September 2013 by Mt. Pisgah Communications Ministry

the

Pisgah Post

Edition Ed dition d iition tion ion III, III, Vo Vol V Volu Volume olu ol um me m e3 3,, IIssue ssue ssue e 8 Saturday Saturday, Sa S aturday, a aturda urrday day, d ay, ay,, Septembe Sep September Septemb Sep eptember ptem mberr 7, 7, 2 20 201 2013 01 0 13

Spiritual Disciplines Discipline Eight: The Discipline of Worship orsh or ship sh ip p was designed by God for human beings to connect with Him. Many have trivialized and minimized worship to music, preaching, liturgy, form and style. Worship is so much more. Richard Foster defines worship as, “The human response to the overtures of love from the heart of God.” Worship is not following a prescribed liturgy, it is connecting with God. Until we have permitted the Spirit of God to penetrate our hearts resulting in a transformed life we have not worshipped.

The Centrality of Worship Believers demonstrate their love and gratitude to God through the act of worship. The two great acts of God in the Old Testament that tower over the Biblical landscape are His creation of the world and His deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery. Both demonstrate God’s love for the world and form the basis for worship. The centrality of worship becomes clearer as we view the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The first four commandments deal with worship and the last six focuses on our relationship with each other. Jesus reemphasized it in Mark 12:30. Our lives are to be punctuated with praise, thanksgiving and adoration to God.

The Activity of Worship The congregation is not the audience for worship--God is. In the Old Testament the most common word used for

worship is the verb sachah. Used more than 150 times, it means “to prostrate oneself, bow down deeply, or do homage.” The Greek equivalent is proskuneo, which means “to kiss toward”. Scripture connects many physical actions to worship. They include praying, singing, shouting, dancing, uplifted hands, standing, clapping, bringing offerings, and playing musical instruments. Worship is clearly not intended to be a spectator activity that uses the mind only, but is meant to include the whole person in an active response to God. A God of infinite holiness does not accept a spiritless offering. Those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:22-24), or else their worship is valueless. God has no part or lot in the matter; for their pretensions are vain (Review & Herald, May 18, 1897). With much pathos believers have debated the appropriateness of certain worship styles and instrumentation. Worship preference is culturally, generationally and geographically influenced. What moves my mother may not move me, and my lack of being moved does not negate her being moved. The central questions I believe are these: Are people encountering God? Are people drawn closer to God and each other? If the answers are yes, worship is happening. The book of Revelation portrays the inhabitance of heaven in a perpetual cycle of worship. Let us heed God’s call to experience Him through the act of perpetual worship.

Pastor Kevin Bryan

Seven Keys to a Worshipful Life 1. Punctuate each moment with inward whisperings of thanksgiving 2. Cultivate a life of total dependence upon God 3. Engage in daily personal worship 4. Submit your Thoughts and Actions to God 5. Practice Forgiveness and Reconciliation 6. View and Listen that which Spiritually edifies 7. Prepare Spiritually for corporate worship

PISGAH POST APRIL 2013

Understanding How the Market Works tock to ckss ck You’ve no doubt heard people talk about the market or stock market. Markets are where stock or shares of publicly traded companies are bought and sold.

Stock is ownership, plain and simple. If you buy a share of Microsoft, you acquire a tiny sliver of the company, thus tying your fate to that of the software giant, for better or worse. This is ownership in the most literal sense: You get a piece of every desk, contract and trademark in the place. Better yet, you own a slice of every dollar of profit that comes through the door. or. or. or The more shares you buy, the bigger gge ger ger your stake is. Generally speaking, the stock market ark rket eett is made up of organized places w where here he buyers and sellers meet to buy and nd nd sell, similar to a farmer’s market. t. While a farmer’s market is madee up of various stands or booths where re crops and crafts are bought and sold,, the stock market is made up of ddifferifffe iffe ferr rent exchanges where people meet ett to to exchange stock for money. Initially, alllly, y, if a person wanted to trade sharess iin n a company, he or she would actually ually take the shares to an exchange and nd sell them or buy them. However,, as as more and more people became inn-volved, it was obvious that not every ver eryy buyer and seller could fit into one ne building and find someone who was interested in buying their stock. T Th This his is growing reality led to the creation on ooff the brokerage...a person or housee that has a place or seat on the exchange to trade stocks on

behalf of their clients.

Bonds Businesses and governments often raise money by issuing bonds, which are debt instruments that investors purchase with the purpose of receiving a steady stream of payments in the form of interest. Whereas stockholders are considered part owners of a company, bond holders are creditors who have loaned their money to the company or government. The initial amount invested to purchase a bond is known as the principal. The price of the bond - and the amount an investor gets back when the bond matures value, which m ma atu turees - is is iits par val alue ue, wh w hic i h is $1,000 most Over uusually us suuaall llyy $1 1,,000000 ffor orr m o t bo os bbonds. ondds. O veer the life the regular tth he li ife fe ooff tth he bbond, he ond nd, re egguullaaarr in iinterest inte nte tere rest s made the investor ppayments pa aym ment ents aare en re m re ade to o tth hhee iinv nvvessto toorr att percentage known the a pe ercen rccenta taggee kkn now wn aass tth wn he ccoupon coup co oupponn rrate. ate. at ate e. U.S. U. U .S. S. Treasury Treeaassury bonds bboon onndds ds are are ar federal iissued ssuued ed bbyy the tth he fe fede deerraal dera government the gove ern rnme m nt iin me n th he two-, form ooff tw twoo, othree-, ve-, thre th reere e , fi fiv ve-, ten-year aand an nndd te ten en-ye -year ar notes no note otes to raise ra aiisse money m mo onneey for al for aall lll funcffu unc ncttions ion ons of of thee th

country. U.S. Treasuries are among the safest bonds available - a fact that is reflected in generally lower payment rates - and their interest is subject to only federal taxes. Municipal bonds are those issued by state and local governments to finance everything from road projects to school construction. Munis, as they are often called, are often not subject to federal, state, or local taxes if issued in the municipality where the investor resides. Finally, agency bonds are sold by specific government agencies for specific funding purposes.

The Leaky Balloon ut I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Romans 16:19 NASB Early one evening, I drove Rebecca-then 14--to meet some girlfriends for a bunking party. But her friends were running late, and as we sat there waiting in a parking lot, God orchestrated a great teaching moment. We were talking about how she was going to relate to the opposite sex as she got older--about how far she would go sexually with a young man. A water balloon was lying in the console between us; it was stashed ammo from a balloon fight at our home a few days before. Picking it up, I got an idea. “Let’s say this water balloon is filled with your sexual purity and innocence. This is all you have. How much of it would you want to give away before you’re married?”

and purity will you have left to give the man you marry?”

about one or two convictions that you want to pass on to your children.

“It would be all gone,” she said, “little by little.”

Pray

Now I have a question for parents: As you look at how this culture is seducing our teenagers, how do you need to teach and instruct your teens? If you don’t hold the standard high for your children, then who will?

Pray for wisdom dom do m tto know when God is designing ngg tteaching each ea c in ng opportunities. by Den Dennis nnis niis an andd Barb Barbara rbbaarra R Rainey ain

Discuss As parents, what is your game me plan to help your children “be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil”? Talk

“None of it,” she answered. “I want to give it all to my husband!” ms. s. “L Let e ’s Then I put it in teenage terms. “Let’s say a young man comes to o yyou ou aand ndd just wants a little kiss--your -yo yourr first yo r t kis kkississs-just a little bit of your our u iinn innocence.” nnocen encee..”” I held up the balloon an and nd pr ppretended reten re ended ina nary ryy needl dlee. to pierce it with an imaginary needle. ng, an ng aand nd Then another boy comes along, n la ate ter he just wants a little more. Then later on, you fall in love and decide it’s okay to give away even more.” I paused and looked deeply into her wide eyes. “How much innocence

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Mt. Pisgah Community Services Honored at National Night Out ince in ce 1984 all fifty states have been involved with the “National Night Out” event. Every August neighbors come together with local law enforcement agencies to demonstrate how communities can, and often do, participate in crime prevention. This year the City of Miami Gardens held their annual National Night Out celebration at the Betty Ferguson Recreation Center. During the evening program, sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Miami Gardens, city residents had the opportunity to meet Chief of Police Matthew Boyd and several officers who serve with him. Speaking to an overflow audience in the auditorium, Major Alfred Lewers Jr. was proud to point out that crime prevention in Miami Gardens has resulted in a lower crime rate than many other cities in the area. The police force attributes the drop in crime, in part, to community involvement in crime prevention.

food distribution event in Carol City Park. On that day, 21,760 pounds of food were distributed to 571 families. In one day the amount of fresh and canned food equals what the Mt. Pisgah Food Pantry distributes in one month. It was for their participation in this event that Mt. Pisgah received recognition.

The Miami Gardens Police Department also chose to honor several agencies and individuals for outstanding community service at this event. Among those who received a plaque for their service to the City of Miami Gardens was Mt. Pisgah’s Community Service Department.

Officer Rosita Clark, who patrols the neighborhood around Mt. Pisgah, had been trying to find sponsorship for a community food distribution day. Driving by the church on pantry day and seeing crowds of people waiting in line, Officer Clark was impressed to stop and ask what was going on. Speaking with Sr. Davis and Sr. Grier, Officer Clark found willing participants and plans were made for Mt. Pisgah Community Services and The City of Miami Gardens Police Department to participate in distributing food to the neighborhood. Officer Clark frankly admitted, “I asked several other organizations in the community to participate. They all turned me down because they were afraid of violence. But Mt. Pisgah said yes.”

On June 5th , Mt. Pisgah partnered with the police department for a

Officer Clark wants to continue this partnership with Mt. Pisgah and the

police department. She is hopeful they can have another food distribution day soon. More than 25 members of Mt. Pisgah Community Services Department attended the National Night Out event and were justifiably proud to see Sr. Davis and Pastor Kevin Bryan receive an award presented by The City of Miami Gardens for outstanding community service. Congratulations to Sr. Davis and her committee. Members and guests please continue supporting Mt. Pisgah Community Services with your time and donations.

By: Nancy Wells

September is National Obesity Awareness Month Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents Childhood Obesity is on the Rise The number of overweight children in the United States has increased dramatically in recent years. Approximately 10 percent of 4 and 5 year old children are overweight. Overweight is more prevalent in girls than boys and in older preschoolers (ages 4-5) than younger (ages 2-3). Obesity increases even more as children get older. For ages 6 to 11, at least one child in five is overweight. Over the last two decades the number of obese children has nearly doubled. For most children, overweight is the result of unhealthy eating patterns (too many calories) and too little physical activity. Since these habits are established in early childhood, efforts to prevent obesity should begin early.

Helping Overweight Children Parents should not make changes to a child’s diet based solely on perceptions of overweight. Assessing obesity in children is difficult because children grow in unpredictable spurts Weight loss is not a good approach for most young children, since their bodies are growing and developing. Overweight children should not be put on a diet unless a physician supervises one for medical reasons. A restrictive diet may not supply the energy and nutrients needed for normal growth and development. For most very young children, the focus should be to maintain current weight, while the child grows normally in height.

The most important strategies for preventing obesity are healthy eating behaviors, regular physical activity, and reduced sedentary activity (such as watching television and videotapes, and playing computer games). These preventative strategies are part of a healthy lifestyle that should be developed during early childhood. They can be accomplished by following the Dietary Guidelines that provide general diet and lifestyle recommendations for healthy Americans ages 2 years and over (not for younger children and infants). The most recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines can be found on www. ChooseMyPlate.gov. Following these guidelines can help promote health and reduce risk for chronic diseases.

Promote a Healthy Lifestyle Children can be encouraged to adopt healthy eating behaviors and be physically active when parents: • Focus on good health, not a certain weight goal. Teach and model healthy and positive attitudes toward food and physical activity without emphasizing body weight. • Focus on the family. Do not set overweight children apart. Involve the whole family and work to gradually change the family’s physical activity and eating habits. • Plan sensible portions. Use the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children as a guide. • Discourage eating meals or snacks while watching TV. Eating in front

of the TV may make it difficult to pay attention to feelings of fullness and may lead to overeating. • Buy fewer high-calorie, lownutrient foods. Help children understand that sweets and highfat treats (such as candy, cookies, or cake) are not everyday foods. Don’t deprive children of occasional treats, however. This can make them more likely to overeat. • Avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” All foods in moderation can be part of a healthy diet. • Involve children in planning, shopping, and preparing meals. Use these activities to teach children about nutrition, and encourage them to try a wide variety of foods. • Continuous snacking may lead to overeating. Plan healthy snacks at specific times. Avoid excessive amounts of fruit juices, which contains calories, but fewer nutrients than the fruits they come from. A reasonable amount of juice is 4-8 ounces per day. • Encourage physical activity. Participate in family physical activity time on a regular basis. Support your children’s organized physical activities. Provide a safe, accessible place outside for play. • Limit the amount of time children watch television, play video games, and work on the computer to 1 to 2 hours per day. Reducing sedentary activities helps increase physical activity. http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/resources/obparnts.htm

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Community Guest Weekend n the weekend of August 23 -25, The Sabbath School Department of Mt. Pisgah put on a phenomenal display of faithful service and fellowship. The church and the community were both treated to an insightful weekend of teaching, musical worship, and feeding of body, spirit and stomach.

away with a better understanding of how their interactions with others have a direct reflection on who God is in their lives. The adults ages 25 and up were challenged by Elder George Brantley, who led the adult group, on the topic “If God is Love, why do people go

Pisgah. Pastor Dade, along with his praise team and choir, led out the divine hour service with a spirited worship experience. He challenged the congregation to analyze who we are in the body of Christ by comparing the smooth operation of an aircraft to the Christian experience. He discouraged us from acting as terrorist in the House of God. The weekend culminated with an on campus picnic, which drew church members and neighbors. Thanks to the hard work of passing out fliers in the community the event was well attended. Not in recent memory had so many neighbors come out to join in a church activity. The Lord blessed with a sunny day and more than enough food for the masses. School supplies and food were passed out to all who attended.

The weekend kicked off with a Friday night teaching series which was tailored to the various age groups represented by our church. Children ages 1 -12, spent the evening in “the house” led by Sister April Rolle. She taught the young ones on the topic of The Holy Spirit. They interacted and engaged one another through a series of craft activities and hands on projects. The activities led the children to an understanding of the principles of the Holy Spirit and how they can learn to depend on it. Young adults ages 13 –24 congregated in the Fellowship Hall. First Elder Jonathan Rolle, led them in a discussion entitled” Outer Course vs. Inner Course”. It was apparent by their many questions, that they were engaged by subject matter. Elder Rolle shared with them that Outer Course involved hugging and other forms of affection. The young adults walked

to hell”. Those in attendance had the very foundation of what they believed to be the reason for hell shaken. They were challenged to search the scriptures in order to better understand what hell is and how a loving God could have a hand in such a thing. The God of Love was on full display during this thought provoking seminar. The weekend did not stop there. Early Sabbath morning, Elder Jason Tracey from the Daughter of Zion SDA Church in Delray Beach, Florida led a corporate study of the Sabbath School lesson for the week. Elder Tracey encouraged the attendees not to allow the appearance of Godliness to distract them from the pursuit of actual Godliness. Pastor Samuel Dade Jr. brought the musical and pastoral ministry of the Patmos Chapel SDA church in Winter Park, Florida to the sanctuary of Mt.

And with this, Mt. Pisgah closed out its Sabbath School Outreach Weekend for 2013. It was one for the record books. We pray next year will be bigger and even better.

PISGAH POST APRIL 2013

If you would like us to celebrate your birthday or anniversary with you in the Pisgah Post, please email us at Communications@MtPisgahSDA.com

PISGAH POST APRIL 2013

Golden Butter Popcorn Cupcakes Recipe adapted from Pam Jeﬀers for Food Network Magazine

Prep Time: 25 Min Cook Time: 30 Min Total Time: 55 Min

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

• One 16-to-18-ounce box golden buttercake mix (plus required ingredients) • One 29-ounce can corn, drained (liquid reserved; corn reserved for another use) • One 4-ounce bar white chocolate, finely chopped • 4 cups popcorn • 2 cups cold heavy cream • 3 table tablespoons confectioners’ sugar Directions: Preheat P the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare the cake batter as directed, d substituting corn liquid for the water in the mi mix. Linetwo 12-cup muﬃn pans with paper liners. Div Divide the batter between the pans, filling each cup twothi thirds of the way. Bake as directed; let cool completely. Meanwhile, put the white chocolate in a microwavesafe bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl; toss to coat, then refrigerate until set, about10 minutes. Remove about 2 cups of the white cchocolate popcorn and crush. Bea Beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, abou about 2 minutes. Fold in the crushed popcorn. Frost each cupcake with 3 tablespoons of the popcorn whipped cream. Top with the remaining white chocolate whippe popcorn. popcor

Photograph by Anna Williams

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Sickle Cell Disease n 1910, Chicago physician James B. Herrick published a description of oddly shaped blood cells taken from dental student Walter Clement Noel who hailed from Grenada in the West Indies. This provided the first detail in Western literature of what has come to be known as Sickle Cell Disease. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), sometimes called Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin. This is the protein that carries oxygen in the blood. Normal, healthy red blood cells are flexible and round, move easily through blood vessels, and carry oxygen to all parts of the body. However, in people with SCD, many of the red blood cells are not round, but are curved like a crescent or sickle. Hence, the term “Sickle Cell Disease” was coined. This causes the hemoglobin to form into long, inflexible bunches that damage the red cells. Individuals who have SCD inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene-one from each parent. If a person inherits only one copy of the sickle cell gene, he or she will have Sickle Cell Trait (SCT). People with Sickle Cell Trait do not have Sickle Cell Disease but they carry one of the genes which cause it. Similar, to those who have Sickle Cell Disease, individuals with Sickle Cell Trait can pass the gene to their children. There are many signs and symptoms of SCD. Some of these are similar to signs and symptoms of other diseases. People who have Sickle Cell Anemia may suffer attacks of severe pain in the arms, legs, back, and abdomen (stomach). Frequently, an infection such as a cold or sore throat brings on or accompanies a “crisis.” This is a period when the symptoms become severe. Sickle Cell Anemia frequently

causes chronic leg ulcers. It can also cause deformities in the bones, especially in the hips, and can afflict the central nervous system or any other organ such as the eyes, the heart, the kidney, or liver. It can also cause stroke. Additionally, common signs are: general weakness and tiring easily, shortness of breath, and jaundice. Jaundice comes about as a result of the rapid destruction of the hemoglobin, which produces a substance that can result in yellowing of the eyes and skin. This same substance can cause the formation of gallstones. Currently, there are approximately 100,000 cases of Sickle Cell Disease in the United States while 2 million

individuals have the Sickle Cell Trait. Miami-Dade County has a population of about 2.5 million people and there are about 2,500 who have SCD. The continued growth in the immigrant and minority populations is also responsible for the increased number of cases of SCD. Formerly, it was thought that Caucasians did not have the disease. However, it was later discovered that they have the disease and carry the genes. Individuals of all ethnicities should be screened at birth for Sickle Cell Disease. By Howard Ffrench & Ann Hernandez * Portions of this article were used with permission.

PISGAH POST APRIL 2013

LABOR DAY

Monday Monday

Tuesday Tuesday

PATRIOT DAY

Pisgah Food Pantry 2-4:30 pm Prayer & Praise Service 7:30 pm

Prayer & Praise Service 7:30 pm

Pisgah Food Pantry 2-4:30 pm Prayer & Praise Service 7:30 pm

Prayer & Praise Service 7:30 pm

Wednesday Wednesday

Thursday Thursday Sunset 7:36 pm

Sunset 7:28 pm

Sunset 7:20 pm

Sunset 7:13 pm

6 13 20 27

5 12

4 11

18 19 25 26

21 28

7 14

22 29

T 1 8 15

AUGUST 2013

23 30

F 2 9 16

24 31

S 3 10 17

Sunset 7:36 pm

FACES REHEARSAL 7:30pm

Sunset 7:27 pm

Sunset 7:35 pm

Sunset 7:19 pm

Children’s Church

Youth Church Adventurer Club Meeting

Saturday Saturday

Sunset 7:11 pm

15 22 29

7 14

6 13

20 21 27 28

T 1 8

23 30

W 2 9

24 31

T 3 10

OCTOBER 2013

F 4 11

S 5 12

District 5 Adventurer Day

S. Fl. Youth Federation

FACES REHEARSAL 7:30pm

Friday Friday

Kelvin Trocard Edeline ‘Dee Dee’ Severe Simone Laing Karen Greene Tannysha Yearby Elder Steve Williams Jasmyn Williams

If you would like to place an ad for your business in the Pisgah Post please contact us at Communications@MtPisgahSDA.com

FACES REHEARSAL 1:00 pm

Pathfinder Meeting @ 9am 10 Things Every Lady… – 12:30 pm FACES REHEARSAL 1:00 pm

Church Board Meeting 9am FACES REHEARSAL 1:00 pm

Pathfinder Meeting @ 9am FACES REHEARSAL 1:00 pm

Sunday Sunday

Jondra Grier Jessica Garcon Nancy Wells Peggy Joseph

Communications Team