Sunday School Lesson
(Continued froro Pace 6)
They grow out of the believer*!
love of God, not the hope of
reward.
Repentance
In the Old Testament, the
(inner (and the ilnful nation)
is called to turn from sin and
seek the righteousness of God.
This repentance is the only re
quirement for receiving God's
forgiveness. Many psalms ex
press the need and result of
repentance. (See Psalms 32 and
81.)
As we have noticed in pre
vious lessons, John the Baptist
came preaching repentance as
the primary requirement of the
sinner. To many self-righteous
Jews, this call must have seem
ed absurd. After all, were they
not the sons of Abraham?
When Jesus began preaching,
he also demanded repentance.
Jesus' Opponents
The central concern of the
Pharisees was to do God's will
as it was revealed in the Law.
Many of them were wise and
devout men. But in their zeal
to apply the Law to every as
pect of daily life, they had de
veloped a great body of teach
ing and ritual that encouraged
a legalistic approach to religion.
As a result the intent of the
Law was often lost in concern
for obeying every detail of the
Law as interpreted by the
scribes.
We may find it difficult to
understand why Jesus was not
welcomed by everyone, but we
must try to stand where his
opponents stood. They were
zealous in the defense of re
ligion as they understood it, and
they thought Jesus was threat
ening the faith itself when he
violated the observances that
were intended to protect the
Law. When we search our hearts
and acknowledge how difficult
It is for us to accept new ways,
we can readily understand the
conflict between Jesus and the
religious leaders of his day.
Jesus represented the new. Ac
cepting him would require ma- '
Jor changes in their way of life, j
The news that God's king- 1
dom was at hand would have j
been more acceptable to the j
Jewish leaders if God had work- I
ed through official channels. '
After all, since God had given
the Law, it would seem reason- ,
able that he would initiate his
kingdom through the structures
that had been laboriously built
up around it over the years.
The approach used by Jesus ap
peared to the religious leaders
to be a rejection of these tra
ditional religious structures and
practices. Therefore conflict was
inevitable between Jesus and
these leaders.
How the Kingdom Cornea
Let us now turn to other ques
tions we need to consider.
Where Jesus parted company
with the expectation and tra
dition of his day was in pro
claiming that the new age was
at hand ? indeed, had already
come ? and in calling men to
prepare for living in that new
age by adopting a new style of
Ufa. He was saying that in his
parson God had already coma
fen a new way. Thus Jesus is the
/dlmax of God'i redemptive acta
in history.
Jesus differed from the popu
lar ideas about the Judgment
also. He waa not greatly con
cerned with the drawing up of
balance sheets and the appor
tioning of rewards and punish
ments. He was not offering ad
vance Information on the exact
time of the establishment of the
Kingdom. (See Mark 13:32; Acts
1:6-7.) He spoke less of judg
ment at the end of history than
of the judgment that occurs
whenever sin and evil confront
the holiness and love of God.
(See John 3:18-19.)
Life in the Kingdom
Another question is this:
What was new In Jesus' teach
ing about the Kingdom? We
can identify two aspects of the
new meaning he gave to this
idea.
The first of these was respect
for the individual. God was not
going to overwhelm people into
the Kingdom. Through Jesus,
and the prophets before him,
God sought to make men aware
of their sin and Its consequences
in delaying the day of righteous
ness and peace. Not only did he
seek to create awareness of sin;
he also offered a way of find
ing forgiveness and release from
the power of sin.
Jesus called Individuals to an
acceptance of the Kingdom
through repentance, which
meant the willing acceptance of
the fatherly rule of God and
the rejection of sin. His call was
a call to change the mind and
heart, for only new men can
live in a new age.
The second aspect was social
in character. The Kingdom was
not only a gift to individuals,
but acceptance of its rule by 1
individuals meant commitment
to its work as It began to trans
form human society.
Already in and through the
life of the disciples the Kingdom
was overcoming those forces
that degrade and destroy men.
Where the Kingdom Is, there
is healing, peace of mind, for
giveness of sin, and release from
the illness that guilt brings.
The Kingdom has already
come upon us in those acts that
affirm life, freedom, peace,
mercy, and righteousness. The
Kingdom is still in the process
of coming as God's reign be
comes more and more effective
in human affairs, as here and
there a man willingly accepts
God as king and becomes an
agent of the Kingdom's way of
life. Such a man becomes an
enemy of all that enslaves men.
He works for life because the
Kingdom is life and light and
peace and health.
ROT CAMPANELLA
(Continued from Pag* 1)
29 with more than 2,000 Easter
Seal societies participating.
Campanella established three
new catching records In the ma
jor leagues; missed only one
All-Star Baseball game in seven
season; was voted the National
League's Most Valuable Player
in 1951, 1953 and 1955 by the
nation's sports writers and
sports broadcasters.
Campanella suffered his crip
pling inJuHes in 1958 and under
went months of therapy before
regaining use of his hands and
the strength to sit up. He is
confined to a wheelchair but
runs a successful retail business
In New York City, is a director
of a New York bank and has
had his own radio sports show.
The former baseball great**
experience caused him to be
come . interested in Easter Seals
and he has been an official
Sponsor of the National Society
for several years. He has travel
ed thousands of miles in that
capacity, speaking before Easter
Seal groups and giving individ
ual encouragement to other han
dicapped persons.
For the 1970 campaign, Cam
panella has already filmed tele
vision spots and taped radio
messages to be used on net
works and local stations nation
wide.
A&T RECEIVES $2,500 GRANT
FROM AMERICAN OIL
(Continued from Page 1)
are unrestricted as to vise."
Dr. Dowdy said the funds will
be applied to furthering A&T*s
programs of faculty improve
ment and scholarships. The gift
to A&T is one of more than 100
unrestricted grants being made
by American Oil Foundation to
colleges and universities.
STATEMENT OF CONDITION
American Federal Savings & Loan
Association of Greensboro
1913 E.. Market Street ? Greensboro, N. C.
After the Close of Business December 31,1 969
ASSETS
Mortgage Loans and Other Liens on Real Estate
All Other Loans
Real Estate Owned and in Judgment
_ Cash on Hand and in Banks
Investments and Securities
Fixed Assets Less Depreciation U :
Deferred Charges and Other Assets
Total Assets
LIABILITIES AND NET WORTH
Savings Accounts
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank
Loans In Process
Other Liabilities ?
General Reserves
Undivided Profits ^
Total Liabilities and Net Worth
? $3,273,759.48
? 109,663.78
_ 3,591.20
? 173,636.25
_ 36,300.00
_ 10,449.92
_ 52,450.16
-*3,659,850.79
_$3, 191, 967.16
- 350,000.00
6,091.01
13,634.04
94,045.53
_ 4,113.05
?3,659,850.79
NO OTHER SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION IN GREENSBORO
IS PAYING HIGHER EARNINGS ON SAVINGS THAN AMERICAN FEDERAL
AMERICAN FEDERAL WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION WITHIN A FEW WEEKS ON ITS NEW 2-STORY
HOME OFFICE BUILDING TO BE LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF MURROW BOULE
VARD AND MARKET STREET. This has been made possible because of your continuing support of the
Association for which we are most jjrateful. ?.
We invite you to open a savings account or add to your account today. SAFETY OF YOUR SAVINGS IS
OF COURSE INSURED UP TO $20,000.00 BY THE FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN INSURANCE COR
PORATION, AN AGENCY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Officers & Personnel Directors
J. Kenneth Lee President E. E. Smith ChaU-man
? o ? x. 11 j . Melvin T. Alexander
A. S. Webb Executive Vice President
and Secretary Waddell Hinnant
Arthur Lee
Melvin T. Alexander Vice President J. Kenneth Lee
o ? n vli Charles A. McLean
B. J. Battle : Treasurer ? Julhu A
Mrs. Louise H. Morale* Taller 6rt^ur ^- Totten
F. A. Williams
Miss Mildred 4. Brown Teller Clarence M. Winchester
AMERICAN FEDERAL SA VINOS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION OF GREENSBORO IS THE ONLY
"FEDERALLY CHARTERED" ASSOCIATION IN THE STATE MANAGED AND DIRECTED BY BLACKS.
... ' . ; ???? ?