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Aging Thoughts

by Rev Robert A Wendel

Respect old people.  Do not rebuke an old man.  Wisdom is with aged.  Lev. 19:32; I Tim. 5:1; Job 12:12

Jesus proved by his resurrection that we are God’s spiritual expression, made for this world, yet to live again in a paradise yet to come.  Christ destroyed the notion that our time on earth has age limitations.  Positive folks say “Age is just a state of mind.  You’re as young as you feel.”

Regardless of the number of candles on your birthday cake, as the years add up if we use common sense to maintain our physical bodies and minds, we can live long, useful, productive lives.  Genesis 1:26 assures us that the Almighty gave humans control of all creation, including ourselves.

Still, we know that the natural aging process imposes restrictions on our strength and endurance.  As the decades we feel a drop off from what we could accomplish twenty, thirty, forty or fifty years before.  The onset of physical disorders and diseases does weigh heavily upon our later lifestyle.

No matter the circumstances, you and I don’t need to feel overwhelmed.  Sometimes the senior crowd get chagrined for not being able to do what they used to be able to do.  It’s alright if our pace slows down just a little.  Younger people will always glide along at a faster pace.

With advancing years comes the wisdom to enjoy little victories that may arrive with each new dawn and serve to comfort us all through the night.

The great British physician Sir. William Osler wrote, “Each night we should pull down a mental curtain, shutting out the past and another curtain shutting out our tomorrow and go to sleep unburdened by remnants of the past or anxieties about the future.”

We all know the truism, ‘Take care of today.  Tomorrow will take care of itself.”  As St. Paul wrote, “Forget those things which are behind.  Reach for those things which are in front of us.  Let us press toward the high marks given us by Christ.”  (Phil.3:14).  May God bless us.

The next men’s prayer breakfast will be Saturday, February 25th at Crab Orchard church at 8:00 a.m.  Come and enjoy a great time with your brothers in Christ.

Don’t let the important things go unsaid

by Joyce Mills

Someone has said, “Don’t let the important things go unsaid.  Do the things that brighten your life and help you on your way.  Live to the fullest; make each day count.”

Those of you who volunteer understand these words so very well.  You spend your time doing those things that make you happy.  There are  so many places where volunteers do things that really count!  And, yet, it seems we never have enough volunteers for the things that need to be done.

I always feel a need to thank those of you who help with the backpacks each week, giving your time and energy to help hungry kids.  It is so great to have some help in saying “thanks” this month.  To those of you who did special shopping for students at Christmas, and those of you who give special time each week here are some very special thanks………

From a parent who sent a very special “Thank YOU” card:

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

EVERY THING WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED

Thank you!

From the principal of Beckley Elementary:

First Baptist Church,

Thank you so much for your dedication to our school and students. The food backpacks are items that these students look forward to all week.

We also appreciate you providing Christmas gifts to them as well. You are truly a blessing to our school and these families.

Meghan Houck, Principal

Beckley Elementary School

So you Volunteers, look in the mirror and smile….and see an amazing person looking back at you.  You really are someone special, and your presence is a present to the world around you.

The food donation needed this month is a can of pasta with meat.  Just put It on the back counter in the church kitchen.  Thanks

Operation Christmas Child 2017

by Debbie Vanaman

Well now that Christmas is over and a new year has begun, it’s that time again – well not really but it’s time to start thinking about shoeboxes for this year.

Our collection effort during 2017 was a huge success and a number of people told me that they really liked the way we did a different item to bring in month.

So here goes the start of shoeboxes for 2018.   For the month of February,  we will be collecting bar soap and wash cloths.  There will be boxes set up in the Welcome Center and in Fellowship Hall for your donations.   As always, please keep this program in your prayers as shoeboxes are being distributed daily to children around the world.

It’s All About “Me”

by Pastor Doc Adkins

Social media phrases have always reminded me of those Conversation Hearts Candy.  You know, they say  those little phrases that represent what we want to tell someone at Valentine’s Day such as “love me”, “kiss me”, or “hug me”.  In social media the phrases are things like “follow me”, “friend me”, “text me” and so on.

I kind of see a theme here.  It’s all about wanting someone to respond to “me”.  Those phrases are how others reach out to us and want us to respond.

The Lord reaches out to us in so many ways.  How do we answer His requests?

Friend Me

We all want friends, whether online or offline and Jesus is the greatest friend we will ever have.  One thing we have to do as Christians is to act and behave like we are His friends.

Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  John 15:14 

Text Me

It seems like everyone is texting on their phones these days, especially young people.  People are staying in contact with each other.  They are just chatting, asking questions, and answering questions.

How much more we should stay in contact with Christ and fill the Lord in with what’s going on in our lives.  No one is afraid to pick up a phone and text a question to a friend but we fail sometimes to pray to the Lord as easily.

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  Philippians 4:6 

Repost Me

People with blogs and Facebook or any kind of social media want what they’ve posted to be reposted by other people, whether it’s a blog post, photo, or video.  We want what we’ve posted reposted so it gets shared over and over.

We post things online that are important to us or even what makes us laugh or what we enjoy.  We send along links to our friends of things we think they would enjoy or that we think could help them.
Do we enjoy God’s Word enough to share it?  Are we passing it along to our friends for their benefit?

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16

Follow Me

Most people that use social media want followers.  They want to know what they are posting is getting read and that people enjoy it.  Many of us follow blogs or the Facebook posts of our friends to see what they are up to or we may even follow people or things we are just interested in.

How interested are we in following Christ closely?  Have we missed anything He has shared with us?  How caught up are we on following His teachings?

Have you ever noticed that sometimes people follow other people online because they’ve seen someone else following that particular website or person?  The more we follow Christ, the more we’ll be those “fishers of men”  He talks about.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  Matthew 4:19 

Add Me

Website and blog owners usually make a way for people to be added to their mailing lists or a way to be added so their visitors can get updates.    Many of you have probably added yourselves to mailing lists or updates at places you shop or frequent online.

How often do we think about adding the Lord into the things we do and making it so He is included in everything we do?

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;  Colossians 3:23 

Share Me

Sharing what we find on social media is what makes the social media world go round.  If it weren’t for people constantly sharing the things they find, it wouldn’t work.

Sharing Christ and His love is what furthers Christianity.  How else will people know about the Lord if we don’t share His love?

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  John 13:35

Conclusion:  All of social media revolves around how people respond to the different aspects of it but in the end that has no lasting value.  How we respond to Christ does matter.  It’s the difference of eternal things.

So, have you responded to Christ?

Under Construction

by Rev Robert A Wendel

The final stop for many visitors to the Billy Graham Library, Museum and Grounds in Charlotte, NC is often the prayer garden where Dr. Graham’s wife of sixty years, Ruth Bell Graham, daughter of medical missionaries to China, was laid to rest below a grave marker engraved with the Chinese character for ‘righteousness’ and English sentences, “End of construction. Thank you for your patience.”

Isn’t that really what our earthly life is really all about? The Lord, in his patience and grace, is working on us all, through the experiences and events of our lives., until bringing us to an end which only he himself knows. You and I can be far too quick to judge someone else’s spiritual progress, while forgetting to realize just have much patience our heavenly Father has showered upon us during our earthly sojourn.

The older we get in our walk, the more we should admit that perfection for we mere mortals is impossible. Every follower of Christ should have confidence that God’s love and faithfulness will carry us through all the high’s and low’s that spiritual character building may require.

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless, before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, now and forever” (Jude 1:24-25, Adapted),

While God is shaping and reshaping us, making you and me ready for heaven, may we thank those whom we may have ‘rubbed the wrong way,’ insulted or overlooked, extending grace filled understanding to us. This may be the best New Year’s resolution we make for 2017!

Gentlemen, please remember to join our church friends and our guests from the Fellowship House for our January 2017 ABC Men’s Breakfast on the Second Saturday of the New Year.  Everyone resolve your blessings with others in the days and weeks ahead.

ABW December Update

by Norma Gunter

The American Baptist Women’s Ministry Focus for January, 2017 is See…Poverty in America.  The scripture is Luke 16:19-31.  “When we walk down the street, we see poverty everywhere: homeless men and women asking for food or money, anything that can help; families have no home, the parents wondering how they will provide for their children.  But many of us glance over them as if they are part of the scenery.  January is Poverty in America Awareness month, and hopefully we all see it.”

Here at First Baptist Church we are helping through Helping Hand Ministry.  Many from FBC volunteer there handing out food & clothing.  Others of us give food, clothing, house hold goods, etc. to Helping Hands. We can’t help everyone but if everyone would help someone it would go a long way.  Maybe we could help more this month since it is Poverty in America Awareness month.

One group of people helping people in poverty around the world are our American Baptist USA International Missionaries.  Beckley First Baptist Church supports seven missionaries each month and some of them have children.  They need to know that we love and support them.  In this new year, 2017, let us do a better job supporting these missionaries and their children with birthday greetings. letters and gifts.

This year we will be supporting a first time missionary family, Juan and Denise Aragon.  Juan has been a part of the West Virginia Baptist Convention as Hispanic Ministries Strategist for several years.  They will be serving in Chiapas, Mexico.  “They will both work in training, prevention and education as they learn the community needs and look for ways to emotionally and economically empower leaders in their communities. Juan will focus on theological education and leadership training as he accompanies, coaches and disciples new church leaders. Denise’s ministry will seek to empower women, especially those who are victims of domestic abuse.” (from the ABCUSA web site) They have two small children, son Juancito and daughter Ziba. both born since they came to WV in 2008.  They are now USA citizens and Juan has graduated from college.  They are from Nicaragua and grew up with my friends there.  He and his family will be missed but we are gaining new missionaries.  They need help for they are only 37.6% supported.  Individuals can help support them as well as churches.

Another missionary family with children that we support each month is Keith and Debbie Myers our missionaries in Central Mexico.  They partner with the Council of Rural Indigenous Evangelical Churches to provide pastoral accompaniment to the indigenous churches.  They train pastors, church leaders, youth leaders and teachers of children.  They have two children:  Boyden who is 18 and Baillie who is l7.

Next month I’ll tell you about our other families with children and the other missionaries we support.  I’ll share ways we can let them know we love them.  I’ll give you their address and birthdays so you can communicate with them.

May all of the First Baptist families have a blessed and happy NEW YEAR.

From the Hands that Help Others

We were overwhelmed with the support that we have received from our church family and the Beckley and Raleigh County community during 2016.  The Thanksgiving food, coat and blanket drive will help us immensely throughout the winter.  We also thank our volunteers who come week after week to give their time to help in this vital ministry as well as those of you who support us financially month after month.

While the final numbers were not available at the time of this article, our numbers were up consistently each and every month and we anticipate that trend will continue in the new year so we will need your continued support.  We are always in need of bath soap and toilet tissue.  Non-perishable food items are also needed because the more that is donated, the less we have to purchase and this helps our budget and finances.   Donations can be left in the large box outside the church office.

Happy New Year! It’s 2017!

by Joyce Mills

A big THANK YOU to the 15 shoppers who took the time and energy to Christmas shop for 27 children.  I can only imagine how happy this made mostly boys and a few girls, who receive backpacks filled with food every Friday.

Having just read some facts on hunger in West Virginia, I was pleased to read that the WV Office of Child Nutrition is leading the nation in serving nutritionally balanced meals to its students at school. However, these same children live in a household that does not have access to enough food. This is due to low wages or no job. More than 1 in 4 WV children live in a household that does not have enough food.  60% of WV school children qualify for free or reduced priced school meals.  That’s more than 173,000 children whose family household income is below or nearly below the federal poverty level.  Raleigh County is in that number, as well as, students at Beckley Elementary. Sadly, the meals provided at school may be the only food many children have access to each day.

Our children deserve to have the most basic needs met in order to live vibrant, productive lives. FBC is doing its part to stop hunger in children. Your gifts of money and food donations certainly are making a difference with some children.  AND, yes, it is a MISSION FIELD right in our back door. Sometimes Home Missions are neglected and we send our money far away to other people in need.  That is all well and good but we cannot overlook our own community needs.

THANKS! THANKS! THANKS! – for not only providing food for the weekends but also for making certain that 27 kids had a good Christmas. The donation needed in January is cans of Pasta with MEAT. Just place on the back counter in the Church kitchen.

Are You Winterized?

by Pastor Doc Adkins

...in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.   Philippians 4:11-13

Growing up in WV, we’ve learned the meaning of cold and winter.   When I was younger living in Hinton, my whole world was WV and I actually thought it was normal to wear several layers of clothing and be bundled up so much you couldn’t move, dig out sidewalks of snow, scrape ice off your car, and do all the other things that go along with snow, ice, and winter.

In our spiritual lives, we all have “winters” too and we have to winterize them in order to face them.  When winter comes it is a time of bleak and dark dreary days.  We must face the fact that winter can be hard and trials are hard.  Just like the season of winter, our spiritual “winters” can leave us discouraged, lonely, and depressed.

There are some things that can make the cold of our winter very intense. We need to winterize and guard against them.

1   The Cold Air Culprit of the World.
When we are going through trials and hardships, we sometimes tend to let our guard down and it’s so easy for worldly influences to take over in our lives.  It seeps through the cracks around the doors and windows just like the winter air.  It may be the influence of world’s unscriptural thinking.

It all can work overtime on us as we face trials in our lives.  We’ve got to dig out the caulk and weather stripping and block those cracks and holes.  Using God’s Word is the best way to do this.  If we have it in our hearts, it can help stop the winter air of the world from seeping into our lives.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11

2   The Icicles of Cold Attitudes.
During the winter it is easy to develop a bad attitude.  It doesn’t take much at all for some of us.  In comes the dreary days, the cold and chill, and drip…drip…we have formed those icicle attitudes.

We become cranky and out of sorts with our family and anyone who we come in contact with.  We also tend to complain more about anyone and anything.

When we are in the midst of a trial we sometimes automatically go into icicle attitude mode.  We don’t have any fellowship with anyone to help encourage us through our trial because who wants to be around us?

We have to remember that no one else can fix our bad attitudes.  Only we can do that.  It’s not easy either to adjust your attitude during a “winter” because the weight of that ice is bearing down on us.

I’ve found that the simplest way to start working on adjusting a bad attitude is to take a step back and just remember who God is and who we are not.

Be still, and know that I am God:  Psalm 46:10

3   The Blizzards of Circumstances.
Winter can bring so many things along with it.  Blizzards being one of the worst as the effects it leaves is so devastating.  Circumstances in our lives can also be devastating.  Bills mount up.  Family members get sick or even die. Relationships get sour, and many other circumstances weigh down on us until we think we can’t go on because we can’t see what’s down the road.

I think that during these times we need to remember that God sees the outcome. He’s our Potter and we are the clay.

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  Job 23:10

4   The Jack Frost of Depression.
Better bundle up because if you are going through a trial, then depression is going to come nipping at your heels sooner or later.  Just like the dark and bleak days of winter have a depressing effect on us, trials seem to frost our lives with depression. The problem is that when we are in the midst of a “winter”, it is so easy to just let it nip away at us. I think depression is one of the worst things of a “winter” because I’ve had my problems with it and it still seems like it is always there looming and wanting to nip…nip away.

There’s no easy way out of depression but keeping our lives in tune with God can help guard against it.  Regular personal devotions and a time with God each day can go a long way in dealing with it.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.  Psalm 55:17

Now Listen:  Prepare Your Winter Emergency Kit. When you live where you have severe cold you know that there are things needed in order to prepare to endure the winter.  As Christians, when our “winters” and trials come into our lives we must learn to prepare for them as well.

Here are a few basic things we should have on hand.

 1   Non Perishable Food—Scripture Have some things on hand to sustain you through. Memorized scriptures can help more than anything.  Just a phrase of Scripture to grasp in the dead of our “winter” can be a great comfort to us.

2   Extra Blankets and Warm Clothing—Fellowship During a “winter” some people forget about attending church and fellowshipping with other Christians.  How much more it is needed when trials come into our lives. Having fellowship with other believers strengthens us.  We need their love, support, and prayers.  It becomes a real warmth to us.

3   Drinking Water–Christ the Living Water Bottled water in a winter emergency is a must.  We need it to survive just like we need the Living Water.  We need Christ and His Word to live. Relying on Him will keep us from a parched existence.  Drink in His love, His promises, His blessings, and His strength.  Looking to Him in the face of our trials and circumstances will help see us through our “winter”.

4   Emergency Candles or Flashlights–God’s Guidance The electricity may go out because of the weight of snow and ice on the power lines so we always need a light source to have on hand.  God’s guidance is our light source.  We can’t get through our daily lives, let alone our “winters” without following God’s direction and leading.  Staying sensitive to God’s leading will keep us going in the right direction and will help us to see a little more clearly.

Conclusion: We will all have “winters” in our lives, but choosing how we deal and prepare for them can make all the difference in the world.

So, are you winterized?

Merry Christmas!

by Joyce Mills

Giving a friend, neighbor or even a stranger a reminder that the world can be a happy place may make you happy.  Fifteen individuals chose to be a reminder to 26 children who receive backpack meals for the weekend by becoming their secret Santa.  These individuals not only believe in the reminder but will put their energy and patience to the test by shopping for the kids.

Have you heard Stevie Wonder sing this song?

Someday at Christmas we’ll see a land

With no hungry children, no empty hand

One happy morning people will share

Our world where people care.

It is a beautiful song!  Our little world at Beckley First Baptist does care. We are a very giving church.  Week after week, the same people come and pack the backpacks and the same people go week after week to work at Helping Hands reminding those in need that the world can be a happy place.  That is a wonderful thing!  And now, 15 people will give an extra reminder by doing the shopping for kids in need.  Thank you!  Thank you!

The Backpack Ministry always needs prayers for the families, money, and for the month of December cans of Pork and Beans. Just place the cans on the back counter in the church kitchen. Thanks, and you know, our world can be a happy place.