Rotary Program: 3/31/04

Program Chairperson: Jerry Kanney

Speaker: James Sullivan

James Sullivan is in the logging business and a member of the Pikeville Rotary Club. He is also a member of the Pikeville Area YMCA Board of Directors. He graduated from Fedscreek High School in 1966 and attended Pikeville College for 2 ½ years. He also attended the Grundy Bible Institute and the East Kentucky Bible Institute. James is a member of the Mountain View Church of Christ where he has taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for the past 20 years. He and his wife Justine have two children, a son, Eric and a daughter, Jeanine.

James said that since we would not be meeting next week due to the observance of Holy Week, he wanted to talk about the last days in the life of Jesus Christ and how profound His life, death and resurrection has been on all men and even upon us today. Using a series of maps, James began to chronicle the lineage of Jesus from Abraham through Isaac, Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel), his twelve sons, and on to the time He was born into this world. He pointed out the major empires that existed during those early days of the patriarchal period, such as the Assyrian and Babylonian empires and the captivities that the children of Israel endured before the time of Jesus. Then he referred to the map that showed the major events that occurred during the 3 ½ years of Jesus’ earthly ministry and recounted, in more detail, the events of His last week before he was betrayed, crucified, buried and risen from the dead. James says that all this was done so that the evil forces of the ages could be defeated and that men, women, boys and girls could be saved by being forgiven of their sins if they would believe that Jesus was the Son of God and the Lamb that was slain to pay the price of our sins. From this point, James began to relate how all these things in the Bible affect the people who live in the Middle East today and the bloody violence that continues between the people of Israel and the Palestinians. This land, which was promised by God to Israel and his descendants forever, is also claimed by the Arabs who maintain the promise was made to them as well as descendants of Abraham. James summed up his remarks by saying what a wonderful world it would be if everyone could live according to the way Jesus taught us in His life while here on earth, and that the violence and war among God’s children could cease. Only then could we know real peace. Thanks, James for the enlightening program. - J. Morgan Chapman