Good News Press To Contact Us: 1.888.76.PAPER East Bay Edition Distributed Locally & Nationally April/May 2011

Sharing the good news of God’s Love through his son to our local community and world!

Plan of Salvation: John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever shall be-lieve in him should not perish, but have ever-

lasting life. Romans 10:9

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that

God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The biggest celebration within Chris-tianity may be Christmas, but the most important celebration is Easter. The entire basis for the Christian faith is based on the events that oc-curred on the first Easter weekend. While Christmas is about how Jesus came to earth as a baby, Easter is about the reason he came. Christians believe the whole reason he came was to die and to rise again.

Most historians agree on these facts, which are the foundational events of

Christianity:

Jesus Christ was executed by crucifixion on the Friday dur-

ing the Jewish Passover.

He was buried in a tomb owned by Joseph of Arimat-

hea.

Guards were posted to keep

watch over the tomb.

On the third day, the tomb was found to be empty. His body could not be found, nor could the Roman or Jewish authorities explain what had

happened to it.

Over the next forty days, his disciples plus hundreds of other people claimed to have seen Jesus, spoken with him, eaten with him, and listened

to his teachings.

These disciples (and others) went to their deaths—some through torture—maintaining that their claims of seeing a resurrected Jesus

were true.

Those are the historical facts. The significance is found in the interpreta-

tion of those facts. Christians main-tain that the tomb was empty and that there were post-crucifixion sightings of Jesus because Jesus had physically risen from the dead. This, combined with the apparent fulfill-ment of centuries-old prophecies contained in the Jewish Scriptures, firmly established the belief that Jesus was God in the flesh and that he had power and authority over life and

death.

This belief in the resurrection of Je-sus spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire and it continues to spread today. For nearly 2000 years, Christians have placed their faith in this resurrected Jesus, believing his promise that he will someday return to take his followers to be with him

throughout eternity.

The Significance of Easter for Christians

VICSTAR Productions:

Proudly Presents

Sister Victoria Stith & God’s Anointed Children Where: 37th Street Missionary Baptist church

915 37th Street, Oakland, CA 94608 When: Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 5pm

Special Guest include: Oakland’s own Gospel Voices, The dynamic Galloway

Sisters

Gospel Keyboardist: Brother Joseph Richards The sweet sounds of:

Angels of Mercy The heavenly Sound of Sister Beatrice Hutson and more:

A special presentation to Bishop W.C. McClinton, Sr. Pastor of the 37th Street MBC

Come on out to Praise the Lord, clap your hands, and stomp your feet. There will be refreshments:

For more info contact

Sister Victoria Stith at 510-754-7077.

Good News Press Page 2

Public Donates Over $120 Million to American Red Cross to Assist Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Survivors Money will go to assist Japanese Red Cross and other relief and recovery

efforts

WASHINGTON -- The American Red Cross today announced that the public has generously donated $120.5 million to help the people of Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The announcement was made Tuesday at a press conference at the Japanese embassy with Japan's Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki and American Red Cross Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter. The money will go to the Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami response, spe-cifically the Japanese Red Cross, which is providing direct emergency relief, medi-cal services and emotional counseling to affected commu-nities. The American Red Cross committed an initial $10 million in the early days after the disaster and will provide the Japanese Red Cross with another $50 mil-lion in the next few days. The remainder of the funds will be made available as they come

in. In addition to the funds pro-vided to support work by the Japa-nese Red Cross, the American Red Cross has given $500,000 to the United Nation's World Food Pro-gramme for logistics support for the delivery and storage of relief items for survivors. The American Red Cross also has been assisting in the vol-untary evacuations of military families from Japan. "Almost three weeks after one of the most devastating earthquakes in history, we are immensely grateful to the American pub-lic for their continued gener-osity," said David Meltzer, senior vice president of inter-national services with the American Red Cross. "As part of the world's largest humani-tarian organization, the American Red Cross is eager to support our counterparts in the Japanese Red Cross, whose staff and volunteers are working tirelessly to meet the immense needs of their peo-ple."

"The American pub-lic and we at the American Red Cross have not forgotten the generosity of the Japanese people when we suffered tremendous loss after the 9/11 attacks and, more re-cently, after Hurricane Katrina," said Bonnie McEl-veen-Hunter, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross. "Collectively, the Japanese Red Cross sent us contribu-tions of close to $30 million. Now it is our opportunity – and our duty – to do what we can to help you." Cont’d Pg. 7

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., -- For the second year in a row, The Bridge Church of Jack-sonville is taking a bold step this Easter season. The church has launched its PayMyJEA.com campaign to reach the community of Jacksonville, FL. The cam-paign's message...come hear the message of hope this Easter and get your light bill paid! Leading up to Easter Sun-day, the church will take registrations of families that desire to come and experi-ence worship on Easter. At the end of service, they will select up to eight families from the registered atten-dees and pay their light bill for the month of April. Last year's campaign saw over 50 registrations and was described by many media outlets that covered the story as one of the most creative outreach ideas in

years. The campaign even received mention on the nationally televised "Today Show" with Matt Lauer. This year, the church is planning to double the number of people selected. Additionally, this year's campaign is being done in partnership with other local agencies and business com-munity. The church is plan-ning to offer energy conser-vation education and many of the light bill sponsorships will be paid for by local companies. "We were amazed by last year's PayMyJEA.com out-reach and are excited to do it again and give back to our city," says Pastor Char-lie Campbell, "We know that as we expand the cam-paign this year through the efforts of other local groups and businesses, that ultimately our community will be blessed and the

Lord will be honored." The church has been able to share this successful out-reach model with other churches and expects a great Easter season for all involved. Families who want a chance to have their bill paid are required to register online at www.paymyjea.com. They must be present at The Bridge Church's wor-ship service on Sunday April 24, 2011 at 10:25am at 8050 Lone Star Road. Certain rules apply that are listed on the campaign's website. About The Bridge Church The Bridge is a youthful, di-verse congregation looking to meet the needs of Jackson-ville, FL. Located in the Arling-ton/Southside, the church is led by Charlie and Marissa Campbell.

$120 Million to the American Red Cross Church Takes Opportunity on Easter to Pay

Light Bills For Visitors

The Oakland wing leader is working to make Oakland an even better place to live Oakland, CA — Wing Town Café, an Oak-land restaurant that special-izes in chicken wings in Oakland, is sponsoring Fre-mont High School’s new uniforms for their basket-ball team. The team will be sporting new green and gold Game Time Sports gear this basketball season, courtesy of Wing Town Café. Socially responsible owners Calvin and Lamont An-drews expressed the desire to give back to the commu-

nity, so they had the uni-forms made by Game Town Sports Gear and presented them to coach Scott Alexander. ―We pride ourselves for being local business owners who contribute to making Oakland a great place to live,‖ said Andrews. ―We care about our local cus-tomers and want those who do business with Wing Town Café to have a part in bettering the commu-nity.‖ Oakland’s Wing Town Café is a popular stop for hot chicken wings and chicken strips. The gourmet chicken menu features chicken in various flavors from spicy

to lemon pepper to honey barbecue. Their ―Ooh Wee‖ sauce is a secret

recipe and local success.

The café also offers sides like crispy french fries, brown sugar baked beans, fresh cole slaw and healthy

salads.

For more information about Wing Town Café’s community involvement, or for more information about their wings and catering services, call them at (510) 842-3510, visit their web-site at: http://www.wingtowncafe.com, or stop by 1462 High

Street in Oakland.

Oakland Wing Town Café Sponsors Fre-mont High School Basketball Uniforms

A child of any age can cele-brate Mother's Day in ways ranging from the buying of carnations, the giving of a box of candy, or the writing of a simple card. Honoring a mother may include the gift of a lunch at a popular restaurant or a loving visit

to the cemetery.

Whatever way you chose to honor your mother, be assured that the honoring of mothers has been a

practice of the ages.

Early Mother's Day celebra-tions are said to have oc-curred in ancient Greece when ceremonies honored Rhea, the mother of the

gods.

In the 1600's, England be-gan celebrating "Mothering Sunday." It began as a day when servants, who lived and worked in the great mansions, were allowed to return home and spend

time with their mothers.

In the United States, Mother's Day was sug-gested early on by Julia Ward Howe. She would hold Mother's Day meet-ings in Boston with the day

dedicated to peace.

In 1907, Anna Jarvis began her bid to establish a na-tional Mother's Day to honor her mother who had worked to improve health conditions in Appalachia. She persuaded the mem-bers of her deceased mother's church in West Virginia to celebrate

Mother's Day on the anni-versary of her mother's death. It was the second

Sunday of May.

President Woodrow Wil-son, in 1914, made the offi-cial proclamation that Mother's Day was to be a national holiday to be held each year on the second

Sunday of May.

This year, Mother's Day falls on May 8. Let us all use that day to honor our mothers living or the memories of our mothers deceased.

Celebrating Mother’s Day

Good News Press Page 3

Richmond, CA --- Increasing numbers of people who are suffering from hunger and home-lessness have prompted the Bay Area Rescue Mis-sion to launch a special campaign this Easter sea-son to turn hunger into

hope.

According to Executive Director John Anderson, more than 100,000 men, women and children in the Bay Area go to bed hun-gry each night. Of that number, an estimated 40,000 are also homeless. Beverly is one of those people. Addicted to meth and estranged from her husband, she and her daughter came to the Bay Area Rescue Mission. There, she found counsel-

ing and support that helped her turn her life around. She says, "Other shelters don't get into the heart of the problem of being homeless. I have a whole new family here. I am not alone." "So many of our neighbors have lost hope," said Anderson. "They've lost jobs, lost homes, lost con-trol of their lives to drugs or alcohol. They're hungry - not only for hot meals - but for the hope that can nourish their hearts and souls and help them to begin new lives." During the Easter season, the Rescue Mission will begin to turn hunger into hope by serving more than 207,600 meals, including 1,500 at their special

Easter events on April 24. According to Anderson, a meal is often the first con-tact hungry or homeless people have with the Mis-sion, and serves to intro-duce them to other life-changing services. The Bay Area Rescue Mis-sion is a non-denominational, Christian, social services organiza-tion, which has been pro-viding critically needed goods and services to the homeless, poor and needy of the Bay Area since 1965. In 2011, they expect to provide more than 1,800,000 meals and over 92,500 nights of shelter for men, women and chil-dren.

Local Mission Turning Hunger Into Hope First Ever Pacific Homeschool SuperConference in Santa Clara, April 7-9 HSLDA and the Christian Home Educators Association of California (CHEA of CA) are excited to invite parents and families to attend the first ever Pacific Homeschool Su-perConference, April 7-9, 2011. This three-day event in Santa Clara, CA, will provide encouragement, resources, and expert advice for every-one from the veteran homeschooler to the parent considering homeschooling. At the conference, attendees will hear from an inspiring lineup of keynote and featured

speakers:

Tim and Beverly LaHaye on why America needs homeschooling now

more than ever

Michael Farris on the newest anti-homeschooling strat-

egy of the legal elites

Alex and Brett Har-ris on living the teen years as God in-

tended

Phil Downer on nourishing and heal-ing your family rela-

tionships

Gail Efting on apply-ing biblical principles to every aspect of

life

Special guest Shar-ron Angle (2010 U.S.

Senate candidate)

And with over 40 workshops to choose from (including state-specific Oregon and Nevada sessions), attendees will receive practical encour-agement from the many pre-senters who will be at the conference to support families

in their homeschooling.

Other conference highlights:

Straw Poll and Presi-

dential Forum

FREE Introduction to Homeschooling ses-

sion

130 exhibit booths

Teen Convention with Alex and Brett

Harris

Children's Conven-

tion

An evening of family

entertainment

Ultimate Giveaway

with prizes

Discount tickets to

Great America Park

Pre-registration for the Pacific Homeschool SuperConference ends on Friday, March 11, with online registration extending to April 5. Visit www.hslda.org/phsc for more information and to register. For more information, contact Jeremiah Lorrig at (540) 338-

5600.

View a Church Service and Sermon Online

Before Attending at AmericanPreacher.com

AmericanPreacher.com Invites Churches to Post

Video Sermons Online

Higher Power Media Cor-poration, based in Roa-noke, Virginia is pleased to announce the highly antici-pated launch of American-Preacher.com, a website designed to assist churches of all sizes and denomina-tions share God's Word with a worldwide congre-gation. Churches and pas-tors everywhere are en-couraged to take a video of the Sunday sermon and upload it to American-Preacher.com. Imagine the impact of sharing God's Word and the teachings of Jesus Christ with the world. Churches are no longer limited to the Sun-day service. The President of Higher Power Media Corporation, David Rakes, believes there are so many churches with dynamic pastors, ministers, preachers, and priests who deliver so much hope, de-

veloping the website AmericanPreacher.com would help share the posi-tive message online to an unlimited audience. Be-cause of an aging popula-tion, seasonal and trans-portation issues, and many other factors, many church numbers are decreasing and collection plates are showing a drop in weekly gifts. American-Preacher.com can accept donations and gifts to each member church by allowing viewers to donate online. AmericanPreacher.com can assist anyone moving out of town or with an interest in attending a church ser-vice while on vacation. Imagine the opportunity to watch a Video Sermon and read information about a church and pastor before stepping foot in the actual church. American-Preacher.com will help the online viewer make a deci-sion about where to attend and the church attract new members.

Many church leaders know the importance of attract-ing new members to their congregations, but feel that pro-actively marketing the church to others in the community and elsewhere is costly and time prohibi-tive. American-Preacher.com makes it easy for any member of the church or a dedicated crew to take a video of the Sun-day Sermon, Christian mu-sic groups or programs, or any message of faith or outreach. Churches and Pastors may sign up now for a FREE one year sub-scription. Share God's Word and the teachings of Jesus Christ on American-Preacher.com. AmericanPreacher.com was developed in 2010 to assist Churches of all sizes to share God's Word and the lessons of Jesus Christ with the world and deliver hope to anyone in need of a positive message 24/7/365.

First Ever Pacific SuperConference

Church Easter commer-cial deemed as 'too con-troversial' rejected by national movie theater chain and pulled from

paid ad rotation.

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., At a time when movie theaters across the country are fea-turing blockbuster hits pro-moting murder, drugs, sex, corruption, and the like, is there anything 'too contro-versial' to be shown on the big screen? Compass Bible Church, in Aliso Viejo, Cali-fornia, found out first-hand that indeed, promoting Easter on the big screen proved to be too contro-versial. The 30-second ad pro-duced by the church fea-tures short one-liners about what some conspir-acy theorists believe may have happened to Jesus Christ some 2,000 years ago, and ends with "find out what we believe about the resurrection at Compass

Bible Church." It wasn't the conspiracy theories, or controversy with the actual spot that threw red flags for the theaters, but the fact that religious deity was pro-moted and the name of Jesus Christ was used. Us-ing completely subjective terms, since there are no official written policies about such usage, the agency for the national theater remarked that their constituents might be of-fended by such an adver-tisement. "We were told we could promote our Easter ser-vices with a commercial that featured the date, time and place with some fun bunnies and eggs thrown in," said Pastor Mike Fa-barez, Senior Pastor, Com-pass Bible Church "But for us, Easter isn't about springtime fun, it's the most important day in Christian history, and we won't wa-

ter that message down. It's unfortunate that what our country was founded on has now become 'too con-troversial.'" Compass Bible Church was promoting their Easter At The Bren services, an an-nual event that hosts over 5,000 attendees at the Bren Center on the campus of UC Irvine, on Easter Sun-day, April 24, 2011. Compass Bible Church Easter video can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQTvLmOHtY About Compass Bible Church Compass Bible Church, founded in 2005, is located in Aliso Viejo, California. The mission of Compass Bible Church is based on the "Great Commission" of Christ re-corded in Matthew 28 where Jesus calls every church, in-cluding CBC, to "make disci-

ples."

Can Promoting Easter Services Land You On The 5

O’clock News?

Good News Press Page 4

GriefShare -- 6:45-8:45 p.m. Thursdays, through April 7. Information and support for those grieving the death of someone close. Sponsored by Valley Bible Church. 1477 Wil-low Ave., Room 102, Hercules. 510-799-3171, 510-427-2204, jrvaldez5@gmail.com. Easter Eggstravaganza Antioch Church on The Rock’s Annual "Easter Eggstravaganza" Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. held at 50 Walton Lane. Event in-cludes an egg hunt with candy and prizes, petting zoo, games, food, bounce houses, crafts, face painting and more. This is a free event geared toward children, pre-school through elementary school, and their families. For more info call 925.757.4359 or visit our Web site: www.AntiochCOTR.org Antioch Church on The Rock 50 Walton Ln., Antioch, CA 94509. (925) 757-4359 True Fellowship Baptist Church Anniversary -- 3 p.m. April 10. True Fellowship Bap-tist Church celebrates its sev-enth year anniversary. 1213 Filbert St., Richmond. Richard Wadley, 510-410-4114, ricmiramar@aol.com. Easter Outreach Saturday, Apr 16, 9 am Partner with us as we serve those in need. 1,000 meals 300 bags of gro-ceries Easter egg hunt, live music, jump houses, carnival games, Easter egg hunt, and 200 Easter baskets for the kids. Sit down meal at the San Fran-cisco Rescue Mission Registration at 9 a.m. at Boed-deker Park, corner of Eddy Street and Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. For more information or group registration of 10 or more people contact: Michelle Huang michelle-huang@cityimpact911.com 415.292.1770 All Proceeds Directly Benefit San Francisco City Impact And Are Tax De-ductible (Tax Id No. 90-0332259) San Francisco City Impact, 230 Jones St., San Fran-cisco, CA 94102. EASTER SUNDAY. Bring your family and friends to cele-brate the risen Savior!!! Sun-day, April 24, 2011 Service begins at11am. iExpect Minis-tries, 5221 Central Avenue, Suite 100 Richmond, CA 94806 (El Cerrito Area) 510.525.0500

April 23 -- Easter Children's Fair. Family Fun: Hop on over to experience family fun for the whole community. Enjoy free crafts and games, visits with the Easter Bunny, Jubilee Jumps and much more. Call for more information. Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, 2200 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma, CA 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. (707) 778.9300 x 0 April 24, 6 a.m.-- Easter Sun-rise Service. Historic: The pub-lic is invited to the annual Easter Sunrise Service, held at the amphitheater in the Plaza of Sonoma. (707)996.2736 April 24 -- Hunt for the Hare Easter Celebration at Safari West . Family Fun: Looking for hare-raising adventure this Easter? Join the animals of Safari West (and their human companions) for our annual Hunt for the Hare, an egg-straordinary Easter celebration and brunch. 3115 Porter Creek Road, Santa Rosa Ca $65 for adults; $30 for children (ages 4-12). Morning & After-noon packages available.(707) 579.2551 Annual Lakeshore Easter Parade & Derby Decorat-ing Contest & Spring Chil-dren’s Fair Saturday, Apr 23 10 am to 1:30 pm at Lakeshore Ave Baptist Church, Oakland, CA Kids from toddler to 12 can get their plastic derbies from Lakeshore merchants, decorate them with stuff from home, then meet at the church to parade down Lakeshore Ave. led by the Easter Bunny. The judges will award exciting prizes, Easter baskets from Lakeshore merchants, to kids in various age categories. Annual "Ladies Choice" Fel-lowship Program -- 5 p.m. April 9. Theme: "Vessels For The Master's Use." Keynote speaker: Genea Brice. Provi-dence Baptist Church, 314 South 12th St., Richmond. 510-234-1162, provi-dencebc@sbcglobal.net. Ladies Lectureship -- "In Peril-ous Times Such as These "..." April 16. 9-9:45 a.m. free regis-tration and continental break-fast, 10 a.m.-1:45 p.m. program, followed by lunch. Keynote speaker: Brenda Joyce Thomas. Guest speakers: Cassandra Lumsey and Torri Sharpe; High School Girls' Workshop with

Rene Johnson and Adia Gipson; Middle School Girls' Work-shop with Alicia Jones and Robyn Smith. Southside Church of Christ, 1501 Florida

Ave., Richmond. 510-620-0175.

Palm Sunday Concert -- 7 p.m. April 17. The Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church Sanctuary Choir will perform the Faure Requiem, conducted by Nathaniel Shockey. Free. 1801 Lacassie Ave., Walnut Creek. 925-935-1574. South-side Church of Christ, 1501 Florida Ave., Richmond. 510-620-0175.

Motivational Monday Prayer and Bible Study -- 7 p.m. Mon-days. Greater Purpose Church, Courtyard Marietta Hotel, 3150 Garrote Way, Richmond. Free. 510-224-7361, www.greaterpurposechurch.org. New Life in Christ Recovery -- 7 p.m. Saturdays. Faith-based 12-step recovery program. New Life Christian Center, 4333 Appian Way, El Sobrante. George Mares, 707-384-1512 April 2 - 3 -- Santa Rosa Bible Church 75 Anniversary Celebration April 2nd and April 3rd, 2011 Saturday, April 2 - Open House from 1-4PM Night of "Worship Thru the Years" from 7-9PM with des-sert and coffee social Sunday, April 3 - Church and luncheon 8:30 & 10:30AM - Church ser-vices Speaker - Dr. Gordon Kirk. Lunch is $6 per person. Kindly RSVP. (707) 538.2385

April/May Events El Cerrito's Annual Egg Hunt Saturday, Apr 23 10am At Arlington Park, El Cerrito, CA Join the City of El Cerrito for some whole-some family fun at the An-nual Egg Hunt. This tradi-tional Egg Hunt is over quickly, so please come early and don’t miss out on the tasty treats and eggs. A cer-tain holiday bunny will also join the fun. Contact the Recreation Department at (510) 559-7000 for more information. (510) 559-7000 Spring Egg Hunt 2011 Saturday, Apr 16 9 am -12 pm at Moraga Commons Park, Moraga, CA Children, aged one through six, are guaranteed to find some

treats and toys on the Mo-raga Commons' "Egg Hill"! Bring a basket! Games open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Two egg hunts are scheduled: one beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the other at 11:00 a.m. Pur-chase wristbands at www.moragajuniors.org or in person at the Parks and Rec-reation Department located at Hacienda de las Flores, 2100 Donald Dr. Moraga, Ca. ADVANCE PURCHASE ONLY! Purchase price in-cludes unlimited games and bounce houses. May 6, 2011, 7 pm Bishop Charles E. Blake the Presiding Bishop of the Churches of God in Christ will be celebrating our 27th Anniversary with us. Acts 1034 66th Avenue Oakland, CA. April 28th - May 1st, 2011: The National Association of

Gospel Promoters, Manag-ers, Radio & TV Personalities 13th Annual Conference and Black-Tie Gala will be held at the Hilton Atlanta Airport Hotel, 1031 Virginia Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30354. For showcase opportunities, registration and more details, call Minister Barbara McLaughlin (NAGPM Presi-dent & Founder) at 267-980-2079 or visit http://nagpm.tripod.com. July 21st - 23rd, 2011: CeCe Winans presents her annual youth conference, Always Sisters Forever Brothers" in Nashville, TN at Belmont University. For registration and hotel details, visit www.alwayssistersforeverbrothers.com or www.cecewinans.com. Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Awards April 20th, 2011: The 42nd Annual Gospel Music Asso-ciation (GMA) Dove Awards will be held at the Fox Thea-tre in Atlanta, Georgia. For details as they become avail-able, visit www.doveawards.com. April 1-30, National African American Women's Fitness Month. Focus on promoting an active lifestyle.PO Box 2733, Washington, DC. April 1-30, National Humor Month. Humor reduces stress, improves work, learn-ing, health and peace. Web: www.humormonth.com. April 1-30, National Occu-pational Therapy Month. Recognizing therapists and benefits of occupational ther-apy. For information: www.aota.org. April 1-30, Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month. Theme: "Go Orange for Animals." By the ASPCA, 520 8th Ave., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10011. April 2 and 4, NCAA Divi-sion 1 Basketball Champion-ship. "Final Four" games played at Stadium, Houston, TX. April 4-10, The Masters, played at the Augusta Na-tional Golf Club, Augusta, GA. For the Green Jacket, first awarded in 1937 to Sam Snead.

April 9, Winston Churchill Day, Churchill was made an honorary citizen of the United States in 1963. April 10-16, National Volun-teer Week. Observed since 1974. Points of Light Insti-tute, 600 Means St. NW, Ste

210, Atlanta, GA 30318.

April 11, Barbershop Quar-tet Day. By the Society for the Preservation and Encour-agement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America. April 13, Thomas Jefferson Day. Honoring the birth of our nation's third president. By Presidential Proclamation in 1938. April 14, National D.A.R.E. Day. The Drug Abuse Resis-tance Education Program was founded in 1948. Today, about 75 percent of schools offer D.A.R.E. training. April 15, Income Tax Pay-day. Taxpayers pay their share of the cost of support-ing the government. April 17-23, Palm Sunday. First day of Holy Week. Christian observance of the days leading up to Easter Sunday. April 18, Boston Marathon, 115th Running. Includes about 26,000 athletes and 500,000 viewers. April 19-26, Passover. An eight-day celebration of the delivery of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. April 23, Easter Even. The Saturday before Easter. Last day of Holy Week and last day of Lent. April 24-30, Administrative Professionals Week. To rec-ognize the roles of business, industry, education and gov-ernment. Includes Adminis-trative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 27. www.laap-hq.org. April 24, Easter Sunday. Most joyous event of the Christian year, also cele-brated today as a secular holiday with Easter baskets and bunnies. April 25, White House Easter Egg Roll. Traditionally held on the south lawn on Easter Monday. Held 1810 to 1870s at Capital grounds.

Good News Press Page 5

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Acts Full Gospel 1034 66th Avenue Oakland, CA 94621 8:00 am & 11:30 am Allen Temple Baptist Church 8501 International Boulevard Oakland, CA 94621 11:00 am Antioch Church Family 55 East 18th Street Antioch, CA 94509 10:30 am Bethlehem Missionary Bap-tist Church 684 Erlandson Street Richmond, CA 94804 11:00 am Center of Hope Commu-nity Church 8411 MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94605 11:00 am Cosmopolitan Baptist Church 988 85th Avenue Oakland, CA 94621 10:15 am

Covenant Worship Center 2622 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA 94702 11:30 am Easter Hill United Method-ist Church 3911 Cutting Boulevard Richmond, CA 94804 10:30 am Family Bible Fellowship 37620 Filbert Newark, CA 94569 10:30 am First Baptist Church 204 Odessa Avenue Pittsburg, CA 94565 10:45 am Glad Tidings Church of God in Christ 27689 Tyrrell Avenue Hayward, CA 94544 8:00 am & 11:30 am Grace Bible Fellowship of Antioch 913 Sunset Drive Antioch, CA 94509 8:00 am, 10:00 am &11:30 am Greater Saint John Mis-

sionary Baptist Church 1909 Market Street Oakland, CA 94607 10:30 am Mills Grove Christian Cen-ter 5410 Fleming Avenue Oakland, CA 94619 10:30 am Palma Ceia Baptist Church 28605 Ruus Road Hayward, CA 94544 10:00 am Providence Church of God 1860 Tyler Street San Pablo, CA 94806 10:30 am Restoration For Life Minis-tries 610 N. Hunter Street Stockton, CA 95202 11:00 am Revival Center Ministries 910 Tennessee Street Vallejo, CA 94590 9:00 am

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Is God the Author of Evil (A Christian

Perspective) by Softwords

Is God the author of evil? Did he sit back and devise evil plans for his creation in order to bring suffering upon them? These ques-tions and many others like them are echoed in the minds of those wanting to know the truth about God's nature, and God's omniscient involvement in creation. If God is not the author of evil, then why is there so much suffering, pain, disease, and famine, in the world? Why does he allow such things to con-tinue? Many in their at-tempts to understand God, or explain him, claim that yes he is the author of evil and can do as he pleases with creation. Others, such as skeptics, say he is a cruel God, rejoicing in making people suffer, playing with mankind as pawns in a chess game. But are these explanations and accusa-tions true? Is there any evidence in the Bible that refutes these claims and that sheds light on some of the answers to these des-perate questions? What are some of the verses that people use to proclaim, ―See, He is the author of evil!‖? Let's begin by ex-plaining God's character, his nature, and the attrib-utes which make him God that are revealed through-out the scriptures. God is omniscient [all-knowing (1 John 3:20)], omnipresent [present eve-rywhere simultaneously (1 Kings 8:27)], and omnipo-tent [all-powerful (Rev. 19:6)]. These are attributes that make him alone God. No other creature in all creation has these attrib-utes. They are preserved only for him. If this is true, and he is all-knowing, how do we explain the fall, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden of Eden, or other events God allowed to happen which brought

about the fall? First, He is a holy God, who cannot dwell in the presence of sin. He is full of love, compas-sion, mercy, understanding, and yet, also a righteous God who judges according to his holy standards. Yet, this explanation alone is not sufficient to calm the minds of the skeptic. Questions continue to arise such as, ―But if he is such a God of love, how did the fall hap-pen? How did his creation turn from him and choose to sin? Did any of this hap-pen without him knowing and did it take him by sur-prise?‖ Since God is all knowing, we can say with the utmost certainty that ―no,‖ nothing happens in all creation that he is not aware of. So why put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden? First, before I an-swer this question, I want to share this nugget of truth about the greatest act of love. According to the Scriptures, the ultimate act of love is that one would lay down his life for his friends. We see this throughout the scriptures in passages such as John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay

down his life for his friends.”

If this is true, can you think of a better way in which God could prove to his creation the extent of his love for them, if not laying down his life for them on the cross? If mankind had no choice but to serve him with robotic responses, would that have been 'love'? How would mankind show their love to him in return, if all their responses were programmed? Yet, God in his infinite wisdom saw beforehand what Adam and Eve would choose and planned a way to reverse the effects of the fall. As he knew they would fall, he also decided before the foundation of the world (1

Peter 1:20-21) that he would be the solution to restore what was lost. He chose that he alone would take the penalty for our sin upon himself, so that we might have life eternal with him if we accept his pay-ment. He chose to die for us, to restore us to a right relationship with him. This act of 'laying down his life for us' demonstrated his ultimate love for mankind. The purpose of putting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden was to give man a choice. Choose life, or choose death. When Adam and Eve sinned, they died a

'spiritual death' as well as the beginning of physical death. All creation was cursed and Adam and Eve were left to labor and suf-fer under the weight of this affect. God warned this

would happen in Genesis 2, 16 And the LORD God com-manded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest

thereof thou shalt surely die.

We are all made in the im-age of our parents, and Adam and Eve were the

first parents. Everyone born after is created in their likeness, with a sin nature. With the decay of creation, and sin entering the world, suffering, dis-ease, famines, etc. are the result. We will not be de-livered from this world of sin until God creates a new heaven, and a new earth, as

described in 2 Peter 3, 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous-

ness.

And as for those of us who have put our faith in Christ, we will remain in these corruptible bodies which are decaying with each day that passes, until we re-ceive our glorified bodies. Until then, suffering, dis-ease, pain, etc. are and will

continue to be the conse-quences of the fall. With this brief introduc-tion to the fall, it's effects, and God's great love for mankind, what can we say about God being the au-thor of evil? Are there any scriptures that point to the contrary? Let's examine a few passages about the state of creation before the fall and about the nature of God. Genesis 1 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, be-hold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

James 1 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 1 John 1 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no

darkness at all.

1 Corinthians 14 33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as

in all churches of the saints.

These passages declare that creation (including mankind) was initially cre-ated ―good‖, in other words perfect without sin. They further declare that God cannot be tempted with evil nor does he tempt any man. He is light, and in him is no darkness at all, and he is not the author of confusion. If this is true, then God truly can-not in any way be the 'author' of evil. To help us understand a little more, let's define what 'evil' is. According to the scrip-tures, evil is basically ―the absence of God's right-eousness.‖ It is not some-thing that is created nor does it stand alone. It is the want of moral perfection in God's creation. However, there are various passages one might use to declare that God is the author of evil. Let’s examine a few of them: Isaiah 45 7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. This one is used probably more than any others to prove that God is the au-thor of evil. But, unfortu-nately, this is a poor trans-lation of the Hebrew word for evil, which is 'rah.' It can also be translated 'calamity' or 'destruction,' and is used this way in many other passages. Since we know that God cannot be the 'author' of evil based on the passages above, we know that the better ren-dering for this word would

be 'calamity or destruc-tion.' God indeed allows calamity or destruction to befall a city or people who have chosen to purpose-fully rebel against Him, and who try to destroy His people, and His work. We can read about many ex-amples of this in the Old Testament. Even though God is not the author of evil, he does allow calamity to come, in whatever form it takes, as a form of pun-ishment. Another example would be Amos 3,6 Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? This passage is another one used to prove that God is the author of evil. How-ever, upon reading it in its entirety, we find that God allowed ―calamity‖ and distress to come upon this people as a form of judg-ment, not any sort of ―moral evil.‖ Reading on, verse 11 declares that God allowed them to be over-taken because of their sin-ful lives, knowing to do good yet not doing it. They instead chose to store up wrath for them-selves, with no regard for God. Again, this is another example of a poor render-ing for the Hebrew word ―rah.‖ I would venture to say that there is nothing more that the enemy of God, Satan himself, would want more than to cause God's crea-tion to think that he, God, is the author of evil: re-sponsible for tempting Adam and Eve in the gar-den of Eden. But Scripture shows us otherwise. The Devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy anything that would lead us into an inti-mate relationship with Je-sus Christ. As he cunningly deceived Eve in the garden, he continues to try and deceive all mankind, to lead them away from God. But what the devil intends for evil, God has turned around for good.

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Easter is a time of rebirth and rejoicing, a time to feast on symbolic and tradi-tional food fare. What better than to accent a breakfast buf-fet or light Easter meal than a plate of steaming hot cross

buns?

Hot cross buns with dried fruit

Dough

1/2 cup warmed milk

1 package yeast (7 gram)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground

allspice

1/4 teaspoon cin-

namon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon

granulated sugar

1 egg

5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter, cut

into small pieces

2 to 4 tablespoons dried cherry bits, cit-

ron, or raisins

2 tablespoons

lemon or orange zest

Wash

egg white beaten

3 tablespoons

granulated sugar

Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons soft unsalted

butter

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the dough, stir together the milk, yeast and half teaspoon of granulated

sugar. Set aside until foamy. In another large bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, remaining sugar and spices. Add half of this flour mixture to the milk mixture.

Beat until combined.

Add the butter and egg and stir until smooth. Add the re-mainder of the flour and mix until the dough forms. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm

place for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking

sheet with parchment paper.

On a floured bread board, knead in the zest and fruit bits. Roll the dough into a 12-inch log and cut into one-inch slices. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand

10 minutes.

For the wash: In a small bowl, thoroughly beat the egg white and add 3 table-spoons of sugar. Brush on

buns.

Place buns on the greased baking pan 1 1/2 inches apart. Allow to rise until dou-ble in size, about 45 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes. Remove and cool

for 10 minutes.

An Easter Tradition: Hot Cross Buns

John the Baptist was a bit eccentric. He might have even been put in a padded room today. John lived out in the middle of nowhere, his diet consisted of lo-custs, and he wore animal skin clothing. Then to com-plete his image, he traveled around shouting at people, ―Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.‖ At first glance, John the Baptist came across as rather strange. Still, people started to recognize that there was something spe-cial about him. They dis-covered he had some in-teresting things to say. It was as if he was some kind of a prophet—a prophet from God. One day as John was out preaching, Jesus happened to wander in his direction. John saw Him coming and told his audience, ―Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world‖ (John 1:29, New Living Translation)! What did John mean, ―the Lamb of God?‖ The answer lies in the religious rituals of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, there were a lot of ritual sacrifices offered for a vari-ety of reasons. There were grain offerings meant pri-marily for worship, there were peace offerings asking for God’s blessing, there were burnt offerings for giving thanks to God, there were guilt offerings for when you had destroyed

someone’s property or cheated someone (including God), and there were sin offerings seeking forgiveness. Depending on your circum-stances and which kind of sacrifice you were offering, you would need to sacrifice something different. You might sacrifice a sheep, a goat, a dove, a pigeon, a cow, or a ram. Your sacri-fice might involve some wheat, flour, oil, or unleav-ened bread. The specific requirements for each kind of sacrifice were defined by the Mosaic Law. This sacrificial system was a way of life for the first-century Jews. They rou-tinely brought their sacri-fices to the Temple and they were offered there to God. (The sacrificial system continued for the Jews until the year AD 70 when the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. At that time, the Jewish com-munity switched to offering prayer as a sacrifice in-stead.) While each family was re-sponsible to provide their own sacrifice, the High Priest of Israel was respon-sible to choose the Pass-over lamb. Every year he was to select one perfect, spotless lamb and then offer it as a sacrifice on behalf of all Israel. That lamb would be known as ―the lamb of God.‖ When John the Baptist

pointed to Jesus as, ―The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,‖ the listeners would have immediately known what John meant. They would have been quite familiar with the sacrificial system. To their ears, this declara-tion by John was one of the most profound statements ever uttered. It was pow-erful! John the Baptist identified Jesus not just as ―a‖ lamb; He was ―the‖ Lamb. He was not going to cover up sin only for one year (requiring another sacrifice the following year); He would take away the sin of the world for all of time. The writer of the biblical book of Hebrews rein-forced this when he wrote, ―For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time‖ (Hebrews 10:10, NLT). The Bible states that we have all sinned and fallen far short of God’s standard for our lives. Like a huge chasm, this sinfulness sepa-rates us from God. But the cross of Christ bridges that chasm. It was on the cross that Jesus offered to take all of our sinfulness upon Himself, paying the penalty for our sinfulness and of-fering us forgiveness in its place. As the ―Lamb of God,‖ Jesus became the sacrifice for all of humanity.

Why Was Jesus Called the Lamb of God?

By Greg Hanson

The American Red Cross expects these funds will be used to fund immediate relief activities such as provid-ing supplies and medical care. Over time, it is likely that some of the contributions will be used for longer-term recov-ery. The American Red Cross has been in close contact with its partners in the Asia Pacific region since the earthquake to offer its support. The Japanese Red Cross has expressed its gratitude for the support of the American people and the American Red Cross. The Japanese Red Cross is a highly experienced disaster relief organization with 2 million registered volunteers, many of whom have responded to help their neighbors affected by the earthquake, tsunami and evolving nuclear emergency. Red Cross volun-teers and staff in Japan con-tinue to provide health care, emotional support activities and relief items to people af-fected. The Japanese Red

Cross has dozens of medical teams operating in Red Cross hospitals and mobile clinics treating those affected by the disasters. Immediately after the earthquake and tsunami, the Red Cross dispatched relief items from stocks to assist those affected, and has pro-vided 125,500 blankets and 25,000 emergency kits. The Red Cross is increasing its relief operations for survivors in evacuation centers and is planning to provide supplies for 100,000 people. It is also work-ing with local authorities on ways to help people still living in evacuation centers. Overall, the condi-tions for survivors appear to be improving: the number of people in shelters in Japan has dropped to 244,000 from what had been the high of nearly half a million. More supplies and fuel are also reaching affected areas. However, the needs are still overwhelming and uncer-tainty around several Japanese

nuclear reactors and associated health risks remains a major concern. The American Red Cross also has been assisting in the voluntary evacuations of military families from Japan. Over the past week, American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces staff stationed at mili-tary installations in the Far East assisted with the voluntary departures of military families from Japan. The Red Cross helped register departees, escorted people and assisted in military sheltering operations. American Red Cross Service to Armed Forces staff also provided a range of sup-port including: canteen ser-vices; registering passengers; helping people find out where to secure all the required mili-tary clearances; and assisting people to the aircraft. Once the families reached the U.S., Red Cross staff was also on hand to provide families food, snacks and comfort items.

American Red Cross Continued from Page 2

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