Trinity, oh how wonderful it is; Jesus promised that He would take care of us!

Rev. Dr. John D. Tolbert

Senior Pastor

Pastoral Reflections

March 18, 2018

Praise the Lord Trinity! I pray that you and your family have experienced the awesome and sustaining power of our Amazing God in substantial ways during this past week, and you have come ready to enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart, and praise on your lips. Let me also express my gratitude to our guest worshipping with us today. You are welcome here at the Trinity Church, and I pray God's richest blessings upon you and your families.

Trinity, oh how wonderful it is; Jesus promised that He would take care of us. All we have to do is communicate with our Heavenly Father, through Him. In the Holy Scriptures, there was a blind man who had been crying over and over, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The cry reached the ear of our Savior. He knew what the man wanted and Jesus was ready to give it to him. First, Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51) Jesus wanted to hear from the man's own lips, not only the general petition for mercy, but also the distinct expression of his desire. Until he declared it, he was not healed.

There are still many to whom the Lord asks the same question and until it has been answered, they cannot get the help they seek. Our prayers must not be a vague appeal to His mercy, or an indefinite cry for blessing, but the distinct expression of a specific need. I don't believe that Jesus' loving heart does not understand our cry. Or, He is not ready to hear, but He desires that we be specific for our own good. Prayer that is specific, teaches us to know our own needs better. To find out what our greatest need is, demands time, thought and self scrutiny. To find out whether our desires are honest and real; whether we are ready to persevere in them; if we are up to the test. It leads us to discern whether our desires conform to God's Word and whether we really believe that we will receive the things we ask. It helps us to wait for a definite answer and to be aware of it when it comes. Yet, how much of our prayer is vague and pointless? Some cry for mercy, without saying why they need mercy. Others ask to be delivered from sin, but do not begin by naming any sin from which deliverance may be claimed. Still others pray for God's blessing on those around them; for the outpouring of God's Spirit on their land or the world and do not pinpoint a particular spot where they will wait and expect to see God answer. To all of us, the Lord asks, "What is it you really want and expect me to do?"

Lord Jesus, teach us to pray with all our heart and strength, so clearly that there may be no doubt as to what I have asked. May I know what it is that I truly desire, so when my petitions are recorded in heaven, I can record them on earth too and note each answer when it comes. May my faith in what your Word has promised, be so clear that the Holy Spirit may indeed work in me the liberty to will that it come to pass. Oh Lord, renew, strengthen and sanctify wholly, our will for the work of effective prayer and ministry. Father God, reveal to Trinity the wonderful condescension you show us, by asking us to say what it is, we want you to do and promising to do, whatever it is we choose according to your divine will. Father, in the name of Jesus, You know we don't understand it all. We can only believe that you have redeemed us wholly for yourself and are seeking to make our will your most efficient servant. Father, we yield our will unreservedly to you, as the power through which the Holy Spirit is to rule our whole being. Let Him take possession of it, lead it into the truth of your promises. Make it so strong in prayer, that we may hear you say, "Great is your faith. Be it unto you even as you will." In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

Lord, Teach us to Pray!!

Dr. John D. Tolbert

Senior Pastor

Home Daily Bible Reading

Mar 19 God Wants Activists Who Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . Isaiah 58:6-12

Mar 20 Reconciliation Makes Gift Giving Just . . . . . . . Matthew 5:21-26

Mar 21 Treat Others Fairly with Compassion . . . . . . . Exodus 22:21-29

Mar 22 Life Is the Best Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deuteronomy 30:15-20

Mar 23 Faithful Walking Is Key to Solomon's Rule . . . I Kings 9:1-5

Mar 24 Dangerous Results of Unfaithful Actions . . . . I Kings 9:6-9

Mar 25 Results of Solomon's Decisions and Actions . . II Chronicles 7:12-22

click here for various scholarship and college preparedness opportunities!

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT

Sunday, March 18, 2018 7:00am ~ Morning Glory 8:00am ~ Morning Worship 9:30am ~ Lifetime Classes (Sunday School) 11:00am ~ Morning Worship 11:00 ~ Children's Church	Monday, March 19, 2018 6:00pm ~ Youth & Praise 7:00pm ~ Mime Rehearsal 7:00pm ~ Youth Ushers (Sanc)
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 6:00pm ~ B3 Night (Youth Ministry) 6:00pm ~ Prayer, Praise & Bible Study 7:30pm ~ Voices of Trinity	Wednesday, March 21, 2018 11:30am ~ Prayer 12:00pm ~ Bible Study 6:00pm ~ Prayer & Praise Hour 7:00pm ~ Fit-to-Serve
Saturday, March 24, 2018 9:00am-11:30am ~ Daughters of Destiny & Simba Mentoring Session

The Trinity Church Family will be worshipping with the Third New Hope Baptist Church Family, on next Sunday, March 25th at 5:00pm for their Church Anniversary. The Church vans will be going so if you desire to ride, please contact the church office no later than Thursday, March 22nd. Third New Hope is located at 12850 Plymouth Road, Detroit.

The Trinity Good Friday Service, "Message of the Cross" will be here at the church on Friday, March 30th at 6:30pm. You do not want to miss this Awesome time in the Lord.

Resurrection Sunday worship services will be on Sunday, April 1, 2018 at 6:00am and 11:00am. Lifetime Sunday School program will be at 9:30am.

Save the dates: April 14-15, 2018 Trinity MBC is celebrating our pastor, Dr. John D. Tolbert. We will be "Hanging with Pastor!" Details to follow!

Attention Trinity Members who are age 55 & older or caregivers - - Save-the-date Thursday, April 19th at 1 pm. The Area Agency on Aging will do a presentation at Trinity MBC that will include an overview of the many services that they provide for seniors. There will also be a question and answer period. So please come to receive information and ask your questions. If you plan to attend, please notify the church office by April 15th

Centennial Gala - Tickets are available! If anyone is interested in purchasing a ticket for the Centennial Gala which will take place on Friday, Oct. 26th please see Deaconess Gwen Bynum or Sis. Malishia Hill in the Fellowship Hall after either service today. Payment arrangements are available!

For those of you that use Givelify, you can access your giving statements for 2017 through the app. You can request your summary by going into your profile. If you have any questions, please contact the church office.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Pontiac Alumnae Chapter is now accepting applications for their 2018 Scholarship Program. Applicants must be High School Seniors who resides or attends school in the DST/PAC service area: Auburn Hills, Bloomfield, Bloomfield Hills, Keego Harbor, Lake Orion, Oakland Township, Orion Township, Orchard Lake, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Sylvan Lake, Troy, Waterford and West Bloomfield. Deadline for all applications is April 9, 2018 . Direct questions to Rae Hawkins at 248.853.0885 ( hawkinsr@pontiacdeltas.com ) or Tanoa' Ford at 248.342.1950 ( fordt@pontiacdeltas.com ). The Trinity contact is Sis. Debra Harris at sirras10@sbcglobal.net The link for the application can be found on Trinity's website at http://trinitymbc.org . Additional Scholarship opportunities can also be found on Trinity's website.

The Pontiac Kappa Foundation, an affiliate of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Pontiac Alumni Chapter, announces its GUIDE RIGHT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM for 2018. The Scholarship Committee will be selecting a few qualified minority high school students scheduled to graduate no later than June 2018 . These awards will primarily be given to students in the Pontiac area. The application can be found on Trinity's website www.trinitymbc.org The Trinity contact person is Bro. Kerry Phillips at kop1@att.net PARTICIPANTS MUST SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS NO LATER THAN APRIL 15, 2018. All applications should be sent to the: (POSTMARKED BY APRIL 15, 2018) Pontiac Kappa Foundation, Attn: Scholarship Committee, P. O. Box 430144, Pontiac, MI 48343 If there are questions, please contact Eugene Hawkins, III (248) 939-7349 or Curtis Terry, President, (248) 910-4667.

Church Mission Statement

" The Trinity Missionary Baptist Church is spiritually impacting our families, neighborhoods, city, and state by Exalting the Savior , Equipping the Saints & Evangelizing the Sinners . ~Ephesians 4:10-15.

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. ~Ephesians 4:10-15

Vision Statement

The Trinity Missionary Baptist Church will be a 21st century model for the Christian Community. Our hope is to be a church family that faithfully and intentionally prioritizes ministry initiatives following the example of Jesus Christ, the teaching of the Apostles, and the New Testament Church.

We will be a God-Centered Church, devoted to the practices and disciplines of personal discipleship, evangelism, and servant ministry. We will be determined to promote the Gospel, and share the Compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ through missions, evangelism, and outreach.

2018 Church Theme

One Hundred Years of Reaching a City to Touch the World

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8)