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Search Past Issues Subscribe to F&V May 2002 In This Issue: The Heart of a Mother She Hath Done What She Could Window To The Past Letters From The Readers Reports From the Mission Field Editorials & Prayer Requests The Heart of a Mother Sis. Rosie Gellenbeck God knows the value of a soul, so He has prepared a special plan to bring it into this world. He has placed a portion of Himself in each child and some day it will come back to Him. This child is endowed with a will to choose and a void that will never be satisfied until it is united with Him again. God has planned this life to be shaped by the love of a mother. He has created the heart of a mother with a great sense of compassion, gentleness, beauty and a great capacity to love. Then He nestled this eternal soul near that heart to grow; to be nurtured by the unconscious and conscious giving of herself. She pays a great price. It is no wonder that a mother's love is said to be the greatest love. Even Christ said the greatest love is that a man lay down his life for others. Ideally, while the father gives of himself in financial support for the care and rearing of a child, the mother carries the child and need not worry that her needs will be supplied. It is beautiful to see a young couple work together in preparing their home for the coming of a little one. This home is a little nest to protect the babe from the elements and evils of the world. The room is cleaned and maybe painted, Much care is taken that nothing harmful be present and that the babe be comfortable. Anticipation builds and final preparations are made for the day of birth. When that day comes there is only one focus-birth! Normal duties stop; all else seems trivial. The mother is in travail. All are anxiously waiting and praying but the birth waits on the strength of the mother. The child is born! The call goes out for all to rejoice. A new member has been added to the family. The mother sees the child and it is placed in her arms. Likewise, God cares greatly for the souls that are born into His kingdom, therefore He places them under the care of the spiritual mother (the Church). (Galatians 4:26.) He has made provision for the needs of the mother. Our Father is omnipotent and He has promised to "...freely give us all things."Romans 8:32. Having provided everything we need, His part is complete. He has gone away, but the Comforter has been left us to supply our needs as a mother. Our sufficiency is of God. Before God blesses souls with spiritual birth, they must be carried close to the heart of the spiritual mother (the saved body). Love for them must be demonstrated by giving of ourselves. We must go out of our way to be a friend. Our love for souls will increase as we give ourselves for the cause of their salvation. Have faith they will be saved. Plan for their birth! When the burden comes, stop and travail in prayer. The enemy is not willing to release his hold on any soul. This is why the travail of the mother must take place. When Zion travailed she brought forth children. (Isaiah 66:8.) On the day of Pentecost about 3,000 souls were saved. If we notice, before this the church was assembled together praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit. They had not gone back to their jobs or their homes. Their regular routine of living had stopped. Isn't this what must take place before birth? The disciples could not cast the devil out of a man. Jesus told them that it takes fasting and prayer. Again, travail must come before birth. We must take time out to travail in prayer as God lays a soul upon our heart. These are the pains of birth. God knows the hour of birth. Let us work together by the prompting of His Spirit to see the birth come forth. The true spirit of travail comes when we are willing to sacrifice as Christ did for us. Paul said, "For I could wish that myself were accursed...for my kinsmen."Romans 9:3. He labored much for the souls God had placed in His care. Paul also said, "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you."Galatians 4:19. The birth of a spiritual babe is as much a miracle as a physical birth. A soul is transformed from darkness to light. Oh, what joy! The angels in heaven likewise rejoice. "I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."Luke 15:10. If the angels rejoice, so should we. Even if one repents in the privacy of his home, the news must be shared. The mother wants to hear the cry. Samuel Morris, who had a heart to serve God, was led to a group of missionaries who had been travailing in prayer for the souls of those in the jungles of Africa. Every soul needs a mother's care. A baby is totally dependent on its mother. It must be fed and nurtured. A baby can be fed mechanically but without nurturing; it will still die. The bonding process is vital to the emotional well-being of a child. It is so beautiful to see a new mother tenderly comfort her child. There might be many more experienced mothers in the room, but that baby knows the one who carried and travailed in birth for it. Oh, to have that kind of relationship with newborn souls! All who have grown in the Lord have had someone who believed in them and nurtured them on their way. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."Isaiah 49:15. God wants this kind of care in the mother (the Church) so He can give new babes into the family. If there is no love and no one to feed and care for a newborn soul, it falls into great discouragement, hopelessness and doom. A spiritual home must also be established to protect the new babe. This is where the brethren are in unity and where the Father is worshipped in spirit and in truth. The apostle Paul wrote in Eph. 2:20-22 that the house of God is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." The unity of the brethren makes up the building for the spirit of God to dwell in. It does not require many. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."Matthew 18:20. This habitation or home must be ready so the newborn babe can have a safe home in which to grow and where it is protected from the spirits of the world. When the home is established, we can look forward to bringing children into it. Let us be responsible for the souls God has placed around us. If they are not saved, let us travail in prayer for them, and accept them into our lives and our families. This is part of God's plan as described in Psalm 68:6, "God setteth the solitary in families:..."As they are saved, don't forget them; make them a part of the spiritual family. God's plan for the Church is to bear children. The Church cannot be holy if she does not do her job as a mother. She Hath Done What She Could Sis. Mary McDonald "And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, "Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, "Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."Mark 14:3-9. The song, Have We Done What We Could? says "She hath done what she could, said the kind, loving Savior, when the ointment so precious was poured on his head, By the hand of a sinner redeemed thro' his mercy. Her contribution displayed by the tears that she shed. Are we bringing the gift of true love to the Savior? Are we honoring Jesus so gentle and good? Oh, how sweet it will be when our service is ended, If we hear his voice say, Ye have done what ye could!" "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."Matthew 25:34-40. Saints and friends, have we done what we could-just a little love, a visit, phone call, a little work of encouragement, a little prayer, song or a letter? Galatians 6:10 reads, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." From 1954 Bro. Fred Pruitt "A company of us have been out in evangelistic work for the past month, doing what we could to get the truth to precious souls. The company consisted of W. C. Murphey, Kenneth Flynn, Lois Whipple, Maybelle Pruitt (L. D. Pruitt's wife) and the writer. We helped in a meeting at Pacoima, California, which was held in the auditorium on the state camp grounds. This meeting was well attended and quite a number were at the altar during the meeting-some for salvation, some for sanctification, and others for healing of the body. It was a very good meeting, and quite a number of saints testified that they were blessed and helped. "On Wednesday night we all went to Fresno, Calif., and met with the saints at that place. They were having a revival. The meeting house was quite well filled and the Lord gave good liberty in giving out the simple truths of the saving gospel of Christ. "During our short stay at Bakersfield, we were treated with saintly hospitality and the Lord showed Himself in the two nights meeting in a very precious way. Bro. Isaac Chandler is pastor there and the work is prospering spiritually. There is quite a large congregation of saints at that place and they showed their love for the truth. If time had permitted, we would like to have stayed longer with them. Letters Readers MO-Dear Church of God Ministers: Bro. Bob Huskey has felt the Lord lead him to resign as the pastor of the Church of God congregation at Neosho, MO. We, the congregation, feel a deep need of the Lord choosing another pastor for us. A pastor has need of some qualities and graces that may not be as needed in other offices. For this reason, we feel that it is necessary for the husband and wife team to share this calling, and share the vision of God's one pure church. We are praying that the couple the Lord is burdening will rise to the call of duty for our congregation. As a congregation, we will be praying and fasting on Wednesdays, expecting the Lord to move. Please pray with us. It has been agreed that the congregation will not actively ask individuals to take pastoral duties. Should an individual approach you, we pray that you will heed only the call of God and not the pleas of man. We are desirous of the Lord placing the one here that He knows will be a humble servant of God to work among us. We appreciate how the Lord has burdened ministers to come to help in the last few weeks. If while in your prayer closet, the Lord has given you a burden for Neosho, we continue to extend the welcome as we wait for the Lord to fill our needs for a pastor. The congregation can be contacted through Bro. Mike Hightower, (417) 451-3636 or Bro. Clifford Cole, (417) 776-2331. Prayerfully submitted, -The Church of God congregation at Neosho OH-Dear Bro. Wayne: I am going through a big thing in my life. My wife had a stroke and she is having a bad time coming out of it. She wasn't paralyzed on either side.... Later she got out of a chair, fell and broke her hip. I have had three light strokes and none of them have paralyzed me. My right side is weak as you can see by my writing. God is looking after me and my wife. I go to the rest home two or three times a day and I am so tired. My son and daughter-in-law are looking after me, also my grandson. When you get this letter, please pray for my wife. I will try and write to you later on. May God bless you, -Bro. Chester Dunaway KS-Bro. Murphey: Thank you for what you printed in the January, 2002, "Question and Answer"column in reference to Luke 21:25-27, Mark 13:19-20 and Matthew 24:29. I had written to you for an explanation on this subject approximately back in November. This answered my questions. This paper is very valuable to us who are not able to attend regular services. Please remember me in your prayers. A brother in Christ, -John Austin CA-Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings in Jesus' dear name....I thank God for my life. I often say that the only thing I regret is that I didn't get saved sooner. However, it occurred to me that God knows best. When I got saved I got saved to stay. If it had happened earlier, I might not have had the same determination. I thank God for the way that it is. My joy is full. I am at peace and as Paul said, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men." I feel like the scripture in Isaiah 46:4, "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."Praise God. May your work continue to bless its many readers, and may God continue to bless all at the Publishing House. -Bro. Bob Mickelson WV-Dear Faith and Victory: I hope this finds everyone well and happy. I am looking forward to spring. I want to hear the birds singing and see the flowers coming up.... I am not happy with all the news I hear. I pray they will bring our men and boys home. Please keep me on your prayer list as now I am 82 and I feel myself failing. I pray God will let me stay here a little longer. Love and prayers, -Sis. Melba Powell OK-Dear Bro. Wayne and saints everywhere: Greetings in Jesus' name. I want to thank everyone for their prayers for me. I sure do appreciate all the saints of God. Thank you for all the beautiful cards and phone calls. They were an encouragement to me. I do still need prayer. Pray for my unsaved loved ones. In Christian love, -Sis Ruby Bell OK-Dear Bro. Wayne: Greetings in the name of Jesus, the One who loved us and paid such a great price that we might be washed from our sins and fitted to live with Him in eternity. Surely we want to love Him and serve Him to the best of our ability by helping others to be saved. I am glad for the love of God that helps us do this. May God bless you in your labors of love. -Bro. T. V. McMillian OR-Dear Bro. Wayne and Sis. Mary: Greetings across the long miles to OK. I would love to see you and trust you are well. The Lord has been real good to us and we thank Him for His rich blessings.... Pray for us. We need each other's prayers. May God bless you all. With love, -Sis. Ruby Hutchinson MO-Dear Bro. Wayne and Sis. Mary: Praise the Lord this bright morning for His wonderful, innumerable gifts to the children of men. This morning, as I drove to school, I saw a young boy trudging along the highway in a place where children don't usually walk. I felt great concern for him, as did others, and I was relieved to hear another person had phoned the police to come and make sure he was safe. As I came on to school, I realized we were concerned about him because he seemed small and lost. How many equally needy souls there are who are vulnerable, hurting and discouraged, yet we do not recognize their needs because they have adult forms of jobs and responsibilities. Christ saw through the businesses and bodies and into the soul. Oh for His spirit to fill us that we might also. We thank God for your efforts. Where the printed Word of good news goes, may His Spirit accompany it. With Christian love, -Marilyn and David Cole OK-Dear Bro. Wayne: We are blessed with such precious songs. "Jesus Has Been So Good To Me,""How Can You Part With Jesus,""I Ought To Love My Savior,""I'll Go With Him All The Way."Just the titles of these songs bear a message! That is our testimony. -Carol and James Jantz Philippines-Dear Bro. Wayne: I greet you with gladness in my heart and hope that everything is always well with you and your family, and that God's blessings continue to shower upon you. I am very happy and thankful to our Lord for His love and guidance to me and to my family. How are you and Sis. Mary? It has been more than a month since I last wrote to you. My schedules have been very hectic, but I thank the Lord for helping me and guiding me in doing all the works that I need to accomplish. I read a verse from the Bible in John 14:26 and it is truly amazing how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. I asked my boss yesterday if I could have two days leave from work so that I could attend the camp meeting in San Jose, and I thank God that He touched her heart and immediately approved my vacation leave, even though we have so much work and deadlines to meet at the office. Last night (Saturday), after I finished everything my boss needed to present to our clients for next week, she asked me to help my office mate to finish her materials needed for presentation. My boss asked me to work overnight until Sunday morning because she estimated it would take 4-6 hours to save the work on the computer and my office mate needed to finish six designs. I was a little sad because I did not want to miss attending Sunday service, and the children at Sunday school would be waiting for me. While working on the computer, I was praying. I needed God's help to finish the three designs by dawn, so that I could leave the office by early morning and attend service. It is truly amazing how God helped me. I was able to finish the three designs and had no problem saving them in the computer. I was also able to burn it to CD, and print the materials all within six hours. By 4:00 a.m. I had everything prepared. I was able to sleep three hours, and at 7:00 a.m. I left the office. I took the train, then a bus and prayed that I could arrive home before 9:00 a.m. I got home at exactly 8:30 a.m. My mother thought I would not be able to teach the Sunday school class but she prepared the materials. I believe mother is also thankful for God's guidance to me and for helping me with my work. Take care, and please give my regards to all the saints there. Love, -Sis. Arlene Tibayan Mission Reports From the PhilippinesŠ April 12, 2002-Dear Bro. Wayne and Sis. Mary: Greetings to you in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With your valuable help for us in the Philippines, more souls are being reached for salvation. It is summertime-it is very hot in San Jose. Children are free from school and the young people started teaching the daily Vacation Bible School in Mapangpang. We helped them prepare their visual aid/materials to use for VBS last Thursday here in San Jose. After Mapangpang, they will move to Magtanggol and to Llanera after Magtanggol. Last Saturday March 23, 2002, five precious souls received water baptism at the Mount Zion baptistry and three souls from Sibut were baptized yesterday, April 1, 2002, at the river between Rizal, Nueva Ecija and Ganduz. There is no more water from the creek where we get water to fill the baptistry and a very little water from the well, so we dug the well deeper to reach more water during the summer. That is why the baptism yesterday was in Ganduz. We are also very much thankful for your prayers; our father is again in the harvest field of the Lord. Last March 25, 2002, he went with Daniel to Mapangpang and Magtanggol to visit the constructed chapels. He still can't drive by himself. When he arrived home in the afternoon he was very tired but he was able to sleep well at night and wake up healthy in the morningŠ. Our summer camp meeting will be April 12-14, 2002. We are praying for the success of this meeting. Thank you once more for your love and prayers for the salvation of souls in the Philippines. Warm regards to your family and to all of the saints over there. Your sister in Christ, -Josie C. Martin April 2, 2002-Dear Bro. Wayne and Sis. Mary: Hello! Magandang umaga (Good morning). I apologize for not answering your letter immediately. Last week, the whole holy week, we tried our best to finish and prepare all the materials we needed for the Vacation Bible School. Praise God! We have it all ready. This morning we started our VBS at Barangay Cupang. We thank God for a very wonderful day. We had more than 30 children who attended in the morning. In the afternoon some had been added. Parents accompanied their children and watched how we teach. They really enjoyed it. We divided the children into three groups: kindergarten, primary and junior class. I had to handle the juniors. In the afternoon, we started at 1:00 p.m. because the children, after eating their lunch, came back at once. So we started again at 1:00 instead of 2:30 because they were all there waiting. It was a very busy day, but we teachers are very happy because of our wonderful experience. We thank God for the two families who offered their houses for us to hold classes there. Sis. Irma and the homeowners prepared our lunchŠ. We leave Muntinlupa at 7:30 a.m. to go teach VBS and reach Barangay Cupang at about 9:00 a.m. The parents, with their children, are already waiting for us. Though we feel exhausted when we reach home at 5:00 p.m. we are so very happy for the children's interest as well as the parents'. May God bless our work in His Kingdom. Thank you again for your prayers and support. Your Sister in Christ, -Nellie T. Tibayan From IndiaŠ April 19 , 2002-Dear Bro.Wayne Murphey: Greetings to the saints abroad in the precious name of Jesus who hath made us kings and priests unto God and His father. Our convention at Kothamangalam was also a very profitable one with good attendance and anointed messages. An allday service at Cochin last Saturday was also real good. Our seven congregations in the north assembled in that meeting. One of our sisters of age 72 at Kalayapuram passed away last Sunday. I conducted the funeral on Monday in our cemetery at Kalayapuram. Schools and colleges reopen here in June. Children in our church need help to meet the expenses to buy books, dresses, etc. Please open the hands for this need of the children here. By the grace of God all our congregations are moving on fine. Let us exchange our prayers. Yours in Him, -Bro. John Varghese From NigeriaŠ April 19, 2002-Dear Bro Wayne: Sincere love and greetings in Jesus' dear name from me to you, and to all the saints in the Print Shop. I do hope that all is going well with you and all those who are labouring with you for the cause of making Christ known. I write to inform you that I am in receipt of the April edition of the Faith and Victory holiness monthly. Thank you very much for the copy. I was particularly blessed by the editorial. God will never forsake those that put their trust in Him! True to it, "...This is a cardinal truth which can give us strength TODAY."Let us also " ....be a brick-loyal and true to the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords-a brick that is ready to defend the gospel and not allow evil spirits to gain entrance into our lives...." The first national seminar of the Church of God was held in Asana from March 29-31, 2002. I was not able to attend the seminar due to some unavoidable circumstances in Lagos. I really thank God for using Bro. Igbanibo to organize and see the seminar through. I do pray that God continues to give Bro. Igbanibo the needed strength and foresight in this work in Nigeria. I am made to understand that the meeting was very successful and the attendance was encouraging. We thank God that He is on the move to unite the Church of God in Nigeria. Nothing can stop it. We need your prayers always in this regard. The Easter camp meeting was held in Ikot Afaha, a few kilometers from Asana from April 4-7, 2002. The theme of the camp meeting was "The Redemptive Work of Christ."We thank God for the success of the meeting which was another forum of making Christ known to the people. We are making steady progress as the Lord anoints, directs and gives us the grace. We covet your prayers for the work in Nigeria. My love to all the saints over there. Yours in His Service, -Bro. Anietie B. Essien Honduras Missionary ReportŠ March 13, 2002-Dear saints: Greetings in the name of the Lord! We appreciate His blessings to us in our recent travels to Honduras. We can report that it was a profitable trip and much was accomplished for the work there. The saints there send their love to you all and their thanks for all the benefits they receive from your financial interest and burden for them. Several congregations here were involved in sending school supplies for the new school year and we also had one congregation where several ladies made beautiful baby blankets to send. The students were so thrilled with the school supplies and the ladies were touched by the care and love put into the blankets. We would like to commend Sis. Judy Trepaigner again for her burden and interest in the work there. She is now living permanently in the Mission House and considers Honduras her home. She is happy there, despite the fact that her load is heavy with the school and many coming to her for advice and spiritual help. She does a wonderful job and the Lord is helping her. Sis. Judy is very devoted to the Lord and His will for her in life. We had a three-fold purpose for this trip. The first was, of course, to minister and teach the people there. They are always so responsive and it encourages us to do more. Teaching is so easy there. We had two saved while there. One of these was Sis. Sander's son. We have a great interest in the children and young people; there are so many of them. They love to come to church and come regularly, but many of them need to be saved. One young lady by the name of Renita Hamilton, age 18, has been a wonderful example for several years. She attended the school last year and is helping Sis. Judy this year. It is a great blessing, because she is trained in the procedure and very quick to assist. Sis. Joelle Feleaur, from Vancouver, Canada, arrived the second week while we were there, for training, to help in the school. She is living with Sis. Judy and will be staying for several weeks. She seemed to be making adjustments very well and we appreciate her interest and burden. She writes that she is doing well and not "toohomesick. Our second purpose was to get the new school year started. That involved new enrollment, getting permanent records updated and ordering new curriculum. The Lord blessed for all this to be accomplished before we left. The school was functioning well and the students happy. Thank you all so much for your interest and support in making this possible. We just wish you could see it in action so that you could feel the blessing it is to that little bay island. The third reason for going was to continue work on the Mission House. We were able, with the help of others, to get ceilings installed, screens on the windows and door, and build some cabinets for the kitchen. That made it so much better for Sis. Judy and those working with her. We still lack trim and finishing the floors and interior walls, but plan to work on that as time and finances permit. We hope to hire some of this work done throughout the year, if possible. The lower part of the house is yet incomplete, but we are projecting for it to be finished, Lord willing, by this time next year. Sis. Lydia Bennett, Sis. Judy's mother, from Miami, FL, was there when we arrived. She had just completed a special Treat Day for the children there. They had spent a day on the beach playing games and eating a picnic, cooked by Sis. Judy and Sis. Lydia. They enjoyed fried chicken and lots of wonderful treats. Sis. Bennett would like to do this annually, Lord willing. If anyone is interested in helping her in any way, you may contact her or us for more information. On this trip, we took Bradley Sharp from Ohio with us. This was his first visit and he loved it. He assisted in carpentry work on the house, attended some school, but particularly enjoyed his acquaintance with the boys and the outings they so graciously took him, on which he experienced his first Iguana hunt and was very impressed. We appreciated his good example. Bro. Toni Hamilton, the pastor there, has just completed his new house. One of the U.S. congregations took on the financial obligations of this project for the family. They were living in very tiny quarters with seven children. They are so grateful for their new house and thank the saints here. The congregation is stable, the saints encouraged and the congregation growing. Two new sisters are worshipping since we were last there. The attendance from the village is good; we are expecting more to be saved. Our plans for next year are to begin work on the mainland in those places calling for help. If anyone who speaks Spanish fluently would be interested in going to help interpret, please pray about it and contact us. Please pray for guidance, also, in exactly where to go. Your faithful support for the work in Honduras is appreciated; the Lord is supplying the needs, and we are trusting Him to continue. Please, faithfully, remember this work in your prayers. Yours for the Honduras Missionary Company, -Bro. Toney Samons Editorials Wayne Murphey With the love of God in our hearts for all of God's children, we greet you in the name of the Author of love, peace and the promise of eternal life. In this life, each of us face our own set of problems and difficulties. The devil will try to make things as severe as possible in an effort to conquer us and bring us into subjection to his rule. Job said, "For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." Job 3:25. But thank God, we can always triumph through Christ. "Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early." Psalm 46:3-5. Aren't those wonderful verses? Troubles may roll over us, but the stream which flows from under the throne will fill us with everlasting gladness. In Joshua 17:18 it says, "But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong." One translation of this verse says, "The hill country shall be thine." When the valleys are full of Canaanites, whose iron chariots press you hard, there is room higher up. God has promised the faithful the high country where the vision is clear and the spiritual exploits incomparable. Victory is for the Christian and we thank God for it. We were sorry to hear of the recent passing of Bro. Arnett Carver, and offer sincere condolences to his wife and family. Bro. Arnett's absence will leave a void in the lives of his family and those who knew him. His special musical talent will also be missed in the assemblies of the saints. Our acquaintance with him was one in which we always found him to be loving and caring. If you would like to convey your condolences to his wife, Sis. Genevieve, you may contact her at: 2307 Arlington Pl., Bossier City, LA 71111. Another child of God whose loss we mourn is that of Sis. Carolyn Shirrell. Her death came as a shock to us. I am sure her husband, Bro. John, would appreciate you holding him up in prayer as he deals with this bereavement. Those who wish to express sympathy to Bro. John may address correspondence to: 21465 S. Arthur Rd., Oregon City, OR 97045. We apologize for recent problems some of you have experienced with our web site. We've had routing problems with our domain name and hope to have the difficulties solved by the end of April. Our domain name address is: However, if for any reason you are unable to access the web page at that address, try A writer of the 19th century once said, "In this world of change naught which comes stays, and naught which goes is lost." Change is inevitable in our lives and sometimes these changes are dramatic. I have reached one of those places in my life where the Lord is redirecting in a climactic fashion. Through tears and travail, I feel the Lord has made it plain that He would have me move on, and I follow His leading. This means I will be relinquishing oversight of the Print Shop. This decision was not made lightly, nor easily, but I embrace it with peaceful resignation in my soul. As the above writer stated, "naught which comes stays." When I first began work at the Print Shop on May 19, 1976, I had no concept of where the road might lead, but knew the journey held uncertainties and that change was always a possibility. But we also agree wholeheartedly that "naught which goes is lost." These last 26 years have perceptibly molded my life, shaped my future, and I consider them to be a valuable well of strength and wisdom from which to draw. It is with fondness that I recall those with whom I worked and in whose lives I was involved. Uncle Lawrence Pruitt offered me a job as pressman here at Faith Publishing House, and also introduced me to the editorial aspect of the work. When I began to preach, Aunt Marie Miles took a real interest in helping me mature in my ministry. I value her mentoring. It was also a real joy to labor with Aunt Maybelle Pruitt. She had a genuine zeal for God and it was most interesting to listen to her unique wisdom as together we guided the Print Shop through the years. Space will not permit reminiscing about all the workers with whom we labored, or of the joys and sorrows that brought us together, but for the workers who may read this, I thank you for sharing your lives with me. It is my fervent desire that our special times of togetherness will continue at a future date around God's throne. Of course I cannot write this last editorial without acknowledging all who supported the Print Shop during my tenure. I have often thanked those who sent offerings and prayed for us, and in doing so this last time, I want you to know and feel it is not a mere cliché. This has been a walk of faith. There were times when we fervently prayed for God to meet needs, and He would burden the heart of one of His saints to do so. Those who have done so know who they are, and to you I again say, from the bottom of my heart, "Thank you!" God has been more than faithful throughout the years. There were times when problems loomed large and we felt so small, but God made a way. We look back and see much which was accomplished by the concerted efforts of dedicated workers and giving saints, and marvel that it was possible. During the time I have been at the Print Shop, we have entered the era of the computer and adapted the work to function in the age of technology. One of the crowning accomplishments we enjoyed was the erection of a wonderful new Print Shop facility. This has positioned the work for future productivity as God continues to bless. My brother, Willie Murphey, has responded to the need to fill the vacancy here, and arrived at the Print Shop on April 21. He is assisting with the publication of this issue of the Faith and Victory. I urge all those who love the gospel to support the work under his oversight. Although much has been accomplished in the past, in order for the Print Shop to continue to prosper, there are major projects which will still need your support. In closing, I open my heart to say I love every child of God and will always do so. If I can be of help to you in the future, I hope you will always feel free to call me. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." -Bro. Wayne Murphey Warm greetings to the saints and readers of the Faith and Victory paper. In the words of the Psalmist, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable." I am so thankful that we serve such a great, wonderful, loving heavenly Father. Sometimes it seems our needs are so great, but it gives us such comfort to know our Father is much greater than any need we have. Since we are acquainted with His loving-kindness, our hearts overflow with praise to our Savior. He certainly is worthy of our love and adoration. Recently, I received an e-mail from my brother, Wayne, asking me to come and take the oversight of the Print Shop. After much prayer and thought, I gave notice of my intention to leave my job as a camera repairman, and I offer my service to the Lord to be used as He chooses. I feel a great need for your support in prayer. The responsibilities here at the Print Shop are great, and we are looking to the Lord to supply where our ability is lacking, and help us rapidly learn the many operations performed here. I appreciate the patience my brother has in helping teach me the duties before me. The first morning after we arrived at the Print Shop, April 22, 2002, I was walking around the premises as the golden rays of the morning sun illuminated the dew-laden grass. The words of the song, "What a friend we have in Jesus," came to my mind and brought such peace and calm assurance to my heart. "We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer." Prayer is the avenue which brings our hearts into contact with our dear friend, Jesus. On April 13, 2002, my wife Neta, son Stephen, daughter Elizabeth and I were given the privilege of attending the singing and services at Enterprise, AL, where Bro. Michael and Sis. LaDawna Adams and others are laboring for the Lord. The Lord richly blessed His people. The singing of the saints was beautiful and the special songs inspiring. The chapel was filled by those who came to worship the Lord in song. The many young people who were present seemed to especially enjoy their time of fellowship. We appreciated the hospitality of the saints to us while we were there and trust the Lord will bless them for their kindness. While we were in Alabama, Neta and I observed our 28th wedding anniversary. We thank the Lord for giving us many happy years together and look forward to His blessing on our lives in the days ahead. With our hand in His and His presence with us, our future is bright. -Bro. Willie E. Murphey CA-"Please remember my mother. She has pneumonia." -Bro. Donald Viser WV-"Please remember us and my girls in prayer." -Bro. Lloyd Cassell OK-Christine Wiley has requested prayer for physical needs. Philippines-"Please pray for my grandson, Arthur Gody." -Sis. Nellie Tibayan KS-"I ask you to keep Kenny Powell in your prayers." -Bro. James Maass MS-"Please pray for my wife and me." -Bro. Harold Griffin CO-"I am writing with an urgent prayer request. I am a saint's child, so I know and believe in the power of prayer. Two months ago, my husband of five years came home and told me that he was deeply in love with another woman. I am completely devastated. We were both saved when we got married, and we had prayed about our relationship. But somehow the devil has succeeded in breaking up my home. Please, please pray with me that somehow God will mend and heal my home." -Anonymous Standing Prayer Requests Sis. Ruby Bell Sis. Lydia Bennett Sis. Alscene Breckenridge Sis. Nellie Brown Bro. Jon Busbee Sis. Mamie Butcher Bro. Nathan Carver Sis. Estelene Cramer Sis. Waneta Creel Sis. Frances Deforth Bro. Dale Doolittle Sis. Elaine Dunn Sis. Eleanor Fingerle Sis. Pearlene Gerald Sis. Esther Gordon Bro. Huey Gordon, Jr. Bro. Lee Hilton Bro. Shawn Howard Sis. Mary Hughes Sis. Daisy Johnson Sis. Janice Johnston Sis. Earnestine Jordan The Lounds sisters Sis. Mattie McIntyre Sis. Bertha Miles Bro. Allan Miller Sis. Virginia Myers Sis. Dollie O'Neall Bro. Charles Pierro Bro. O. C. Porter Sis. Melba Powell Sis. Myrtle Savoie Bro. M. Agenemoh Sidi Sis. Kay Stover The Mitch Taylor family Sis. Anna Mae Thompson Bro. Preston Vulgamore Bro. Curtis Williams, Sr. Bro. Max Williamson Sis. Esther Wilson E-Mail Directory Put your name in the directory to receive Faith Publishing Updates. Order God's Gracious Dealings Life Read about the history of Faith Publishing and Fred Pruitt. This is a fascintating study of our heritage. Order now for $8.00. Call1-800-767-1479 or Email jwmfaith@theshop.net. Copyright © 2001 Faith Publishing Inc All rights reserved.