Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 15

Cfle CIarfoneoger jackson daily news 5 Saturday, October 20, 1979 Section Paul's life itself is an exhortation, a challenge to glorify the Lord Goodness isn 't self- generated ST" good unto that we have little energy to spare for doing good to. Jesus, however, challenges us to a radi By STEVE McNEELY Pntor, NorthtIO Baptist Church, Clinton Can you keep the Golden Rule? Or, for that matter, can fr Sunday school lesson By JACK B. SCOTT, Ph.D. Of course, some people have rejected the superstition and other-worldliness of the church to embrace the Golden Rule as their religion. And there are those brave souls who claim to live by the Golden Rule.

There is, however, a severe realism in that line about "doing to others as you would have them do to you." At the same time I am reminded of my duty to cal love for others that is limited only by the measure of our self-interest. And we dare to assume that we can generate enough goodness within ourselves to live by that cal demandl Despite our fine ideals, don't we actually live by the Gilded Rule do unto others as they do unto you. Give no more than you get. Or is it the Tin-Plated Rule we live by? Leave other people alone and they will leave you alone. Don't get involved.

Maybe all this time we have been struggling with the wrong question. The question life asks us is not, "How good are you?" Goodness is not self-generated by our week and vacillating wills. Goodness is, like love, generated by someone else's goodness to me. The fundamental question life asks is, "Do you know the Father?" Do you know the God who relates to us as a loving Father, who treats us as if there is something about us beyond price despite our broken-ness, whose love creates love, whose goodness creates goodness. Do you know the Father? Ask, seek, knock! it Although in Philippians, Chapter 3, Paul exhorts us to imitate him, it is clear that he has set his course in life to imitate his Lord Jesus Christ.

As we keep our eye on Christ and seek to live in a manner like Paul, we will realize spiritual growth in our lives. To be like Christ in our lives daily to glorify Him by what we do and say is the high calling of God for every believer. As we study this lesson, let us accept the challenge that Paul has so beautifully laid before us. Paul is so engrossed in his pursuit of the knowledge of Jesus Christ that he considers anything which distracts him from this pursuit to be worthless and worse. It is repulsive (Phil.

Paul understands well the lesson of the entire Old Testament, namely, that there is no true righteousness a righteousness acceptable to the Lord except do good to another, I STEVE McNEELY am also reminded of my irretrievable self-interest, my preoccupation with being done good unto. Most of us are so preoccupied with being done Pulpits Pews through faith in Christ He could think back to the words of God to Abraham that he was justified (made Righteous) by his faith (Gen. Later, Habakkuk recorded the words of the Lord 'that the righteous live by their faith, that is, they are righteous solely by faith and not by any works of their own (Hab Isaiah also warns against trust in any so-called righteousness of man (Isa, It is clear throughout Scripture that none of us is able to offer any works to God which are righteous in God's sight, except through our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wishes to increase in his knowledge of Jesus, by which he means his personal walk and relationship to the Lord (v. 10).

He is ready to live for Him and to suffer for Him in the world that he may continue to grow spiritually toward that high goal the Lord has put before him: to be Christ-like in all of his life. Paul is assured that such a life brings him closer to that day when he will be resurrected in a body that is perfect as was the resurrected body of his Lord, 'a In the meantime, he labors so that his mortal body will be quickened by the Spirit of God who dwells in him. Even now, he can live a life that pleases the Lord (v. 11; see also Romans 1 Paul realizes that when he was saved, he was saved to live for the glory of God. He was saved to be conformed to the image of Christ in his whole life (Rom.

Paul often makes reference to this as the high gofft of God for every believer (II Corinthians He readily recognizes that he has not yet attained to the perfection which Christ knew while on earth, but this does not discourage him from moving in that direction with his whole mind and strength. The fact that he will not be perfect in this world does not deter from his pressing on in persuit of the goal of perfection in his obedience to the Lord (v.12). He has learned and would have us to learn also that what Christ desires is that we keep seeking improvement in our daily walk with the Lord. We should not be discouraged by past failures and give up trying but each day seek to do better as believers in Jesus (v.14). He does not delude himself, as some do, into thinking that he is already perfect.

He knows better (See Rom. 7). Neither does he excuse his failures as due to bis, being "only human." He runs as a man in a race, giving it his best every day, to be more and more well-pleasing to God He calls on every believer who would learn to walk faithfully before the Lord to think as he does (v.15). He is so sure that his thoughts are right that he is confident that any who disagree with him will soon come to agree, if they look to God's Word for understanding. He would not have any believer slipping back in his daily walk, slowing down or being distracted.

Rather, he wishes all to start each day on the spiritual level they have already attained and then strive to grow even more (v.16). MRLC retreat set Oct. 30 The Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference's Annual Lay-Clergy Retreat will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct.

30, at the Northminster Baptist Church, 4000 Ridgewood Road. Northminster's pastor, Dr. John Claypool, will be the retreat's moderator. Speakers will be Dr. David Ray, executive director of Total Living For Fifty Plus, a non-denominational organization for middle-age and senior adults: Dr.

Steve McNeely, pastor of Clinton's North-side Baptist Church; and the Rev. Don Dinsmore, associate director of pastoral services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The retreat is open to any interested person, and lunch will be served at the church. Ragsdale to lead Asbury revival The Rev. John Ragsdale of Florence, director of home missions for the Congregational Methodist Church, will lead a six-day revival at the Asbury Congregational Methodist Church, 1112 Cooper Road in south Jackson.

-Services will be at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Ragsdale's ministerial career has including the presidency of Westminster College near Dallas, Texas, from 1957 to 1960, which is now Wesley College, Florence.

Johnson's anniversary upcoming "Anniversary Appreciation" will be held next week for the Rev. Charles V. Johnson, pastor of the Zion Gospel Church of the Apostolic Faith, 960 Kane marking his fifth year in Jackson. Various preachers will lead 7:30 p.m. services Tuesday through Saturday and at 11:30 a.m.

and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 28, followed by Johnson concluding the special services by preaching live over WKXI-AM at 9 p.m. i He remains paralyzed from the chest down from a June 4, 1978, shooting, when two masked men interrupted a Sunday evening service and one fired at Johnson, wounding him in the neck. The duo then fled, and police have been unable to make any arrests.

Ridgeland Baptists host Adkins New Hebron evangelist Sonny Adkins will lead a six-day revival at the First Baptist Church of Ridgeland, with services at 1 1 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Adkins.

a Hattiesburg native and William Carey College graduate, entered evangelism in 1977 after pas-toring 16 years. Leading the revival's music will be music evangelist Gary Lanier from Weatherford, Texas. Family life seminar at Southside s. Dr. Richard Dobbins, an Akron, Ohio, psychologist and director of Emerge Ministries which operates a counseling center there, will lead a family life seminar at the Southside Assembly of God, Ellis Avenue at Raymond Road, at 1 1 a.m.

Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Dobbins, who holds a doctorate in guidance and counseling from the University of Akron, is a former 28-year pastor of Akron's Evangel Temple and is now assistant superintendent of the Ohio District of the As Mississippian named to missions Meridian native Carroll H. Camp, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Abbeville, S.C., and his wife, Cheryl, have been appointed as missionaries to Uganda by the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board, and Cynthia Weaver, daughter of the Rev. and Mrs.

Joe Weaver of Corinth, has been appointed to Taiwan. Camp, who will be an evangelist, is a 1969 Mississippi College graduate who earned a master of divinity degree in 1972 from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas. The couple, who will leave for Uganda next spring, has two children, Matthew, 6, and Lauren, 4. Miss Weaver, whose father is the pastor of the South Corinth Baptist Church, will teach missionary children in Taiwan beginning early next year. A 1974 graduate of Union University, Jackson, she earned a master's in education in 1977 from Murray State University, Murray, Ky.

She taught junior high students one year in Memphis and two years in Bolivar, Tenn. Truth to visit Crystal Springs CRYSTAL SPRINGS The 20-member touring group "Truth," from Mobile, will present a concert at 1 1 a.m. Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs. Tonight at 7 p.m., the group will appear at Ridgeland's First Baptist Church. The brass-rhythm-vocal group, comprised of musicians from 11 states, has recorded 19 albums, several of which have been nominated for Grammys and Gospel Music Association Dove Awards.

Landrum at Kokomo homecoming KOKOMO The Rev. Hollis T. Landrum, pastor of Brandon's First United Methodist Church, will speak at Sunday's 1 1 a.m. homecoming service at the Kokomo United Methodist Church, which will be followed by a covered dish lunch. Landrum pastored the Kokomo church from 1953 to 1955 Baha'i Community to honor founder The birth of the Bab, prophet-herald of the Baha'i 160 years ago on Oct.

20, 1819, in Shiraz, Iran, will be observed by the Baha'i Community of Jackson at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at 386 Fairfield Drive in Jackson. Bab proclaimed himself a prophet of God in 1844 and was slain six years later, fostering a Baha'i faith that proclaims oneness of religion and mankind. Biloxi church sets women's retreat BILOXI Conference speaker Betty Keever of Kansas City, will lead a women's retreat Friday and Saturday at Camp Wilkes, Biloxi, sponsored by the women of the Biloxi Christian Church. Interested women may obtain further information by calling 875-3423 or 392-6994.

Wesson church slates homecoming WESSON Homecoming will be Sunday at Wesson's Zion Hill Baptist Church, starting with the 10:45 a.m. worship, followed by lunch and an afternoon song service. Highlighting the occasion will be the new brick exterior, foyer, steeple, baptistry, pews and parking lot of the church ,3 Congregation chooses Emmanuel as name A 30-member congregation formerly known as the Southwest Jackson Presbyterian Mission, 5188 Raymond Road, has chosen the Emmanuel Presbyterian Church as its name. The group, a mission of the Central Mississippi Presbytery of the Presbyterian Churcn in the United States, has been meeting about two years. The church's mission director is the Rev.

Richard O. Knott, mission director for the presbytery. Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m. followed by worship services at 10:30 a.m. Robinson Street starts phone line The Robinson Street Baptist Church has started a Devotional and News Line at 355-2942 to serve as a ministry to shut-ins and a meana of communicating news of the church to its members.

A different 90-sec-ond devotional is prepared each day by the church's pastor, the Rev. James Doyle. Also provided is news of church activities and prayer concerns, such as those who are in the hospital. Sewell to lead revival at Star STAR Dr. Lewis Sewell, pastor of Oxford's First Baptist Church, will lead a five-day revival at the Star Baptist Church, six miles south of Florence on U.S.

49. Services will be at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday; noon and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Leading the revival's music will be Mike Smith, minister of music at the Richland Baptist Church: Wallace at Crystal Springs CRYSTAL SPRINGS The Rev. Wallace Roberts of Hattiesburg, speaker on the "Methodist Hour of Mississippi" statewide radio broadcast, will lead a revival next week at Crystal Springs' First United Methodist Church. Services will be at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

Leading the revival's music will be Ken Roberts, music director at Jackson's Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church. Smith joins agricultural ministry TUPELO Magee native James Smith, pastor of the First Baptist Church, Houston, since 1975, has left the pastorate to become executive director of development for the Tupelo-based Agricultural Missions Foundation, Limited, a non-profit Christian laymen's organization. AMF, founded in .1970, works to support agricultural and nutritional missions around the world; organizes teems of specialists for overseas missionary projects, either for medical care or for conducting surveys of community development needs, such as irrigation and water supply projects; and provides seed and equipment to missionaries. Before serving in Houston, Smith pastored Menden-hall's First Baptist Church from 1967 to 1975 and Raymond's First Baptist Church from 1965 to 1967. A 1957 Mississippi College graduate, Smith earned a master of divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, in 1963.

Colonial Heights choir offers musical "His Name Is Jesus," a collection of old and new Gospel songs, will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday by the Adult Choir of the Colonial Heights Baptist Church, 5708 Old Canton Road. Total Living offers Tuesday programs A program on "Popular Taboos Associated with Aging" will be part of a 10:30 a.m. Tuesday luncheon at 1515 N. State sponsored by Total Living For Fifty Plus, a nondenominational organization for enriching the spiritual and social lives of middle-age and senior adults.

A 5:30 p.m. Tuasday supper at the same address will be oriented toward the concerns of middle-age persons. Interested persons may call Total Living at 355-0069 for further information and reservations. Continued from Pe. 4B yd ii.iOO doesn't need to be viewed as a nuisance.

"You could find parents to adopt almost any handicapped child today, because of the fact that there so few normal children around for adoption," he, said. "Abortion on demand has eliminated the pool of adoptive babies." 'viZ. Part of the reason that legalized abortion exists in this country, Koop said, is because the church a capital has had less than a compassionate and sympathetic attitude toward unwed pregnant women. "The necessity for abortion would never have come about" had the church teen more sensitive to those problems, he asserted. "It wasn't a long time ago that the church tbpught about an unmarried woman who was pregnant, as, a "They didn't put their arm around her and, with love and compassion, provide her with the emotional, spiritual and financial support she needed to carry her baby through," Koop said.

"Just like many parents in that day, the church tossed that girl out onto society and, the society wasn't ready to take care of her either. "And as a result, I think a lot of the impetus for abortion came about because it sure is an easy way to get Jid of that problem. It's the wrong way, but it's Catholic-Lutheran talks progressing NEW YORK (AP) "The day is coming near wen we're going to dance together," a Roman Catholic ecumenical official told a mostly Lutheran gathering The Rev. John Hotchkin, executive director of the Catholic Bishops' Commission on Ecumenical and In-terreligious affairs, reviewing 15 years of Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, said a new phase may be local exchanges among congregations. He cited the possibility that Roman Catholicism may come to consider Lutheranism a "sister church" operating with it in a new framework of mutual correction and support, with values and insights of both traditions preserved.

I- semblies, of God. 'LORD. I Said Lord, I said. I cjalfc th strait nH rntrati uidixl Lord. I said.

bhct tan find neu inspiration IXy" Ij. Try me. 6f Bui uhy in the urony direction? hv said. Hank Hartmann jby Hank Hartmann "WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE? psalms 2:1 and Acts 425 TRUTH IN CONCERT si Council awards second grant to guerrillas GENEVA, Switz. (AP) -The executive committee of the World Council of Churches has approved a $34,600 grant to the Patriotic Front delegation to offset its expeneses at negotiations in London.

The Front is the guerrilla group opposing the settlement in Zimbabwe Rhodesia with a mixed black and white government led by a black president, former United Methodist Bishop Abel Muzorewa. A previous $85,000 grant by the World Council's Fund to Combat Racism to the guerrilla group last summer caused widespread dissension, but initial reaction this time appeared postive. and derision, His wrath and displeasure that sorely vexes, mankind "He maketh the Judges fools He poureth contempt upoff princes, and weakenoth the strength of the mighty." Job' 12:17,21. And there are numbers of other such passages' which reveal God's attitude and actions toward men and nations that forget His Lews! We Memo this man and that, this nation and that, but oo cording to God's message hero tie blame Hos at the door of. ail who refuse to depart from ovN but choose to rage agamst the Almighty.

Road Luke and make the application. Elijah, the man taken to heaven without dying, by passing-the grave, said to King Ahab: 1 have not troubled Israel, but. thou, and thy father's house, In that ye have forsaken the, Commandments of God. 1st Kings There Is no peace satth my God, to fhewtefced Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy votes ifko a trumphot, and show my people ttolr tr snsgrosslon, and tie house of Jacob tietr slit" "Vohoid, I stand at the door, and knoefc. deny man hoar my votes, and open fno door, I wM come bi to him, and wW sup with him, and ho with Me." Rev.

3:20. The above question Is asked by God Almighty HunseH In th. Mcond Psalm of HI Book, the Blblt. Do you Mk God to blow you? In dio Hrst Pfcn He mvs tie man Is blaased that departs from vH his walk, his stand, his sitting, and Ills (Might Is In th. law of th.

Lord: and In His law doth ht modltal day and night" Hwt wo a right to bo hoard and blessed on account of our efforts to most and fulfill those conditions? In John M4, etc. Joous said Ko man can come to me, sacopt fno Father which sent mo draw him And they shaN bo taught of God. Evory man therefore that hath hoordi and hath toomod of dio Father, comoth unto mo." Have we put ourootvos In position to bo "taught of God" by searching the Scriptures and modKaHng on His Word? It appears we are always "passing fno buck" to the Almighty whit. In rosilty His Word "peseta to usT In the second Psalm there la fno opposite picture of the "Blsessdfdsn." It snows us won raging and iouoIiib against God, and His Anomssd, In order to Drosfc die bands and cast away the cords of His Thou shaft nots." His Moral Law and Ten CoHMiwidnMffitBB So Inttaod of blnQ MooMd inon ond nations wehavo God's curaepourod out upon laughter SUNDAY OCT. 21 11:00 a.m.

CRYSTAL SPRiNGS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Dr. L. Wayne Pastor P.O. BOX 405 DECATUR, GEORGIA 30031.