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Page 4 Portland Observer NOVEMBER 22, 1989
A
The Tabernacle Of God And
The New Jerusalem
by Michael Lindsey, Dean o f North Portland Bible College
[The Sunday School lesson in the uni­
form series for N ovember 26 will be R evela­
tion 2 1 ]
“ I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusa­
lem, com ing down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for
her h u sband" (Rev. 21:2, N1V). W ith these
words, John presents a glorious vision of
heaven come dow n to earth, the hope of
saints o f all ages, all people, tongues and
nations. The heart o f this prophecy is the cry
from the throne o f God: "B ehold, the taber­
nacle of G od is with men, and he will dwell
with th em ." (V erse 3, KJV).
The tabernacle was a tentlike structure
created by the people o f Israel, in accordance
w ith the pattern the Lord showed Moses on
M ount Sinai (Exodus 25:8). W henever it
was set up, the glory of the Lord w ould fill
the tabernacle, and the priests could offer
sacrifices to the Lord. W hen the L ord’s glory
was lifted from the tabernacle, in the form of
a pillar o f Fire or cloud, the Levites would
disassem ble the tabernacle and carry it to
their next stop through the wilderness. Thus
the tabernacle, and the ark o f the covenant
within it, were visible sym bols that the Lord
(Jehovah), the invisible C reator o f heaven
and earth, actually dwelled among his people.
The tabernacle continued to be the cen­
ter of worship for Israel after they entered the
prom ised land for over four hundred years,
till the time o f David. That great king brought
the ark o f the covenant into his capital city,
Jerusalem , and appointed His son Solomon,
with G od’s perm ission and blessing, built a
perm anent tem ple to replace the tabernacle,
a place of m ajesty and glory in itself. The
glory of the Lord then visibly filled the
temple with smoke (read 1 Kings 6 and 8:1-
21).
But the people of G od rebelled against
their Lord, until finally in judgm ent God
withdrew his glory from the tem ple (Ezekiel
10) and left it to be destroyed by the Babylo­
nians, and the people to be exiled and scat­
tered.
Still, G od’s desire was to dem onstrate
his love by dw elling among his people. And
so, in the fullness of time, the Lord sent his
Son into the world: “ And the W ord became
flesh and dwelled among u s . . . ” (John 1:14).
The basic meaning of “ dw elled” in the
original is “ to pitch a ten t,” that is, to
tabernacle. Jesus Christ put on a “ ten t” just
like our human bodies, and lived with us for
a time. He performed the work which the
Father sent him to do, and provided the
perfect sacrifice for our sins.
And so now we eagerly await the return
o f Christ in glory, and the establishm ent of
“ a new heaven and a new earth ” (Rev.
21:1), in all perfection and glory. There will
no longer need to be a tem ple to contain or
represent the Glory o f the Lord need to be a
tem ple to contain or represent the Glory of
the Lord (verse 22), for the throne o f God
will be visible, and so will the Person of the
Lamb o f God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
I ’m sure that if you love the Lord, you’ll
be excited at the thought o f being able to
w orship him anywhere, w ithout any distrac­
tion, and in all purity and righteousness
(verse 27). If you aren’t sure that you are
prepared for C hrist’s return, do n ’t put it off!
The Lord is ready to be your G od, but you
have to give your heart to him
RELIGION
United Church President’s Associate, Elect First
Woman, First African-American In That Position
CLAYTON, MO The Executive C oun­
cil of the 1.6 million mem ber United Church
of Christ, meeting on Oct. 24, elected an
official of the church’s racial justice com ­
m ission to become executive associate to the
denom ination's new president. She is the
first woman and the first A frican-Am erican
to hold that position.
Bernice F. Powell, New York City, leaves
her post as deputy director o f the C om m is­
sion for Racial Justice to become executive
associate to the Rev. Dr. Paul H. Sherry, who
took office as president Oet. 1.
As executive associate, Ms. Powell, 40,
will serve as chief of operations for the
denom ination’s executive offices and as Dr.
S herry’s principal representative. Ms. Pow­
ell, Dr. Sherry and other officers o f the
church will move from New York City to
Cleveland when space is ready at the church’s
new headquarters there, probably in January.
In 1988, Ms. Powell becam e deputy
director of the C om m ission for Racial Jus­
tice, which is charged with mobilizing members
of the church to work for justice and recon­
ciliation among people of all races in the
church and the wider society. Previously, in
1984 and 1985, she had been director of the
com m ission’s “ Forgotten Woman Project,”
focusing on the church’s work with women
in prison.
In between, from 1985 to 1988, she
worked for The Phelps-Stokes Fund, New
York City, as director of the Bishop Desmond
Tutu Southern African Refugee Scholarship
Fund, with primary responsibility for raising
more than 41 m illion a year to help bring
South African and Namibian refugees to the
U.s. to attend college.
Ms. Powell also has worked as a freelance
consultant in public relations, w om en’s is­
sues and minority relations (1982-1984); as
public information officer o f the w om en’s
division in the office o f New York Governor
How Safe Is Downtown Portland At Night
Part II
This is a continuation of M attie Ann
Collier-Spears story running in the
Nov. 2nd, 1989 issue o f the Portland
Observer
he may devour . . (I Peter 5:8) Yes!
He's gonna get you. But, only if you let
him.
There are many, many young,
unchurched, unsaved people wandering
about with no direction. They make perfect
prey. The devil is stockpiling with the
anticipation that he is going to win and
he is reaping the souls o f our children.
Let's face it! If you destroy the nest and
its contents, you've destroyed the spe­
cies (human race).
Don't stand idly by. There is so
much that needs to be done.
#1.) Join the winning team. Accept
Christ as your personal Savior.
#2.) W ear the whole armour of God.
(Ephesians 6:11-20).
#3.) Stand steadfast in the Word.
#4.) Don't be overwhelmed by what
is taking place.
that they live so that we may approve
only what is pleasing in the sight of God.
W hether the crimes are being com ­
mitted in downtown Portland or in the
quiet com ers of our minds, we must all
remember who rules and super-rules.
God, in His infinite wisdom, has a mas­
ter plan. We have to decide in our hearts
and minds whether or not we want to be
a part of this plan.
I have never seen or heard so much
about Satan worship as I have heard in
recent years. Scripture reveals that we
should ", . . Be sober, be vigilant; be­
cause your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walkcth about, seeking whom
SCRIPTURE OF
THE WEEK: R omans : C hapter 12
Do what the Lord wants you to do
and be what your Heavenly Father wants
you to be. Remember - always look to
God, ”, . . from whence cometh my
help.”
We can't depend on the state and
city officials, if they're not walking with
the Lord. If you but ask him, God will
supply your every need. Just continue to
hold up the name of Jesus Christ. In the
time o f trouble, call on H im . Praise ye
the Lord!
Hugh Carey (1979-1982); as associate m an­
ager o f public relations for The Equitable
Life Assurance Society, New York City (1977-
1979), and as a com m unications specialist
for the National Urban League (1975-1977).
A resident of Harlem, Ms. Powell has
served as president o f the New York C oali­
tion o f 100 B lack W omen (1981-1985) and
on num erous boards of directors, including
those of Associated Black Charities, the Carver
Federal Savings Bank and the Frederick
Douglass Creative Arts Center.
She has been a member o f The Riverside
Church, New York City, since 1977 and has
served on its board o f deacons (1979-1981)
and its com m unications comm ittee (1980-
1982).
B om and reared in W ashington, D.C.,
Ms. Powell graduated from Theodore Roosev­
elt High School there in 1967. She received
a B.A. degree in 1971 from W ilson College,
Chambersburg, PA, and an M.S. degree in
1975 from Colum bia U niversity’s Graduate
School of Journalism, New York City. She
expects to complete her work tow ard an
M.Div. degree at Union Theological Sem i­
nary, New York City, in M ay 1990.
See What God Can Do!
by M attie Ann C allier-Spears
Today we ask ourselves m any, many
questions, such as: W hy is all this happening
to me? Why do I have to go through all of
this? Is my life ever going to c h a n g e -fo r the
better? Oh, w hat’s the use anyway?
Some o f us go through life with so much
bitterness inside and so many unsolved prob­
lems. We allow our trouble to actually bum
a hole in the very fabric of our being. There
are some who never have allowed them ­
selves to know what FAITH WAS.
This is a story about a man and his wife
w ho went on a journey with FAITH. The
m an 's name is Kevin and his w ife’s nam e is
Joyce.
If you were to run into either of these
persons on the street, you would see joy. And
to speak to them, you would hear over­
whelming happiness. Now, m ind you, it was
not always peaches and cream , in their lives.
Only a short time, ago, Kevin was wrestling
with an addiction to cocaine. Due to this
addiction, he received treatm ent from the
"STAY C lean” program. Kevin has nothing
but " g o o d ” to say about the program , the
personnel and the w onderful Savior he met
while in the STAY CLEAN facilities.
“ I was a drug addict for 27 years. I had
an awful problem dealing with my addic­
tion” confesses Kevin. “ I entered the STAY
CLEAN program because of what it was
doing to my life and to my body!, he contin­
ues. ‘ ‘The program has a tw o-fold purpose.
It’s a spiritural program based on the saving
pow er of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The program directs you to the Lord. For
now, I know that I am to look solely to G od
for my help, instead o f ju st relying on just
‘gut level’ or just trying to work it out for
m yself. The program deals w-th family
concepts. Everyone in the program is able to
talk openly about their problem s, how the
drugs have affected them, how their problem
has affected their fam ilies and so o n .”
1 can rem em ber, several m onths back,
when I covered the stay on the STAY CLEAN,
Kevin Howard
INC. program, K evin was one o f those young
m en I m entioned in my article. At that time,
he was very thin. Face drawn and struggling
to be ‘free’ from this monster that he was
carrying on his back. He m entioned his wife
and told m e that he was trying so very hard
to get his life back in ord er-b ecau se he
wanted to do right by his w ife. ” M s. Spears
he said, “ I am going to stay in here as long
as it takes. I love my wife and I am not acting
like m uch-of-a-m an if 1 c a n 't take care of her
and get my life back in order.”
Kevin and Joyce were married four years
ago. K evin’s first marriage and Joyce’s sec­
ond. W ell, Joyce was just about through with
the entire situation. She was patient and kind
and long suffering . . . she thought. But God
Almighty had an entirely different outcome
planned for these two individuals.
January, 1989, Kevin and Joyce talked
about divorce. Even though they were both
against it. They felt this was the best way to
deal with the problem. In Arpil, they got their
divorce. All during this time, Joyce was
talking to the Lord and wondering whether or
not she was doing the right thing. She talked
to one of her good friends, from church, and
her friend told her “ Your m arriage has to be
tom apart. Otherwise, how can som ething be
restored if it has never been tom a p a r t”
Joyce thought about what her friend had said
to her. During the period of divorce Kevin
and Joyce state that they never felt that they
were divorced. "Joyce is my w ife” says
Kevin. “ In my heart and deep down in my
soul” said Joyce, “ I knew that Kevin and I
were still husband and w ife.” So, they took
their dilemm a to their pastor. Rev. W endell
W allace, senior pastor of the M aranatha
Church. Rekv. Wallace advised them, prayed
w ith them and counseled them. He instructed
them on the reason and the true meaning
behind marriage. He told them about G od’s
love for his children and the love that a man
should have for his wife and the kind o f love
a woman should have for her husband. He
told them about the glue that was needed to
hold their m arriage together forever and
ever. Then, four years later and on the very
sam e day, Kevin and Joyce repeated then-
vows. On the second day of November,
1989, Kevin and Joyce Howard becam e man
and wife for a second tim e—but this time
their m arriage had a different meaning. The
words had a different meaning. To them , life,
now has a different meaning.
AF’R/CA.VA.VEÂ/CAAÆ
AND THE BIBLICAL HEBREWS
(JEWS)
Who are the Biblical
Descendants of the tribes of Israel Today
Are there 30 Million in America
Are they Descendants of African American Slaves
Thken into Every Corner of the Earth
During European Slave Trade from West and
Northwestern Africa
Did Biblical Prophecy Predict African Americans
Becoming Mayors of Every Major City in America;
Governors of States, and Presidents of
the United States
Jesus Loves You!
Allen Temóle CME Church
4236 N.E. Eighth Avenu»,
Did Biblical Prophecy Predict Europe Uniting
as one People under one Idea called Democracy
(comer of 8th & Skidmore)
Portland, Oregon 97211
(503)
“ Before You Must”
287-0261
— Make a Decision —
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26,1989 - 12:45 PM
“ Inquire about the services we offer’’
SL Paul Church o f God In Christ
2859 NE Rodney
Portland, Oregon
Phillip S. Nelson, Pastor
Psalm 34:3
Cox Funeral Home, Inc.
24 Hr. Service
The Albina Church of God
5522 N.Albina/283-1635
With A Bold New Vision
Reaching out until He comes
Going Back when He comes
Sunday School
Sunday Service
281 4891
C O M E - YO U A R E A B O U T TO
L E A R N S O M E T H IN G G O O D A N D
N E W !!!
W e are interested in your problems
T. West, who is the Edilor/Publishcr of the Gospel Echo Informant Publication will be
speaking on all o f the above topics. He will also be available to answer questions.
History is good to know, but it is better to know how to apply the lessons o f history to
right now. If we were to consider, we would conclude that n o t h in g is really new.
Therefore, there is a great prophetic message which we, as a people, have not
considered.
Maranatha Church
4222 N.E. 12th Ave.
"A TEACHING CHURCH
WITH A REACHING MINISTRY.”
Rev. Wendell H. WAllace
Senior Pastor
MT OLIVET BAPTIST
CHURCH
9:45 a.m.
morning
11:00 a.m.
Dr. James E. Martin, Senior Pastor
Sunday Service
evening
6:00 p.m.
116 NE. Schuyler
Tuesday Teaching
Thursday
7:30 p.m.
Moments of Deliverance 7:30
The Friendliest Church in the city
Senior Pastor Rev. Samuel M. Irving.
7:45 A.M. - W orship Service
9:30 A.M. - Sunday School
10:45 A.M. - W orship Service
6:30 P.M. - W orship Service
Bible Study:
10:30 A.M. - 12 Noon - W ednesday
6:30 A.M. - 8:00 P.M . - W ednesday
Sunday Servcices
Sunday School 9:00 A.M.
Morning Workshop 10:30 A.M.
Radio Ministry each Sun. 8am KBMS
284-1954
Maranatha Schtxjl of Ministry 6:30P.M.
Mid- week services - Wednesday 7:30 P.M.
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