- by Deacon Dean Jernigan

The Testament March 2017 Durham, NC Lincoln Memorial Baptist Church

It has been said that nothing adds a touch of elegance to a woman’s attire than a string of highly polished pearls. They’re attractive, classy, and complementary to a woman’s natural beauty. They are highly valued and are a prized possession. Have you wondered how pearls are made? It’s an interesting process. Most pearls are made by oysters and, surprisingly, they actually start out as irritants. At some point, in either the feeding cycle or breathing process of the oyster, a small object enters into the oyster and lands on soft tissue in its interior. The presence of the object is irritating to the oyster and in response it forms a sac around the object and secretes a coating, called nacre, over the sac. The more the object irritates the oyster, the more it secretes in order to find relief. Finally, after repeated secretions, the irritation ends and the covered object left behind is what we call a pearl. Isn’t it interesting that something as beautiful and valuable as a pearl starts out as something that is so painful and disturbing? In many ways, through the Will of God, the same thing happens to us as we take our walk of faith on life’s highway. We encounter many irritants along the way. Some irritants come in the form of people who get under our skin or laws that impede our progress. Others come from the stress and strain of failed relationships, unemployment, illness, financial woes, and the storms of life that cause strife and wreak havoc in our lives. These perils knock us off balance and cause us to stumble aimlessly as we try to regain our footing. It may be a challenge, but during these difficult times, we have to remember that every irritation has a purpose and has the potential to result in a valuable lesson or experience for us. It’s not easy to have that mindset and the enemy will do everything in his power to keep us from thinking that way, but we have to know and believe that regardless of the circumstance, that God is in control. We have to remind ourselves of the battles that He has won for us in the past and the trials that He has brought us through. We have to continue to find comfort in His promise that He only has good intentions

for us. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11) When perils start to line up to take their shot at you, look to God’s Word for strength and evidence of how His love has guided others through their difficult and challenging situations. A great example can be found in the book of Daniel. Recall how King Darius was tricked into issuing a decree that resulted in Daniel being thrown into a den full of hungry lions. Surely Daniel would meet his demise and serve as a tasty meal for the lions. Yet God spared him by sending an angel to close the mouths of the lions and he left the den without being harmed. This feat convinced King Darius that Daniel’s God (our God!) was worthy to be praised and turned Daniel’s peril into a pearl of prosperity for the remainder of King Darius’ reign. Recall also from the book of Daniel the plight of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. After refusing to bow to a golden image set up by King Nebuchadnezzar, the furious king had them bound and thrown into a fiery furnace that was heated seven times hotter than normal. Surely they were destined to perish in the fire. Yet, to the astonishment of the king, when he looked into the furnace, he saw not 3, but 4 men walking in the furnace. Our Heavenly Father sent the protection of our Saviour to shield them from the danger and they walked out of the furnace untouched by the fire. King Nebuchadnezzar declared that the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (our God!) was worthy to be praised. By demonstrating an unwavering faith, these three men turned their perilous situation into a pearl of promotion in the province of Babylon. What are the perils in your life that are causing strife? What keeps you up at night or worried throughout the day? Whatever the matter is, look to our Lord for strength. God didn’t promise us an easy road, but He did promise to stand by us and to never forsake us. He allows trials and suffering into our lives to mold us and to prepare us for situations that lie farther down the road.

Growing Pearls From Our Perils

As uneasy as it may be, we have to stand firm in our faith, live through the pain of the moment, and believe that God will strengthen us as we go through our periods of peril. If we trust in His Word, then we know that we too will be rewarded for our faith with a bounty of blessings that only God can bestow upon us. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18) Let God’s Word serve as your coating when life’s irritants try to have their way with you. Open your heart and accept His repeated secretions of love and mercy as you stand firm in your faith. Look for the light in every dark cloud and for the hope in every hopeless situation. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) In time you’ll notice that the storms have ended and that blessings have been bestowed upon you. Rejoice in the majesty of God’s power. Rejoice in the fulfillment of God’s Word. Look in the mirror and rejoice at the awesome sight of God’s pearl staring back at you!

SAVE THE DATE!!

Saturday, March 4th thru Saturday, March 11th

Week Of Prayer (Sister Church) No LMBC Events In Sanctuary

Thursday, March 17th Church Conference

7:00pm

Please check the church bulletin each week for information on these and other church activities.

******

Food For Thought: The best vitamin for a Christian:

B1

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. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Matthew 22:37-40

Around Lincoln... I've Been Forgiven. Now What Do I Do?

Now the most wonderful journey of your life begins! Yes, you may grow slowly at first, but that's OK. For most people, relationships develop slowly. They grow gradually. You may want to consider this suggestion to help you. Whenever you feel like it, just start talking to God through Jesus. You don't have to use some special words or go to some special place to pray. Just talk to Him like you would do when talking to a friend. He's always listening! Then let God talk to you through His Word, the pages of the Bible, especially the four Gospels. Try to read your Bible every day so you can see what God wants you to do and how to live your life. Listen to what God has to say to you in the Scriptures. Learn about His love for you. Get to know Him in a personal way. Your Savior will be there for you....no matter what!

Not only can you get to know Him through talking to Him and reading His words, you can also meet Him in Christians in whom He lives. You will want to find a Sabbath keeping church where you can be baptized, a very important step in the life of a new Christian. The Bible is very clear that Baptism by immersion in water should follow your repentance.

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

You will be able to meet with other Christians at church who share the same values and goals as you. Your relationships with fellow Christians will help you to grow closer to God everyday. You will have the opportunity to learn about God and His Kingdom.

After you are Baptized God will send the Holy Spirit to you to empower you to obey Him and walk with Him in total submission. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to resist temptation from the devil and to help you develop the character of God. Your goal is to be like Jesus, thinking, acting, feeling, and loving others like Him. Your past sins have been forgiven but now you have to use God's power to resist future temptations. Don't be fooled by those who claim you are "once saved always saved." God's Grace covers your past sins but it is not a license to sin all you want in the future.

Remember, you don't have to go it alone anymore. You can call upon God any time and He will be there for you. No matter what you do, He will always be there for you. That's His promise to you!

"....for the Lord your God goes with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

www.gatewaytojesus.com

Youth members proudly display their certificates received in honor of their achievements during our Student Recognition observance.

Sis. Lasheka Wilks and First Lady Marva Atkins admire a present given to the Pastor and First Lady during the Love Day celebration.

Sis. Apryl Jernigan performs as “The Old Woman” in Northern High School’s production of “Ohema To Be”, a musical adaptation of the African folktale - “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters”.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

Ever mindful of our proud heritage, the Lincoln family places special emphasis on our rich and vast history during February’s Black History Month celebration. This year’s activities began with a wonderful presentation from Deacon John and Sis. Vera Hodge who highlighted their recent trip to Africa. Sis. Nevaeh Hemmingway warmed our hearts with an inspired spoken word presentation of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, while Bro. Thomas Vanhook brought it home with a delightfully thorough presentation on Gospel Music. Hats off to Bro. Cecil Sharrock and the Black History Committee for reminding us of the value and beauty of our illustrious past and the promise of better days ahead.

Black History Spotlight

Shirley Chisholm

Distinguished U.S. Congresswoman and lifelong social activist Shirley Chisholm was born Shirley St. Hill on November 30, 1924, in a predominantly black neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Chisholm spent part of her childhood in Barbados with her grandmother. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1946, she began her career as a teacher and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from Columbia University.

Chisholm served as director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center from 1953 to 1959, and as an educational consultant for New York City's Bureau of Child Welfare from 1959 to 1964.

In 1968, Shirley Chisholm made history by becoming the first African-American Congresswoman in the United States. She served seven terms in the House of Representatives. After initially being assigned to the House Forestry Committee, she shocked many by demanding reassignment. She was placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, eventually graduating to the Education and Labor Committee. In 1969, Chisholm became one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

She went on to make history yet again, becoming the first major-party African-American candidate to make a bid for the U.S. presidency when she ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972.

A champion of minority education and employment opportunities throughout her tenure in Congress, Chisholm was also a vocal opponent of the U.S. military draft. After leaving Congress in 1983, she taught at Mount Holyoke College and was popular on the lecture circuit.

Shirley Chisholm died on January 1, 2005, at the age of 80, in Ormond Beach (near Daytona Beach), Florida. Nearly 11 years later, in November 2015, she was posthumously awarded the distinguished Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

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, Editor • Dean Jernigan, Chair

Happy Birthday to our

March Birthday Celebrities!

Trevor Williams Virginia Brewer

Justin Bailey Daniel Campbell

Willie Wilks

Best Wishes For Many More!!

Celebrating Black History

www.biography.com

Sis. Nevaeh Hemmingway

Bro. Thomas Vanhook

The Black History Committee offers thanks to the Lincoln family for their ongoing support of Black History Month and for helping to make it a success. Please look forward to additional Black History events throughout the year.

The Potter And The Clay The story is told of a couple who went to England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and shopped at a beautiful antique store. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially tea-cups, and so spotting an exceptional cup, they asked “May we see that? We’ve never seen a cup quite so beautiful.”

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke… “You don’t understand.” It said, “I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, Don’t do that. I don’t like it! “Let me alone,” but he only smiled, and gently said; “Not yet!!” “Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. “Stop it! I’m getting so dizzy! I’m going to be sick!” I screamed.

But the master only nodded and said, quietly; ‘Not yet.’

He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then…he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door.

“Help! Get me out of here!” ‘Not yet.’ When I thought I couldn’t bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.

Oh, that felt so good! “Ah, this is much better,” I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible.. “Oh, please, Stop it! Stop it!” I cried. He only shook his head and said. “Not yet…”

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. Only it was not like the first time. This time it was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged… I pleaded… I screamed…I cried… I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up and just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering “What’s he going to do to me next?”

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said “Look at yourself.”

And I did… I said, “That’s not me, that couldn’t be me. It’s beautiful. I’m beautiful!”

Quietly he spoke: “I want you to remember, then,” he said, “I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you’d have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.

“I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn’t put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn’t done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life.

“And if I hadn’t put you back in that second oven, you wouldn’t have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.”

www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com

LESSON FROM THE TEACUP STORY: This teacup story illustrates what Jeremiah wrote by the inspiration of God:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!

(Jeremiah 18:1-6)

Couples Cavort With Cupid In celebration of Valentine’s Day, several couples in the Lincoln family joined for a delightful evening of food, fellowship and fun. One highlight of the evening featured a dance contest where the couples placed a balloon between them and, without using their hands, did their best to keep the balloons from flying away. An enjoyable evening was had by all who attended. Organized by Bro. Ben and Sis. Karen Boone, special thanks goes out to Sis. Wanda Crawley, Sis. Racquel Jackson and Sis. Angela Brodie for assisting with this event.

Super Bowl Fellowship Our annual Super Bowl Fellowship signals the official end of football season and provides a wonderful environment for watching the big game. In addition to wonderful food, our church’s Fantasy Football award winners are recognized at this event. Congratulations to Deacon Dean Jernigan on winning this year’s league championship and hats off to the Laymen’s League for this outstanding event.

-submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock

Lent in 2017 will start on Wednesday, the 1st of March and will continue for 46 days until Saturday, the 15th of April. Lent is the forty-day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday). The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days of Lent because fasting is not done on Sundays. Fasting and prayer are done in remembrance and reflection of Jesus Christ's fasting in the wilderness. It can also be seen to mirror the 40 hours that Jesus spent in the tomb prior to his resurrection. The dates of Lent are defined by the date of Easter, which is a moveable feast, meaning that it falls on a different date each year. Purple is the color most associated with Lent. Purple is symbolic in two ways: it is the traditional color of mourning (recalling Jesus' death) and also symbolic of royalty (celebrating Christ's coming as King). The observance of Lent dates back to the 4th century.

The word “Lent” comes from another word “Lente” which means springtime. That makes sense…since Lent and Easter always happen during springtime. As I was thinking about Lent and springtime, I realized that many of the things I like to do in the springtime are similar to the kinds of things you and I can and should do during Lent as we prepare for Easter. Let me explain.

In the springtime, I like to OPEN UP. I put these screens in my windows so I can open up my windows and let fresh spring air fill my home. For Lent, a great thing to do is OPEN UP our Bibles and read them more. When we read our Bibles, God speaks a fresh word to us and fills our hearts with His presence.

In the springtime, I like to CLEAR OUT- especially the clutter in my closets. I go through my closets and take out the things I don’t really need: heavy coats, old shoes- things that will just be in the way. For Lent, it is good to CLEAR OUT the things in our lives that we don’t really need—things that get in the way of following Jesus. For example, maybe you watch TV or play video games a lot. Why not put them away for a while and use that extra time to pray.

In the springtime, I always need to SWEEP UP. I try to find and clean up all the dirt in my home that has been hiding all winter- like under my rugs, dirt that no one else sees, but dirt that I know is there. For Lent, it is good to ask ourselves, “Have I made any mistakes or messes that I need to clean up? Do I need to apologize to someone for something I said or did? Do I need to ask God to forgive me?

In the springtime, I love to PLANT. I plant seeds in my garden pots and water them as I wait and watch them grow into something beautiful. For Lent, it is good for us to PLANT- different kind of seeds. We can plant seeds of love in the hearts of others when we are kind, or helpful, or when we tell someone about Jesus. For Lent, think of something you can do that will become something beautiful for someone else, and do it in the name of Jesus, the one who did something really beautiful for you.

Dear Jesus, We love you. Help us to Open up our Bibles, Clear Out our clutter, Sweep up our messes, and Plant seeds of Love. Amen

Springtime and Lent Theme: The Season of Lent; Planting seeds of love in the hearts of others.

Scripture: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

-submitted by Sis. Earleen Sharrock

Newsletter Photos by Sis. Wanda Crawley, Deacon William Mayfield and Deacon Dean Jernigan

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 12:00Noon

Noon Day Prayer & Bible Study

6:30pm Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm Bible Study

2

6:30pm Mass Choir

3

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

4 Seventh Day

Adventist (All Day)

10:00am Trustees

12:00Noon Women of Faith

1:00pm Missionary Min.

5

6

7

6:30pm Sounds of Joy

7:00pm Music Committee

8

12:00Noon Noon Day Prayer

& Bible Study

6:30pm Intercessory Prayer

7:00pm Bible Study

9

6:00pm Christian Board

6:30pm Sounds of Joy

10

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

11

Seventh Day Adventist (All Day)

10:00am

Deaconess

6:00pm Couples Ministry

12

8:00am Deacons

3:00pm Youth

Missionaries

13

14

6:30pm Voices of Praise

7:00pm

Durham County Ushers

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

15 12:00Noon

Noon Day Prayer & Bible Study

6:30pm Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm Bible Study

16

7:00pm Church

Conference

17

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

18 Seventh Day

Adventist (All Day)

9:00am Laymen’s

League

19

20

6:30pm Health & Wellness

21

6:30pm Male Chorus

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

22

12:00Noon Noon Day Prayer

& Bible Study

6:30pm Intercessory

Prayer

7:00pm Bible Study

23

6:30pm Male Chorus

24

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

25 Seventh Day

Adventist (All Day)

26

Ushers (After Morning

Service)

27

6:30pm YAC

28

6:30pm Computing & Technology

6:30pm Mass Choir

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

29 12:00Noon

Noon Day Prayer & Bible Study

6:30pm

Intercessory Prayer

7:00pm Bible Study

30

6:30pm Mass Choir

31

7:00pm Seventh Day

Adventist

March 2017

“One Heart, One Mind, One Dream In 2017”

To add an event to the church calendar, please contact Sis. Janice Campbell by calling the church at 919-688-1886. You may also reach her via email at churchcalendar@mylmbc.org. Please send articles, photos or information for The Testament to newsletter@mylmbc.org by the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Week Of Prayer - Sister Church - 6:00pm Nightly - No LMBC Events In Sanctuary