Rev. Micheal Benton Visionary/Pastor 6133 Redan Road Lithonia, GA 30058 Phone: (770) 482-7660 Fax: (770) 484-1483 www.fairfieldbaptistchurch.org Visionary…………………………………...........Pastor Micheal Benton Editor…………….……………………………Sister Shalynda McIvory Contributing Editor……...………….………...Deaconess Bonni Ware Copy Editor……………………………...Sister JoAnn Williams-West Newsletter Article Submission Deadline The FBC Newsletter is published on the first Sunday of each month. Articles MUST be submitted by the 15th of each month for inclusion. Please send submissions to: [email protected]. Newsletter Staff Visit our website... fairfieldbaptistchurch.org Welcome New Members Keely Fuller Pollie Hall Gay A. Pirtle James H. Pirtle Contributing Communication Coordinators Sister Sandra Crocker Sister Marilyn Dukes Sister Robin Junious Stay connected with us. Pain is a Process Sister Mary Hodo-Williams Excerpt from ‘Anchors in the Storm’ “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11 Pilots flying in a storm or in darkness quickly become disoriented and deceived by their senses. They say that when they are flying without visibility, they can be flying in a tight circle while their senses assure them that they are flying straight ahead. When a pilot be- comes disoriented in this way, his body is tell- ing him one thing and his instruments (panels) are telling him something completely different. To keep flying safely, he must rely on the in- struments in his plane. What we know to be true (God’s Word) when we are in trouble is “The Instru- ment” (panel) that provides certainty regard- less of what our physical senses (especially emotions) tell us. Our emotions sometimes give us false signals—deceive us. We are to rely on our faith (spirit) and His promises. We must persistently pursue, even though there may be zero visibility. The part of the process of working through pain is learning to hang on to what we “know” to be “true”. Let us look at the truth and pro- cess outlined in James 1:3-4: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience/endurance. . . let patience have its perfect (complete) work, that you may be perfect (become mature) and complete (well developed), lacking nothing”. It may be painful, but it is a process. Be assured that there is nothing that happens in the lives of a believer or an unbeliever that God does not know about because the process is divine- ly supervised. Since God works in “all things” we are guaranteed that whatever He permits – whether pain or pleasure, misery or blessing, He is able to use it all to transform us. God will allow us to go through a series of actions (a process) to fulfill the perfect plan that will give us a future and a hope. God has no process without purpose. The guarantee of Romans 8:28 states that we know that God processes in all of us all things toward good. “God works” indicates a present, continuous process; meaning God will never abandon His purpose for us, nor the process to accomplish it. For the believer, there is no pain without the purpose of good results. Proverb 23:7, says, “as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” In other words, his percep- tion is his reality. For instance, if his glass of water is filled half way, he can choose to see it, either half empty or half full. The same holds true for his gas tank gauge or his wallet. There are many false perceptions created everyday all over the world, by people who try and take a short cut in life. Some are entertainers, models, athletes, advertisers, telemarketers, and online computer scam- mers, just to name a few. But, here at Fairfield Baptist Church, it is our objective to serve God in spirit and in truth, to discipline the unruly, to evangelize the unsaved, and to edify the saints of God. The Greek word for fellowship is “koinonia.” Koinonia is mentioned approximately twenty times in the Bible, and it means, communion, joint participation, and teamwork with one another. Koinonia identifies the ideal state of fellowship and unity that should exist in the Christian church. Before Jesus fed the five thousand, Matthew 14 says He had compassion on them and healed their sick. Jesus prayed over the five loaves and two fish and told His disciples to distribute them among the multitude. Jesus was demonstrating to His disciples, that fel- lowship requires teamwork and joint participa- tion. In other words, Jesus led by example, which caused their fellowship to grow even more. 2 Kings 2:11, says that two men were walking along a path together conversing, one named Elijah and the other named Elisha when sud- denly a chariot of fire and horses of fire ap- peared and separated the two of them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven by a whirlwind. Verse 12, Elisha saw this and cried out, “my father! My father! The chariots and horse- men of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. He, then took his garment and tore it in half. History has it that lyricists and song writers, tried to capture that moment in time, by re- cording the song, “Lo Down the Chariot.” When our twelve tribes come together for breakfast or meetings, our experience is more than just the food or our agendas. There are times when the Holy Spirit leads, guides, and directs our fellowship, maybe with a word of knowledge, a song or a testimony, and we turn out as one man, on one accord, in true koinonia. Sweet Koinonia Minister Anthony Freeman Empowerment Session Wednesday, September 13, 7:00 PM Eli McKenzie Media Center Kingdom Kreation Youth Church for September will be combined with the adult service in the Son’s House in celebration of Pastor’s Anniversary. Kingdom Kreation wishes to thank the coordinators, facilitators and participants of “I Will Be the One” Conference. Your willingness to share made this event a huge success. Kingdom Kreation Youth News Allergic Reactions Many people have allergies. When contact is made with things that you are allergic to there will be an allergic reaction. Some symptoms of the reaction are sneezing, skin irritation, hives, rash, swelling around the face or area of contact, wheezing, watery eyes, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. More severe symptoms include shortness of breath, trouble breathing and rapid heart rate. A severe reaction can lead to Anaphylaxis which is a life threatening condition which can cause shock, a sudden drop in blood pressure and trouble breathing. If you know you have allergies, you should ALWAYS BE PRE- PARED FOR A REACTION. Do not hesitate to discuss the matter with your doctor. Some medications can be purchased over the counter. Health Tip Nurses Guild September’s Theme I AM GIFTED @KingdomKreation Search People, Kingdom Kreation Natalie Randolph made history when at 33 years old, she became the nation’s only active African American female high school football coach. She accepted the position at Coolidge High School, Washington, D.C. in March 2010, because she wanted to be a leader, role model, instructor and coach for student athletes. Ran- dolph stated, ‘I want them to be a complete athlete so when they go to the next level, they can face everything that comes at them’. Coach Randolph went 16-26 over her 4-year tenure at the school, with her most suc- cessful season coming in 2011, when she led the Colts to a 8-3 record and a Turkey Bowl appearance. The players loved her because she gave them her best on and off the field. Randolph resigned in November 2013 to resume her teaching career and spend more time with her family. After spending the last two years teach- ing Science, she is currently the new Washington DC’s State Athletic Association Title IX Coordina- tor. She is happy with the new position where she now has the opportunity to grow women’s sports and gender equality. A Moment in Black History Tribe of Issachar
