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The Voice of Goldsboro-Raleigh

“Lead By Example” St. John 13:13-15

Presiding Prelate Bishop

Chester L. Aycock

Vice-Bishop Richard W. Johnson

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DCYF End of the Year Banquet

November 4, 2017

Doors Open at 5:00 PM (Goldsboro-Raleigh Fellowship Hall)

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Apex School of Theology Learning Center Goldsboro at the Goldsboro-Raleigh District Assembly

Offering the following degrees:

Associates of Christian Education Bachelor of Theology

Master of Divinity Master of Christian Education

Spring 2018 dates to be released soon...

All classes be held at the GRDA Headquarters every Monday night beginning at 6:30 pm

Instruction is provided via online and (limited - Monday nights) face-to-face.

Visit: www.apexsot.edu for more information or contact Tarrick C. Cox, Site Director at 252-717-8106 or

Dr. Dianna Peppers, Professor/Recruiter at 252-286-1089.

Apex School of Theology Learning Center Goldsboro at the Goldsboro-Raleigh District Assembly

Continuing Education Program

Offering the following classes: Old Testament Survey New Testament Survey

Evangelism Stewardship Discipleship

The program meets the needs of: Adult learners; Persons who never completed high school; Persons with disabilities and Pastors and laypersons of ALL denominations.

Our Continuing Education Units, (C.E.U.), are fully certified by the school.

Classes will begin soon and held at various locations throughout the Assembly. All classes will be held for 2 hours each week over the course of 8 weeks.

Cost per class is $100 (includes course packet and book(s))

For more information please contact Tarrick C. Cox, Site Director at 252-717-8106 or at coxtacy@aol.com

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Highlights from the Mission Ministry Program at St. Peter Church, Kinston

The Mission Ministry at St. Peter Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ in Kinston, North Carolina spon-sored a Mission Ministry Program on Sunday, June 11, 2017. The purpose of the program was to honor missionaries that laid the foundation for the Mission Ministry at St. Peter Church. Those who were hon-ored include: Mother Doris Jones, Mother Lula Hall, Mother Lueverna Thomas, Mother Nora Koonce, the late Mother Novella Parker, Sister Sudie Bell Gooding, Sister Annie Sanders and Mother Ida Mae Jones. The theme of the program was "Equipped for Discipleship". The Presider for the program was El-der Dedra Houston, Associate Minister, Vine Swamp Church of Christ in Kinston. The guest speaker was Elder Shirley Howard, President of the Goldsboro-Raleigh District Assembly Missionary Convention. Spe-cial recognition was given to Sister Sudie Bell Gooding, who turned 101 years old on the day of the ser-vice.

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VINE SWAMP CHURCH OF CHRIST, DISCIPLES OF CHRIST

3472 Hwy 58 South, Kinston, NC 28501

ELDER KENNETH MOORE, JR. PASTOR

150TH

CHURCH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Sunday, November 19, 2017

11:00 A.M. Service Pastor Kenneth Moore, Jr.

&

The Vine Swamp Gospel Choir

3:30 P. M.

Guest Preacher: Bishop Chester L. Aycock, Presiding Prelate Goldsboro Raleigh District Assembly

&

St. Paul Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ Church Family

Wilson, NC

(Lunch will be served following the morning service)

“Many generations continue to praise thy works” Psalm 145:4

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PASTOR Elder Mary Brown | St. James Church, Durham ELDERS

Henrietta Dew-Hinnant | Flat Rock Church, Sims Angela McClarin | St. Paul Church, Lake Wilson Rd., Wilson Eddie McClarin | St. Paul Church, Lake Wilson Rd., Wilson Dennis Royal | St. Paul Church, Lake Wilson Rd., Wilson

MOTHERS

Dorothy Dublin | St. Peter Church, Smithfield Malvadean Hargett | St. Rose Church, Wilson Wendy B. Herring | Holly Grove Church, Clinton Carolyn Gray Jones | Heavenly Sunlight Church, Snow Hill Deborah Ann Joyner | Heavenly Sunlight Church, Snow Hill Teresa A. Parker | Holly Grove Church, Clinton

DEACONS Frank Crumel, Jr | Flat Rock Church, Sims Benjamin Holloway | Holly Hill Church, LaGrange Curtis Scofield White | St. Peter Church, Smithfield

CONSECRATION AND ORDINATION

November 8-11, 2017 Southern District Assembly Bishop Robert Jones, Presiding Prelate Grainger, NC

REMAINING 2017 ASSEMBLIES

November 16-19, 2017 Southeastern District Assembly Bishop Edward Pollock, Presiding Prelate Grifton, NC

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145th ANNUAL SESSION HIGHLIGHTS

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“Crippled in the Temple” - St. Luke 13: 10-17 Dr. Evelena Oliver

“And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him. Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? And whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again he said, whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?” 1. To make this relevant for today’s logistics, let me symbolically begin the story like this. Jesus is attending a wor-ship service to teach. Maybe Jesus doesn’t know about this sick woman is going to be there because, for 18 years she’s been a permanent fixture in worship, crippled! I wanted to know if there something more Jesus was looking at besides her exterior; what Jesus piercing eyes are seeing; what does Jesus see beyond the veil. 2. I need to see what Jesus see! 3. So I ran some scripture references to discovery what Jesus is up against and out of this I saw:

Isaiah 53: 3-4: Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah has put the word out on Jesus 42 generations before He arrived in the world. Jesus looks at the 18-year-old cripple who has become almost like a veteran at being crippled. Isaiah 53 is talking to Jesus and it is like the old prophets said in the Old Testament that “the word came unto me.” Jesus literally says I have come to bear your griefs [sorrows, heartaches, anguish, fears, miseries, woes, and unhappiness.] Jesus said, I come carry your sorrows, [distresses, troubles, regrets, burden, disappointment worries, torments] I know you don’t look like much to others. I know you have had a date since you been in the world, more less in the church. I know your clothes doesn’t fit right when you come to church, front of your dress is dragging the floor and up high in the back; I know it is hard to find a seat and they do not want to sit next to you because you draws attention and you remind them of what could had hap-pen to them and maybe some of their family members they left home. I know you have not been in a beauty salon; wear expensive shoes and no 2 inch heels but I am getting ready to fix that. I know you are a faithful supporter of the church and may even be a honest worshipper and the only praise that comes out of your mouth is toward the floor and because it does not sound like yours, it sounds like a muddled sound: my daughter, actually that is a position of worship! Matthew 8: 17 help me tell the story: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Him-self took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Matthew 11: 10-11 - For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Jesus says I got this. Paul help me testify and don’t worry because Romans 8: 25-31. But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groaning’s which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us! Woman your defense attorney is here now! Now it is your turn to share with the Lord cycles that need to be broken in your life.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father we come knowing that you are our creator and we are the creature and no good thing is found in our flesh. We know that we must constantly engage in reality checks for our own souls. We ask that thou will remember that we are dust and need to be broken repeatedly that we might appear holy in thou presence. Life is busy and we sometimes forget who we are, forget to forsake all daily and seek abundant life. Break all cycles in ap-pear holy in thou presence. Life is busy and we sometimes forget who we are, forget to forsake all daily and seek abundant life. Break all cycles in our lives that do not bring your name glory. Peace and Love

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Order in the Church from My Perceptive Pastor Nannie Stevens

We all are entitled to our opinions. It is up to the individual to express them. I choose at this time to express an

observation. The thought has often come to me from a very familiar scripture James 4:1 which states, “From

whence come wars and fighting among you”? One reason this scripture appealed to me was because I personally

do not like when there is fighting among us. Yes, we should have differences but to let it end in hostility, I feel

is not the right way.

This takes me to my next observation. Why is it that we must have Constitution and bylaws in the church? It is

the law of the land that says every organization should have this governing set of rules to let it be known what

we are and what is allowed or disallowed. My first thought was doesn’t the Bible do this? Why should born

again believers in Christ need an extra set of rules to follow? Since that first thought was done many years ago, I

have come to a better understanding of the necessity of such governing among us. We must realize that God

demands us to demonstrate order. In a nutshell, everyone in the church is not mature. Immaturity must be disci-

plined to enforce order. The body has many members, yet all has not surrendered totally to our Lord. The enemy

knows this. He will use it to his advantage causing fighting and divisions to surface. The devil comes in as an

angel of light, causes chaos among the believers, then acts as if they’ve done nothing wrong. Wow, wake up

church! We need to be watchful as well as prayerful for righteousness to prevail. We have Constitution and

bylaws to help have order in our churches.

I strongly believe that mature Christians seek to serve God with their whole heart, mind, and soul like the Bible

says in Matthew 22:37. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with

all your mind”. They are like Enoch. Their lives are dedicated to pleasing God. They also take on a Joshua men-

tality {as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord}. Is there order in your house or do you need a written

bylaw to make you observe the truth? Whose “Disciple” are you? 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “All things are law-

ful for me but all things are not necessary for me”. Only mature Christians can differentiate! Until we all come

to the full knowledge of our Lord, there must be the do’s and the don’ts.

Again James 4:1 used to baffle me. The Holy spirit has since enlightened my understandings with a unique per-

spective. I just could not understand why there was fighting in the house of God. I do not claim to dot every i or

cross every t nor is it my intention to throw stones. I understood these things happened in the world but I did not

want to accept that they happened among us. When we deal with the Body of Christ there is a mixture of all

kinds of folk! There are the young, the old, middle aged, seasoned, unseasoned and God loves them all. He does

not love the wrong that we do but He understands the why. They have accepted Christ as their Savior so why

the fighting? They have some more growing to do. There are more deliverances to be received. Proverbs 6 says

that there are 6 things God hate and seven is an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands

that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a

false witness that speaketh lies and he that soweth discord among brethren. I pray for the Body of Christ that we

consider these things and fight the real fight. Not against each other but for the glory of God to be manifested

within and among us against the true enemy. God tells us “to love one another as He has loved us” John 13:34.

My perspective: since the good and the bad must live here together until Christ returns, looks like Constitution

and bylaws serves a purpose among us. God bless all of us!!!

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A Spiritual Wilderness, Voice in the Wilderness The 40th chapter of Isaiah is about the time and coming of Christ followed by an exhortation to rec-ognize Him as the likeness and true image of Almighty God (Isaiah 40:12-31, Colossians 1:15 Hebrews 1:3). The first part foretells a Voice calling to prepare the way for the coming of Christ the Lord. Isaiah 40:3 refers to John the Baptist. He was the voice calling in the wilderness, John the Baptist was a special herald of Christ. His preaching in the wilderness paved the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ. John Ministry was to prepare people for Christ, and lead them to Christ. John is a Model for today. He was a voice literally crying in the wilderness. It is evident that there was in his time a religious or spiritual wilderness too. The people were in confusion much as today. All who preach the gospel of Christ are voices crying in the wilderness preaching the word in season and out of sea-son. John the Baptist’s preaching turned many sinners to righteousness and made a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:16-17. He prepared the people for Christ’s first coming. It is our job to prepare the world for Christ’s Christ Second Coming Matthew 28:18-20. Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament also prophesies of a messenger of the Lord Malachi 3:1-3. Jesus himself interpreted this passage for us. And applied it to John the Baptist. Matthew 11:1-15. Luke 1:11-19, john 1:19-21. Our Power is in the Gospel. Just as John the Baptist preached in the spirit and power of Elijah so we should preach in the power of John. God has bestowed that power on us. It is the very gospel we preach Ro-mans 1:16. The Gospel is the Power of God until Salvation. Jesus and the Spirit according to Mark 1:1-13, Mark starts by telling us that John the Baptizer was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His path straight. John the Baptism appeared in the wilderness proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. In those day Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee was baptized by John in the Jordon. And when he was coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens open and the Spirit descending like a dove on Him. And a voice came from heaven You are my Son, with you I’ m pleased. And the Spirit immediately drove Him in the wilderness for forty days tempted by Satan. Jesus spend 40 days fasting in the wilderness learning better how to listen to His Father’s voice. Then in Matthew 4;3-4 Satan found Him and offered Him an alternative voice to listen to. Proverbs 3, Hebrews 12 says ‘My son. Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor be weary when reproved by Him, For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every son whom He receive.’ As we study Exodus15;22-17 we see that the wilderness was a training ground where God taught His people about Himself. God revealed Himself to the Israelites in the wilderness so that He might someday re-veal Himself through His people to the nation. It’s the same today; God makes Himself known to us in the wilderness so that He might make Himself known through us in the world. John said, I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said, John the Baptist said, I am so emptied of self, that I have become the expression of the voice and feeling of another (Jesus) in every aspect and part of my being. At this present time, there are those who are being moved upon by the Holy Spirit in order to be made ready that they might respond as John the Baptist did. These are being prepared to become prophetic voices through whom the Lord will not only speak His Word, but so fully reveal Himself that it will appear as if they had become Jesus like as His life will noticeably be reflected through their lives. The purpose of the wilderness was to bring Moses to the end of his nature ability, and into the place of complete dependence upon the Lord. The greatest of human abilities could not accomplish the deliverance of Israel from their bondage. Moses had to come to a place of emptiness so that all his trust would be in the Lord. It is important for us to understand that the Lord’s intervention came only after Moses had been so totally reduced from all his ability and self -sufficiency, that finally he noticed the Lord manifested presence. Everything Israel and Judah built up in generation of self-effort was an abomination to God, and He systematically gave over for destruction all they had accomplished by the works of their own hands Jer.1;16; 32;29-36. The message speaks to us today. And the apostle Paul summarizes the shaking God is determined to perform Heb12;26-27. Everything built by the hand of man in the energy and wisdom of the flesh, He has vowed to shake down. Paul prophesied has begun and is continuing in the church today. The same evils that plagued Israel seeking to please God by external performance, lapsing into idolatry and moral decay, corrup-tion in leadership, and worshiping the works of men’s hands are present in the church. Remember Jesus Christ told His Disciple that He would be back. Prophetic speaking we are living in Rapture Eve, according to The Second coming of Christ written by Clarence Larkin

Humbly Submitted, Elder Katie Armstrong

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Pastor Installation - Pastor Mary Brown St. James Church of Christ, DOC, Durham, NC.

(Sunday, October 22, 2017 - GRDA 145th Annual Session – Submitted by Pastor Mary Brown)

“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understand-

ing.” (Jer. 3:15)

God gave His criteria for leadership when He promises Jeremiah that He would give

the people shepherds after His own heart. What does this mean? God says Shepherds are to

lead His people with “knowledge and understanding.” “The Lord gave the word: great was the

company of those that published it.” (Psalms 68:11)

A major prophetic event looms on the horizon. The great prophets of the bible: Isaiah,

Jeremiah and Ezekiel wrote about it. The called Minor Prophets Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Zephani-

ah, Zechariah and Malachi also emphasized this event. It was called the “Day of the Lord.”

But just what is it? And how does it fit into the framework of Bible prophecy?

The book of Joel contains a prophecy for our generation: “Blow the trumpet in Zion,

and sound an alarm in my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the

“Day of the Lord” is coming, for it is at hand: a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of

clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A great peo-

ple come, great and strong, the like of whom has never been; nor will there ever be any such

after them, even for many successive generations. (Joel 2:1-2).

Our dependence and expectation comes from God; whom has given great inspiration

to remain prayerful, steadfast to serve His people in humility and perform His Work, His Way

through His Son, Jesus Christ. Encouraged to remain inspirit by these words Jesus spoke to

Paul in a vision: “Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: For I am with thee and no

man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10)

We solicit your prayers. Our doors at St. James Church of Christ are on “Welcome”

hinges. Visit or join us for Service (every Sunday, except the Fifth). Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

and Morning Worship Service 11 a.m. located in the “City of Medicine” at 1404 Acadia St.,

Durham, NC 27701. Church (919) 682-2052. Pastor (919) 491-8656.

Pastor Mary Brown & Congregation - St. James Church of Christ, DOC

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The Voice... October 2017

POSTAGE

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info@goldsboro-raleigh.org

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