Chr istm as

2015

TH E
T R U E
W I T N E SS
O N -L IN E
M A G A Z IN E

Untousa child isborn

untousa son isgiven
Editor

SI ST ER VERN ELL T URN ER

Associate Editor

SI ST ER BEULAH PRI EST- W H I T E

Fire Baptized H oliness Church of God of the Americas, I nc.

ED I T OR 'S
N OT E
I love Christmas! It's my favorite
holiday. I still "ooh" & "aah" at the lights
and Christmas displays. I like
everything about it: the hustle & bustle,
the decorations, the traditions, the food,
the celebrations, Christmas out-reach,
family, & friends. I even like how
people show their generosity during this
season more than any other time of the
year.
Christmas is all about love. For God so
loved the world... I'm glad about God's
love, H is great gift of love, and what
H e's done for me. Every day with Jesus,
I love H im more and more. H e saves &
keeps me, H e is the O ne I adore!
T his edition of the O n-line True
W itness celebrates this joyous season. I
hope you learn some new things about
the season and are inspired to research
some of the information presented.
Special thanks to Bishop Patrick L.
Frazier Jr., Pastor Valeria Jackson, and
Sister Cathy Brezeale, South Carolina
District #1, for being our guest
columnists in this issue. I truly
appreciate everyone who contributed to
this special edition of the O n-line True
W itness.
Vernell Turner

God?s Sacr ificial L ove Tow ard M ankind

"Unto usa child isborn? .Unto usa son isgiven. She shall
bringforth a son, and thou shalt call him Jesus"
?I want to see the blessed face of H im who died for me sacrificed his life for my Liberty H e
saved my life (before I ever knew it) H e paid the price (H e didn?t have to do it) And I K now
(I never can repay H im)
But All M y Life (I will ever praise H is N ame)"
If you have never heard this song, I urge you to do so. It is an expression of what this sacrifice
should mean to us as believers.
During this Christmas Season, let?s look at the son that we all hear about as our rescuer and
our Savior. H e is looked at as a baby, born lowly, but mightily. H e took away the Sins of this
world just for us.
Jesus did a great thing for us! T hese words were found in the (N I V) Student?s Life
Application Bible John 17: 1: Jesus Prays for himself
?When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he looked up to heaven and said,? Father,
the time has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given
him authority over everyone in all the earth. H e gives eternal life to each one of you have
given him. And this is the way to have eternal life-to know you, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything
you told me to do. And now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world
began."
Jesus is God?s Son, a suffering servant of all people.
Did Disobedience Come: Let this Cup pass from me.
But True O bedience Won: N ot my will but thy will be done.
Parents are usually the best judge of their children?s character. Sometimes, after knowing this,
they still try to make all (if they have more than one) of their children the same. Sometimes,
even choosing the one they feel is best fitted for a task. Character is what helps us be who we
have been called to become, whether its stubbornness, creativity, or outspokenness.
Who we are on the outside is who we are on the inside. We might try to pretend, but
eventually it will be showcased. H is obedience, H is devotion to H is father and H is humility
toward all people showed that he was raised to H ON OR .
Sister Cathy Breazeale
South Carolina #1 D istrict

"? .and his name shall be called W onderful,

Counsellor, T he mighty God, T he everlasting
Father, T he Prince of Peace"
(continued)
brought about by an individual?s restoration
with God.?
Because of Christ?s sacrifice, we are restored
to a relationship of peace with God
(Romans 5:1). T his is the deep, abiding
peace between our hearts and our Creator
and the ultimate fulfillment of Christ?s work
as ?Prince of Peace.?

- excerptsfrom gotquestions.org. Bible Hub, the

Mud Preacher
A Story of Peace
N ovember 21, 1873, in the icy waters of the
Atlantic, 2 ships suddenly collided. When
told her passenger ship, the Ville de H avre
was sinking, a young mother gathered her 4
daughters on deck for a family prayer
meeting.
T his young mother knelt with her daughters
Annie (10), M aggie (8), Bessie (5) and
Tanetta (2) and prayed that they might be
saved or else be made willing to die.
Ira Sankey revealed in his memoirs that
Annie and M aggie had come to know Jesus
in a small meeting in Chicago just months
before. As the family huddled together, 3 of
the daughters were swept away by the icy
waves. Anna Spafford clung to her
remaining daughter, Tanetta, but the force
of the waves was too strong. H er daughter
was snatched away by the angry sea, and the
distraught mother was knocked
unconscious. She was rescued by sailors
from the Loch Earn.
Back in the U S, H oratio Spafford was
waiting for news of his family, and at last, 10
days later (after the rescue ship had reached
Cardiff), it came. ?Saved alone, what shall I
do? was his wife?s message. Imagine the
effect of this horrible tragedy. It had only

been a few months since the Chicago fire on

O ctober 8, 1871 caused the destruction of
most of his real estate investments. N ow
God had not only taken his wealth but also
his family. For H oratio, it was a loss which
could not be reversed in this life, yet he
found that peace which indeed passes all
understanding.
Toward morning he told a friend named
M ajor Whittle, ?I am glad to be able to trust
my Lord when it costs me something.?
T hen, sometime later, as he reflected on the
disaster at sea, he wrote this well known
hymn:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrowslike sea-billowsroll; Whatever my
lot, T hou hast taught me to say,
It iswell, it iswell with my soul.
T hough Satan should buffet, though trialsshould
come,
Let thisblest assurance control,
T hat Christ hasregarded my helplessestate,
And hath shed Hisown blood for my soul.
My sin? Oh, the blissof thisgloriousthought,
My sin? not in part, but the whole,
Isnailed to the crossand I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 0 my soul!
And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be
sight,
T he cloudsbe rolled back asa scroll,
T he trump shall resound and the Lord shall
descend,
?Even so?? it iswell with my soul.
Such tragedy could only become peace
because H oratio Spafford knew intimately
the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

CH R IST M AS
SCR IPT U R ES
M icah 5:2
"But thou, Bethlehem
Ephratah, though thou be
little among the thousands
of Judah, yet out of thee
shall he come forth unto me
that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have
been from of old, from
everlasting."
I saiah 7:14
"T herefore the Lord himself
shall give you a sign; Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and
bear a son, and shall call his
name Immanuel."
I saiah 9:6 - 7
"For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given: and
the government shall be
upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called

Wonderful, Counsellor, T he
mighty God, T he
everlasting Father, T he
Prince of Peace.
O f the increase of his
government and peace there
shall be no end, upon the
throne of David, and upon
his kingdom, to order it, and
to establish it with judgment
and with justice from
henceforth even for ever.
T he zeal of the LOR D of
hosts will perform this."
L uke 1:30 - 35
"And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, M ary: for thou
hast found favour with God.
And, behold, thou shalt
conceive in thy womb, and
bring forth a son, and shalt
call his name JESU S.

H e shall be great, and shall

be called the Son of the
H ighest: and the Lord God
shall give unto him the
throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and
of his kingdom there shall be
no end.
T hen said M ary unto the
angel, H ow shall this be,
seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and
said unto her, T he H oly
Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the
H ighest shall overshadow
thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of
thee shall be called the Son
of God."
L uke 1:39 - 45
"And M ary arose in those
days, and went into the hill
country with haste, into a
city of Juda;
And entered into the house
of Z acharias, and saluted
Elisabeth.
11

11

Chr istmas Scr iptures (continued)

And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone
away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come
to pass, which the Lord hath made known
unto us.
And they came with haste, and found M ary,
and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made
known abroad the saying which was told
them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those
things which were told them by the
shepherds.
But M ary kept all these things, and
pondered them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and
praising God for all the things that they had
heard and seen, as it was told unto them."
M atthew 2:1 - 12
"N ow when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judaea in the days of H erod the king,
behold, there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born K ing of the
Jews? for we have seen his star in the east,
and are come to worship him.
When H erod the king had heard these
things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief
priests and scribes of the people together, he
demanded of them where Christ should be
born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of
Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art

not the least among the princes of Juda: for

out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall
rule my people Israel.
T hen H erod, when he had privily called the
wise men, enquired of them diligently what
time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said,
Go and search diligently for the young child;
and when ye have found him, bring me
word again, that I may come and worship
him also.
When they had heard the king, they
departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in
the east, went before them, till it came and
stood over where the young child was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house,
they saw the young child with M ary his
mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:
and when they had opened their treasures,
they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh.
And being warned of God in a dream that
they should not return to H erod, they
departed into their own country another
way."

13

13

Advent & The Chr istmas Season (continued)

A few years before, around 11 BC, H alley's
Comet had been seen. T here were other
stellar phenomena, including a bright star,
Sirius, which appeared brightly in the
daytime instead of at night. T he W ise M en
saw the star and began their journey.
T heir journey took them outside their
country and their comfort zone. T he W ise
M en risked the consequences of disobeying
H erod and returned to their country by
another way.
T he W ise M en set out to find a newborn
K ing by following a star and ended up in
finding a baby born to young, relatively poor
parents!
T hey did the thing that people in the East or
in Africa or in India would do when visiting
royalty. T hey brought gifts: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh.
- excerpts from the United M ethodist
M inistries & Churches

Chr ism ons

Chrismons are
Christmas
decorations with
Christian
symbols on
them. T hey help
Christians to
remember that
Christmas is the
celebration of
Jesus's birthday.
T hey are often
used on
Christmas Trees
in Churches and
Christian
homes.
T hey were first
made by Frances
K ipps Spencer at
the Ascension
Lutheran

Church in Danville, Virginia, U SA. She also

thought of the word, Chrismon, which is a
combination of Christ and monogram
(meaning symbol). T he idea quickly spread
to other churches.
Chrismons are traditionally coloured white
and gold. White is the liturgical (or Church)
colour for Christmas and symbolizes that
Jesus was pure and perfect. Gold symbolizes
H is M ajesty and Glory.
Chrismons can be made from nearly
anything, but paper and embroidered ones
are the most widely used.
You can make your own. Patterns for
Chrismons are readily available on the
Internet. Below is a list of a few of the
symbols used for Chrismons:
- Alpha and O mega: T he first and the last
letters of the Greek alphabet are used in this
Chrismon to signify that Christ is the
beginning and ending of all things. T his is
mentioned in the Bible in Revelation 1:8.
- Butterfly: T he butterfly is a
symbol of Christ's resurrection
and eternal life. Just as the
butterfly emerges from its
cocoon and flies upward with a
new body, the followers of Jesus
Christ are reborn and given a
new life.
- Cross and crown: T he cross
and crown symbolizes a
Christian's reward in heaven for
being a faithful servant while
living on earth. See Revelation
2:10.
- M anger: T he manger reminds
us to be humble, and represents
the simplicity of the birth and
life of Jesus.
- W hy Christmas, Times &
D emocrat

15

15

Wise M en Seek Jesus

Children's L esson
M atthew 2:1-12
If we were going to visit someone in another town or city, we might first ask someone who
knew how to get there to give us some directions. T hey would probably give some general
directions and recommend some roads for us to take.
We could also use a map to find out how to get there (or the maps/GPS on our smart phone).
We would check the map as we traveled to know where we were. If we follow the directions
we received and check the map, we will surely find our way.
After Jesus was born, some wise men heard that a K ing had been born. T hey wanted to find
the K ing so that they could worship and honor him. T hey went to Jerusalem and asked some
priests there if they knew where to find the K ing. T he priests knew where Jesus was to be
born, because they had been told by the prophet M icah, so they told the wise men that they
would find the new K ing in Bethlehem.
N ow, the wise men did not have a map (or GPS) to guide them to Bethlehem, but they had
something even better. God gave them a star to guide them. So the wise men followed the
directions that the priests had given them and followed the star that God gave them and it led
them right to Jesus. When they found him, they gave him gifts and bowed down and
worshiped him.
W ise men today are still seeking Jesus. We don't look for H im in Bethlehem, because he is
no longer there. H e is on H is throne in heaven. We don't need a map to help us find H im -we don't even need a star to help us find H im. We can find our way to Jesus by reading God's
H oly Word! T he Bible is
our map and our star. It
leads us to Jesus.
- excerpts from
www.sermonsforkids.com

WOR D SEA RCH

BET H LEH EM
EA ST
FR A N K I N CEN SE
GI FT S
GOLD
M YRRH
ST A R
W I SE
WOR SH I P
H EROD

17

17

CH R IST M AS
CAROLS
By Sharefaith.com
T he birth of Jesus
was celebrated by
music: ?And
suddenly there was
with the angel a
multitude of the
heavenly host
praising God, and
saying, Glory to
God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward
men.? (Luke
2:13-14).
Christians of the 1st
century continued
the tradition of the
angels. T here are
historical records
from as early as 129
AD of songs written
specifically for
Christmas
celebrations. T hese
Christmas songs
were primarily
written in Latin, and
were not called
Carols, but hymns.
T he word carol
comes from the
French word carole,
meaning circle
dance, or song of
praise and joy. T he
singing of carols did
not originate with
Christianity, but

with the pagan

practice of
celebrating the
seasons. T he W inter
Solstice celebration
generally took place
around the 22nd of
December. It was
this time of the year
that the Christians
claimed for their
own celebration of
the birth of Christ.
Interestingly,
although the pagan
celebrations took
place during all four
seasons, only the
winter celebration
has survived - not as
a pagan celebration
of season; but as the
Christian celebration
of Christmas.
T he majority of the
first Christmas
Carols were written
in Latin, which was
understood only by
members of the elite
churched few.
Because of this, by
the M iddle Ages
(the 1200s) the
majority of
Christians lost
interest in the
singing of Christmas

Carols.
In 1223, St. Francis
of Assisi revived an
interest in Christmas
and in the singing of
Carols. H e started
putting on musical
plays in which the
majority of the
songs were written
in the language of
the common people.
Because of his
efforts, the singing
of Christmas Carols
once again began to
spread throughout
Europe. M ost of
these new Carols
were not based
strictly on Scripture,
but were simply
light-hearted stories,
sung by traveling
minstrels and
changed from town
to town to fit the
desires of various
communities. T hese
Carols were rarely
sung in church.
Instead, the music
resounded from the
streets, and in the
homes.
Because the Carols
were not strictly
Scriptural, and not

written in Latin,
there were those
who considered
them inappropriate.
W ith the coming of
the Puritans to
England in 1647, the
celebration of
Christmas and the
singing of Carols
disappeared from
church services
altogether. T he joy
of Christmas and its
music however,
survived in secret.
During the Great
Reformation
(beginning in 1570),
there was a revival of
hymns, including
the singing of
Christmas Carols in
the language of the
people. And
although it would be
many years before
the Christmas Carol
would come into its
own, new freedoms
were coming to the
common people,
including the right
to worship as they
chose, and to sing
music how, when,
and where they
pleased.
19

19

Chr istmas Carols (continued)

-excer pts from " Stor ies Behind the
Best-L oved Songs of Chr istmas"
O ' H oly N ight (1847)
Words: Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure
M usic: Adolphe Charles Adams
In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure
was the commissionaire of wines in a small
French town. K nown more for his poetry
than his church attendance, it probably
shocked Placide when his parish priest asked
the commissionaire to pen a poem for
Christmas mass. N evertheless, the poet was
honored to share his talents with the church.
In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy
road to France's capital city, Placide
Cappeau considered the priest's request.
U sing the gospel of Luke as his guide,
Cappeau imagined witnessing the birth of
Jesus in Bethlehem. T houghts of being
present on the blessed night inspired him.
By the time he arrived in Paris, "Cantique de
N oel" had been completed.
M oved by his own work, Cappeau decided
that his "Cantique de N oel" was not just a
poem, but a song in need of a master
musician's hand. N ot musically inclined
himself, the poet turned to one of his
friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help.
As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adolphe the
words of "Cantique de N oel" represented a
day he didn't celebrate and a man he did not
view as the son of God. N evertheless,
Adams quickly went to work, attempting to
marry an original score to Cappeau's
beautiful words. Adams' finished work
pleased both poet and priest. T he song was
performed just three weeks later at a
M idnight M ass on Christmas Eve.
Initially, "Cantique de N oel" was
wholeheartedly accepted by the church in
France and the song quickly found its way
into various Catholic Christmas services.
But when Placide Cappeau walked away
from the church and became a part of the

socialist movement, and church leaders

discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew,
the song--which had quickly grown to be
one of the most beloved Christmas songs in
France--was suddenly and uniformly
denounced by the church. T he heads of the
French Catholic church of the time deemed
"Cantique de N oel" as unfit for church
services. Yet even as the church tried to bury
the Christmas song, the French people
continued to sing it, and a decade later a
reclusive American writer brought it to a
whole new audience halfway around the
world.
N ot only did this American writer--John
Sullivan Dwight--feel that this wonderful
Christmas songs needed to be introduced to
America, he saw something else in the song
that moved him beyond the story of the
birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist,
Dwight strongly identified with the lines of
the third verse: "Truly he taught us to love
one another; his law is love and his gospel is
peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is
our brother; and in his name all oppression
shall cease." T he text supported Dwight's
own view of slavery in the South. Published
in his magazine, Dwight's English
translation of "O H oly N ight" quickly found
found favor in America, especially in the
N orth during the Civil War.
*****
Adams had been dead for many years and
Cappeau and Dwight were old men when
on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald
Fessenden--a 33-year-old university
professor and former chief chemist for
T homas Edison--did something long
thought impossible. U sing a new type of
generator, Fessenden spoke into a
microphone and, for the first time in history,
a man's voice was broadcast over the
airwaves:
21

21

Chr istmas Carols (continued)

12 D ays of Chr istm as (continued)
Seven swans a-swimming represented the
seven-fold gifts of the H oly
Spirit-----Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,
Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and
M ercy.
T he eight maids a-milking were the eight
beatitudes.
N ine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of
the H oly Spirit-----Charity, Joy, Peace,
Patience [Forbearance], Goodness
[K indness], M ildness, Fidelity, M odesty,
Continency [Chastity].
T he ten lords a-leaping were the Ten
Commandments.
T he eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven
faithful Apostles.
T he twelve drummers drumming
symbolized the twelve points of belief in
T he Apostles' Creed.
- excerpts from T he Catholic Tradition

by the family for the next two years, and was

so popular with family and friends that by
1863 it had been published by Rev. H opkins
in his first collection of "Carols, H ymns, and
Songs". It was reprinted in 1865 with
illustrations. T he original title of the hymn
was "T hree K ings of O rient". It was probably
these illustrations that pictured only three
wise men on camels (T he Bible does not
mention how many wise men followed the
star).
Little did John H opkins know the
theological implications of his hymn when
he wrote both words and music.
-excepts from W arren Shiver article in T he
Gaffney Ledger

We T hree K ings
T he Christmas carol, "We T hree K ings" is
one of the most popular carols ever written.
It was written by Rev. John H enry H opkins
Jr.
In 1857, while teaching music at the General
T heological Seminary in N ew York, Rev.
H opkins wrote the hymn, "We T hree K ings"
for a Christmas pageant that was presented at
the Seminary that Christmas. H e probably
wrote the hymn with his nieces and
nephews in mind.
H e traveled from N ew York to Vermont
every Christmas to visit them, where his
father, John H . H opkins. Sr., was the long
time Episcopal Bishop for the State of
Vermont. T he family always had a
dramatization of M atthew chapter 2 and the
entire Christmas Story. T he hymn was sung
23

23

Daniel Sutton
Youngest son of Pastor Joseph Sutton and Reverend Rosa Sutton, National
Directress of Junior Mission, 3rd Episcopal Diocese
H oliday greetings to everyone!
I am Leslie Spangenberg and I
teach journalism and
argumentative writing at
H amilton Freshman School in
H amilton, Ohio. T his is my
third year in the classroom as a
licensed teacher but my
eleventh year in education.
T hroughout my years in the
classroom, I tend to remember
one or two students each year
based on behavior or
contributions. W ith so many,
I cannot tell you about the first
interaction, but I can recall
their names for years to come.
Daniel Sutton will definitely be
one name I remember.
Since the very first week,
Daniel exhibited strong
leadership skills. I recognized
determination and a drive that
many of his peers seem to lack.
Given his placement in honors
classes, I assumed he had
already been identified as a
gifted student. H amilton City
Schools offers a gifted test for
all academic areas as well as fine
arts. I was surprised to hear that Daniel had
neither been tested nor knew anything about
the opportunity. After a conversation with
M rs. Sutton, I recommended Daniel to be
tested on multiple subjects.
O ne moment will forever stick out in this
first year of teaching journalism. Daniel was
selected to be the editor-in-chief of our
publications. During our first print
publication process, I had created a system to
identify students ready to move on to the
next step and those who failed to complete a
written assignment. Before I could even
share with Daniel, he was taking control of
the situation and separating his peers into the

two groups. I knew

from that moment that
future editor-in-chiefs
will have the difficult
task of living up to
expectations Daniel
has created for the
position.
Daniel has received his
test scores and I did
not need a test to tell
me that he is a gifted
student. Daniel is well
liked by his peers, and
I notice friendly
competition between
them to perform
better on tests or in the
class on the whole.
Daniel is appreciated
by his teachers for
being such a driven
student who turns in
assignments and
always participates in
class. Administration
and district employees
know Daniel for his
creativity and
determination to make
himself known (in a
positive way). And, I have no problem
bragging about him because I know that
Daniel?s future is bright and no obstacle will
be too much for him to overcome.
I often say I wish I could duplicate some of
my students to make the classroom more
enjoyable. Daniel Sutton will always be one
of those students in my many years to come
in my education profession.
M rs. Leslie Spangenberg
H amilton Freshman School
Journalism/Argumentative W riting
25

25

Gifts of L ife
Pastor D r ucilla Robinson
100 Y ears Young!
Pastor Drucilla Verdell Bailey Robinson, a
sweet woman of God, was born in Fountain
Inn, South Carolina to the late John and
M oriah Bailey. O n Wednesday, December
23, 2015, she celebrated 100 years of life at
Laurel Baye H ealth Center in Greenville,
South Carolina. Sister Patricia Jenkins and
her niece, M rs. Dianne M oore, did a
wonderful job coordinating the event.
Friends, family, Church family, and clergy
flowed in and out of the Rehabilitation
Center from 1:00 pm to 6:00 p.m. to share
the gift of Pastor Drucilla Robinson. At 100
years of age she is still quite alert. You can
view videos from the celebration on
Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
patricia.jenkins.94/videos/
10205358042382423/

M other D rucilla Robinson

Sister Patrica Jenkins, Standing

celebration.
Pastor was married to the late John H enry
Robinson in 1935. T hey had three sons,
John Albert, W illie James, and R andy.
Reverend Robinson has been a member of
the Fire Baptized H oliness Church for more
than 50 years and is currently a member of
M acedonia F.B.H . Church in Greenville,
South Carolina.
She has served as pastor of M t. Olive F.B.H .
Church & M t. Z ion F.B.H . Church in
Greer, South Carolina, Fuller Temple
F.B.H . Church in Anderson, South
Carolina, and Smith Chapel F.B.H . Church
in Pickens, South Carolina.

Sister Cleve A . M ack

A N ote of T hanks
"Oh taste and see that the Lord isgood: : blessed is
the man that trusteth in him."
Psalm 34:8
I'm sending a very special "T hank You!" for
all my Birthday financial Love Gifts. T hank
you to all our bishops & their families:
Bishop P.L. Frazier Jr., Bishop J.L. Davis,
Bishop A.L. Rodgers, our N ational O fficers,
Elders, Pastors, District O fficers, and the
sweet Saints. Each year, Pastor Carolyn
O wens organizes this celebration around the
time of my birthday, December 7. Your
support is greatly appreciated!
I have been a member of the Fire Baptized
H oliness Church for 65 wonderful years.
Aging is not always convenient, but, it can
be productive. I focus on the "Can Do's"
instead of the "What I U sed to Do's". By
following the example of Christ, we can
create a blueprint for the next generation.
Love and Prayers,
Sister Cleve A. M ack

M other is one of 17 children. She and her

sister are the only survivors in her family.
H er sister was unable to attend the
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& CHRISTMAS
GREET INGS
M erry Christmas!
"T hanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."
Christmas is a wonderful
time of year. A time to
appreciate & celebrate our
many gifts: Christ, Family,
and friends.
T his sections contains
memories of Christmas in
the form of recipes, short
stories, and Christmas
greetings.
N ation M other M argaret
Watson & D aughter,
V irginia Watson
"From our house to yours...
M ay the roads you travel in
2016 lead to great success
because of the N ew born

K ing ! H e is the K ing of

K ings and the Lord of Lord!"

A Chr istm as M em ory of
R ev. Charlie Young Sr
T he last Christmas H oliday
I spent with my dad was in
December 2014.
O n December 19th, 2014
around 5:30 pm we traveled
south to W illiamson, South
Carolina to attend a
Christmas dinner in which
Dad Young along with
Sister Edith Durham Dennis
started in 1978.
T his fellowship has
improved and gotten greater
each year. T he Lord keeps
on blessing! O nce we
arrived, we were greeted by
the Saints. Devotion started
in the sanctuary, God's holy
spirit made us feel even
more welcome. Dad began
to sing "I'm glad to be in the
number one more time". We
felt the presence of the
almighty God. After the
blessing of the food we
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Chr istmas M emor ies (continued)

ChristmasDay
So I quickly changed my mind and now I know
it?strue.
It?smuch more fun to give than get
Try it you will like it too!
M er ry Chr istm as!
Evangelist Sondra F. M ckoy,
N orth Florida District
sometimes out of tune, and sometimes no
tune at all. But she never gave up on me as a
soloist. I am grateful for every voice lesson
she ever gave.
T he highlight of the Christmas program was
when they brought out the white bags with
red ribbons tied to keep them closed. In
those bags was a child?s dream come true.
T he bags contained: that hard Christmas
Candy, N uts, two pieces of fruit which was
an apple & an orange, and a candy cane.
Boy! We were so thankful to get that bag!
O ut of all the gifts we may have received, we
always looked forward to that white bag
from M t Z ion at Christmas Time.
I am very thankful today for growing up in
M t Z ion, although the Saints were strict,
they knew how to let us be children in the
church. Even though we enjoyed the
goodies, M t Z ion taught us the true
meaning of Christmas.
In closing, I would like to share my
Christmas recitation when I was eleven years
old (I still know it):
See those lovely gifts, they are giftsfor Christmas
day.
I thought I?d keep them all myself not one I give
away.
But somethingplainly told me that surely not the
way
To spread love, Joy and happinesswhen it is

Frank M organ Jr.'s Chr istm as Speech

t aught to him by his grandm other, the
late Evangelist Cor nelia M . M organ
"Why you lookingat me so hard for?
I didn't come to stay.
I come to tell you
that Jesuswasborn today!"
Pastor Y vette Clark
N ew H ope FBH Church
M y sister and I were raised by my Grandma,
Sister Ann Tolbert. H er youngest son, Leon,
was our age. H e just knew he was going to
get a bicycle for Christmas and we weren't.
O n Christmas morning, my sister and I both
had bikes. T hey weren't new like Leon's, but
they rode fine. We peddled down M ansfield
on Christmas morning with the rest of the
neighborhood kids. Yes, I have to say, that
was the best Christmas!
T hink A bout I t....
Christmas, my child, is love in action.
Every time we love, every time we give, it's
Christmas.
- D ale Evans Rogers

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Chr istmas M emor ies (continued)

M em or ies - Ver nell Tur ner
Christmas was big at our house growing up.
We didn't get toys at any other time of the
year, not even on our birthdays (and we
never had a birthday party).
We loved to go rehearse for the Christmas
Program with Sister Augusta H oward,
whom we affectionately called "Sister
Gussie".
She walked to our house to pick us up and
my sister and I would walk with her to the
church and back (I calculate the distance,
with the help of Google, to be a little over a
mile each way).
In those days my grandmother, the late
Evangelist C.M . M organ made our dresses
for Christmas. T he dresses always had puff
sleeves, organdy overlays and big sashes in
the back. M y mother could not tie a pretty
bow
for
our

dresses. But, Daddy could. T hat was his job

every time we went to church.
We loved the dresses then, because we got to
wear a "can can" slip to make the dress poof
out, and we liked to spin around in the dress.

We had to be careful because the bottom of

our church shoes were slippery.....
Even though my mom seldom went to
church with us on Sundays, she always came
to the Christmas Program to hear us say our
speech. M y aunt, who grew up in the
church but got turned out, came too, and of
course, my Grandmother was there.
We had to curtsy before & after saying our
speech, and, we could not stammer or get
help saying it.
We always got a treat bag that we could not
open until we got home - apple, orange,
shell nuts, and the holiday hard candy.
M ama liked to take us downtown to John
Shillito's Department Store to see the huge
annual Christmas Display.
We had a live tree every year, which my
mom bought on Christmas Eve because she
didn't want to pay more than $1.00 for it.
M y grandmother and my aunt always came
over for Christmas dinner. Louie (my mom)
made Applesauce Cake each year. In
addition she made Pineapple Graham
Cracker Cake, but not every year.
O n the cocktail & end tables were a
3-pound box of chocolates that we were free
to eat as much as we wanted, along with
peanut brittle, nasty ribbon candy, and the
nasty filled hard candy (I hate the green
ones), a dish of nuts in their shells and a nut
cracker/w pick. We loved shelling the
walnuts. T he Brazil nuts were a little tough
to break. We shelled them, but someone else
had to eat them and the almonds. T he
filberts were the last nuts left in the dish.
To this day, I still buy a live tree, peanut
brittle and plenty of chocolate candy. I still
love the Christmas Program and I
occasionally buy my granddaughter a dress
for the Program.

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Chr istmas M emor ies (continued)

We put red, green, and gold garland
(sometimes blue) on the tree. Tinsel and
snow on the tree was a must.
M y mom had the most prettiest, real glass
ornaments I have ever seen. T hey were so
unique! T he ornaments were all shapes,
sizes, and colors. M ama and Daddy knew
just how to arrange them on the tree.
I'm sure we had the most beautiful tree in
the whole wide world right there in that
living room. It was the best time ever,
everybody working together, and singing,
M ama and Daddy dancing together, telling
jokes, and laughing..... Laughing so hard
that your stomach would hurt, and your eyes
would water.
T hose were the days!!
Editor's Note: Yes, I remember those bulbs, they
were size C7 or C5. I still have some. T hey
used to burn you until they made the "cool" touch
bulbs. And.. these bulbshardly ever screwed gently
into their sockets.....

A r ina Tur ner

N ew H ope FBH Church
I loved Christmas night with my cousins at
my Grandma's house. She always has a
number of candy bowls with different kinds
of candy in each of them. O n Christmas
night my 2 cousins and I would each get the
bowl of our choice containing our favorite
candy. M y favorite was peanut M & M s. M y

cousin Darrian's favorite was peanut brittle,

and my cousin Darius's favorite was plain M
& M s.

I would just sit for hours watching them play

their video games and eat my M & M 's. It
didn't matter that I didn't get to play their
games. I was too fascinated watching their
skills with the games. It also didn't matter if
we ate all the candy in the bowls.... M y
grandma refilled them the next day....
Jacqueline Watson
A m bassador for Chr ist
Southwest O hio D istr ict
M y Special Chr istm as M em ory
M y favorite Christmas memory is from
when I was a young girl. M y family went to
Georgia during my Christmas break from
school and we also ended up going to Disney
World in O rlando, Florida.
It was one of the best times that I had! I
enjoyed not only seeing my family, that I
don?t see every day, but also the nice weather
in Florida. Going to Disney World was so
much fun! It was a little weird not seeing
snow (since I?m from Chicago) but overall
we still enjoyed ourselves. It was a great
Christmas trip!

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After Chr istmas (continued)

Boxing D ay
Boxing Day takes place on December 26th
in Great Britain and is only celebrated in a
few countries; mainly ones connected to the
U K including Canada, Austrailia, and N ew
Z ealand. While the exact origins of the
holiday are obscure, it is likely that Boxing
Day began in England during the M iddle
Ages.
Some historians say the holiday developed
because servants were required to work on
Christmas Day, but took the following day
off. As servants prepared to leave to visit
their families, their employers would present
them with gift boxes.
Another theory is that the boxes placed in
churches where parishioners deposited coins
for the poor were opened and the contents
distributed on December 26, which is also
the Feast of St. Stephen.
As time went by, Boxing Day gift giving
expanded to include those who had rendered
a service during the previous year. T his
tradition survives today as people give
presents to tradesmen, mail carriers,
doormen, porters, and others who have
helped them.
Boxing Day is just one of the British bank
holidays recognized since 1871 that are
observed by banks, government offices, and
the post office. T he others include
Christmas, Good Friday, Easter,
Whitmonday (the day after Pentecost), and
the banking holiday on the last M onday in
August.
=excerpts from I nfoplease.com

Car ing for Poinsettias A fter

Chr istm as
Poinsettias are easy to maintain, but it takes
some effort to make them bloom a second
time.
To grow them after the holidays, all you
need to do is treat them similar to other
houseplants:
- Give them bright light,
- allow them to slightly dry between
waterings, and
- feed them with a liquid houseplant
fertilizer according to label directions.
T he bracts (which are the leaves that look
like flower petals) will eventually fade and
fall off the plant. At that point, cut back the
stems to just below the flowers and let them
continue to grow.
In spring, once nighttime temperatures are
consistently above 50F, place your
poinsettias outside where they'll receive
bright, indirect light. T hey will grow but
will remain completely green all summer.
In mid-summer. Prune back the plants by
one-half to one-third and re-pot them in the
same pot, or in one that's slightly larger if the
plant has grown significantly.
U se a commercial potting soil. Feed the
plants with a standard houseplant fertilizer
during this time of new growth. Bring the
pots indoors before nighttime temperatures
fall below 50F.
From September 21 through the end of
O ctober, the plants need 14-15 hours of
uninterrupted darkness daily, and nighttime
temperatures around 65F. T his is the secret
to triggering new flowers to form and for the
bracts to change color.
T his means that every day at about 5 p.m.,
you'll need to cover the plants.
U ncover them between 7 and 8 the
following morning.
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Question: " I s it wrong to say 'Xmas' instead of

'Chr istmas'?"
A nswer: T here are many who view the word X mas as part of an overall ?war on
Christmas.? T hey view it as a blatant attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. While it is
undeniable that some use X mas in that manner, the actual origin of the word X mas has
nothing to do with taking Christ out of Christmas.
In Greek, the original language of the N ew Testament, the word for ?Christ? is ? ??????,
which begins with the Greek letter that is essentially the same letter as the English letter X .
So, originally, X mas was simply an abbreviation of Christmas. N o grand conspiracy to take
Christ out of Christmas. Just an abbreviation.
But there is no denying that there is a trend to, in a sense, take Christ out of Christmas. In
pursuit of tolerance, inclusiveness, and political correctness, some are attempting to obscure
the Christian origins of Christmas? as if our society?s materialism has not already obscured
the meaning of Christmas. Whether they refer to it as ?X mas? or ?the winter holidays? or
something else, some will not be satisfied until the celebration is entirely secularized. In
response to this, rather than getting angry or complaining about the use of X mas, we should
be sharing the love of Christ through word and deed.
Got Q uestions.org

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A nd H is nameshall becalled

Wonderful
Counselor
Mighty God

Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace

@fbhchurch
fbhtruewitness@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/FireBaptizedChurch
www.fbhchurch.org/publications/