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true<br />
witness<br />
magazine<br />
FEBRUARY, <strong>2016</strong><br />
LUKE TEN<br />
TWENTY SEVEN<br />
LOVE<br />
YOUR GOD<br />
YOUR NEIGHBOR<br />
WHERE IS<br />
T HE LOVE?<br />
Vernell T urner, Editor<br />
Beulah Priest-White, Associate Editor<br />
On-Line Edition<br />
Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas, Incorporated
3 editor's note<br />
4 black history<br />
18 charles & garnetta lewis<br />
20 where is the love?<br />
21 national heart month<br />
23 what is hacking ?<br />
30 california council<br />
31 south central north carolina<br />
33 southwestern north carolina<br />
34 dynamic prayer<br />
36 retirement?<br />
table of<br />
contents<br />
"But ye shall receive<br />
power; after that the<br />
Holy Ghost is come upon<br />
you; and ye shall be<br />
witnesses unto me both<br />
in Jerusalem, and in<br />
Judea, and in Sumaria,<br />
and unto the uttermost<br />
parts of the earth."<br />
Acts1:8<br />
PUBLICATIONS BOARD<br />
Bishop Patrick L. Frazier Jr., Chairperson<br />
Sister Glenda Adams<br />
Reverend Charles Beamer<br />
Dr. Anne W. Fannin<br />
Sister Elizabeth Hallums<br />
Sister Nadine C. Houston<br />
Sister Jeanette Hunt<br />
Jr. Mother G.Y. Johnson<br />
Mother Odessa McCoy<br />
Reverend Dennis Moore<br />
3
"But ye shall receive<br />
power; after that the<br />
Holy Ghost is come upon<br />
you; and ye shall be<br />
witnesses unto me both<br />
in Jerusalem, and in<br />
Judea, and in Sumaria,<br />
and unto the uttermost<br />
parts of the earth."<br />
Acts1:8<br />
3
BLACK HISTORY<br />
Each February, we learn about the countless contributions of black men and women in America. We've<br />
learned about Martin Luther King Jr. and his Civil Rights efforts. This month I want to concentrate on<br />
the contributions of children that brought about the changes our children currently take for granted.<br />
-v.turner<br />
Nearly 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern states<br />
lived in a starkly unequal world of disenfranchisement, segregation, and various forms of<br />
oppression, including race-inspired violence. ?Jim Crow? laws at the local and state levels<br />
barred them from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train cars, from juries and<br />
legislatures.<br />
T he conditions of segregation thrived even though the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the<br />
?separate but equal? doctrine in 1954. For about 15 years civil rights activists used nonviolent<br />
protest and civil disobedience to bring about change.<br />
In 1963 more than 1,000 children in Birmingham, Alabama joined the civil rights crusade to<br />
protest the treatment of blacks in their city. T hese children joined the ranks of prominent<br />
Black community leaders who risked? and sometimes lost? their lives in the name of freedom<br />
and equality.<br />
T hese demonstrators were met with violent attacks using high-pressure fire hoses and police<br />
dogs -- producing some of the most iconic and troubling images of the Civil Rights Movement.<br />
President John F. Kennedy would later say, "T he events in Birmingham... have so increased the<br />
cries for equality that no city or state or legislative body can prudently choose to ignore them."<br />
T he Children's Crusade or March of 1963 is considered one of the major turning points in the<br />
Civil Rights Movement and the "beginning of the end" of a centuries-long struggle for<br />
freedom.<br />
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5
CHILDREN'S CRUSADE (CONT'D)<br />
James Stewart and Arnetta Streeter-Gary were among those who marched for civil rights in<br />
Birmingham in 1963.<br />
Stewart was just 15 years old and one of a thousand children who were determined to protest<br />
the city's segregation laws - a social code Birmingham would not give up easily. "We said<br />
enough is enough is enough. We're not living with this," said Stewart. "And when they<br />
brought the dogs and the water hoses out, that was a greater weapon that they were deploying.<br />
So for me, it was war time."<br />
James was one of the first to be arrested and jailed? ?We were put in a room that could hold<br />
fifty or sixty people comfortably. T hey put three hundred of us in that room. It was standing<br />
room only,? Stewart recalls. ?It was a concrete floor, it was concrete walls, very small windows<br />
with the bars on them. It was very hot. And they just kept putting us in that room. We had to<br />
develop a system just to sleep. We would make space on the floor, and most of us would stand<br />
around the walls, or sit in the windows. And those who slept on the floor, slept on the<br />
concrete.?<br />
Arnetta Streeter-Gary was there too, age 16. She recalls the high-pressure water jets held by<br />
Birmingham firemen and used against those marching. "I still remember that water. I don't<br />
think I will ever forget that water and when you would run they had the dogs waiting. I thank<br />
the lord that they didn't put the dogs on me," she said.<br />
T hey were trying to march a half mile, from the 16th Street Baptist Church to City Hall. Only<br />
a few made it.<br />
"I just couldn't believe that children were being treated like that. T hat was just so<br />
dehumanizing," said Streeter-Gary.<br />
It was a scene that caused headlines across the nation and around the world.<br />
?Pictures of the bravery and determination of the Birmingham children as they faced the<br />
brutal fire hoses and vicious police dogs were splashed on the front pages of newspapers 7
7
16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BOMBING<br />
On September 15, 1963 a bomb, planted in the church basement at the 16th Street Baptist<br />
Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killed 4 African-American girls during church services:<br />
Addie Mae Collins (14), Denise McNair (11), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley (14).<br />
At least 14 others were injured in the explosion, including Sarah Collins, the 12-year-old sister<br />
of Addie Mae Collins, who lost an eye.<br />
T he church was the 1st and largest church in Birmingham. It served as a central meeting place<br />
and staging ground for Civil Rights activities. T here civil-rights activists strategized, held<br />
mass meetings, sponsored rallies, and planned demonstrations in the fight against segregation.<br />
At the height of the civil-rights movement, Birmingham was known as Bombingham. By the<br />
fall of 1963, there had been more than 80 unsolved bombings in the city, including at the home<br />
of A.D King, Martin Luther King Jr.?s brother. T he bombing was intended to stall the<br />
progression of the Civil Rights movement; however, the tragedy had the opposite effect,<br />
galvanizing support and propelling the movement forward.<br />
On that same day, following the blast, riots broke out. T wo African-American boys, Virgil<br />
Ware (13) and Johnny Robinson (16), were also killed (1 by police and the other by racist<br />
thugs). In all, at least 20 people were injured from the initial bombing and the ensuing riots.<br />
Alabama Governor George Wallace sent 500 National Guardsmen and 300 state troopers to<br />
the city. T he next day, they were joined by 500 police officers and 150 sheriffs?deputies.<br />
T he N ext D ay:<br />
President John F. Kennedy responds by saying, ?If these cruel and tragic events can only<br />
awaken that city and state ? if they can only awaken this entire nation to a realization of the<br />
folly of racial injustice and hatred and violence, then it is not too late for all concerned to unite<br />
in steps toward peaceful progress before more lives are lost.?<br />
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holds a press conference saying that the U.S. Army ?ought to come<br />
to Birmingham and take over this city and run it.?<br />
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16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BOMBING (CONT'D)<br />
9/12/2013 ? 50 years after the bombing, all four girls who died are awarded Congressional Gold<br />
Medals.<br />
9/14/2013 ? A bronze and steel statue of the four girls is unveiled. It is located at Kelly Ingram<br />
Park, on the corner of 16th Street North and 6th Avenue North.<br />
Visit www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/us/1963- birmingham- church- bombing- fast- facts/ for photos and the<br />
original article.<br />
Sarah Collins (now Sarah Collins Rudolph) survived her injuries<br />
? but she lost one eye and today lives with pieces of glass<br />
embedded in the other. 53 years later, she lives with her husband<br />
George not far from Birmingham, and is fighting for restitution<br />
from the federal government for medical expenses she incurred<br />
and for literally decades of suffering after the church bombing.<br />
In short, like thousands of other Americans have done<br />
(especially in recent years), she is seeking some sort of<br />
compensation as a victim of terrorism.<br />
On September 10, 2013, Collins Rudolph attended a ceremony<br />
in Washington, where the four girls who were murdered in<br />
September 1963 were posthumously honored with a<br />
Congressional Gold Medal.<br />
?It?s just such an awful, awful shame,? Collins Rudolph says, all<br />
these years later, ?that it took that much violence for some<br />
people to finally wake up to what was happening in their own country.?<br />
Note: Sarah arranged to have her sister's body (Addie Mae Collins -1 of the 4 who killed in the bombing) moved<br />
from Birmingham's Greenwood (Woodlawn) Cemetery to a more well-maintained cemetery. Workers were horrified<br />
to find an empty grave. They dug 2 feet deeper, then 2 feet wider. Still nothing. No body was there to accompany the<br />
gray marker that read: "Addie Mae Collins . . . She Died So Freedom Might Live."<br />
11
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KELLY INGRAM PARK (CONT'D)<br />
Praying Pastors Sculpture<br />
16th Baptist Church in the<br />
background<br />
13
13
KELLY INGRAM PARK (CONT'D)<br />
The sermon marquee proclaimed at the 16th Street Baptist Church in<br />
Birmingham Alabama on September 5, 1963.<br />
A Seemingly usual Sunday. However on this day at 10:22 am. Four young girls:<br />
three 14 year olds and one 11year old were murdered by a bomb planted by<br />
members of the Ku Klux Klan. A fifth girl, a survivor, was blinded in her right<br />
eye. Two boys were also murdered in <strong>tw</strong>o different locations in the city.<br />
Six children lost, all in a single Sunday - a day that moved the conscience of our<br />
United States<br />
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KELLY INGRAM PARK (CONT'D)<br />
Children's Crusade<br />
"I AINT AFRAID OF YOUR JAIL"<br />
17
17
CHARLES &<br />
GARNETTA LEWIS,<br />
WORLD WAR II<br />
In honor of Valentine?s Day, which just<br />
passed, I?d like to tell you about some<br />
pieces on display and in the archives of<br />
the NURFC collection that represent an<br />
epic love story the years could easily have<br />
buried. NURFC was fortunate to receive<br />
a large donation from the Victoria<br />
Retirement Center in 2013, containing<br />
about 800 items belonging to Charles<br />
and Garnetta Lewis of Cincinnati. In<br />
inventorying and cataloging these items,<br />
we realized that the bulk of the materials<br />
were letters written almost daily be<strong>tw</strong>een<br />
Charles, a member of the Army Air<br />
Force during World War II, and his wife,<br />
while Charles was serving in training in<br />
the United States and with the<br />
India-China T ransport Wing of the AAF<br />
during the last year of the war.<br />
T he thing that thrills me most about this<br />
collection is its ordinariness. Charles<br />
Lewis is not a celebrated war hero or<br />
even a particular trailblazer. He?s a<br />
normal man in a happy marriage,<br />
separated from the one he loves. He<br />
battles that separation anxiety and loss<br />
the only way he knows, by writing to<br />
Garnetta ?- prodigiously. For every<br />
letter in the display cases on the third<br />
floor, there are four more in our archives!<br />
T hese are primarily Charles?letters to<br />
Garnetta, who kept each of the letters<br />
through the many years be<strong>tw</strong>een the war<br />
and the donation to NURFC. T hough<br />
some of the letters are Garnetta?s to<br />
Charles, I imagine it was much harder<br />
for him to keep the bulk if her letters<br />
19<br />
through the many moves required of him
19
w here is the<br />
love?<br />
by Pastor James & Sister Margaret Neely, Family Life Education Directors<br />
1 John 4:16 (KJV) "And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.<br />
God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him.?<br />
W HAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?<br />
I can?t think of a better way to begin this article than by stating some of the ?Old clichés? of<br />
love. I?ve heard these examples, "Love makes the world go around", "Love is a many<br />
splendored thing?, and ?Love is blind?. T here is more truth to that last saying than you might<br />
realize.<br />
I like the saying in the song that says, ?What?s Love Got to do with It?" T he echo comes back<br />
and says, "Love?s got everything to do with it!"<br />
It seems the whole world is looking for love, but in all the wrong places. Some people are<br />
looking to find it in the rich and famous, in rock stars, in the night clubs, or on the American<br />
Idol T V show. T hey can?t find love in those locations.<br />
But if you look at it and read your BIBLE, you?ll find that the world is turning out just like it<br />
said it would. T he gospel of John 12:43, ?Man would rather love the glory of men than love the<br />
glory of God.?<br />
T he Bible says Love covers a multitude of sins and Faults. 1 Peter 4:8. But man would rather<br />
stumble around in darkness, than seek love or forgiveness.<br />
Adam and Eve had a perfect union in the Garden of Eden. It was a paradise, where all that<br />
they ever needed was theirs. But sin entered in. And the same is true of marriages today. It<br />
was a paradise of perfection until sin enters in. T he greatest needs of married couples are to<br />
be wanted, to be needed, and to be loved. T he <strong>tw</strong>o shall be one in God?s eyes. God has ordained<br />
marriage be<strong>tw</strong>een a man and a woman to be His ideal of a divine covenant of unconditional<br />
love.<br />
How do you know when you are loved? You feel loved. How do you know when you are special?<br />
You are treated like you?re number one. You feel the greatest love of all.<br />
Love is shown by what it does. If you love somebody you?ll go out of your way to show that you<br />
care. T hey will know that you?ve done your best for them. T hat?s what God does. He is there<br />
by your side ?all the time.? Hebrews 13:5b, He said:? Lo, I?ll never leave you nor forsake you.?<br />
WHERE IS T HE LOVE? ?What?s Love Got to Do with It?? If you are looking for love, God<br />
will give you the best He has; His son. Jesus Christ. All you have to do is let Him fill you with<br />
His everlasting love.<br />
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Start today with small, simple actions like these:<br />
- Get off the couch. Step, march or jog in place for at least 30 minutes most days of the<br />
week ? you can even do it while watching T V.<br />
- Drop a pound or <strong>tw</strong>o. Cutting out just 200 to 300 calories a day ? about one candy<br />
bar?s worth ? can help you lose up to <strong>tw</strong>o pounds per week and gradually bring you<br />
closer to a heart-healthy weight.<br />
- Become a salt detective. Check out the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods to see<br />
how much sodium (salt) they contain. Aim for a total intake of no more than 2,300<br />
milligrams (about a teaspoon of salt) per day.<br />
- Celebrate with a checkup. Let each birthday remind you that it?s time for your yearly<br />
checkup and a talk with your doctor about how you can reduce your risk for heart<br />
disease.<br />
- Quit smoking in four steps. Can?t go "cold turkey"? Cut the number of cigarettes you<br />
smoke each day in half; then cut that number in half; cut it in half again; finally, cut<br />
down to zero!<br />
Tips<br />
Get moving! Research shows that just <strong>tw</strong>o 5-minute walks each day will get you started in the<br />
right direction.<br />
Decide on a personal fitness goal and write it down. Start at 10 minutes each day, and progress<br />
to 30 to 60 minutes each day.<br />
Choose an activity that fits into your lifestyle. T hat way, you?re more likely to stick to it.<br />
Set a personal weight-loss goal and write it down. Start with a goal of losing about 10 percent<br />
of your current body weight.<br />
Keep a food diary for one week. Write down everything you eat and drink.<br />
Pay attention to what you are eating now and why. Identify the sources of your personal<br />
?hidden? calories, such as eating your child?s leftovers.<br />
Substitute fat-free or low-fat milk for whole milk, and save about 65 calories for each 8-ounce<br />
serving.<br />
Watch nutrition labels: Products labeled ?low-fat? can be high in calories. For example,<br />
low-fat yogurt can be high in calories. Enjoy fat-free, no-sugar-added yogurt instead for a<br />
fraction of the calories.<br />
Include high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, in your diet. T hey take<br />
longer to digest, so they make you feel full longer. In addition, many fruits and vegetables<br />
contain water, which provides volume but not calories.<br />
Cut your favorite candy bar into bite-size pieces. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, and store<br />
the pieces in the freezer. When a sugar craving hits, unwrap and eat one piece. By the time the<br />
candy thaws in your mouth, your craving may be satisfied.<br />
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combinations until a correct password is discovered. Be sure to make strong passwords and<br />
change them on a regular basis<br />
Any system connected to a ne<strong>tw</strong>ork can be hacked. T he best solution to prevent hacking is<br />
keep hackers from entering your ne<strong>tw</strong>ork or keep them from isolating you system by<br />
disconnecting it from the ne<strong>tw</strong>ork.<br />
HACKED E-MAIL<br />
T here are many different ways an e-mail account can be compromised. People invent ways to<br />
hack e-mail constantly. Here are 3 methods of how your e-mail account can be hacked.<br />
M ethod #1<br />
Imagine you?re at the food court in the mall. You open your laptop and connect to the mall?s<br />
free WiFi.<br />
Now it?s time to check your e-mail messages because you are expecting important news. You<br />
open the e-mail client on your computer and start browsing the Internet. After a while, you go<br />
on your way to work, home, or school. But did you notice the guy at the next table with his<br />
laptop? He just took your email credentials while you weren?t looking.<br />
He used the Man-in-the-Middle hack. He set up his computer to act like a router and tricked<br />
your computer into thinking that his computer was the actual router. T he mall's router thinks<br />
the guy's computer - in the middle of the connection ? is your computer.<br />
Once a hacker gains access to your ne<strong>tw</strong>ork connection they can view all kinds of data packets<br />
coming from your computer to the mail server (or to any server). Each time you make a<br />
connection to the mail server you are sending your authentication credentials through the bad<br />
guy?s computer.<br />
From there it?s easy to use a program to filter out all packets containing your log-in<br />
credentials. T his includes your Facebook, T witter, and bank account log-in information as<br />
well. Everything!<br />
You can prevent this by not using the free WiFi. Use the Internet connection on your smart<br />
phone. Most smart phones can turn your password protected connection into a hot-spot for<br />
use with your laptop.<br />
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M ethod #3<br />
T he 3rd way an e-mail account can be compromised is by social engineering. Some e-mail<br />
systems come with a ?Forgot your password?? tool. When you set up your e-mail account you<br />
answer the security questions truthfully. For example, the sign-up form has the following<br />
questions:<br />
What is your pet?s name?<br />
What is your mother?s maiden name?<br />
Which street did grow up on?<br />
Which school did you attend in the 5th grade?<br />
In which hospital were you born?<br />
You had to pick 2 of them and answered the 2 questions correctly.<br />
Because the correct answers to these questions gains access to your e-mail account, it would<br />
be better to answer these questions kind of incorrectly.<br />
So, let?s say you chose "Which street did grow up on?" and "What is your mother?s maiden<br />
name?". Let's say the correct answer to the first question is "Main Street" and the answer to<br />
the next question is "Smith".<br />
Instead of using the correct answers, you can add a extra character before the real answer. For<br />
example "@Main Street" and "@Smith". If the system doesn?t allow these type of characters,<br />
then you can also use a letter before the real answer. For example: "QMain Street" and<br />
"QSmith".<br />
Alternatively, you could answer the questions with somewhat or completely unrelated<br />
information that you can remember. You could answer the street question with "across from<br />
the library" and the maiden name question with "epsom salt".<br />
If you use either of these alternatives and the malicious person finds out the real information,<br />
they will still have a hard time getting into your e-mail account.<br />
You may be wondering how hackers even get the information in order to gain access to your<br />
e-mail account using the security questions method. T he answer is very easy. In this day and<br />
age most of us use social media sites Facebook, T witter, YouT ube etc. and we like to give out<br />
too much information.<br />
We all like to share, share, share. We don?t realize that we've made it easy for a malicious<br />
person to gain access to our e-mail accounts using the security question method.<br />
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HACKED FACEBOOK ACCOUNT<br />
If your Facebook account is hacked, the password may be changed and you may be unable to<br />
log in. Facebook has a process in place so you can report if your account has been<br />
compromised and address the problem.<br />
Report to Facebook that your account has been hacked.<br />
Step 1<br />
Navigate to Facebook's Report Compromised Account page. You don't have to be logged in.<br />
Step 2<br />
Click "My Account Is Compromised." T his takes you to the Find My Account page.<br />
Step 3<br />
Enter your email address, Facebook username or phone number in the text box provided and<br />
click "Search." Alternately, click the "Can't Remember?" link for additional prompts to your<br />
identity if you need them.<br />
Step 4<br />
Enter the current or any former passwords you have used on Facebook underneath your name<br />
and Facebook thumbnail image on the following page and click "Continue." If you don't see<br />
your name or don't recognize the thumbnail image, return to the previous page and try<br />
entering a different piece of information. For example, if you entered your email address the<br />
first time and it didn't bring up your name and thumbnail image, try entering your phone<br />
number instead.<br />
Step 5<br />
Click "Continue" on the Secure Your Account page. If you aren't taken to this page, try<br />
entering a different password.<br />
Step 6<br />
Create a new password, confirm it in the text boxes provided and click "Continue."<br />
Step 7<br />
Click the "Change Password" link next to the email address Facebook lists as being associated<br />
with your account. T his opens your email login page in a new browser tab. Change this email<br />
password since a hacker who knows your email address and password can access your<br />
Facebook account. Return to the Facebook tab when you have successfully changed your email<br />
password and click "Continue."<br />
Step 8<br />
Click the check boxes on the Account Unlocked page to increase your security by only<br />
accessing Facebook through a secure browser connection and by receiving an email<br />
notification whenever your account is accessed from a device you haven't used before. Click<br />
"Log In" to complete the process.<br />
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california council<br />
by Sister Vernell T urner, Convention<br />
Reporter<br />
T he California Council was held in Los<br />
Angeles, California February 25 - February<br />
28, <strong>2016</strong> at Gospel Tabernacle FBH Church<br />
11861 South Main Street. Upon arrival we<br />
were cordially greeted by 2 young men who<br />
ushered us into the sanctuary and directed us<br />
to our seats. We were elated to meet the pastor of Gospel Tabernacle, Reverend Bryan<br />
Davis.<br />
T he morning service was wonderful. We heard greetings from Elder Quintin Hughley and<br />
Bishop Johnnie L. Davis introduced Bishop P.L. Frazier Jr. who brought the morning<br />
message.<br />
Bishop Frazier preached mightily from Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore, brethern,<br />
by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto<br />
God, which is your reasonable service." Beseech you - I beg you to present your body holy<br />
and acceptable. "On the Altar, but not burnt up". We are living sacrifices. Dead sacrifices<br />
can't speak. We have this treasure in earthen vessels. Bishop told us that Christ Jesus is not<br />
a consultant. He is in charge! We are to give our lives totally to God.<br />
T he Welcome Service was dynamic! T he young people led devotion and we thoroughly<br />
enjoyed them! T he children 's choir and their director were all arrayed in robes (purchased<br />
by the Foreign Mission Directress, Sister Patricia Jenkins). T he children sang out of their<br />
hearts. Pastor Davis was on fire. We all joined him singing, "T his Means War"! Sister<br />
Regina Raiford, National Directress of Jr. Mission, brought the message from Romans<br />
8:28. Subject: "It's Working for my Good".<br />
Each message was anointed and uplifting: Sister Patricia Jenkins preached Friday<br />
morning from Luke 22:3-6,34. Subject: "What's Brewing Inside of You?" Bishop A.L.<br />
Rodgers preached Friday night from Matthew 16:18 - 19. Subject: "T he Disabled<br />
Church". Mother M.E. Nesbit preached Saturday morning from II Corinthians 2:14.<br />
T hanks be unto God who causes us to win. T hought: "You are Victorious!"<br />
We thank Pastor Davis & the members for their hospitality. I am honored to be the<br />
reporter. I had a marvelous time and I encourage everyone to visit the Saints in California.<br />
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N ational Prayer D ay<br />
February 13, <strong>2016</strong><br />
12:00 N oon<br />
Greater M t. Z ion FBH Church<br />
Charlotte, N orth Carolina<br />
Intercessory and personal prayers are important for our spiritual growth in God.<br />
Praise and worship service was started by Elder Lester Powell Jr. We had a powerful praise<br />
and worship.<br />
T he misstress of ceremony was Reverend Irma Gomillion. She did a great job. We all joined in<br />
to sing our Jr. Missionary theme song, "Be a Missionary Every Day". We were made welcome<br />
by Erin Gomillion.<br />
Strong prayers were prayed against the forces of evil. Prayer for the nation was led by Elder<br />
Lester Powell Jr. Prayer for our churches and leaders by Pastor Nadine C. Houston and prayer<br />
for the youth by Pastor Gomillion.<br />
A selection by the SCNC District Choir, "I Know What Prayer Can Do", was uplifting. We<br />
learned about the history of the Jr. Missionary Department from Sister Aleyah Stevenson.<br />
An inspirational message was received from Reverend Barbara Hope from Greater Mt. Zion<br />
FBH Church. Subject: "One More T ime". She told us to put away old sinful ways and ask God<br />
to give us one more chance to get it right. T hank God for the message.<br />
T he Sweetheart of the year is a faithful member of New Bethlehem FBH Church. She is the<br />
district secretary of the Jr. Missionary Department, a mother, and a grandmother. Her name is<br />
Minister Mary Fluellen. She had many tears and gifts. We love her!<br />
We were blessed to have Bishop P.L. Frazier Jr. and Sister Demetri Braxton, National<br />
Directress of Jr. Missionary Emeritus, at our National Prayer Day.<br />
T hank God for a Blessed Prayer Day!<br />
Reverend Martha Graham, District Directress of Jr. Mission<br />
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Pr ayer<br />
conversations with God<br />
DYNAMIC PRAYER<br />
Prayer is talking to God.<br />
As His child, you must<br />
speak, talk, and pray to<br />
Him. It is important!<br />
T he Bible is filled with<br />
accounts of answered<br />
prayers. Moses pleaded<br />
with God to change His<br />
mind and not destroy<br />
rebellious carnal-minded<br />
Israel (Numbers<br />
14:11-19). Hannah, who<br />
was barren, implored God<br />
to give her a child of her<br />
own (I Samuel 1:5-11).<br />
David beseeched God to<br />
forgive him for<br />
committing horrendous<br />
sins (Psalm 51). And,<br />
before He was taken to be<br />
crucified, Jesus asked God<br />
to protect His disciples<br />
(John 17:5 - 11). God<br />
answered their prayers. He<br />
will also answer yours.<br />
But, there are conditions.<br />
You must approach God<br />
His way, not your own. You<br />
need to know how to pray,<br />
when, how often, where,<br />
and what to pray for. T he<br />
answers are In God's<br />
Word.<br />
Ask in Faith: You must<br />
believe and have faith.<br />
Hebrews 11:6 -"But<br />
without faith it is<br />
impossible to please him:".<br />
He who comes to God<br />
must believe that He is -<br />
that God exists - "and that<br />
he is rewarder of them<br />
that diligently seek him."<br />
You must believe God<br />
exists and that He will<br />
hear you. T hat takes faith.<br />
Jesus said, "And all things,<br />
whatsoever ye shall ask in<br />
prayer, believing, ye shall<br />
receive." Matthew 21:22.<br />
James added, "But let him<br />
ask in faith, nothing<br />
wavering. For he that<br />
wavereth is like a wave of<br />
the sea driven with the<br />
wind and tossed. For let<br />
not that man think that he<br />
shall receive any thing of<br />
the Lord." James 1:6-7.<br />
Faith is your proof that<br />
God will deliver His<br />
promise. It is your<br />
guarantee that He will<br />
come through for you.<br />
Scripture says "Now faith<br />
is the substance of things<br />
hoped for, the evidence of<br />
things not seen." Hebrews<br />
11:1. God is faithful to His<br />
promises. In Zechariah 1:3<br />
he says, "...T urn ye unto<br />
me, saith the Lord of<br />
hosts, and I will turn unto<br />
you, saith the Lord of<br />
hosts."<br />
Be diligent: Let God know<br />
that you are serious about<br />
your request. Keep in<br />
mind that God seldom<br />
answers prayers in the way<br />
or time frame people<br />
expect. God does things<br />
His way and according to<br />
His timetable. If<br />
something is important to<br />
you, come to God again<br />
and again, but not in a<br />
nagging way. Come with<br />
sincere, heartfelt petitions.<br />
Pray for God's will: In the<br />
world, most people pray<br />
for selfish reasons. Some<br />
ask God to bless them in<br />
winning the lottery or that<br />
their enemies will get their<br />
"just desserts". Consider<br />
James 4:2 - 3 "Ye lust, and<br />
have not: ye kill, and desire<br />
to have, and cannot obtain:<br />
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35
etirement?<br />
Social Security Administration<br />
Your retirement decisions can have very real effects on your<br />
ability to maintain a comfortable retirement. If you retire<br />
early, you may not have enough income to enjoy the years<br />
ahead of you. Likewise, if you retire late, you'll have a larger<br />
income, but fewer years to enjoy it. You can choose to receive<br />
Social Security while still working, either full or part-time.<br />
All of these choices are available to you. You need to try to<br />
find the right balance based on your own circumstances.T he<br />
following information is designed to help you plan for your<br />
future retirement and retirement options.<br />
Even if you don't plan to receive monthly benefits, be sure to<br />
sign up for Medicare 3 months before you turn age 65. If you<br />
don't sign up for Medicare Part B (medical insurance) when<br />
you are first eligible, your coverage may not start right away<br />
and you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long<br />
as you have it. You can apply on-line and get more<br />
information at at www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.<br />
Social Security has an on-line calculator that can provide<br />
accurate retirement benefit estimates. It uses you own<br />
earnings record information. You will NOT need to key in<br />
years of earnings information manually. You can create "what<br />
if" scenarios by changing your "stop work" date or expected<br />
future earnings. To use the calculator go to<br />
www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator.<br />
When you decide to retire, remember to complete your<br />
applications 3 months before the month you want your<br />
benefits to begin.<br />
RECEIVING BENEFITS W HILE YOU WORK<br />
When you reach full retirement age (which differs depending<br />
on the year you were born), you can work and earn as much<br />
as you want and still receive your full Social Security benefit<br />
payment.<br />
If you retire before you reach full retirement age, some of<br />
your benefit payments during the year will be withheld if<br />
your earnings exceed certain dollar amounts. 37
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BENEFITS FOR YOUR SPOUSE, EX-SPOUSE, CHILDREN<br />
Even if he or she has never worked under Social Security, your spouse may be able to get<br />
benefits if he or she is at least 62 years of age and you are receiving or eligible for retirement<br />
or disability benefits. He or she can also qualify for Medicare at age 65.<br />
If your spouse qualifies on his or her own record, we will pay that amount first. If the benefit<br />
on your record is higher, he or she will get an additional amount on your record so that the<br />
combination of benefits equals that higher amount. It will NOT include any delayed<br />
retirement credits (benefits received for retiring after your full retirement age) you may<br />
receive.<br />
Ex-spouse:<br />
If you are divorced, your ex-spouse can receive benefits based on your record (even if you have<br />
remarried) if:<br />
- Your marriage lasted 10 years or longer;<br />
- Your ex-spouse is unmarried;<br />
- Your ex-spouse is age 62 or older;<br />
- T he benefit that your ex-spouse is entitled to receive based on his or her own work is<br />
less than the benefit he or she would receive based on your work; and<br />
- You are entitled to Social Security retirement or disability benefits.<br />
If you have not applied for retirement benefits, but can qualify for them, your ex-spouse can<br />
receive benefits on your record if you have been divorced for at least <strong>tw</strong>o years.<br />
If your ex-spouse is eligible for retirement benefits on his or her own record, Social Security<br />
will pay that amount first. If the benefit on your record is higher, he or she will get an<br />
additional amount on your record so that the combination of benefits equals that higher<br />
amount.<br />
If your ex-spouse was born before January 2, 1954 and has already reached full retirement<br />
age, he or she can choose to receive only the divorced spouse?s benefit and delay receiving his<br />
or her retirement benefit until a later date.<br />
T he amount of benefits your divorced spouse gets has no effect on the amount of benefits you<br />
or your current spouse may receive.<br />
Children:<br />
When you qualify for Social Security retirement benefits, your children may also qualify to<br />
receive benefits on your record. Your eligible child can be your biological child, adopted child<br />
or stepchild. A dependent grandchild may also qualify.<br />
To receive benefits, the child must:<br />
- be unmarried; and<br />
- be under age 18; or<br />
- be 18-19 years old and a full-time student (no higher than grade 12); or<br />
- be 18 or older and disabled from a disability that started before age 22.<br />
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www.website.com info@website.com<br />
www.fbhchurch.org/publications/truewitness.html<br />
fbhtruewitness@gmail.com<br />
@fbhchurch