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118th Issue * Version 4
Second Baptist Church Evangelical Orthodox Communion Bishop Dr. Wm. La Rue Dillard 925 So. Shamrock Monrovia, CA 91016
Nadine O. Harris, MBA, Founder/Chief Editor Ferrari Y. Green, Production & Design Dr. Precious Flemings, Writing Editor Sherry Joiner, Operations & Distribution Vera Frazier, Operations & Edit
Contributors: Peggy LaBon / Jessie Anderson / Rasheedah Ruffin / Vera Reeves / James Ella Harvey/ Betty Thomas / Anita J. McCulloch/ Felicia Dickson
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Mission Statement econd’s Gazette serves as a monthly newsletter to inform the congregants of valuable information happening on the campus of Second Baptist Church and in the community, as well as spotlight individuals and events that edify our parish church, but most importantly; glorifies the name of Jesus Christ.
Church Family,
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hat a blessing it has been having Bishop Dillard here at Second Baptist for forty-five years. What a GIFT! A smart, passionate, talented and creative pastor with a love for God that is indescribable. We should be overwhelmed with joy as he starts the walk into retirement, but, crushed by having to give up his teaching poured on us every Sunday morning, come rain or shine. The fruit of his work will benefit many generations to come as well as those in the past. I for one will forever cherish the time he challenged me, pushed me, empowered me, taught me, and counseled me, and like all of you, I will miss him as I wish him all the best in the future that God has in store for him.
Visual Effects / Creation: Marquise Robinson
Photographers: Robert Anderson, Rasheedah Ruffin, Adele Davis, Robert Hamilton, Gerald McLendon
Children’s Church Consultant
As we embark on 2019, let’s grip hands to help each other through as we march into the next decade without his leadership, but having the stored up knowledge from his love for us over the years, to get through.
Jaylyn A. Harris
Second’s Gazette is published and distributed monthly, every First Sunday, to provide parishioners with information about our church, the community, and the world. We welcome your comments. Contact us at Secondsnewsletter@gmail.com
Second Baptist Church Schedule of Worship Services Sunday Morning Services 10:45 AM Sunday Church School, Baptism and New Member’s Orientation Classes from 9:45 AM—10:30 AM ————————————————— Ordinance of the Lord’s Supper Celebration is served every First Sunday after the 10:45 AM Worship Service and at 4:45 PM in the Sanctuary ————————————————Mid-Week Bible Study and Prayer Services Bible Study, Prayer, Praise, and Testimonies at 10:45AM & 6:45 PM on Wednesdays Except Holidays Second’s Gazette
We will be hosting a retirement extravaganza for our Bishop and his family in May. We hope that you will make plans to participate in all ways you can to show your gratitude and to help us say to our phenomenal Bishop “Job well done”! In the meantime, I hope you will find time to offer your love and appreciation to Bishop. We are approaching our interim time as Pastor Bourne gets acquainted and the new team is formed. Your prayers, your patience, and your flexibility are needed as we move through the process of welcoming Pastor Bourne and his family.
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Sons and Daughters in Light, God’s Grace to You!
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hen I reread the following passage of Scripture, I was led to share the Lord’s promise with you, with the Sermonic Gospel in mind from Revelation 3:21. Jesus says, “To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” The victory that Jesus offered the Laodicean church was the victory of coronation. He offered them, and now us the privilege of sitting with Him on His throne. This is colorful language, but it is also powerful language. Jesus is offering us the same victory He knew with the same result in authority and power. But what is Christ’s victory? How does He overcome the world? His victory is over the forces of evil. When Christ lives in us, He continues to battle for us and through us the same besetting forces of evil that He met as Jesus of Nazareth. His victory is over death. When we live in Him, we live in fellowship which death has no power to end. As He lives, we will live also and His victory is final and ultimate. Though defeat is all around us, we need to remember the cross and acknowledge that God can take over the failure and weakness and create His own glory. Christ always has the last word. That’s our victory! It is rooted in the confidence that the Lord will invade the trouble just at the right time with His unlimited resources. He knows, cares, and will intervene. Troubles are an opportunity to experience the power of the Lord in a fresh way. He can untangle problems, change the attitudes of troublesome Saints, give us the wisdom beyond our understanding, and open closed doors. Won’t He do it? Amen.
Until He Comes, I am Serving Christ Joyfully, Bishop Dr. Wm. La Rue Dillard Parish Under-Shepherd
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Editor’s Comments
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Bishop’s Epistle
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Contents
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Diakonos Praying
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Blasts and Footprints
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Movie Pick / Birthdays
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Good Reading
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Health
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Poem / Community News
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December Celebration
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Prayer Calendar/Words & Quotes
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Children's Church
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Spirit Buzz
Back Cover
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“New Year’s Day” Religious Holiday or Not!
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he birth of Jesus Christ represents our Christmas season, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ represents what some call “Easter” are the two most important events in human history that are celebrated and observed for Christians, but what about New Year? What do Christians think about celebrating the New Year as a religious Holiday?
New Year’s Day simply marks the beginning of another year on the calendar. It does not represent any specific event in the Bible. However, in the Old Testament, God’s people did celebrate the beginning of what they saw as a New Year to them, although not observed on January 1st. Numbers 29:1 states, “For them, it was a day of joy and thanksgiving to God for His goodness. For it is a day for you to sound the trumpets.” Should we ignore the beginning of another year and treat it as just another day. No, certainly not! We, especially Christians, should take time to pause and look back over the previous year and thank God for His many blessings to us. The Bible reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). We should take time at the beginning of the New Year to resolve to commit our lives into God’s hands, because only God knows what the New Year will bring. When we know God, we can face the future with confidence because we belong to Him. We can depend on Him to never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews: 13:5). Happy New Year!!! , Dr. Precious Flemings
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2 Corinthians 4:6 (NKJV) 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, Who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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aving the Lord take the reins of our lives and be our light sounds good! If only it was that easy. I would love for the Lord to allow me to just be; and not have to participate in any of the decisions in my day to life, but then, that would not be “free will” would it? As I continue to mature in life, I’ve learned to care less about what people think about me, and care more about what GOD knows about me. It’s gotten easier to make better decisions based on the Word of God, and His will for my life. Has it gotten easier for you too? Many things have changed in the world over the last half century; we even have more translations of the Bible, but don’t be confused, or “get it twisted” as some might say; the word of God is still the same, yesterday, today and forever. We still have to study to: II Tim.2:15 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. This book has a lot of good instructions for living! I pray that we all have a “Happy New Year”, and continue to look to the hills… Love you in Christ, Peggy LaBon
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Second’s Gazette Welcomes donations of any size. Please make checks payable to
Second Baptist Church
God is Not Dead: A Light in Darkness
SUPPORTERS Second Baptist Church Diakona Nadine O. Harris John P. Harris, Sr. Lady Betty G. Dillard Mother Deloris K. Bridges Sherry Joiner Diakona Thelma Johnson Ferrari Green Diakona Melva Hill Barbara Jean Grant Shirley Towler – Hayes Elder Robert Craig Cameron & J.P. Dixon Dr. John & Apryl Harris Diakona Larry & Debra Hayes Christine Mathis Marva E. Hogan Ophelia M. Harris Barbara M. Harris Mildred Cross Diakona Carrie Walker Dr. Yulonn M. Harris Geneva Douglas Diakona James Ella Harvey Laura Bullock
There is room for You to Donate! Second’s Gazette
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eleased in March of 2018, God is Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, tells the story of Reverend Dave Hill as he faces an unexpected setback when his church burns down, prompting the adjoining university to try to kick he and his congregation off the campus where they are temporarily holding worship service. Battle lines are quickly drawn between the church and the community as the Pastor finds himself at odds with his longtime friend, the president of the school. Facing a bitter legal battle, Reverend Hill seeks help from his estranged brother, a big city lawyer and proud atheist, to help him rebuild the church. “God is Not Dead: A Light in Darkness” is a good movie to watch during the New Year.
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An Important Vow Every January, many Christians resolve to read the entire Bible in one year. That’s a worthy goal, but God doesn’t require us to read a certain number of verses or chapters per day. Instead, He tells us to simply be in His Word — and thus be with Him — so He can grow our faith, light our path and assure us of His love and forgiveness. God’s Word is a precious gift, but we need to “unwrap” it!
Happy New Year!
Lessons in Wise Faith “The Magi teach us true faith,” said Martin Luther. Given the obstacles they encountered, we would understand if they had given up altogether!
Every January, the Christian church worldwide marks the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This ecumenical “octave,” or eight-day observance, lasts from January 18 (the Feast of St. Peter) to January 25 (the Feast of St. Paul). The week is based on Jesus’ prayer to his heavenly Father in John 17:21 that his followers “may all be one … so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (ESV). Jesus knew that if Christians were fiercely divided, people outside the faith wouldn’t want to learn more about him. The theme for the 2019 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is from Deuteronomy 16:20 (NRSV): “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue.”
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First, the travelers were “off the mark,” coming to Jerusalem to seek a newborn king in a “royal palace.” Then, directed to Bethlehem, the wise men found a sight “so utterly out of keeping with a king” — a poor young woman and child, in a “poor hut” — that one might expect them to head straight home. “But,” declares Luther, “with a great, strong and full faith they ... follow the word of the prophet and the witness of the star in all purity of heart,” bowing to worship and honor the Savior. —Based on Luther’s sermon for the Festival of the Epiphany (1522), Luther’s Works
Special Dates
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• New Year’s Day, January 1, 2019 • Epiphany, January 6, 2019 • Baptism of the Lord, January 13, 2019 • Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25, 2019 • Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 21, 2019
What did Jesus say brings greater joy in heaven than 99 righteous people? A. The singing of angels B. One sinner who repents C. 100 righteous people D. None of the above Answer: B (See Luke 15:7.)
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Any Complaints? hile serving as a chaplain at a children’s hospital, Lisa Anderson once found a young mother kneeling in the chapel. When Anderson apologized for disrupt-
ing, the woman said, “That’s okay. I was just complaining to the Lord. I figure it worked for the Israelites!” After laughing, the women began discussing how God listens to his people regardless of our approach. Indeed, Moses tells Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining’” (Exodus 16:9, NRSV). And as David hid in a cave from Saul, he wrote, “I pour out my complaint before [the Lord]” (Psalm 142:2). No matter what we say — or pray — our all-powerful God certainly can handle it. And no matter what’s troubling us, we can “take heart!” because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV).
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anuary always feels like the perfect time of year to make some lifestyle changes – people usually like to take some time to reflect on the year past and get clear about what they want to bring in, change or discard for the next 12 months. So people make New Year resolutions!!! A resolution is a strong decision to do or not do something.
For many of us, resolutions are just too strong of a decision (because of the possibility of failure when we don’t accomplish it), so we will express our thoughts or plans in idioms e.g. “better late than never”, “I’ll just bite the bullet”, “I’m alive and kicking”. These saying are idioms - defined as phrases that have a meaning that is very different from its individual parts. Unlike most sentences that have a literal meaning, idioms have figurative meaning. Or we may use a proverb which is defined as a short sentence that people often quote, because it gives advice or tells you something about life. A biblical proverb can be defined as "a short saying that expresses a general truth for practical, godly living." We can find the fundamental truths of life illustrated through comparisons in the book of Proverbs. In fact, the word "proverb" means "to be like"! The purpose of proverbs is to relay wisdom in a memorable and concise format. This creates a contradiction of simplicity, yet profundity. Vast wisdom is communicated through everyday language. The Bible even describes proverbs as "sayings of the wise" (Proverbs 24:23). So as you embrace the New Year, are you considering to “start a new chapter" and "do everything from the beginning"? If you start a new chapter you do things differently, not the same all over again. Are your plans: “To start fresh"; "To turn over a new leaf" (become a different person by changing one's ways); "To close the book on your former life"; or "To start tomorrow with a clean slate" (has multiple meanings, but it can mean starting an entirely new part of life); or "To strike out in a new direction"? New Year is a time when we often take stock of our life (think about what is good or bad about it). We may feel that we should draw a line under the past (finish with it and forget about it) and make a fresh start. If we decide to stop doing something we consider to be bad and to start behaving in a better way, we can say that we are going to turn over a new leaf. We might decide to kick a habit such as smoking (stop doing it), have a crack at (try) a new hobby, or even leave a dead-end job (one with no chance of promotion) or finish a relationship that isn’t going anywhere.
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Of course, many of these things are difficult. You may have decided to give up sweets once and for all (definitely and forever), but that’s easier said than done when you receive a birthday box of your favorite chocolates. If you have a bad day or two, it’s easy to feel that you are back to square one (have made no progress). However, people who advise on such things will tell you that it’s not all or nothing – if you break your resolution, it’s not the end of the world and you can soon be back on the straight and narrow (doing what you should be doing). In order to stick to a plan, there are some strategies you can use. First, you could put your money where your mouth is (pay money to show you are serious about something), for instance by taking out a gym membership to get fit. One common piece of advice is to take it one day at a time (not focus too much on the long-term goal). After all, as they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Another is not to bite off more than you can chew (not try to do too much) – we all know someone whose New Year’s resolution to ‘renovate their house’ means that they and their family are still living in a building site ten years later. It’s also important to be realistic – with the best will in the world (even with a lot of effort), a chainsmoking couch potato (lazy person) isn’t likely to give up cigarettes and go running five times a week. It may be a good idea to get the ball rolling (start) with a more modest aim. Some people are very successful in their resolutions. Once they’ve decided to bite the bullet (do something difficult), they get their act together (organize themselves effectively) and put their heart and soul into achieving what they want to achieve. If they manage to stay the course (not give up), they will see their efforts bear fruit. And finally, I could not leave this topic without one well-known proverb: the road to hell is paved with good intentions, which means that although people often intend to be good, they often fail at it.
Remember the following Biblical Truths for the New Year:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10 NKJV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” II Corinthians 5:17 NKJV
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 NKJV
“A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NKJV Move forward in 2019 and resolve to be all that God said you can be!
Live life healthy, Jessie Anderson, RN, BSN
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Preparation for Worship Lord Jesus, the Magi brought you precious gifts. Help me also give you my very best — always. *** As Jesus’ baptism inaugurated his ministry, may we who are baptized or preparing for baptism also minister by whatever means you direct, Lord. *** “How precious is your steadfast love, O God!” (Psalm 36:7). May each person who worships here sense your deep love for them. *** “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, ESV). Amen.
Words of Welcome Happy New Year! And a blessed Epiphany Sunday and season! We have come to worship the King, just as the wise men did so long ago. Welcome. *** Beloved children of God: Welcome to Second Baptist Church as we worship in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. *** Jesus often gathered for worship with his disciples and others. Following his example, we gather now to grow in God and glorify his name. Welcome! *** St. Paul declares: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV). Each of you is indispensable to this gathering called the church. Welcome!
“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.” —Unknown *** “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” —Martin Luther King Jr. *** “Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.” —Henry David Thoreau *** “Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone's life. Be the light that helps others see.” —Roy T. Bennett
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McKenzie Green—January 4th Jeremy Coleman—January 18th Christian Robinson—January 21st Makenzie Green January 4 Jeremy Coleman January 18
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