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P>8*6...The Portland Observer...October 9,1991
»P ortland O bserver
Scripture o f the ‘M t k
RELIGION
Luke 22:64
W hen Life G ives You Lem ons...
BY MICHAEL LINDSEY
Dean of North Portland Bible College
Pastor W endell W allace
personally invites you to be his special guest at
The text fo r the Sunday School
lesson (International Series) fo r next
Sunday is Acts 16:19b-34. M ay I again
encourage you to take your whole family
to Sunday School this week? M ost o f
our churches have classes fo r all ages,
including adults.
First, let me give you the bad news.
If you really take a stand for Jesus
Christ, and d o n ’t compromise when
it’s convenient, you’re going to be a
target for opposition. Maybe even per­
secution! Actually, the Lord prom ised
us that (John 16:33). Today in A m er­
ica, we aren’t forbidden to speak out
for the Lord, except in public schools
and in front o f abortion centers. (I’ll
write more on those matters some other
time). But all Christians will face ridi­
cule, misunderstanding, and rejection
just for trying to live out our lives under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
But there is good news to go with
the bad. God has promised he would
never leave us all alone with our adver­
saries (M att 28:20), and told us we
could have joy in the midst o f trials
(Rom 5:3; James 1:2; 1 Peter 5:6).
And that’s what the apostles in
Philippi needed, as we read in today’s
text. They had caused a problem for
some powerful people in Philippi, by
delivering a helpless slave girl from an
oppressive evil spirit. But this destroyed
her m aster’s lucrative trade in sorcery
and the like, and so they retaliated
against Paul and Silas (Acts 16:16-
19a). The charges they brought against
the apostles had nothing to do with the
deliverance of the young girl—I doubt
her masters wanted the m iracle to be
publicized, for obvious reasons.
So Paul and Silas found themselves
beaten, humiliated, and thrown into the
maximum security block o f the Phil­
ippi jail (16:24). They were too m iser­
able to sleep, since they were aw k­
wardly secured in leg stocks. They could
have complained about their unfair treat­
m ent-beaten before anything was
proven in court. But in spite of their
circumstances, there was one thing they
could d o -th e y could pray and sing
MARANATHA CHURCH
New W o rship Service
Come expecting worship services, with contemporary music, practical
preaching from the Bible, and sharing from personal experiences
Service times are:
Early Sunday Morning Worship at 8:00 AM (New)
Sunday School at 9:30 AM
Regular Sunday Morning Service at 10:45 AM
Sunday Evening Service at 6:00 PM
Wednesday Evening Service at 7:00 PM
Sunday, "Maranatha Live": KPDQ 93.7 FM at 11:00 PM
Sunday, September 8,1991 at 8:00 AM & 10:45 AM
"HOW TO HANDLE LIFE'S DEEPEST HURTS &
TOUGHEST PROBLEMS"
Sunday, September 8, 1991 at 6:00 PM
"RESTORING PURPOSE IN OUR GENERATION"
PDffTtA*/O Bevo
Mt
t—h
Wednesday, September
11,1991 at 7:00 PM
''MARANATHA’S VISION"
-Fresco"-«!
1-5
Prayer for healing every Service
4222 N.E. 12th Avenue Portland, Oregon
97211
(503) 288-7241
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THE
P O R TLA N D
O BSER VER
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Jesus Loves You!
CMECk urch
A lle n Temple
(corner of 8th & Skidmore)
(503) 287-0261
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C leodus Vann
Radio M in is try each Sunday. 8:00 A.M.-KBMS
M
allory
C hurch
3908
Pastor
of
NE M A L L O R Y
5211 N. W illia m s P o rtla n d , Or. 97217
Church Office 116 N.E. Schuy er.
AVENUE
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Bible Study
9:30 am.
Morning Worship
10:45 am.
Men’s Training Leadership
Women's Bible Class
5:00 pm.
Evening Worship
Minister Gregory Fobbs
503/281-2836
A Teaching C hurch W ith A Reaching M in istry
Dr. James E. M artin. Senior Pastor
C hrist
D IR E C T O R S
F a m ily O w ne d an d O pe rated
Since 1954
S e rvin g the C ity o f P o rtla n d
f o r o ve r 37 years
In y o u r h o u r o f need
Vann & V ann are there to serve
Stone Tow er C hurch,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 3Oth
W orship Services 8:00 A.M. & 11:00 A.M.
C hurch 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.
Portland, Oregon 97211
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FU N ERA L
WE ARE MOVING
SUNDAY SERVICES
TO
4236 NE Eighth Avenue
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VANN & VANN
M T O L IV E T B A P T IS T
CHURCH
Psalm 34:3
ri*-’ >■
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If we are persecuted in any way for
our faith, we can rejoice, just as Paul
and Silas did (1 Peter 4:12-14). This
demonstrates to the w atching world
that we have a new life in us, a life they
desperately need. Notice the jailor
brought up the subject of salvation, in
the m idst of a personal crisis. W e w on’t
always have to aggressively “ preach”
at people, if our lives speak for the Lord
as well.
Sometimes the trials we go through
are not really the result o f persecution
o f opposition. We all have experienced
certain lim itations on our lives, our
freedom or our comfort. The trouble is,
we sometimes becom e negative, de­
pressed, even blaming God for the
problem s we face. Few o f us have
experienced the tragedies and suffer­
ing o f Job, but we would do well to hear
his response to his situation. He asked,
“ Shall we indeed accept good from
God and not accept adversity?” (Job
2:10).
W e have seen how the temporary
limitations in Paul’s and Silas’ lives
opened the door to w itness and win an
extended family into the faith. In a
more recent exam ple, baseball pitcher
Dave Dravecky has gone through years
of treatm ent, therapy and personal
anguish with cancer, and despite a
momentous com eback, he has finally
lost his arm and his career. This was not
persecution, nor was it some punish­
ment from God. It was simply a m ajor
limitation on his life, received from the
hand o f his heavenly Father.
But Dave Dravecky has done a
wonderful job o f accepting his lim ita­
tions, and sharing a glorious testimony
of G od’s goodness and his own faith in
C h rist Now he has hundreds o f oppor­
tunities to witness for the Lord, to crowds
of people in various settings. Ther is
still pain, and limitations, but there is
also an obvious joy o f the Lord in his
h e a rt
W e also can have this joy, in spite
of the obstacles and limitations that
take up residence in our lives, when life
gives us lem ons, we can still make
lemonade.
-SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS-
SAY YOU SAW IT IN
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praises to God (16:25). And that ’ s what
they did.
The rest of the story is familiar
even to casual readers o f the New T es­
tament. At midnight, the town was rocked
by a major earthquake, which shook
the jailhouse, loosened the prisoners
out o f their stocks, and opened the
doors o f the house. The jailor, fearing
the worst, was ready to ki 11 himself. But
Paul assured him that no-one had es­
caped, and he was in no danger from
the authorities.
The jailor then asked that all-im ­
portant question, “ W hat must I do to
be saved?” (16:30). The earthquake
and his fear of losing his life brought
him face to face with the spiritual reali­
ties o f life and death, and he knew he
was not ready. On the other hand, Paul
and Silas displayed a confidence and
joy which completely belied their cir­
cum stances. So, ironically, the jailor
came to the prisoners, and asked them
for the way o f deliverance.
Their short answ er is recorded in
verse 31, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house.” They went on to share a lot
more with him (16:32) and with his
family. They not only cam e to faith, but
they were baptized even that night.
Given the extraordinary circumstances,
this should not be surprising. The jailor’s
fear was turned into joy, and Paul and
Silas shared in that joy.
How can we today deal with the
“ lem ons” which come out way? Just
like Paul and Silas, we need to recog­
nize that any uncom fortable experi­
ence can conceal a unique opportunity
for service to the L o rd -a n opportunity
which will bring with it joy and peace
in the m idst of suffering.
If we are unjustly accused of wrong­
doing, let’s rem em ber that the Judge of
all the earth knows the truth o f the
matter. W e ought to seek just vindica­
tion under the law (look at P aul’s reac­
tion in 16:36-39), but that’s not always
possible. W hen people can see the Lord
in us, keeping us from the natural re­
sponses of anger, depression or bitter­
ness, (even if you aren’t perfect) they
may be interested in the God we serve.
6:00 pm.
Attended nursery for all
services
Wednesday prayer meeting
and bible study
7:30 pm.
Radio Ministry Each Sunday, 11:00 AM - KBMS
288-1092
R E S TO R IN G
N E W TESTAMENT C H R ISTIAN ITY
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Mallory Avenue
Christian Church
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8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
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Sunday Service
1 0 :4 5
Sunday School
9 :3 0
Bible Studv
6 :0 0
E vening Service
7 :0 0 P.M.
God's Presence promises
Power through Jesus Christ In
Good Times and Bod Times
Matthew / J:P8
"Come to me all you who ore
weary and heavy laden and I
will give you rest"
9:45am
11:00am
7:30pm
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Tuesday Bible
Study and Prayer
Pastor. Rev James C E Faulkner
Them e: W h atever you're going to do
fo r th e Lord, do it n o w
Denise FI. Bell, Pastor
Inter-racial Congregation
Study P hone: 2 Z .4 -1 9 1 1
Church P hone: 2 8 9 - 0 1 4 7
I P eter hr.11
126 N.€. Alberto t Portland, OR 9721 1 t (503) 288-5173
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