- by Deacon Dean Jernigan

Transcription

1 The Testament January 2017 Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church You Can t Park Here! Happy New Year! Through God's grace and mercy, we survived the highs and lows of Now, with the power and might of our Heavenly Father within and around us, we are primed to boldly forge ahead into 2017 to pursue our dreams, goals and passions with renewed vigor and purpose. For many, the start of a new year symbolizes freshness. It brings an opportunity for a new beginning with a chance to toss out old habits and attitudes and replace them with new and improved ones. As always, the key to achieving success starts in our minds. Our minds are fertile areas where seeds harboring our various thoughts grow and are expressed by our actions. Being fertile, the mind allows any seed to grow and doesn't discriminate one way or the other. It does not matter to the mind if the seed planted there produces a positive thought or a negative one. The fertileness of the mind will simply nurture that thought through the growth process. For that reason, it is critically important that we monitor our thoughts and actively serve as gatekeepers to filter out the negative ones that impede our progress as we walk along faith's highway. In his attempt to defeat us, one of the schemes employed by the enemy is to find a space in our minds to call home. Like holiday shoppers seeking out parking spaces at a crowded mall, the enemy will keeping attacking our minds until he finds a place to park. From that location, the enemy will do all that can he can to knock us off course. Sending out a steady stream of negative energy, the enemy will do his best to squeeze a Mack truck filled with the seeds of doubt, hate and envy into the parking spaces of our minds. These seeds grow and gradually express themselves in the form of harmful actions and painful words. - by Deacon Dean Jernigan Our ability to detect and evict these sinful seeds and destructive thoughts from our minds will play a key role in our growth during 2017 and beyond. Maintaining a positive attitude and staying optimistic is a great way to approach life, but the source of power needed to maintain that optimism lies in of God's Word. With the power of our Heavenly Father within us, we can use His Word to create a spiritual tow truck to rid our minds of the negative thoughts parked there by the enemy. Examine your thoughts and actions throughout the year. Are they aligned with the spirit of God's Word? Do they reflect the gratitude of a servant of our Savior? Do they reflect the essence of God's love as expressed in His Word? Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) As you examine your thoughts and actions, fight off the enemy by using the spiritual tow truck to remove negative and destructive thoughts from your mind. Tell worry - you can't park here, and use the spiritual tow truck to tow it away. Tow away doubt, anger and hate! Look envy in the eye and tell it that you can't park in my mind or in my heart. You can't park here fear! You can't park here jealousy, resentment and insecurity! Tell depression that you can't park here in 2017 and if you try, the spiritual tow truck will swiftly tow you away! Once you have cleared away the negativity, park faith in the space once occupied by doubt. Park commitment in the space once occupied by Durham, NC Congratulations Meme!! Congratulations to Sis. Jameca Cotton on her graduation from NC Central University! We pray for God s continued blessings on Jameca and will keep her in prayer as she pursues her dreams! SAVE THE DATE!! Thursday, January 19th Church Conference Saturday, January 21st 8:30am Leadership Retreat Please monitor the bulletin each Sunday for information on these and other forthcoming events. insecurity. Park love in the spaces formerly occupied by hate, jealousy and envy. Renew your thoughts and fortify the foundation of your faith. Make 2017 the year that you move forward toward reaching your goals, living your dreams, and accepting God's Will as the direction for your life. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2) Happy New Year!

2 Habakkuk 2:2-3 And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the Vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the Vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Let s Build the Community in the Church 1. A New Sanctuary 2. Burn the Present Mortgage within 4 Years 3. Let s All Get Debt Free (in every sense) 4. Be Faithful Stewards (Time, Talent, & Treasure) 5. Every Member Operating in their Spiritual Gift(s) 6. Break Ground within 5 Years 7. Total Church Commitment to and Acts 4 31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. LMBC Rev. Linzie B. Atkins, III June 27, 2012

3 Member Spotlight - by Sis. Marva Atkins Sis. Cherelle Lee Sister Cherelle Lee has been a member of the Lincoln family for 3 years. She was born in Durham, North Carolina and graduated from Hillside High School. She received a Bachelors Degree in Social Work from North Carolina A&T State University. In addition, she received a Masters Degree in School Counseling as well as a Masters Degree in Agency Counseling from NC Central University. Sister Lee currently serves on the Praise Team, Graves Scholarship Committee, and the Youth Activities Committee (YAC). In her spare time she enjoys watching movies and TV shows. Some of her favorite shows are This is Us, Grey s Anatomy, A Different World and Chicago Fire. She also enjoys listening to music, puzzles and reading. Sister Lee states that after her accident 20 years ago she did not know what to do or what direction she wanted her life to go. At the time of the accident she was applying to a Masters program at East Carolina. She felt that all of her dreams were shattered by an accident she could not remember and she did not want to be a burden to her family. After speaking to a former professor, Sister Lee decided to enroll in the counseling program at North Carolina Central University. It was at that time she realized how her life was ordered by God and saw evidence of Him working throughout her life. Sister Lee has faced many obstacles and has endured so much pain. However, God is so good and He is a constant help in a time of need. Sister Lee wants to motivate her students to look beyond their circumstances and strive to be successful. She plans to take the National Counseling Exam, receive her LPC certification, and work in a therapeutic setting. Her favorite scripture is I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) Happy New Year!! The Testament is produced monthly by our Newsletter Committee. Please send articles, photos or other items for publication to newsletter@mylmbc.org by the 3rd Sunday of each month. Newsletter Committee Reginald Davis Willee Murphy Joan Lofton Marva Atkins William Mayfield Earleen Sharrock Dean Jernigan, Chair Food For Thought... RECIPE FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR Take twelve whole months. Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate, and jealousy. Make them just as fresh and clean as possible. Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty, or thirty-one different parts, but don t make up the whole batch at once. Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients: Mix well into each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part of courage, and one part of work. Add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity, and kindness. Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation, and one good deed. Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play, and a cupful of good humor. Pour all of this into a vessel of love. Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile, and serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness. You re bound to have a happy new year. ~ Author Unknown ~ Happy Birthday to our January Birthday Celebrities! Leonidus Murphy Kenya Harrell Zoe Valentine Joseph Eley Enza Ellis Charmaine Harris Anissa Belcher John Hodge, Jr. Joan Lofton Edith Graham Retella Jones Lelia Ervin Best Wishes For Many More!!

4 Christmas Service On the few occurrences when Christmas day falls on a Sunday, there is no better place to be than in a church service on the day observed as that of the birth of Christ. On this joyous occasion, the Lincoln family abandoned its traditional order of service and offered instead a series of sermonettes by our Associate Ministers, selected readings from church officers, and an inspiring summation from our Pastor. Our Dance Ministry and a special Mass Choir added additional elements of inspiration for this glorious occasion. Deacon Christmas Social In celebration of the Christmas season and to reflect on the blessings received from above, the Deacons, Deaconess, their spouses, Rev. Atkins and First Lady Marva gathered recently for their annual Christmas social. The aroma and flavor of a delicious meal set the stage for a wonderful afternoon of fellowship. In addition to pleasant discussion, the men in the group showcased their vocal skills, while the women ministered to everyone through song. A wonderful time was had by all while reflecting on the true reason for the season.

5 The Eagle Soars Again! The Harrell family celebrates the graduation of Sis. Jameca Cotton, affectionally known as Meme, from North Carolina Central University. Sis. Cotton received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. Beaming with pride, proud mom Sis. Lasheka Wilks congratulates Jameca following the graduation exercises at NCCU. Joined by friends and members of the Lincoln family, the Harrell family gathers over a meal to celebrate Jameca s graduation. Rev. Atkins offers words of encouragement during the celebration. Health & Wellness Ministry Celebrates Success! Taking time to reflect on their efforts to enlighten the Lincoln family on all thing relative to health, the Health and Wellness Ministry gathered recently for their Christmas Fellowship. Featuring a mixture of delicious food and delightful fellowship, along with an inspired message from guest speaker Phyllis Gillespie, the event was enjoyed by all! Congratulations to the Health and Wellness Ministry on an outstanding year! Making a joyful noise, the members of the ministry, along with the guest speaker, provided inspiration through song. Phyllis Gillespie, guest speaker, provides a thoughtful and inspiring message. Enhancing the fellowship, Sis. Janice Campbell leads the group in a fun activity following dinner.

6 -submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock Following God's Will Theme: Scripture: God has a plan for our life. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." Isaiah 30:21 This puzzle is called a maze and to solve it, you take your pencil and start right up here where it says, "start," and you try to find an open path in the puzzle that will lead you all the way to where it says, "finish." Of course, you can't cross through any lines. That would be too easy! A puzzle like this can be very difficult -- and sometimes it can be pretty frustrating. Traveling through this maze, you will often have to change the direction you are going. You may often find that the path you have chosen leads you to a dead end. When this happens, you just have to back up and start again. When the puzzle gets too difficult, you may need to ask someone to help you. Even though finding the right path that leads to the finish may be difficult, you will have a feeling of satisfaction when you finally reach your goal. Today is the first Sunday of a new year. We are beginning the year I believe that God has a plan for each of us for this year. He has a path that He wants us to follow and He wants us to be successful in reaching the goal that He has for us. As we face each new day of this year and try to follow the path that God wants us to follow, we may find that it is a lot like trying to solve one of these puzzles. We may often face difficult choices in deciding what God wants us to do. We may have to make frequent changes in the direction we are going. Sometimes we may find that we have made a wrong choice and we have traveled down a dead end path. When that happens, we have to back up and start over again! Following the will of God for our lives is not always easy, but there is help available. God is always there to help us if we will just ask Him to guide us. In the book of Isaiah, God told His people, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" God is still there! He is still behind us saying, "This is the way, walk in it." We just need to be sure that we are listening! Dear Lord, as we travel through this year, we ask you to help us to follow the plan that you have for our life. When we don't know which way to turn, help us to listen for your voice as you give us direction. Amen. Copyright Sermons4Kids, Inc.

7 -submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock

8 January 2017 One Heart, One Mind, One Dream In 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 New Year s Day 2 3 Noon Day (All Day) 8 7:30am Deacons 9 10 Sounds of Joy Music Ministry 11 Noon Day & 12 Sounds of Joy 13 10:00am Trustees Women of Faith 1:00pm Missionary Min. 14 (All Day) 3:00pm Youth Missionary Program Holiday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 6:30am Interfaith Breakfast (Sheraton Hotel) MLK Program (Peace Missionary Baptist Church) Voices of Praise Music Ministry 17 Male Chorus Noon Day & 25 Noon Day & 6:00pm Christian Board Voices of Praise Church Conference :00am Deaconess 6:00pm Couples Ministry 21 (All Day) 8:30am Leadership Retreat 28 (All Day) 29 9:00am Worship Service Health & Wellness 29 YAC 30 Sounds of Joy Computing & Technology Mass Choir 31 Noon Day & Sounds of Joy To add an event to the church calendar, please contact Sis. Janice Campbell by calling the church at You may also reach her via at churchcalendar@mylmbc.org. Please send articles, photos or information for The Testament to newsletter@mylmbc.org by the 3rd Sunday of each month. Newsletter Photos by Deacon William Mayfield and Deacon Dean Jernigan