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August 2 2 ,1990- The Portland Observer- Page 3
Portland Observer
RELIGION
Behold! I Am The Living Water
By Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
H elping others...is the name of
the game, that I profess to believe in.
W ho am I to make such a profound
statem ent? I am a child of the A lmighty
G od, Jesus Christ. As a child o f the King
of Kings, I am em pow ered to serve
others through the em pow ering o f the
Holy Spirit. Are you?
The whole life o f Christ had
been a life o f unselfish service. “ Not to
be m inistered unto, but to m inister”
[Matt. 20:28], had been the lesson of His
every act. But not yet had the disciples
learned the lesson. At the last Passover
supper, Jesus repeated His teaching by
an illustration that was forever impressed
on their m inds and hearts.
T he talks betw een Jesus and
His disciples were usually moments of
calm joy, w hich was enjoyed by all of
them. Jesu s’ entire life was designed to
serve, to teach, to instruct, to show the
way, to care and to LO V E. Regardless
o f the persons’ background, his or her
appearance, the color o f their hair or
eyes, w hether or not the person was sick
or well (physically), He extended His
hand, in love, and helped them.
W e, hum an-kind, experience
so much difficulty simply because we
are unable to cast aside our foolish whims
o f pride and our own “ druthers” —things
that we hold on to out o f ignorance.
L et me share tw o stories with
you. It was a dark, dark night on a
M arine Base, during night field m aneu­
vers. The platoon was given the charge
to overtake this hill w ithout the use of
any lanterns, flashlights or matches; with
all o f their gear and full packs. As they
were charging the steep hill.it was each
man for himself. They were nearing the
top o f the hill when a M arine saw one of
his com rades lose his balance and al­
most topple backwards. Not knowing
who the troubled M arine was, the one
M arine reached out and grabbed hold of
the falling man. He safely pulled him to
the top and went on his way. The next
day, after evening m ess, two men met
face to face for the first time. The one
exclaim ed, “ It’s you!” The other man
asked, “ W hat are you talking about?”
R em em ber it was so dark that they could
not see one another. The man was still
very excited. W ith a voice o f exuber­
ance, he said, “ I was clim bing that hill
last night. I began to fall and I called out
to the Lord to help me. A n d -I felt a hand
grab m e and pull me to the top. It was
you, man. I ju st w ant to say thank you.
Now here is the other story. One day a
man went out to the river with some of
his friends. They were having a great
time. They were standing on the river
bank when the man lost his footing and
slipped into the water. He could not
swim. He did not have on a floatation
device. The people on the shore could
only yell and pray for help to come
along. The water was choppy and he had
drifted out rapidly. Just then, a man in a
power boat cam e speeding over the man
in the water. The people on the shore
were shouting with joy because their
friend was going to be rescued by the
man in the boat. Wrong! The man in the
boat looked at the man and sped off.
Leaving the man in the water. The wake,
from the boat, caused the man to sink
faster. His friends on the shore stood
there and watched him drown. They
were all shocked by the man in the boat.
When the police arrived, they went down
river and located the man in the boat.
The police officer asked, “ Why didn’t
you pull the man our o f the w ater?’ ’ The
man in the boat responded, “ I got to him
and saw that he was black, that’s w h y !"
My Lord! W hat a contrast. These are
both true stories. B u t-in the first story
the helping hand cam e from a born-
again Christian. In the second, the man
in the boat did not have a personal rela­
tionship with God. He does not know the
value o f a human life. The Marine does.
W hen the one man called out, in his
heart, the name of the Lord, God merely
sent one o f His children in answ er to his
feeble cry.
W hen you are in the W ord, it is
much easier for you to sec the needs of
others. It is much easier for you to re­
spond without delay. The other man,
however, did not know Christ and only
cared about his shallow feelings.
If you saw someone in need or
had trouble on every hand, which man
would you be? Today, we m ust take a
good look at ourselves. Do you need a
right relationship with God? Do you get
very angry? Are you prone to lash out
and hurt others instead of lending a
helping hand? If you are angry, don’t sin
by nursing your grudge. D on’t let the
sun go down with you still an g ry -g e t
over it quickly; for when you are angry
you give a mighty foothold to the devil,.
[Eph. 4:26-27 TLB]
In order for someone to obey the words
o f this scripture, he m ust be bom again.
W hen you are out in the world and the
world has it’s hold on you-anything
goes. W hatever the devil tells you to
do...You don’t even care! But when
there is lo v e -th e love that Jesus has
given to you, then you see the world
through C hrist’s eyes...instead o f your
own.
As you study the book of James,
the author (James) stresses the need for
Christian living to show both the reality
of ones’ inner faith and to show the
world that the gospel does in fact change
lives. If a person says that he is a C hris­
tian but is no different than he was as an
unbeliever, what benefit has there been
either for him or for the needy world?
B u t-in fact, the gospel does change
lives and if we will com m it ourselves to
Christ, we will find that from our living
faith will flow living deeds o f love and
kindness.
Love and kindness is w hat the
world needs more of. Continue to love
each other with true brotherly love. Don’t
forget to be kind to strangers, for some
who have done this have entertained
angels without realizing it! D on’t forget
those in jail. Suffer with them as though
you were there yourselves. Share the
sorrow o f those being mistreated,for you
know w hat they are going through. [He­
brews 13:1-3 TLB]
Help others less fortunate than
yourselves. Not just helping, but—help­
ing with love in your hearts. Bless those
who prosecute you, for great is your
reward in heaven. Pray for those who
wrongfully mistreat you. D on’t hit back
or plot on how you can knock them
dow n., W hen we entertain these kinds
of ideas, the devil is saying “ Ah-ha! I
got him /her now just where I want him /
her.” D on’t let Satan win in you life.
D on’t let him have the upper hand.
It is better for us to take abuse
than to dish it out. I am speaking to
believers. As we walk through this world,
the path is very narrow. Sometimes you
feel like you are all alone; but—be con­
soled. C hrist sent the Holy Spirit. He
said that he would not leave you C om ­
fortless. He prom ised never to leave us
alone. A nd He didn’t.
Oh, by the way, the M arine in
the first story is my son, Eric. I praise
God for using him for His glory.
Let God use you! Let God speak
through you! If He can’t, then you have
to establish a right relationship with
Him. “ Study to show thyself approved
unto G od...” [II Tim. 2:15 KJV]
Helping others is what C hrist’s
life was all about.
MT OLIVET BAPTIST
CHURCH
Part Two-’An Excerpt from the Book
Maury A. Sails and
Athea Colbert
A s our m arriage brings new m eaning
Io love so ou r love brings new m eaning
Io life.
Maury and Athea will vow their lives to
one another and becom e united as one in
Church on Sunday, the sixteenth of
September in the year nineteen hundred
and ninety at three o'clock in the afternoon
at First AM E Zion Church, 4303 N.
Vancouver, in Portland.
Maeic of Blessings
Let me share, with you, my blessings
That are joys within my heart
And behold a H eaven’s magic
That will multiply their lot
For, each time I share my blessings,
God will double them, anew-
W hen you share them with another-
Like I shared them all with you.
Let m e give you o f the harvest
That is blessed upon my field;
Let me give you-from my larder-
O f the best it has to yield
For there is a joy in giving
T hat has holy magic, too,
And it m ultiplies my gladness
For each joy I give to you.
There are also special blessings
For each kindness I bestow-
Like the blessing o f my harvests
From the seeds I plant and sow-
But my reward from Heaven,
For my Christian deeds each day,
Is the way God doubles blessings
T hat I share or give away.
-Michael Dubina
Jesus Loves You!
(corner of 8th & Skidmore)
Portland, Oregon 97211
(503) 287-0261
Watch fo r our mailerfor further details or call today
for your free Personal Arrangement Guide
Caldwell’s Colonial Chapel
N.E. 14th & Sandy-232-41II
F or information Call: (503) 284-7563
ARANATHA
HURCH
NEW TESTAM ENT
CHURCH
4222 N.E. 12th Avenue
Portland Oregon
1237 NE Failing
THE WORLD’S FIRST
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CATALOG FOR THE HOME
Sunday Services
Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Tuesday Prayer and Bible Band 7:30 pm
Thursday Pastoral Teaching 7:30
Where we preach Jesus Christ
We teach the Bible
We reach out and care tor people
• Cash benefits from $1,000 to $10,000.
• Pay your beneficiary or the funeral home of
your choice
• 5 and 10% growth plan options
• Underwritten and administered by
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JOHN OR VIVIAN PARKER
Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler,
You are invited to worship with
The New Testament family.
Cash Burial
Life Insurance Plan
God Bless You!
Phillip S. Nelson, Pastor
A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry
Dr. James E. Martin. Senior Pastor
Evening Worship
8:00 pm
there. Do not speak o f religion as some
thing that children cannot understand,
or act as if they were not expected to
accept Christ in their childhood. Do not
give them the false im pression that the
religion o f C hrist is a religion o f gloom,
and that in com ing to the Saviour they
m ust give up all that m akes life joyful.
As the Holy Spirit moves upon
the hearts of the children, co-operate
with His work. Teach them that the
Saviour is calling them, that nothing can
give Him greater joy than for for them to
give themselves to Him in the bloom
and freshness o f their years.
The Saviour regards with infi­
nite tenderness the souls whom He has
purchased with His own blood. They
are the claim o f His love. He looks upon
them with unutterable longing. His heart
is draw n out, not only to the best-be­
haved children, but to those who have
by inheritance obsjectionable traits o f
character. Many parents dc not under­
stand how much they are responsible for
these traits in their children. They have
not the tenderness and wisdom to deal
with the erring ones whom they have
made what they are. But Jesus looks
upon these children with pity. He traces
from cause to effect.
The Christian w orker may be
C hrist’s agent in drawing these children
to the Saviour. By wisdom and tact he
may give them courage and hope, and
through the grace o f Christ may see
them transform ed in character, so that of
them it may be said, “ O f such is the
kingdom of G od.”
PRISON MINISTRIES, INC
P.O. BOX 12396
PORTLAND, OREGON 97212
4236 N.E. Eighth Avenue
Radio Ministry each Sunday, 8:00 A.M.-KBMS
Y.P.W.W.
7:00 p.m.
Teach the children to see Christ
in nature. Take them out into the open
air, under the noble trees, into the gar­
den; and in all the wonderful works of
creation teach them to see an expression
o f His love. Teach them that He made
the laws which govern all living things,
that He has made the laws for us, and
that these laws are for our happiness and
joy. Do not weary them with long prayers
and tedious exhortations, but through
nature’s object lessons teach them obe­
dience to the law o f God.
As you win their confidence in
you as followers o f Christ, it will be easy
to teach them o f the great love where­
with He has loved us. As you try to
make plain the truths of salvation, and
point the children to Christ as a personal
Saviour, angels wil be by your side. The
Lord will give to fathers and mothers
grace to interest their little ones in the
precious story o f the Babe o f Bethle­
hem, who is indeed the hope o f the
world.
When Jesus told the disciples
not to forbid the children to com e to
Him, He was speaking to His followers
in all a g e s,-to officers o f the church, to
m inisters, helpers, and all Christians.
Jesus is drawing the children, and He
bids us, Suffer them to come; as if He
would say, They will come if you do not
hinder them.
Let not your un-Christlike char­
acter misrepresent Jesus. Do not keep
the little ones away from Him by your
coldness and harshness. Never give
them cause to feel that heaven will not
be a pleasant place to them if you are
P r iso n M in istr ie s
Stone Tower Church,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 30th
Worship Services 8:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M.
Church School 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 A.M.
Bible Study. Wednesdays, 116 N.E.Schuyler
10:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M.
Morning Worship
11:15 am
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK:
ST.JOHN 4
CpngTOtuiutvpns! The Desire of Ages*eThe Conflict
of the Ages Illustrated in the
Life of Christ
WE ARE MOVING
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TO
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9:30 am
Scripture o f the ‘Wfce^
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Elder Leon Brewer
Pastor
10:30 A.M.
Maranatha School o l Ministry
Call
6:30 P.M.
284-7594
Mid-Week Services - Wednesday
7:30 P.M
Rev. W endell H. Wallace
Senior Pastor
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