The Testament. Places In The Heart. SAVE THE DATE!! Sunday, March29th. Durham County Missionary Union. Young Adult Early Morning Lenten Service

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1 The Testament March 2015 Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church Places In The Heart The heart of man is a vital organ. It goes without saying that it is impossible to live without a heart. Life would cease without those regular and rhythmic beats that pump blood throughout our body. Yet for all of its wonderful physiological functions, the heart is often associated more with the various emotional aspects of life. People in relationships put their hearts through the emotional roller -coaster of ecstatic highs when they fall in love, and become heartbroken during the despair of a break up. The level of commitment that we offer to a cause or to an effort is often attributed to how much heart we have for the event. Even the staunchness of our opposition to a cause or an idea can be associated with the condition of our hearts. Recall that in Exodus, as Moses pleads for the release of the Israelites, God alters the heart of Pharaoh, conditioning it against releasing them from bondage. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. (Exodus 11:10) So much of what we do in life is driven by the condition of our hearts. The physical state of our heart sustains life, but the part of the heart that s influenced by emotion determines how we live. Driven by the desires of our heart, we seek the abundant life that our Heavenly Father has promised. - by Deacon Dean Jernigan Sooner or later on our journey, we begin to realize that the abundancy promised to us does not always appear in the form of valuable items or possessions. In many cases, it comes in the form of the relationships that we form with others and the incalculable value that those relationships bring to our lives. It comes from the joy that we experience in our hearts when we appreciate our blessings and share our blessings with others. And it comes in the form of the unconditional love that we have for the people who have secured a permanent place within the walls of our hearts. Abundancy reaches its peak when we find comfort in living by God s greatest commandment - Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matthew 22:37) During March, as we look back on the innumerable contributions made by women during Women s History Month, let us reflect on the awesomeness of God s glory as manifested through the women that He has placed in our lives. Let us be mindful of our mothers, grandmothers, wives, daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces and the female friends, coworkers and acquaintances who we share our lives with each day. Led by compassionate hearts and an unwavering faith, our women have sustained our homes, molded our Durham, NC children and played a critical role in working the works of God to grow His Kingdom. Their contributions to society, and to the Lincoln family, are at the heart and soul of the success that we enjoy today. Their contributions to our abundancy, however, cannot be measured in dollars, degrees or other tangible assets. Instead, it is measured by the places that they hold in our hearts that we carry with us everywhere that we go. Durham County Missionary Union Young Adult Early Morning Lenten Service March 11th - 6:15am The Lincoln family will serve as the host church for this service during the Lenten season. Please support our Missionary Ministry and worship with our brethren from churches throughout the Durham community during this sacred time of the year. SAVE THE DATE!! Sunday, March29th LMBC Ministry Fair Immediately Following Morning Worship Service Please make plans to attend our first ever Ministry Fair. Organized by the Christian Education Ministry, this event will provide an opportunity for everyone to learn about the various ministries that operate at Lincoln. We hope to see you there!

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. 1. A New Sanctuary Let s Build the Community in the Church 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 Bible Study and Prayer 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. Karen Boone Karen Boone has been a member of Lincoln since She serves on the VOP choir, Co-Chair of the Health & Wellness Ministry, The Compassionate Care Team Ministry Chair & Chair of the Couples Ministry. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica located in the West Indies. Her parents migrated to the United States when Karen was 3 years old and she joined the New York City public & middle school systems. She attended Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, NY. She later served as a Paramedic for the New York City Fire Department for 7 years. She advanced her studies and graduated from the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education with an undergraduate degree in Biology and Physician Assistant Studies. She later started her career working as a Hematology Physician Assistant at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. She currently works at Duke University Hospital in the Hematology clinic at Duke South. Her hobbies are playing tennis. She is happily married to Benjamin Boone, Jr. for the past 15 years. The Boone s have 3 sons, Cordell, Christopher and Carlton. She holds a Master s in Public Health and Epidemiology. This Fall she is looking forward to pursuing her Doctoral degree in Public Health Sciences. TRUST GOD 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 Chanetta Evans Reginald Davis Willee Murphy Joan Lofton Marva Atkins William Mayfield Earleen Sharrock Dean Jernigan, Chair Food For Thought... This Moment in Time The Past is frozen; it no longer flows; What's already happened, everyone knows. It's gone; it's solid - it cannot be changed; For better of worse it can't be exchanged. The Future's obscure; it has yet to come; A time of concern and fear for some; Looked forward to with ambition or lust - Much better to leave it with God in trust. The Present's lit up with eternal rays; Today is indeed the best of days. Love looks to this moment; the now and the here; The time when our Father is present and near. We should look with gratitude to the past, Having borne righteous fruit that will last; Our future hopes; our dreams and our plans Can be left in the Father's good hands. Right now; today; this moment in time We need reach out and touch the Divine; To honor the Lord; to cling to our King; Forsaking ev'ry unholy thing. Let's love as if there is no tomorrow; Not allowing regrets or sorrow To steal and ruin even one more day, But live for Jesus right now; today. - by Belinda van Rensburg Happy Birthday to our March Birthday Celebrities! Nina Chandler Trevor Williams Michael Wilson Roberto Figueroa Tameka McNeill Arlette Melrose- Woodward Justin Bailey Charles Bailey Daniel Campbell Willie Wilks, Jr. Virginia Brewer Best Wishes For Many More!!

4 Super Bowl Fellowship Our annual Super Bowl Fellowship is always a lively and spirit-filled event. Fun, food and fellowship merge with laughter and the excitement of watching a good football game. One highlight is the presentation of awards to the participants of the LMBC Fantasy Football League. Congratulations to Sis. Joan Lofton for winning the 2014 League Championship. Arise, Woman Of God Rise up, O woman of God In what He has given you, The things God has laid on your heart, Rise up, go forth, and do. Unlock what God has placed within, The potential you have inside The world is waiting for your release To expand your wings and fly. Arise in your God-given gifts For this is your finest hour Arise in the Lord's holy might, Ignited and empowered. For God is calling you to come forth To impact this world for Him, Don't hold back or limit yourself Let His power arise within. And take His message to the world To those that have lost their way, For you can surely make a difference If you'd hear His voice and obey. You shall be strengthened in the Lord As you begin to arise, Conquering those doubts that pull you down And believe who you are in Christ. For you shall surely be transformed As, in you, God increases more And become a woman of true excellence Bringing honour to her Lord. By M.S.Lowndes

5 Love Day Celebration The annual Pastor s Aide Love Day celebration provides an opportunity for members of the Lincoln family to show continued love and support for Rev. Linzie and First Lady Marva Atkins. Draped in love and basking in fellowship, the first family enjoyed a festive environment with treats for the spirit and comforts for the soul. Couples Ministry - Marriage Retreat Several couples in our Couples Ministry spent Valentine s weekend immersed in activities designed to strengthen the tie that binds them together. Gathered at the Blue Ridge Assembly Retreat and Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC, the couples participated in team building and other activities aimed at fortifying the bonding experience for couples. In addition to good food, fellowship and bonding, the couples also found time to enjoy the serenity of the outdoor environment. A wonderful and enriching experience was enjoyed by all of the participants.

6 -submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock Did you know that Jesus told lots of stories when He was on earth as a way to teach us? Jesus stories are called parables. A parable is a simple story that tells a lesson. Today s lesson is a parable about a Sower, one who scatters or spreads seeds. God's Word, the Bible, is the seed Jesus is telling us about. Everyone we meet is different and people will react differently, same as the different soils that the seeds were planted in: (1) Some will be like the hard soil, will not listen and brush off what you tell them about Jesus. They are too worried about their life and activities that they are involved in. (2) Some, like the stony ground, will listen and be baptized, then fall away. (3) Others, like the thorns, won t want anything to do with you or Jesus. (4) Then you will have those like the good soil. The seed will get planted and they will grow. They will listen, study the Bible with you and learn, be baptized and be faithful telling their friends about God. Jesus ended the parable by saying he who has ears, let him hear (we have 2 ears!). Jesus wants everyone to listen to His words. But not everyone will do His will. A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed. Some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up... Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil... Other seeds fell among thorns which grew up and choked the plants... Fee Sunday School Tools at: Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a good crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Images (c) Jupiter Co.

7 -submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock

8 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :30am Deacons 3:00pm Youth Missionaries Music Ministry 3 6:00pm Pastor s Aide Sounds of Joy :00pm Usher Ministry 9:00am Worship Service Ministry Fair (After Service) Health & Wellness Voices of Praise Newsletter Male Chorus Computing & Technology Male Chorus Voices of Praise March 2015 Building the Church in the Community and the Community in the Church 4 Intercessory Prayer Bible Study Dance Ministry 11 6:15am Early Morning Lenten Service Intercessory Prayer Bible Study Dance Ministry 18 Intercessory Prayer Bible Study Dance Ministry 25 Intercessory Prayer Bible Study Dance Ministry Newsletter Photos by Deacon William Mayfield and Sis. Vera Hodge 5 12 Sounds of Joy 6:00pm Christian Board Voices of Praise Church Conference 6:00pm YAC Male Chorus To add an event to the church calendar, please contact Sis. Jocelyn 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. 7 (All Day) 10:00am Trustees Women of Faith 1:00pm Missionary Ministry 14 (All Day) 10:00am Deaconess 6:00pm Couples Ministry 21 (All Day) 9:00am Laymen s League 28 (All Day)