrus and gra
ciously, Cyrus did not dis
obey the Lord. Although he
was not one God’s chosen,
he chose to be obedient and
helpful to the Lord.
Many Gentiles through
out the Old Testament time
dedicated themselves to
God and worshipped Him.
God uses the willing.
IT IS FINISHED
And the elders of the
Jews builded, and they pros
pered through the prophesy
ing of Haggai the prophet
and Zechariah the son of
Iddo. And they builded, and
finished it, according to the
commandment of the God of
Israel, and according to the
commandment of Cyrus,
and Darius, and Artaxerxes
king of Persia.
Ezra 6:14.
Just as they had
promised, the remnant of
God coming back from
Babylonian captivity fin
ished the temple of God.
This verse indicates that
the promise that God made
in our text for last week
had been kept. God had
promised to prosper the
people for their obedience
and this He did.
God was using His
prophets to communicate
with the people and they
were responding in the cor
rect way. This scene is a
beautiful picture of man
cooperating with God. The
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relationship between God
and man was intended to be
one of peaceful joy.
IT IS DEDICATED
And the children of
Israel, the priests, and the
Levites, and the rest of the
children of the captivity,
kept the dedication of this
house of God with joy. And
offered at the dedication of
this house of God a hundred
bullocks,, two hundred
rams, four hundred lambs;
and for a sin offering for all
Israel, twelve he goats,
according to the number of
the tribes of Israel.
Ezra 6:16,17.
A very important act
took place upon the comple
tion of the temj^e. The peo
ple dedicated the temple to
God. In this service, they
sacrificed bullocks, rams,
lambs and he goats. All of
this was intended to please
God.
The temple completion
was an act by the Jews to
please God with their obe
dience and the sacrificial
offering was an act by the
Jews to please God with
their offering.
It is important for us to
note that in our own lives,
we cannot please God with
just one or the other. If we
give generously, but yet are
not obedient, we are not
pleasing God, nor is our gift
of value. However, if we are
obedient in our self-sacri
fice and do not help with
the furthering of the king
dom of God financially, we
have not pleased God. God
wants our sacrifice of self
and resources.
Lessons based on
International Sunday
School lessons
Services/Activities
Ellis Temple
Ellis Temple Baptist
Church will hold revival
June 25 - 27 and June 29.
Services will begin at 7:30,
June 25 - 27 and 3 p.m., June
29. Leading the services
will be:
June 25: Minister
Wallace Elliott, Associate
Pastor of Ryan’s Grove
Baptist Church along with
The Ryan’s Grove Male
Chorus
June 26: Rev. Charlie N.
Moore of St. Paul Baptist
Church, Sunbury along
with his choir
June 27: Rev. Larry
Moore of New Piney Grove
Baptist Church, Gates
along with his choir
June 29: Musical
Program featuring Nation
After God of Elizabeth City,
Perquimans County Male
Chorus, Serenity of Apex
and Gospel Disciples of
Edenton.
Jireh Ministries, an out
reach program of Ellis
Temple Missionary Baptist
Church, will hold Sidewalk
Sunday School on July 12,
19 and 26, 9 a.m. - noon, on
the corner of Catherine
and King streets in Winfall.
Breakfast and lunch will be
served. Children ages 5 -15
are welcome, younger chil
dren must be accompanied
by parents. Call 426-7155 for
information.
Services at Ellis Temple
aree held the first, second
and third Sundays of the
Moth, 11:15 a.m. - i p.m.
Bible study is Tuesday, 7 -
8:30 p.m.
Warwick
Warwick Baptist Church
will host The Singing
Laymen from Windsor in
concert on June 29 at 7:30
p.m. The church is located
at 4314 Virginia Road,
Hobbsville. A nursery will
be provided. For more
information, call 221-4375,
8:30 - 11:30 am.
New Hope UMC
New Hope United
Methodist Church will
have an old-time gospel
show with live picken’ and
singin’ on Sunday, June 29
between 6 - 8 p.m. in the
church fellowship haU. The
singspiration is free! The
featured guests with vocals
and instrumentals include
local churches and singing
groups. There will be
refreshments at the end of
the show. New Hope UMC is
located at the corner of
New Hope and Woodville
roads.
Chapel on the
Sound
Beverly Hills Baptist
Youth Praise Ensemble
from Asheville with 18
teens. Under the direction
of Mike Adcock, Music
Director, and Timothy J.
Long Jr. Youth Minister,
will present the , Sunday
morning worship service
with skits, solos and choir
performances at Chapel on
the Sound at Holiday Island
during worship service at
11 a.m. on June 29.
United
Pentecostal
Rev. Ismael Melendez
and his wife Christina have
accepted a pastoral
appointment at United
Pentecostal Church,
Edenton. Special service to
meet the pastor will be held
on Sunday, July 1, at 10 a.m.
and 6 p.m.
Notice
Items for the
services/activities column
should be submitted in
writing by Friday at 5 p.m.
either at our office at 119 W.
Grubb Street, by fax at 426-
4625 or by email
perquimansweekly@earth-
link.net.
The
Carpenter’s Tools
The Verse Forgotten
Recently, 1 gathered with the family of Katherine Ashley in
Chowan County to celebrate her life, commit her body to the grave,
and her soul to the Lord. Friends and family were there. Beautiful
flowers surrounded the graveside. We listened as a family member
sang the classic of all Christian songs, “Amazing Grace”. How
ever, we heard a verse that we, too often, leave out of our corporate
usage of this blessed hymn. It goes like this -
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail.
And mortal life shall cease.
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
By Wallace C. Phillips
I suppose that’s one of the verses that have skipped all these years. Yet, look at the
truth of that verse forgotten. The songwriter focuses on the reality of our life here on
earth ending, but true life beginning with the joy and the peace of God. Life truly
begins for the Christian when it ends on this earth. Paul said, “To be absent from the
body is to be present with the Lord.”
Mrs. Ashley made my pastoral task so easy. Just days
before her demise, we chatted openly about her funeral.
She informed me that she did not want a sad funeral,
but rather a happy one. God allowed us to experience
just that; one moment we were crying, then we were all
laughing. 1,think she would have laughed along with
us. It was a memorable event. “The verse forgotten”
in that old hymn brought comfort to me as I realized
that though our mortal bodies may fail here, “we have a
home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”.
Have a blessed week and never forget this verse - Yea
when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall
cease. I shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and
peace.
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