***•••» •■*'»** • M*-«« ¿ « ♦ *#«*• • ••♦ • * * . • . » • * »■» » » O ctober 1 0 ,1 9 9 0 -T h e P o rtla n d O b server - Page 3 • Portland Observer RELIGION GROWING IN GRACE AND WISDOM tJ a ta rlitc S c rip tu re o f the ‘Weef^ Matthew Chapter 10 (/n u d i "The chureh where everybody it somebody end ¡esut Christ is all" BY MATTIE ANN CALLIER-SPEARS So often we find that as people grow older they tend to desire less of the world’s influence and begin to praise God more. But that’s only if they are born-again into the family of God. As I’ve traveled through the various communities of Portland and other states, I have had occasion to find not one but many senior citizens who evidently never really understood the true meaning of growing in grace and in wisdom. I shall share a few of those stories with you. This is the first: There was once a young and beautiful girl, in her early teens, who no longer lived with her mother but now resides with her great aunt. Her great aunt actually began car­ ing for the girl when she first began walking. The mother of the girl is in in and out of prison because of drugs, theft and prostitution. The mother sells drugs and she uses drugs. Even she was once as beautiful as her daughter but now the drugs have erased her beauty. Her face is scarred from the drugs and fights. Her eyes are yellow and blood-shot. Her hair is barely covering her scalp because of the drugs in her system. The mother is frequently seen walking the street at late hours and during the evening hours ped­ dling her wares. The last time I saw her she had on an old cruddy wig. I didn’t recognize her. I had stopped at the intersection ,on Union and Alberta streets, when she came to my car. She didn’t know it was me. She asked me for a ride. As I turned my face toward her, she was ashamed to find out it was me she had flagged down. She told me “ Never mind” and walked off. It really doesn ’ t matter how she gets the money for her stuff. The mis-use of her body, to her, has become a valuable commodity. When that doesn’t yield enough cash, she walks into a store, any store, and removes part of its merchan­ dise. She later sells it on the street cor­ ners, in grocery store parking lots, in front of a church on S undays, at the coli­ seum during large events or any place she feels she can operate unnoticed. When her daughter or her aunt needs or wants something, she’ll just go out and steal it. No big deal! In the meantime, the daughter is ex­ periencing a life that is unlike that of a normal child’s growth, development and environment. The elderly aunt did all she could to raise the child but die mother was also living there. In and out. In and out. Each day she witnessed her mother with other men. She heard and saw things that is ordinarily shield from our young ones. The elderly aunt died and the young girl is then subjected to a life, alone, with her m others life style. She’s sold to a ‘john’ at a very high price-bccause she’s a virgin. And she is very young, 10 years old. One night there was a raid and the young girl was placed with the paternity grandparents because the mother has been placed in police custody, again. I spoke to the paternal grandparents. Their comments were “ We just don’t know what to do with her. When she’ around her little boy cousins, she can’t be left alone. She acts so-o-o differently from the other children.” Well, I would sup­ pose so. This child has not been experi­ encing a NORMAL childhood. If the father had exerted more concern and care... If the mother had been reborn into God’s family... If! If! If! STORY #2: As I was driving down Union Avenue, last year, on my way to church, there were girls on every corner. On some corners, they stood in clusters. I had my children in the car with me and together we witnessed the display of flesh-on parade. The ages ranged front teens to the early 3O’s-it appeared. One of the boys shouted out the window ‘ ‘Go Home!” His brother said, “ Man! They don’t even have respect for Sunday” . Then, we saw her. As we continued our drive, we saw a female; who must have been in her 60’s or 70’s. She was clad in a red after-five dress, a fur coat, gloves, a long cigarette holder in her hand, high heels and a frilly hat. Everyonein the car exclaimed, “ Oh, NO! W hat’s that?” 'n iE FELLOWSHIP MISSIONARY RAI’T IS T CHURCH 4 0 0 9 NOIMH MISSOURI AVLMJE PORTLAND, OREGON 9 7 2 1 7 ( 5 0 3 ) s 2 4 9 -6 8 3 4 REV. JOHNNY PACK IV PASTOR My response was “ I guess she’s showing the young ones ‘the right way’ to be a streetwalker” . At that mom enta feeling of sadness and disgust came over me. the saying goes” ...With age comes wisdom.” But here was somebody’s grandmother or great aunt or whatever. Anyway! You’d think after all these years she would have had a time to learn about the ways of the world and how evil allures you. Don’t you think? There is no wonder why the young people don’t respect their elders-whcn you sec this kind of an example. It makes you wonder how prevalent this kind of moral decay has spread. I discovered that 40 to 50 years ago when there were few blacks in Portland a a very few jobs available, Portland was well known for its prostitution and gambling. It was a way of life. I’ve also been told that many well-to-do black families, here in Portland, secured their wealth from their prostitution and gam­ bling ventures from the 30’s and 4 0 ’s. They did so well, at what it was that they did, they were able to invest their money, secure property and are living quite comfortably...they think. Unless you repent and ask the Lord’s forgiveness; then, receive Christ into your hearts-your souls shall never find peace. Yeah! Yeah! You may think that you are doing ‘OK’ and just as long as you don’t upset anyone, kill anyone, just stay to yourself, lead an honorable life in the community and just all-around ap­ pear to be good...Do you know that that is NOT gonna work? You must go to God. Ask him to forgive your sins. Claim him as yopr own. Change your walk. Change your language. Just because you have been “ cussin” all your life-it doesn’t make it all right. Once you’ve accepted Christ in you life, you must study the WORD, practice living a life of humility and praying daily. God will change your talk, your friends, your interests, the places you go and your walk. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His right­ eousness and all these things shall be added unto you. 4735 N. C om m ercial P ortland, O regon 97217 Reverend Robert C. Hill, Pastor Res. 287-5680 Office 287-9493 NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH Revival 1237 NE Failing When — Beginning Sunday, October 28th, 1990 10 a.in. Morning Service Through November 2,1990 - 7:30 pan. Nightly Good Preaching and Singing Sunday School 9:30 am Morning Worship 11:15 am Y.P.W.W. Evening Worship 7:00 p.m. 8:00 pm Tuesday Prayer and Bible Bmd 7:30 pm Thursday Pastoral Teaching 7:30 You are invited to worship with The New Testament family. Elder Leon Brewer Pastor Where we preach Jesus Christ We teach the Bible We reach out and care for people Guest Evangelist - Rev. A. Bernard Devers I I’aslor of I'rogicssivc Baptist Church of Seattle Washington Theme: Bringing in the Sheaves Luke 15-4 Musical K Pre-Revival Musical featu rin g I he Progressive Baplisl Church Choir of Seattle, W ashington • Kev. A. B. Devers I, Pastor. All choirs, singers, groups «»re invited to come and sing God's praises with us. Wl’-rc: .fatuefède fJiaf/tdC f / u a c f 4735 N . Cim iniere m l I ’.n llu n .l, (b eg an ‘J 7 2I7 Re v a end Roheit C . Ih ll, P«4<«r Ren !37-'adkl U H k t 237 W W ‘Troud/cd Waters Is your head bowed down in sorrow, As you come to the end of the day, Is there no one you can turn to, And somewhere you have lost your way? ‘“Let not your heart be troubled, Neither let it be afraid," Joys awaiting you tomorrow Have merely been long delayed. And whether you voice your problem, Or just meet Him in silent prayer, God hears and He oft times answers In a way that we know He cares. Come what may, you can endure it, II you will pray your way through it. Last Day to Register to Vote fo r th is election is O ctob er 16 Laura Baker Haynes ‘St. John's 15 Verse 27. C a ll 284-7594 Prison Ministries PRISON MINISTRIES, INC P.O. BOX 12396 PORTLAND, OREGON 97212 God Bless You! JOHN OR VIVIAN PARKER For information Call: (503) 284-7563 ALBINA MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE Presents: THE 2ND ANNUAL AMA MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA Saturday, October 20th - 7:00PM At NEW HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH 11731 S.E. Stevens road Clackamas, Oregon Rev. Dale Galloway, Pastor Special Gust artist CELEBRATES I T ’S THIRD YEAR CHURCH ANNIVERSARY ARANATHA HURCH 4222 N.E. 12th Avenue Portland Oregon Sunday Services P h il a n d B rend a N ic h o la s and the N ic h o la s S ingers o f Los A n g e le s C a lifo rn ia Sunday School w ith N ew H ope C o m m u n ity chu rch C hoir Bethel AME C h u rch C hoir Mt. O livet B aptist C h u rch C hoir D isciples II of M aranatha C h u rch C hoir 9:00 A.M. rv, rs.i-H. SCHLDULL 0 Ï tV E A lS Morning Worship keveriw johnny pack UcdncAduy , O cloicA I O . . . , , . . , , . . . . . . 7 ¿ÜOPfl, • • • • • Ihu'Ctluyi O cioi& i l i . 7 • . • • • t/u d u y i 0 d o le v i ! L t f t • • • • • • >7 sUOPft. , », , » , . .S e n y e n y A’ pA C uduny , , .S i/t q in y £ PA ruchiny . , .S u i y m y £ PneucJuny S a tu r d a y , O d o t e * l ì . m u , I r g v u ie n y ui. 1 2 ltH Noo* th e * * u d ì te. u f d j.0 0 ,^ 0 ,,, to m d .j f d L i v u t luvl O£d 7uvVuun Q u ip v t Sony 7 ev»l u/ul ÛenneA.. S unday, O d o t e * H , a l ÌIOOPIÌ, u e u d ì t e - d o » , n y ou t u u f Thend ‘J m * A n n lu evau u i u d i i The ticu citfn d K o I ca J. ¿ . H u udon S a .,, P a t i o t o f 7 h e (jtiu iic ^ S i S tep h en * AcAAionuAy Û u p i t t i ChuAcJi Lvunyeny ih c ue^Auyc. 7 o t f u t i h e t 4nf.0Ajaui4.0n c o n l u d on e o f U ic f o d o o n n y p e o p ie . I f you a t e , u n u i t i i o to u ch u/uj one. o f ih e tt you nuy c u t / U te ChuAcJi a i U te u lu u c te lep h o n e. n u ttie t. S td,, h'uncy S m 4JJ i C/III4 t u e t ton Hen, Johnny P u d P a tio n 10:30 A.M. Maranatha School o l Ministry 6:30 P.M. Mid-Week Services - Wednesday Rev. W endell H . Wallace Senior Pastor 7:30 PM. ---------------------------------- ---- Heu, L a u tem t lu n n es Ca-CjuuApeAAon CAJ) 7 W - i J b ' t $5.00 or m ore d o n atio n Received the night of the concert R equested to su p p o rt the p ro g ram s of A.M .A 1425 N .E. D e k u m , P o rtla n d , O re g o n 503/285-0493 MT OLIVET BAPTIST CHURCH Jesus Loves You! WE ARE MOVING SUNDAY SERVICES TO Stone Tower Church, N.E. Sandy Bird. & 30th 4236 N .E . E ig h th A v e n u e (corner of 8th & Skidmore) W o rs h ip Services 8 :0 0 A .M . & 1 1 :0 0 A .M . C h u rc h S chool 9 :3 0 A .M . to 1 0 :3 0 A .M . B ib le S tu d y . W ednesdays, 116 N .E .S c h u y le r 10:30 A .M . a n d 6 :3 0 P.M. P o rtla n d , O re g o n 97211 (503) 287-0261 Phillip S. Nelson, Pastor “ B efore You M ust — M ake a Decision — Place your advertisement in the P o rtla n d O b s e rv e r Office# (503) 288-0033 Fax# (503) 288-0015 “ In q u ir e a b r th e s e rv ic e s w e o ffe r Cox Funeral Home, Inc. 24 Hr. Service R adio M in is tr y each S u n d a y. 8 :0 0 A .M .-K B M S A T e a ch in g C h u rc h W ith A R e a ch in g M in is tr y D r. Ja m e s E. M a rtin , S e n io r P a sto r 281 4891 W e are interested in your problem * * :• ’ i *• . ' Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler,