The Brighter
Tomorrow
By DR. PAUL K. AUSLEY
Pastor First Presbyterian Church
Text: V-23— "Ought nut Christ
to have suffered these things?
The picture we get on Caster in
the life of Chrirt is quite different
from that of the previous week.
Last Sunday v as I’al.n Sunday,
and you reeall the crowd that
followed Christ cheering anti
praising Him. The story starts in
Bethany with His close friends.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus. The
procession was not a mighty one
with kings, chariots and booty.
None of the fan-fare of a great
worldly leader. But the real King
of Kings riding on an absurd lit
tie donkey.
As the procession starts iL>
joruney. the ciowd begins to in
crease. FTom every side people
Join the crowd because they wen
enroute to the Passover. The
crowd was merry and soon lyrical
outbursts are heard: "Blessed is
the king that ct meth in the name
of the Lord; peace on earth and
glory in the highest." The atmos
phene is enfectious and moving
The religious leaders Scribes and
Pharisees, look horrified and
frightened. They are afraid for
their position and ask Christ to
rehuke this spontaneous celobra
tic71. Instantly our Lord replies:
“I tell you that if these shall hold
their peace, the stones will cry
out” This is a moment that des
tiny has arranged and nothing
can prevent it. However, these re
ligious leaders knew that this
was something that had to hi'
stopped and took steps to have
Christ executed. Jesus had to floe
for His life. Prom this event
Christ went to keep the Passover
with His choaen workers, the Dis
ciples. During the keeping of the
Passover. Judas deserted Christ
and the Disciples.
Jesus left the Passover to pray
in the Garden for strength to
complete His mission. Jesus saw
the events of the following days
and knew htnv much depended on
His being faithful to this tremen
dous task. So he prayed in the
garden with these things on His
mind. Ho saw far more than Je
rusalem. He saw the murderer of
Cain. He heard Cain's selfish
question: “Am I my brother's
keeper?” He saw Esau selling his
birthright for a mess >f pottage.
He saw the great oppression of
Egypt. He saw the sin of David
Hb saw the evil of Hebrew kings.
He saw the fall of Samson. He
aaw the endless deterioration of
human society. He saw Judas. He
saw Calvary. He saw you. He
saw the future generations. He
saw the supreme tragedy of all
times and ages: Men and nations
who know not the* things which
belong to peace. This feeling and
insight is what led Christ to say
“Thy will he done and not mine."
We see Christ led from the gar
den to stand trial for His life for
no crime at all. He was only be
ing true to His mission of freeing
mankind from the yoke of sin
The trial was nothing but a sham
and they led Christ from the
court to a place called Calvary.
Here stood a cross. Jesus was
ptacbd on that cross and crucifi
ed. His death was not a debt He
must pay to human society, but
rather He was dying in our place.
People mocked and made all
manner of fun at Christ when He
was on the cross. He could have
avoided this suffering and shame,
but he was faithful even unto
death.
Mow while some laughed and
Jerred, others were sad. dejected
and greatly dissa pointed. They
could not understand what was
happening, nor did they realize
the neoessity of this suffering.
Our Scripture lesson gave us a
picture of how the Disciples re
acted to Christ's death. They
walked along the road and a
stranger joined their mist. He un
folded to them the necessity of
the death of Christ. He clarified
the story of Mary's seeing the an
gel at the empty tomb, lie was
not there because He had risen.
Then Christ appeared to her con
firming the fact that He had ris
en from the dead. He spoke to
Mary and said only one word -
"Mary-” She fell at His feet and
acknowledged Him as the resur
rected and living Lord. She call
ed Him “Master." Then she ran
to tell the others of the group
who were sad and defeated, that
the Lord had risen. He is not
dead, but alive. She had seen Him
with her own eyes. Christ then
appeared to the Disciples and
they, too, took on new life and
courage to go ahead with the
task of proclaiming God’s love,
mercy and forgiveness to all
iMfimnd,
From that first taster morn
Until now, Christ becomes alive
in the hearts of those who accept
him. We see these dispirited men
resurrected within and go forth
with a new joy and power to live.
They now’ have conquering faith
and their hearts arc no longer
dis-mayed by the events of the
past few days: they can see the
Kingdom of God in clearer and
more meaningful terms. Actually,
we hear one of them say—“Be
hold. what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us.
that we should be called the sons
of God—Beloved, now we are the
sons of God. and it do'h not yet
appear what wc shall be: but we
know that we shall be like him."
We know something has happen
ed to the Disc pies when their
hopes and ami-lions are so com
pletely changed. Tltey have d.s
covered the fact that Christ is a
live and Cod has imparted to the
Disciples the love that sustained
Christ. This same love will en
able his followers to continue the
task that Christ fcr^an.
II Christ Assures Us That We,
Too, Can iYiumph Over The
rhinjfs Which Oppose Cod.
Christ offers ut t-td.iv ihp >ame
ivd«-em:ng hand of fellowship
Tlie saviour st-.rts with you, the
real you. The moral madness of
yesterday is not important; 'Hie
rebellion and backsliding, the
blindness anti weakness ,,f yester
day does not matter. Only faith
and repentmee are required to
htvome memners of the great
family of Cod Christ entered Je
rusalem in triumph. He wants to
enter you so th.nt you ran enter the
holy of holies ir triumph l<*oause
of what He has done. Salvatioin
begins with tin individual in a
mighty encounter between Cod in
Christ, and man hi the rags of
sin and evil. Christ stands ready
and anxious to enter your heart
and give you the victory over s n
just as He has millions of others
down through the ages. This will
not he an easy matter because we
are stubborn and rebellious. Nev
ertheless, < »o»t has a way of break
ing through this pseudo wall we
errect between Cod and ourselves,
and give us th> assurance that
we are Christs Cowl stands ready
to enter families which are love
less and make them loveable! He
will give peact. joy and love.
Never in the history of mankind
lias this mtd teen so urgent in |
the families ol the world. Before
iiur wry eyes the mod rn theories
o' mat iia,M‘ art* collapsing in
moral defeat. When Christ is en i
throned m the homo the family
is equipped to lace tho uncertain!
future.
Christ offers Mis icslcs-ming
ham! of fellowship (o the church
es. With civilization merrily (jo
in*; to hell there are still church
leadci s proudly pointing to big
budgets and large memberships
Neither of tit* sc are wrong in
themselves, hut t hurc'i leaders
think in terms of supor-institu
ti m.ilism and pot in helping man-1
kind. ft is not membership and
ma hlno.-y we need today, but a
fresh experience* with lesus
Christ. Ttie people of our commu
nity need Hod end are anxious to
know how the*- might find him.
The world today is just as dark
to us as it was to thits'- who fol
lowed Christ to His crucifixion.
They were confused, torn and dis
tracted. They bad lost hope and
almost ready to confess that they
•’ml *x*en mistaken in the Christ
Y«m remomher Peter said that he
w >uld give tip and say that he
was wrong. In fact. Peter was re
turning to his lornibr occupation
af fishing. The gloom and dark
ness of Christ’s death brought
di*spair t » the tollowers of Jesus i
However, on that faster morn |
Ing. there came that brighte*
Day! J**sus was not dead but alive
triumphant ovc’- death, hell and -
the grave. Prom that first Easter
morn until now, that risen life
has been growing in reality, in
intensity and in power upon this 1
earth. Out of that life and out of;
the words He spoke, comes the j
surest hope* for all the* rest of us!
that we, t >o. shell have our East- 1
er morning, that the* grave cannot!
hold us or our loved one**, any
more than it held Him. We shall
see again those whom we have
“I i\ed king since and lost a
while " Easter speaks to us again
of a career, enduring and eternal.
Even though our present world
situation seems dark and gloomy,
rest assured that the Brighter
Tomorr *w will soon come to us.
Don't lose yout faith or confidence
MASTER
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PkoiM 733-5451 ■ Kings Moaaiafal
Board Prefers
20-Year Bonds
W. E. Easterling, secretary «•!
the Local Government commit
sion. has recommended a 24-year
iKNid issue for the Kings Moun
tain school district's new higli
school, but the board of educa
tion prrfers a shorter term issue.
It is possible school officials
including the hoard of education's
attorney J. R. Davis, will confer
with Mr. Easterling on Friday
and. if not. in the near future.
Superintendent of School* It. N
Barnes commented. "The board
of education prefers a shorter
term, which would save money in
interest «-osts. unless there are
especial reasons of which she
tmaid is not axvare."
lie said that County Auditor
'Max Hamrick is projecting a re
tire merit schedule of not mor *
than 20 years.
"Of course.” ,\lr. Barnes add
l'd." the board does not want a
retirement sch< dule whieh would
require more than the present 10
••ents per $100 tax valuation whieh
is being assessed now and was in
dicate dbefore the bonds were
voted."
In forwardfrtg the 24-year sche
dule. Mr. Easterling suggested
that the Kings Mountain district
might require more bond funds
prior to retirement of the $1.1
million issue soon to be sold.
in God. He will not fail you. He
did not fail those who followed
Him in His earthly ministry, and
He will not fail you now. He will
bring us out o? darkness to light,
if we will let Him.
lfficaltnre
ia
Actioa
YOUTH POWER DELEGATES
NAMED
How can you got more miles
; to the Kalian? On foot', not gas
oline.. This is just one of the sub
jects that foot' cutstanding North
|Carolina youngsters will be re
| viewing at the loithcoming Nat
ional Youtiipower Congress in
Chicago. The event is slated for
April 8.11.
The Tar lleel delegates, chosen
from the ranks of the State's top
youth organizations, will join
nearly 200 of the nation’s teen
age leaders at theCongr»*ss. There
they will get the complete story
on nutrition and the food indus
try from leading food executives,
educators and communications
experts.
Selected to represent North
Carolina's 4-H'ers were Larry B.
Hancock, 17. of Rt. 1, Seagrove;
and Miss Annette Fairless. Ifi. of
Rt. 1, Colerain. The State’s F1IA
envoy will be Miss Carroll Mode.
17 of Kranklinton. Tarheelia’s
Ctrl Scouts will be represented by.
Miss Nancy Searcy, 17. of Rt. 1
Valdesc.
Applicants for the expense
paid Youthpower trip are out
standing high school juniors who
have completed special food and
"utrition projects through their
youth organizations. One of the
1904 delegates nlanned. prepared
and served 137 meals to her
family. Another took a survey
in two counties to determine the
pecentage of families consuming
the recommended daily amount
of milk. The I9t>l delegates hold
honors ranging from spelling
champ to Eagle Scout, and have
all shown themselves to is* lead
or? in school and community.
t'|>on their return from the
Congress, these emissaries for
proper diet will pass the Youth
|io\ver message along to parents
and fellow 'teens via speeches,
newspaper, radio, television and
magazines. An estimated 50 mil
lion contracts were made by 1963
Congress delegates from across
tin nation.
Tile Youthpmver Congress is
s|Htnsored hy the National Food
Conference Asso.-iation — an or.
ganlzatiun of 65 companies anil
trade associations representing
all segments of the food industry.
The program in this State is co
ordinated hy the North Carolina
Farm Bureau. Food-related Indus
trie.? in the State pick up the tab
for the trip to the Congress.
NKWSBKIFF: Last vear*s food
nis-ds took only !H cents of the U.
S. i-onsumer’s take-home pay, as
compared with 23 cents in 1953.
CONGRATULATIONS: To the
many who hel|M*U to get sueh a
multitude of iiersons out for the
first immuni/ation in the KO
Polio drive. N. C. Farm Bureau
President B. C. Mangum is urging
rural tamilies to return to local
points for subsequent doses of
the live-virus vaci-ine.
OVERHEARD: Leaf com pa nies
may frown on MH-30 tohaii'o
again this year. You ean get
around this hy using MII-15
twice.
The Veterans
Corner
Here are authoritative answer*
by ihe Veteran Administration to
questions from former service
men and their families:
Q Are widows of veteran* eli
gible for GI heme loans?
A Veterans’ widows may he
eligible for til home loan* if they
meet these requirements: they
must be n-mp tried widows of
veterans of World War II or the
Korean Conflict who died in ner
vier or after sejiaration from ser
vice as the result of servler-con
nerted di*nnil>ties. Entitlement
for World War II widows expins
July 25. 1907. and for widow* of
Korean Conflict veterar.s January
31. 1975.
Q - Why is a so-railed "C-Num
ber" nrceaaary m connection with
veterans benelds? Shoudn't the
veteran's name aiid proof «»f wr
vice he sufficient? ^
A There ire many veteran*
(sometimes hundreds' with the
same name ar.c. middle initial.
Periods of service me often duple
rated. A C-number <claim num
ber* positively identifies the re
onl of the indiv idual veteran.
q Can a War Orphan who ha*
his entrance into VA educational
ti aining delay* d or interrupted
by military sei vice have his com
pietion date extended?
A Yes. He has five years from
th" dale of nir first release or
discharge from military sendee
in which to comolete his training.
Although 136.000 veterans died
during calendar year 1963 there
remained 22.092.000 living vetcr
ans at the beginning of 1964. the
Veterans Administration disclo*
2. ROD AND UNE
jut $118
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