TEMPLE NEWS. of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us!

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1 SOLOMON S D E C E M B E R Volume 3 Issue 12 TEMPLE NEWS Want a Greater Treasure? Matthew 5:45 That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. The Lord is quoted in this scripture in Matthew and it contains an important principle which I think we sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if someone acquires much material prosperity, then God has surely given them favor, and that if someone is undergoing extreme trial, it must be because they have sinned or that they lack faith. But the Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike. A life of good circumstances does not necessarily mean that God is with us. And likewise, a life of trial and suffering does not mean that God is not with us! If we base our lives on our circumstances, we are no different than people without God. What makes us different from the world is that we have something far greater than our circumstances! We can live victoriously both in want and in plenty because we have a relationship with the living God! There is nothing wrong with rejoicing through the good times but we need to rejoice through the bad as well! If you're going through some hard times, choose to rejoice in the Lord today! We have a greater treasure and a more amazing victory when our lives are centered upon Him at all times! Pastor, Dr. K. D. Shivers Leading Lady, Minister E.R. Shivers In this issue..... Kingdom Schedule December Birthdays Monthly Devotional Yearly Reading Plan Dose of Laughter Up-Coming Events 1 P a g e

2 Yearly Reading Plan and Daily Devotion Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. (1 Peter 2:2) Since this plan includes only the New Testament, each segment can be read in 5-8 minutes, and will allow you the opportunity to actually study the portion of Scripture you are reading, instead of reading only If you choose to dig deeper, (and hopefully you will!), a minute/day study can increase your knowledge of the Bible as well as your love for the Lord. The goal should not be quantity (how much you read), but quality in what you read, learn and apply. The reading plan is divided into 52 weeks, with readings for each day. Follow these steps in Bible study: Pray - confess sins before you begin; ask for the Holy Spirit's illumination of God's Word; Observe - read the text over & over (repetition); take notes, ask questions; Study - underline key words and/or phrases. Ask, "What is the passage saying?"; Evaluate - cross-reference the text with other portions of Scripture. Find what others have said about the text (commentaries, Bible dictionaries); Meditate - what principle or command can be applied? Is there a promise or basic doctrinal truth to lay hold of? Remember, DO WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED! December Week 49 Week50 Week 51 Week 52 Saturday December 3 I Peter 3:1-22 December 10 I John 3:1-24 December 17 Revelation 3:1-22 December 24 Revelation 13:1-14:5 Sunday December 4 I Peter 4:1-5:4 December 11 I John 4:1-21 December 18 Revelation 4:1-5:14 December 25 Revelation 14:6-15:8 Monday December 5 I Peter5:5- II Peter 1:11 December 12 I John 5:1- II John 4 December 19 Revelation 6:1-7:12 December 26 Revelation 16:1-17:6 Tuesday December 6 II Peter 1:12-2:9 December 13 II John 5 II John 14 December 20 Revelation 7:13-8:13 December 27 Revelation17:7-18:8 Wednesday December 7 II Peter 2:10-3:10 December 14 Jude 1-25 December 21 9:1-21 December 28 Revelation 18:9-19:10 Thursday December 8 II Peter 3:11- I John 2:6 December 15 Revelation 1:1-20 December 22 Revelation 10:1-11:13 December 29 Revelation 19:11-20:15 Friday December 9 I John 2:7-29 December 16 Revelation 2:1-29 December 23 Revelation 11:14-12:27 December 30 &31 Revelation 21:1-22:21 2 P a g e

3 Up Coming Events December January 1 Happy New Years! 28 Men s Sing-A-Roma Service February 14 Valentines Day schedule of events 12/10 Couples Meeting. We will be leaving the Chapel at 5:00PM We will have dinner and then go and see the Christmas lights in Virginia Beach 12/12 7:00-8:30PM New Year s Even Service Practice 12/14 7:00PM Solomon s Council Meeting 12/16 7:00pm-12:00am Youth Christmas party 12/17 5:00PM Christmas Caroling 12/19 7:00-8:30PM New Year s Even Service Practice 12/22 First Day of Winter 7:00PM Christmas Concert 12/24 Christmas Eve 12/25 Christmas Day!! Happy Birthday Jesus!!! 12/31 10:00-12:00AM New Year s Eve Service 01/01/2012 New Year s Day 1:00PM Wedding of Minister Karen Murphy and John Lee March Thursday before 1 st Sunday 6:00pm- Praise Team 7:00pm- Mass Choir Thursday before 2 nd Sunday 7:00pm - Sons of Solomon Choir Rehearsal Schedule Thursday before 3 rd Sunday 6:30pm- Youth Choir 3 P a g e Thursday before 4 th Sunday 6:00pm- Praise Team 7:00pm- Joyful Voices

4 Points to Ponder Christmas gift suggestions: to your enemy, forgiveness; To an opponent, tolerance; To a friend, your heart; To a customer, service; To all, charity; To every child, a good example! ~ Oren Arnold ~ "The only blind person at Christmas time is he who has not Christ in his heart" ~ Helen Keller ~ If we could condense all the truths of Christmas into only three words, those words would be God with us. ~ John F. MacArthur~ December Birthdays If your birthday is missing from the list or incorrect, let the office know. Eric Smith Wed., 12/07 Resha Johnson Wed., 12/07 Quenton Turner Fri., 12/09 Kimesia Burrell Sat., 12/10 Morse Johnson Mon., 12/19 Dana Cary Tues., 12/20 Walter Chapman Wed., 12/21 Tameka Robinson Wed., 12/21 Christian Turner Sat., 12/24 Melvin Turner Mon., 12/26 Evelyn Wilkerson Wed., 12/28 William Robinson Fri., 12/30 Newsletter Submissions Do you know someone who is doing great things in the community, school, or church? Nominate them to be the Outstanding Disciple of the Month. This person can be a youth or an adult. Don t forget to recognize those celebrating an anniversary, graduation (from high school, college, or any other), or special occasion. We also want to know about those who have made the honor roll. Let s not forget baby announcements, bible humor, or recipes. If you have a story or idea that you would like to incorporate into the newsletter, forward the story to stsecretary@verizon.net or leave the idea on the secretary s desk. 4 P a g e

5 DOSE OF HUMOR A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill." Why Jesus is Better Than Santa Claus Santa Claus lives at the North Pole... JESUS is everywhere. Santa Claus rides in a sleigh... JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water. Santa Claus comes but once a year... JESUS is an ever present help. Santa Claus fills your stockings with goodies... JESUS supplies all your needs. Santa Claus comes down your chimney uninvited... JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited. You have to wait in line to see Santa Claus... JESUS is as close as the mention of His name. Santa Claus lets you sit on his lap... JESUS lets you rest in His arms. Santa Claus doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy (or girl,) what's your name?"... JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name, He knows our address too. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. Santa Claus has a belly like a bowl full of jelly... JESUS has a heart full of love. All Santa Claus can offer is HO HO HO... JESUS offers health, help and hope. Santa Claus says "You better not cry"... JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you." Santa's little helpers make toys... JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions. Santa Claus is a "jolly old elf"... JESUS is the King of Kings. Santa Claus may make you chuckle but... JESUS gives you joy that is your strength. While Santa Claus puts gifts under your tree... JESUS became our gift and died on a tree. 5 P a g e

6 December Kingdom Schedule Scripture and Welcome 12/04 Hope Parker (Luke 23:44-49) Connie Payne (welcome) Tuesday Altar Prayer 12/06 Minister William Robinson 12/13 Sis Jackie Ruffin 12/11 Shalkira Parker (Matthew 2:1-5) Chyra Chapman (welcome) 12/18 Shirley Haskins (Luke 2:15-20) William Robinson (welcome) 12/25 Crystal Wrenn (Luke 2:9-11) Sylvia Gundy (welcome) Worship Leader Schedule 12/04 Minister Elder Margaret Thomas 12/11 Michael Green Jr. 12/18 Elder Sarah Hatton 12/25 Minister Karen Murphy Children s Fellowship Sis Samantha Lyttle December Door Opener Bro Ray Holmes Servant Leader Schedule 12/04 Sis Phyliss Duck 12/11 Sis Sylvia Gundy 12/18 Sis Lucy Watkins 12/25 Bro Ernest Ruffin Advent Reader 12/04 Raven Parker 12/11 Mercedi Brown 12/18 Destiny Shivers 12/25 Michael Green Jr. December Teacher s Schedule (The date in parenthesis is the Sunday date of the lessons to be taught on Tuesday) Adult Teachers Elder Sarah Hatton (12-11) Elder Sarah Hatton (12-18) Teen Teacher Elder Margaret Shivers-Thomas Intermediate Teachers Michael Green & Donald Watkins Primary and Beginners Teacher Lenore Williams & Stanley Robinson 6 P a g e

7 12 Days of Christmas Devotionals Day 1: The Greatest Christmas Gift "This is Christmas: not the tinsel, not the giving and receiving, not even the carols, but the humble heart that receives anew the wondrous gift, the Christ." - Frank McKibben "And what a difference between our sin and God's generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God's bountiful gift. And the result of God's gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man's sin. For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God's wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:15-17 (NLT) The Greatest Christmas Gift Each year we are reminded that Christmas should not be just about giving and receiving presents. But if we really think about Christmas, it truly is all about gift giving! At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given, by the greatest gift-giver of all, our wonderful God and Father! Day 2: Laugh with Immanuel "The implications of the name 'Immanuel' are both comforting and unsettling. Comforting, because He has come to share the danger as well as the drudgery of our everyday lives. He desires to weep with us and to wipe away our tears. And what seems most bizarre, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, longs to share in and to be the source of the laughter and the joy we all too rarely know." - Michael Card "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' - which means, 'God with us.'" Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV) "Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." Psalm 21:6 (NIV) Laugh with Immanuel Why do we turn to God so quickly in times of sorrow and struggle, in danger and fear, and forget Him in the times of joy and rejoicing? If God is the giver of joy and He is "God with us," then He must want to share in those moments of great joy - and even those times of silly laughter and fun. Day 3: Wonderful Impossibilities "When God intends to make something wonderful he begins with a difficulty. When he intends to make something very wonderful, he begins with impossibility." - Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Coggan "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV) Wonderful Impossibilities The birth of Jesus was not just a difficulty, it was an impossibility. Mary was a virgin. Only God could breathe life into her womb. And just as God caused her to conceive the perfect sinless Savior - fully God, fully human - He can accomplish through you, those things that seem impossible in your life. Day 4: Make Room for More Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing, Returns to you glad. - John Greenleaf Whittier "If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken 7 P a g e

8 together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you." Luke 6:38 (NLT) Make Room for More We have heard people say, "You can't out-give God." Well, you can't out-give yourself either! You don't need to be wealthy to possess a giving heart. Give a smile, lend an ear, extend a hand. However you give, God's promise is tried and tested, and you'll see the blessings return multiplied back to you. Day 5: Not Alone at All "I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never alone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the word seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses." - Taylor Caldwell "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: 'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39 (NIV) Not Alone at All When you feel the most alone, it may be the very moment when you are truly "least" alone at all. God is there in your darkest night and coldest wind. He may be so close you cannot see Him, but He is there. And perhaps He has chosen this moment to pull you closer to Him than you have ever been before. Day 6: Come as a Child "There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child." - Erma Bombeck "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV) Come as a Child Is there anything more exciting than being a child on Christmas morning? And yet this is what God asks of us each day, to change and become like little children. Not just on Christmas, but each day approaching our Father, God as a child, with excited anticipation of His goodness, and humbly trusting Him that every need will be met and every care will be under His control. Day 7: A Christmas Candle A Christmas candle is a lovely thing; It makes no noise at all, But softly gives itself away; While quite unselfish, it grows small. - Eva K. Logue John the Baptist said of Jesus: "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30 (NLT) A Christmas Candle We are like a candle that holds the flame, burning strong and bright the light of Christ. We softly give ourselves away in worship of Him and service for Him, that we might become less and less, and that He might become greater and brighter through us. Day 8: Pleasing in Your Sight So remember while December Brings the only Christmas day, In the year let there be Christmas In the things you do and say. - Anonymous "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (NIV) Pleasing in Your Sight The words we speak are reflections of our thoughts and meditations. These God-pleasing thoughts and words become pleasing in his sight because they will motivate us to Christ-like actions - that are seen and not just heard. Are your thoughts and words pleasing to the Lord every day and not just at Christmas or on Sunday mornings? Do you keep the spirit of Christmas alive in your heart all throughout the year? 8 P a g e

9 Day 9: Eternal Glory "There is no improving the future without disturbing the present." - Catherine Booth "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV) Eternal Glory If our present day situation is disturbing to us, perhaps there's something beyond our natural sight in the works, but not yet accomplished. The trouble we face today may be acheiving an eternal purpose so much better than we can imagine. Remember that what we see right now is only temporary. What is most important, though we may not yet be able to see it, is eternal. Day 11: Hindsight "Life has to be lived forwards but it can only be understood backwards." - Søren Kierkegaard "Trust in the LORD with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, And he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) "Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" Job 12:12 (NIV) Hindsight If we could walk backwards through life, so many times of doubt and questioning would be erased from our path. But we would have also missed those desperate moments of trusting in the Lord, and clinging to Him for guidance. Day 10: Forgiveness Focuses Forward Look not back on yesterday So full of failure and regret; Look ahead and seek God's way-- All sin confessed you must forget. - Dennis DeHaan "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 (NIV) Forgiveness Focuses Forward As we come to the end of the year, so often we look back with regret on things we did not accomplish, or resolutions long forgotten. But sin is one thing we should never need to look back on with feelings of failure. If we have confessed our sins and asked God's forgiveness we simply need to keep a forward focus toward the goal of pleasing Christ. Day 12: God Will Direct "If this is to be a Happy New Year, a year of usefulness, a year in which we shall live to make this earth better, it is because God will direct our pathway. How important then, to feel our dependence upon Him!" - Matthew Simpson "I guide you in the way of wisdom And lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; When you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; Guard it well, for it is your life. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, Shining ever brighter till the full light of day." Proverbs 4:11-13;18 (NIV) God Will Direct Sometimes God brings a change or a challenge into our lives to shake up our dependence upon self and turn us back to dependence upon Him. We are closest to finding His will for our lives, our happiness and usefulness, when we are completely in the dark waiting for that first gleam of dawn, and depending fully upon Him to cause the sun to rise. 9 P a g e

10 Holiday Recipe Smoked Ham with Sweet Holiday Glaze Recipe courtesy The Neelys Ingredients 1 (10-pound) cooked bone in spiral ham, preferably shank end 1 cup Neelys Dry Rub seasoning, recipe follows Sweet Holiday Glaze: 2 sticks salted butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1/4 cup apple cider 1/4 cup bourbon 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions Season the ham with dry rub. Place plastic wrap over ham and put in refrigerator. Allow the seasoning to penetrate the ham overnight to give it a fuller flavor. Using indirect heat, preheat your grill to 250 degrees F. with hickory chips and charcoal. Place ham in an aluminum roasting pan and place on grill grates. Let smoke for 3 hours, making sure the temperature remains at 250 degrees F; adding more hickory chips and charcoal, as necessary. Remove to a platter. Sweet Holiday Glaze: Place all ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat. Allow to simmer, cooking for 10 to 15 minutes, until the glaze is syrupy. Pour the warm glaze over the warm ham and serve immediately. Neelys Dry Rub Seasoning: 1 1/2 cups paprika 3/4 cup sugar 3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 10 P a g e

11 Notes: Sunday Christmas Day Happy Birthday Jesus! Monday New Year s Eve Rehearsal 7-8pm 19. Morse Johnson New Year s Eve Service Rehearsal 7:00-8:30 Melvin Turner 6. December Dana Cary 27. Tuesday Tameka Robinson Walter Chapman 28. Wednesday Eric Smith Resha Johnson Solomon s Council meeting at 7pm Evelyn Wilkerson Christmas Concert at 7pm First Day of Winter 29 Thursday Friday 9. Quenton Turner Youth Christmas Party at 7pm-12am (all S.T. youth are invited) William Robinson Saturday Kimesia Burrel Couple s outing Christmas Caroling at 5:00pm Christian Turner Christmas Eve 31. Wedding of Min. Karen Murphy and John Lee at 1:00pm New Year s Eve Service 10pm-12am 11 P a g e

12 December 4 th, 2011 Dear Disciples, Throughout our eleven wonderful years of ministry, God has truly blessed us. We are so grateful for all that God has done and will continue to do in We believe God is Jehovah Jireh, our ultimate provider. He supplies us with what we need to take care of our family, home and also the church body. We would like every disciple to participate in this year s pledge drive. Not only will you be helping the ministry build and get into our new edifice, but your gift will touch a wide variety of people. Your gift could counsel a young woman to not have an abortion and provided the help she needs to take care of her baby; it could help to feed the family of someone going through a difficult time, perhaps, maybe right here in our body. Thank you for your support. It is gifts like yours that allow Solomon s Temple to grow in the Lord and to respond lovingly to those most in need right here in our community. At the bottom of the page you ll find a donation form. We ask that you seek God about which weekly or monthly pledge is right for you. Thank you for your continued support of the ministry. May God continue to bless you and your home. Sincerely, Pastor K. D. Shivers Leading Lady E. R. Shivers I,, pledge to give (please check one box) Please Print Name $25.00 weekly $ weekly $ monthly $ bi-weekly $1, for the year $ monthly Date: 12 P a g e