» v » * » * * •» * * *
¿
♦ e » i • ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 9 é * * • » e % \
v v
* V
* *** V » » » » »e 44444MW»
• e * • e e v • e V * w <' * 4 * * • » V'*» 4 W • » e • 4 4 *
P a g e 4 ...T h e P ortlan d ()b se r v e r...N o v e m b e r 6,1991
I Portland O bserver
Scripture o f the ‘Weet
RELIGION
S t. P a u l B a p t i s t C h u r c h
p r e s e n ts
TRACEY CAREY
IN CONCERT
C h r i s t i a n P r e a c h e r Is U n j u s t l y A c c u s e d
Love m ust be sincere. Hate
w hat is evil; clin g to w hat
is good. Be d e v o te d to one
another in brotherly love.
H onor one an o th er above
yourselves. N ever be lack ­
ing in zeal, but keep your
spiritual fervor, serving the
Lord. Be jo y fu l in hope,
patient in afflictio n , faith ­
ful in prayer. Share w ith
G o d 's people w ho are in
need. P ractice hospitality.
Ko m a n s 12: 9-13
BY MICHAEL LINDSEY
Dean of North Portland Bible College
the text for Sunday School lesson
(International Series) for next Sunday
is Acts 21:26-39. We encourage our
readers to take their children to Sunday
School this weekend make it a family
affair!
There’s only
one way to
come out ahead
of the pack.
A c c o m p a n i e d b y St. P a u l M a s s C h o i r
& s p e c ia l g u e s ts
Tracey w ill be singing ail
y o u r old favorites & m ore
Com e Jo in us For A Spiritual Renew al in Song.
Saturday, N ovem ber 9, 1991 7:00pm
8101 N. Fiske Street
Rev. Jam es C.E. Faulkner Pastor
* G ospl . i \ l . l .S.l.C. P r o b i i n o s»
/■,../«(/. Z’nuWt
C lü is tm ö s
C c fe b -ïû U o n
1 edili r i mv
T he " P r in c e ” o f G ospel
John P. Kee
And
T he N ew L ife C o m m u n ity C h o ir
&
Romans 12:9-13
A m erican Heart
Association
Som etim es you just can ’t help it;
no matter what you do, somebody is
going io accuse you o f being a hypo­
crite, or a sinner, or an undesirable
person. For Paul, the Jewish apostle of
Jesus C hrist to the G entiles, such m is­
understandings were alm ost normal.
He was hauled before courts and riot­
ous crow ds in Philippi, Corinth, and
Ephesus (ut least), and went through all
sorts of trials and suffering (2 Cor 11:24-
27).
In this lesson Scripture, we would
hope that the church of Jerusalem would
understand Paul a little belter. After all,
this time Paul was leading a delegation
from the various churches of the Aegean
Sea area, and together they were bring­
ing a sizable offering to relieve the
suffering o f the believers in Jerusalem.
They did receive Paul and company
gladly (Acts 21:17), and were particu­
larly blessed with the reports o f G en­
tiles com ing to Jesus C hrist in large
numbers (v.20).
However, there was one report that
really concerned the Jerusalem church.
Jews were reporting that Paul was teach­
ing the circum cize their own sons. In
other words, Paul was made out to be a
renegade, a destroyer o f his own Jewish
heritage, the worst kind of ungodly
man. This Ls the same charge laid against
Jewish Christians, or “ Messianic Jews,”
to this day.
At the church’s suggestion, Paul
dem onstrated his continued respect for
Judaism by participating in a ceremony
unseen Creator could be misunderstood-
-or even perverted on purpose? Through­
out church history, Christians have been
attacked unfairly. O ne only needs to
read the Q aran’s statem ents about the
Christian church to understand how
millions of Moslems have com e to re­
ject our faith w ithout exam ining the
New Testament for themselves.
T oday,C hristiansarecharacterized
as narrow-minded bigots (we believe
there’s only one way to a personal rela­
tionship with God). W e’re called unsci­
entific fools (for believing there is more
to life than what people can measure
and study). W e’re told that Christians
d o n ’t deal with reality (we believe in
helping people even whe there’s noth­
ing in it for us). The persecution hasn’t
yet com e to beatings and prison, but we
do n ’t know when it might. And m ean­
while, our Christians brothers and sis­
ters in other lands are facing persecu­
tion, deprivation and even death be­
cause o f their public stand for their
Lord.
If any o f my readers are not con­
vinced o f the validity o f faith in Jesus
Christ, I urge you to read the Bible for
yourself, and judge its contents care­
fully, with an open mind. I think you’ll
find the common misunderstanding of
Christianity will simply slip away.
For us who are disciples o f Jesus,
Paul’s example gives us clear direction.
W e m ust not lose heart when we are
unfairly accused o f wrongdoing. God is
our Judge, and he is also our Defender.
How can we do better than that? And we
don’t need to lower ourselves to decep­
tion, or nam e-calling, to attack the
unbelievers’ views. Our calm confidence
in Christ is often our best defense.
For further reading, I suggest: Church
History in Plain Language, by Bruce L.
Shelley (Dallas: W ord, 1982).
in the Temple, involving a vow of
purification for several Jew $h “ broth­
ers.” He was not making these reli­
gious rites a condition of salvation or
fellowship; he was simply conforming
to the Jewish way of honoring the Lord
in worship.
So that’s why Paul was in the Temple
in Jerusalem when he was spotted by
some Jew s from Asia (v.27). They as­
sumed that Paul had to be violating
Jewish law, by bringing a Gentile named
Trophimus into the Temple (v.29). That
was an offense which brought an
immediate death p cnally-and even the
Romans would not stand in the way of
execution in a case o f violation of the
sacred place. The Jews from Asia hated
Paul, and were quick to spread the
worst possible slander about him. And
before it was over, Paul was a prisoner,
scarcely escaping death at the hands of
a mob.
It is really not hat unusual for a
Christian to be misunderstood, and
m isrepresented, for the cause o f Christ.
The early church faced several false
charges, and as a result mobs and po­
litical leaders across the Roman Em ­
pire martyred hundreds o f Christians.
Historians tell us Christians were ac­
cused of immorality, o f cannabalism ,
and of atheism! They were called
immoral, because they were secretive
about their meetings, and greeted one
another ‘‘with a holy kiss.” They were
accused of cannabalism , because in
their secret cerem onies they said they
ate someone’s body and drank his blood.
They “ had” to be atheists, for they did
not worship gods you could see—and
worse yet, they w ouldn’t worship the
emperor, even as a symbol o f loyalty to
the Empire.
Do you see how our ethic of love,
our L ord’s Supper, and our faith in the
Oregon Affiliate. Inc.
r~
M allory
Jesus Loves You!
Allen Temp l e C M E C k urch
C hurch
Psalm 34:3
3908
NE
of
C hrist
M ALLORY
AVENUE
4236 NE Eighth Avenue
(corner of 8th & Skidmore)
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
Portland, Oregon 97211
Bible Study
9:30 am .
Morning Worship
10:45 am .
M en’s Training Leadership
W om en’s Bible Class
5:00 pm .
(503) 287-0261
I ivkvls SI
I.M l ill .k h a n c.
I It K l I $ s o " OS $ \ l I
\ I
$13.50 at
I I
fillip S. Nelson Pastor
the d i’<» r
s
I'ickvt Information: 727-2459
TicketsCnurtess «I Popoc »Chicken. ’ 120 A 5939 SP Mariot I other King, Jr. Blvd
-------------- ■
C o S n is m
im
III " i s H o \i> C ommunity C hoir
MT OLIVET BAPTIST
CHURCH
■
Evening Worship
WE ARE MOVING
SUNDAY SERVICES
Maranatha
Church
M in ister Gregory Fobbs
TO
S to n e T ow er C h urch ,
N .E . S a n d y B lv d . & 3 O th
W o r s h ip S e r v ic e s 8 : 0 0 A .M . & 1 1 :0 0 A .M .
C h u r c h S c h o o l 9 :3 0 A .M . to 1 0 :3 0 A .M .
B ib le S tu d y . W e d n e s d a y s , 1 1 6 N .E .S c h u y le r
1 0 :3 0 A .M . a n d 6 : 3 0 P .M .
4222 N .E . 12th Avenue, P o rtlan d , O regon
Rev. Wendall H. Wallace
Senior Pastor
Radio Ministry Each Sunday, 11:00 AM - KBMS
288-1092
RESTORING
NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY
R a d io M in is tr y e a c h S u n d a y . 8 :0 0 A .M .-K B M S
"Maranatha Live" Radio Program/Talk Show KPDQ 93.7 FM 800 AM
11:00 P.M. to 12:00 midnight (Each Sunday)
A T e a c h in g C h u r c h W ith A R e a c h in g M in is tr y
D r. J a m e s E . M a rtin , S e n io r P a s t o r
(J U ilts s tn n a x tr
C h u r c h O ffic e 1 1 6 N .E . S c h u y le r .
Mollery Avenue
Christien Church
^ B a p t is t C O ju r c lf
VANN & VANN
FUNERAL
G o d 's P resen ce p rom ises
P ow er through J esu s Christ in
G o o d Tim es an d Bad Tim es
"Come to m e all you w h o are
w eary and h ea v y la d en and I
uulll g iv e y ou rest"
S u n d a y School
M orning W orship
T u e sd a y Bible
S tudy a n d P rayer
y 97211 t (503) 288-5173
1 2 6 N .6 . A lberto
I
•>.« V ' y
'
.«A V t "»
*4*«*s**» • • •
,
V
...•- tr- *.
-zVÍ?.»£.. M '"*
Church Phone: 2 8 9 -0 1 4 7
D IR E C T O R S
Cleodus Vann
» ,4 >
* ♦
r e
Sunday Service
1 0 :4 5
Sunday School
9 :3 0
Bible Study
6 :0 0
E ven ing Service
7 :0 0 P.M.
Them e: W h atever you're going to do
fo r th e Lord, do it n o w
5211 N. W illia m s P o rtla n d , O r. 97217
■ r a
Study Phone: 2 8 9 -1 9 1 1
Pastor. Rev James CE. Faulkner
503/281-2836
D e n ise P Bell. P ostor
Inter-racial C o n g re g a tio n
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
Family Owned and Operated
Since 1954
Serving the City of Portland
for over 37 years
In xtour hour of need
Vann &Vann are there to serve
Matthew / / &3
9 :4 5 a m
1 1 :0 0 a m
7 :3 0 p m
6:00 pm .
A ttended nursery for all
services
W ed n esd ay prayer m eetin g
an d bible study
7:30 pm.
: ' '
■ • * v . : ;
r
•
I Peter tv.11