Journey Through The Bible e-letter

The kingdom building ministry of Pastor Charles J. Williams, Jr., M.Div. promoting five Christian disciplines; obedience, prayer, reading and studying the Bible, ministry service, and personal evangelism.  This newsletter version represents the prayerful hope that you will grow closer to God and live the abundant life which only comes through Jesus Christ.

Friday, May 7, 1999

 From God's Word:

  Children: Blessing Not Burden

"There is joy, great joy, in children. They are meant by Almighty God to be sources of blessing. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward" (Psm 127:3).

While we might not always think so, parents -- mothers and fathers alike, can agree on this one thing -- children are a blessing. Yes, they drive us "nuts" sometimes. Yes, they demand a great deal of our time. And yes, they ask for a lot of money even before the teenage years. Still, I wouldn't have it any other way. Our children are a blessing.

    We're honoring Mothers this Sunday and next month we'll take a shot at Dads. I can't think about Mother's Day without thinking about three very important ladies. The first is my Mom. No matter who you are or where you live, whether you are natural born or adopted, we will all think about and give thanks for the mother who bore us. God used her to give us life, to care for us, and to love us even when we didn't deserve her love. Mom's are like that -- special!

    Mother's Day also causes me to think about my wife -- the mother of my four, God-given children. My bride is a beautiful woman. Not merely with physical beauty but with a beauty that stems from the inside. My children are the four most important people in the world to my bride -- and that's just fine! Because, some how, she manages to keep them number one without moving God off His throne one inch!

    Finally, Mother's Day makes me think about my three daughters. Someday, God willing, their wombs will bear the reward of God's great blessing. And from what I can tell already, I believe they are going to be wonderful mothers. They already have a Christ-like love which hallmarks great Moms. My wife and mother have that kind of love in their lives . . . and no doubt your Mom does too.

    Happy Mother's Day Moms -- and may God bless you!

Amen.

Together We Pray

For a son who continues to refuse to live the Christian life.

    For a church in need of a summer youth worker.

    For a husband who has been ill several times; please pray it is nothing more serious. It is not like him to get sick at all.

    For a cousin with a unique type of cancer.

    For a grandfather who has been in and out of the hospital.

    For single parents everywhere -- your burden is great indeed.

    For a daughter's pending MRI results.

    For a father and deacon seeking God's leadership and direction regarding a new job.

    For a dear friend and fellow minister as he seeks God's leadership and direction regarding his interim pastorate.

    For a beautiful couple in need of some changes.

    For a couple who have separated and see no resolution to their problems.

    For a family bereaving the loss of a husband, father, brother and friend.

    In gratitude for Mothers everywhere.   

    For God's grace and mercy . . . Amen.

Click here to share your prayer concerns and/or updates!

Living By Faith:

Overcoming Impossible Barriers

God knows our heart when others, and even we ourselves, doubt ability. Peter no doubt must have felt that way when he not once, not twice, but thrice denied our blessed Lord Jesus Christ (cf Luke 22:54b-62). I know that feeling very well. Having resigned a pastorate only 10 months after being called, I not only know the failure Peter felt but the joy and renewal he felt when Jesus restored.

    Ministers enter a pastorate thinking they will be there for years. I was no exception to that. But ten months after I began, I was finished. The afternoon of my last Sunday I sat in my living room well aware of the great and seemingly impossible to overcome barriers that faced me and my family as we began the long and often grueling process of finding a church. Looking back on it now, I see I had it all wrong. There were even more barriers than I had first imagined. There would be even longer days than I felt were before me. There were days that I cried even harder than I had previously. Still, God was there -- in even grander ways than I first imagined.

    To my great surprise and relief, churches began to contact me right away -- that very night, in fact. But one by one, God closed most of those doors. One door, however, remained steadfastly open. A member of the state convention's executive board had shared my name with a church not far from where my family now live. In fact, I had invited them to visit the Sunday before I resigned but they refused.

    I filled the pulpit for a dear friend and fellow minister in my hometown two weeks later. The pastoral search committee from two churches were there. At their request, my wife and I interviewed with one of the churches in a Sunday School class following worship. The children were on their best behavior -- thank the Lord!

    Inside the Sunday School class, something miraculous happened. My wife and I found ourselves in the midst of friends not strangers; genuine brothers and sisters in Christ who earnestly longed for God's Word to set the direction and path for their lives. More interviews followed, this time at the church itself. We met with the Deacons, the Finance Committee, the Personnel Committee, and of course the Pastoral Search Committee. Our hearts raced with great joy and excitement with each meeting and every telephone call. God appeared to be moving us in their direction -- but we wanted to be sure.

    A month later, in mid-March, I boldly proclaimed God's Word before an exceptional gathering of members and their families. The response was overwhelming! Many were moved to make kingdom building decisions that would affect the rest of their lives. The altar was almost completely covered with people on their knees!

    The church voted the following Sunday -- a bit unusual where I come from but discovering God's will was my primary concern. I think I prayed more that week than I had in years. "Close the door, Lord" I prayed, "close it now so I will know if you want me to serve you elsewhere." The door not only stayed open -- it swung open even farther!

    I recently began a new chapter in my life and ministry for God. My lingering feelings of unworthiness and uselessness are now gone, replaced by a new fire to not repeat the past ever again. God had overcome the mammoth barriers that separated me from His kingdom's service. Indeed, like Peter, He had restored me when I was unworthy to be restored.

    My story is not unique. God wants to restore you too. It matters not what you may have done or in what you may have failed, God loves you enough to take on whatever obstacle presents itself in your life. And He's not only willing to take them on, He has the power to overcome them. I stand ready to help wherever I can. Because I love Him and you . . .

 

How has God helped you?  Where have you seen God at work?  Share your story today!

Ministry Needs . . .

Kosovo . . .  An effort is now underway to help the needy in Kosovo with an item overlooked at present -- underwear. It's not something we often talk about but it is very much in need right now.

    Operation Save the Children, in conjunction with Southern Baptists and other churches in South Carolina, are collecting undergarments for both sexes and all sizes. Diapers are not being asked for but one may contribute such if your heart desires. If you are interested in helping, please buy NEW undergarments and contact your Operation Save the Children or contact me and I will make arrangements to receive your donation. Other relief organizations are collecting other items and, of course, monetary contributions. Our Journey Through the Bible web site has more details.

 

Oklahoma . . .  Relief efforts by the North American Missions Board are, at present, focusing on a number of fronts. Officials with NAMB are asking interested individuals and churches to send monetary contributions marked "Oklahoma Relief Effort" and these funds will be handed over to the Oklahoma Baptist Convention for distribution.

    In addition to efforts by NAMB, Operation Save the Children, is collecting new or like-new toys for the children. A new toy may be just the thing these children need to help get their minds off of their very difficult situation. Again, if interested, contact Operation Save the Children directly or email me and I will make arrangements to receive your donation.

 

Stamp Out Hunger . . .  Another ministry opportunity for you to become involved with this week comes from the United States Post Office. The National Association of Letter Carriers, with the support of the Expedited and Package Services Division of the US Postal Service will be collecting nonperishable food items like canned meats, soup, vegetables, juice, pasta, cereal, rice, and more on Saturday, May 8 -- TOMORROW!

    You still have time to help! All you need do is place your food donation in a bag by your mailbox. The postal service will make sure these "priority packages" are delivered to local food banks and pantries.

 

Click here to discover ways you can help in Kosovo . . .

Internet Corner

Keep An Eye On Where Your Children Surf!   Concerned parents need to keep a close eye on where their children are surfing on the Internet. Most of us know this to be true. The problem is being in the same room when your child connects -- that's not always easy to do. Computer software to help is just around the corner, until then, I offer this very simple alternative.

    As part of most Internet browsers, most especially Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape, users will find a "History" button that records where your young user has been for a designated period of time -- 20 days by default on IE (the value may, of course be changed more or less).

    Using the History option, parents can review where and when Internet surfers have been. Some parents will no doubt object to using such technology. Other parents, like myself, will welcome the opportunity to help direct our children into safer surfing.

    Another way to check where your computer has been is to examine the so called "cookies" -- small data files used by web sites, in C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES. These files are not subject to automatic deletion by the computer after a period of time.

    Check it out . . . it's some of the good stuff to help us better use the Internet.

 

Have you an idea for "Internet Corner"?  Write us.

For other interesting web sites, check out our list of links on the Journey Through the Bible web site.

Want More?

e-mail us at jttb@oocities.com or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.oocities.org/~jttb for the latest updates on Service/Ministry opportunities, the complete one year Bible reading plan, links to web sites that help you grow in Christ, e-letter back issues, biographical data on Pastor Williams, and much more.

God loves you!  (cf John 3:16)

(c) 1999 Charles J. Williams, Jr., M.Div.  All rights reserved.

Preview subscribers will automatically become subscribers unless we hear from you otherwise.  Send an e-mail to Journey Through the Bible to unsubscribe from this free ministry.  Submitted testimonies and prayer requests are subject to editing by Pastor Williams for length and content.  Bible readings alternate between Old and New Testament selections so as to journey the reader through the Bible in one year.  Reflection verses are suggestions for daily spiritual growth.  When reflecting, ask yourself: "What is God saying to 'me' in the this passage?"  Then ask "What will I say to God in response?"