November-December Prayer Letter

 

Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6

 We are praising and thanking God for this Christmas season.  My family and our church family  both have seen many blessing this year and are looking forward to what next year will bring.  In the last month and a half we have seen eleven souls saved and one gentleman baptized!  The gentleman who was saved and baptized is a friend and former co-worker of one of the young men who was saved and baptized at Lighthouse Baptist Church this past summer.  Both men have been attending faithfully since June.  Two weeks before this particular gentleman was saved he lingered after the church service (which is very unusual for him); but I was attending to the needs of another family and wasn’t able to speak with him.  I went by his home, but he wasn’t there.  I sensed that he was under great conviction so I prayed all week for an opportunity to meet with him the next Sunday .  Sure enough he came back the next week and I made a point to meet with him directly after the service.  He prayed to receive the Lord that very day and was baptized two weeks later.

We have one family who seems to have a gift for bringing others to church with them.  The young man I mentioned above and several of the people who have received the Lord recently are folks whom they have invited; but we covet your prayers for them because it seems that the devil has targeted them.  I have counseled them both to increase their Bible reading and prayer time because several situations have recently occurred in their lives and they really need the Lord to intervene on their behalf.

In fact, we truly do covet your prayers for this coming year because we have seen the devil show his ugly face in several of our members’ lives recently. We believe this is because we have been praying for growth both numerically and spiritually and we have seen it start to happen.  We trust God that growth will continue in spite of our adversary as we are faithful to Him.  Thank you again for your faithful prayers and financial support!

 In His Service,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

 Special prayer requests and needs:

1.    Numerical and Spiritual growth in our church.  We are asking God to double our number by next Fall.

2.    Wisdom and provision as we continue to adjust to living in the Parsonage.  We praise God for His provision thus far and thank all of you who have had a part!

       3.    Good health for myself and my family.

September-October Prayer Letter

October 22, 2012

Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,

Praise the Lord that the three digit temperatures of our Arkansas Summer have ended and Autumn has brought with it some beautiful, cool weather.  We also praise God for His goodness to us and our church and this season of blessing.  Since our last letter we have seen many souls saved and baptized.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and , lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”   -  Matthew 28: 19,20

Two of the people who were baptized I met one Saturday while on visitation.  The girlfriend and her sixteen year old “step-daughter” called us for a ride to church about a month later.   We continued to visit them on Saturdays and eventually the man joined his family in church.

I often preach about God’s desire for our homes.  By that I mean God desires for there to be a saved and surrendered husband and wife first and then children to follow.  You can’t unscramble eggs, but you can make them better.  After attending several services and hearing this type of preaching; this couple approached me about getting married.  During the process of marital counseling I asked them their salvation testimonies and found out they had a Church of Christ background.  The lady thought she had lost her salvation and the husband couldn’t give me a clear and sure testimony of having been previously saved either.  To make a long story shorter, they both received the Lord that day and were scripturally baptized the next.  Two weeks later we had a beautiful wedding at our church.

Another one of the people who were baptized is a young lady in her twenties.  (Her brother and niece were saved and baptized here in July.) She came for a visit and raised her hand for salvation during the invitation.   My wife took her out and talked with her.  She prayed to be saved that Sunday!  The next day she called us about her twelve year old son.  He had asked why she left at the end of the service and what the papers we gave her about baptism meant.  I told her to read the papers to him and that we would talk with him later to make sure he understood about salvation and baptism.  The next Sunday we showed him from scripture how he could know he was saved and he prayed and received the Lord as well.  Afterward he said he wanted to be baptized because now he was saved just like his Mama.  So, that day we had two baptisms instead of one. This young lady’s zeal and trust in the Lord has been a real blessing to all of our church family.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundatly.”  - John 10:10

These families represent the burden of our ministry here.  There are so many people in Newport shacking up – some in their forties and fifties who just never thought it important to be married.  There are even more religious people here who are on their way to Hell.  Thank you for your prayers and financial support which enables us to show them God’s desire for their souls as well as their lives.

Prayer Requests

·          We are asking God to double our number by next Fall.  This would give us about fifty souls on Sunday mornings.

·          Wisdom and provision as our family moves from the church into the parsonage.

·          That God would bless us with good health.  Recently our whole family was down with some type of sickness.  On top of the sickness I had an allergic reaction to something and it turned my eyes fiery red.  After I preached Sunday morning one of our members (who is a nurse) came to me and said, “You look awful!”.

In His Service,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

July and August Prayer Letter

August 17, 2012

Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,

Newport News

In recent weeks some shocking things have been happening in our small town.  Three young people died (on different days from different causes; but each the same age- 27!) and three infants died – one of SIDS, and two were left unattended in hot vehicles.  This has caused a few in our number to request special prayer for the city of Newport in general.  We are praying that the Lord would use these events to cause people to turn to Him.

Lighthouse Baptist Church News

We are happy to report to you that in our services the blessings continue to come.  We continue to see visitors almost every Sunday.  We have had two youth activities averaging 30 in attendance.  In the month of July alone six souls were saved, two people were  baptized, and one couple joined our church by transfer of letter. 

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.  He that goeth forth and weapeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him.  Psalm 126:5,6

Seeing new faces, souls saved, and baptisms has encouraged our people tremendously.  You can sense a spirit of excitement among them.  We also have been counting our blessings on Thursday evenings during Bible Study and prayer time.  God has been so good to us in the matter of answering so many prayer requests in such a short time.  This past week alone we were able to mark off six items on our prayer list as matters of answered prayer.  One item we marked off was a negative test result on a MRI.  One of our charter members who has been struggling with her health was thought to have had a brain tumor.  Praise God the test came back negative!

Family News

Recently my wife and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary!  We also went to visit family and friends in California and Oklahoma as sort of a mini vacation.  We praise the Lord for safety and a time of refreshment.

In His Service,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

May - June Prayer Letter

June 19, 2012

Dear Pastor and praying friends,

“And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.”   Ezekial 34:26

Normally this time of year people start disappearing, the church’s giving dies down, and we seem to have to work hard to keep everyone’s morale up; but these past two months have definitely been a season of blessing for us.  Two adults have been saved, three families have started attending regularly, and three children were saved during one of our Thursday evening Bible studies.  The Thursday that those children and one gentleman were saved we had a college singing group with us and they were a tremendous blessing.  We don’t know that this is our “due season”, but we do praise the Lord for His blessings thus far.

Another blessing we have noticed is that the people here in Newport have changed drastically in their demeanor toward us.  Previously they were cordial, but kept their distance.  Recently people in the community have asked us whether or not we lived in Newport and how long we have been here.  One lady in the care home expressed how sad she was to hear that we were leaving.  The talk around town is that a lot of new churches start here; but they don’t stay long; and the pastors of these new churches never live here in Newport.  It is blessings to have the people of Newport realize that we are here to stay and that we are here for them.  Please keep our ministry in your thoughts and prayers as we endeavor to be a church where people will be introduced to Christ and taught Biblical truth that will break the cycles of sin in their lives. What a blessing it would be if the three visiting families would become active members and if two other families that we have been in close contact with would come to church.   We know that the Lord can do a mighty work in their lives; but the Devil knows that as well and he is working overtime to keep them away.

 

On a personal note…

Our family is doing great!   Just this week we celebrated Fathers’ Day, Cassidy’s first birthday (June 17) and Aaliyah’s birthday (June 18).  God is so good!  Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

“And let us not be weary in well doing:  for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  Galatians 6:9

Sincerely,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

Lighthouse Baptist Church

Newport, Arkansas

March - April Prayer letter

Dear Pastor and Praying friends,                                                                                                             April 18, 2012

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

We are so thankful that Spring has sprung.  It is such a joy to go outside and feel a cool breeze blowing, hear the birds chirping, see so many beautiful flowers in bloom and smell the fragrance of food cooking on the grill.  Our family sure did our part in contributing to that aroma on Ressurection Sunday.  What a blessed Sunday it was for us.  All of our members were in attendance and several children came as well.    I preached a message that was inspiring to me, if no one else, about the power of Christ and His resurrection.  After the service we had several activities for the children and their families including a scavenger hunt,  Peter and Paul relay race, and family photos. When that was finished we gave all who attended “Ressurection bags” filled with treats and trinkets. What a blessing to know we serve a risen Savior!

I am also happy to report that we have detected some spiritual growth amongst our members and to share the story about the salvation of a precious seventy-eight year old woman  by the name of Bobbie Jean.    As we began visitation we asked the Lord to send us to someone who was hungry for the Gospel.  My wife visited her home and she almost begged her to stay and talk for a while.  My wife asked her the question that we so often ask those we visit, “If you died today are you sure you would wake up in Heaven?”.   Her husband died just last October and Mrs. Bobbie began to cry and comment that she prayed everyday that God would show her how she could know that she would be in Heaven with her husband when she died.  By the answers she gave to our questions we detected a Church of Christ background.  Sure enough she said she had attended a Church of Christ just down the road before her husband died.  To make a long story short, she confessed that she was lost and on her way to Hell; but wanted to ask Jesus to save her soul and take her to Heaven.  She prayed to receive Christ and was saved that very night!  What a blessing!!!  I am not sure if her husband is in Heaven or not; but I am so glad that Mrs. Bobbie now knows that she will wake up in Heaven when that time comes.

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  John 3:5-7

We truly have sensed the Lord’s presence with us this year and praise Him for His provision and blessings.  We hope you are having a blessed year as well and want to thank you for your prayers and financial support. 

In His service,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

One of our faithful ladies and her girls

Scavenger hunt items - none of the teams were able to find the donut!

Two of our teams of Peter/Mary - Martha/Johns waiting to be tagged to race to the grave.  P.S.  Peter and Mary won!

Scavenger hunt in the last ten seconds.

Some still searching during the scavenger hunt.  I think Aaliyah is just running for the fun of it.

Another one of our families

Nursing Home Ministries

One of the joys of our week is going to the Care homes in our community.  In Newport there are two.  One my wife goes to weekly to read scripture and sing to the residents.  On occasion I preach there also.  The other our whole family attends.  I preach, Tinyla plays and sings, and the girls provide entertainment and therapy for everyone.  Here are a few photos from one of the facilities.

This week the nurse asked Aaliyah to favor them with a special.  She sang "Jesus Loves Me."  I was surprised that she sang all of verse one and the Chorus.  I didn't know she knew it that well.  Children are truly a blessing from the Lord.

January-February Prayer letter

28 February 2012

Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” Psalm 122:1           

We are excited to begin a new year in the ministry here in Newport, Arkansas.  Recently our church had its first ever conference entitled the “Faith, Love, and Family Conference”.  The purpose of this conference was to provide the people in our community and around us with sound biblical teaching about Faith in the Lord, Love for Christ and others, and proper relationships with those in our family.  Pastor Ted Patterson began the conference and Pastor Clenton Patterson closed it out.  Several local people visited as well as others from other Independent Baptist Churches in neighboring cities.  The preaching was great as well as the music and fellowship.  We consider our first meeting a success and look forward to next year’s Faith, Love and Family Conference.

The Saturday after the conference I was invited to preach at a youth rally in a neighboring town. I intended only to bring a few children with me; but ended up with a van FULL of children and even a couple of parents.  What a blessed time we had.

The next day,  Sunday,  was our church’s five year anniversary!  Although our family has only been here for just shy of two years; it is exciting to celebrate Lighthouse Baptist Church of Newport’s fifth year in existence.  I preach to our people all the time that every Sunday the doors are opened at this church it is a victory over the devil. Well, on our anniversary service we had over 70 people in attendance! (It’s more of a victory when people come, Amen!?!)  Our van was FULLY loaded with children who wanted to come and help us eat...(oops) I mean celebrate the church’s special day.  When you have services in which every seat is filled it gives you a glimpse of what the Lord desires and can do in this ministry.  Some day our “due season” will appear and the pews of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Newport will be full every Sunday; but until then we will continue to work and pray.  We don’t want to rush the Lord; but we are praying that day appears soon! Either way, we praise God for the opportunity to be involved in this ministry.

Prayer requests:

We want to thank the Lord for the vast improvement of the health of one of our charter members.  You may remember the young lady we have mentioned in letters past who suffered kidney failure.  She also has diabetes and lost most of her vision; but her vision seems to be improving all the time.  Please continue to pray for her and her family.  We are also asking the Lord for a house for our family to move into this year. Please pray with us for the Lord’s guidance and direction regarding a home.  One last thing we would ask you to join with us in prayer about is safety as we travel to various churches in an effort to raise more support for the ministry.  Thank the Lord for his safety and provision, thus far; but we ask that it would continue.  Thank you for your prayers and monthly financial support.  God Bless You. 

Until next time,

Pastor Raymond Beckles