The story of Jesus Newsletter

(Spring/Summer 1994) Published by Evangelist Van Billingsley

Contents:
From the Editor's Desk | Article - Radio Update | Article- A Burden to Broadcast
Poem- Blame By Tim Martin | Doctrinal Statement | Prayer Request

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Romans 8:31
"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Although I’ve used this verse in my newsletter before, it is my life verse, so I feel I’m entitled to use it again. I claimed this as my life verse years ago as a teenage preacher boy. It is always a comfort when you feel that Satan is battling you, your opposition conspires against you, your own flesh tempts you, and your friends forsake you, to know that God is for you; that’s all that matters to me. It’s very interesting that when Satan, our opposers, our own flesh and even sometimes our friends are against us, God’s word refers to them as "Who...?" This question directly implies that regardless of who they are, it does not matter, as long as God be for us.

From the Editor’s Desk...

It’s a great joy to bring you another newsletter. I am looking forward to some of the things planned for this summer: I have a few campmeetings planned as well as a tent meeting I plan to help out at in June; I will be spending a couple of weeks, if not more, working at Living Waters Youth Camp in north Alabama as wells as Youth Fellowship Days in Opelika, Alabama; I am also looking forward to seeing allot of friends in the Carolinas when I come that way in late June and early July.
Please pray that God will meet my needs as I travel through the upcoming months. Also pray, as always mentioned in my closing prayer request, that God will open more doors to speak the mysteries of Christ. The desire of any preacher is to be busy preaching the word of God and serving Him. A special need is discussed in our article, "Radio Update." Please read this as well as my reprinted article, "A Burden to Broadcast."

Radio Update
I am sorry to report to you that we have had to put our radio ministry on hold for now, due to a lack of finances. Please pray that these needs will be met and we can get the broadcasts back on the air.
One of the stations we’ve been on, WEBT in Valley, Alabama, was very generous to allow us to broadcast on their station without charge for a full year; They agreed to air the program for a limited time on a "give if you can" basis. We wanted to support the station, but the funds were just not there. I really felt bad that I hadn’t been able to contribute to the station, but they allowed us to broadcast for a year, which was until August of ’93; After that, they asked if we wished to continue broadcasting, that we begin to contribute to the station on a regular basis. Since our bill at our other station, (WOAK, to which we contribute by the minute air time,) was already several months behind, there was no way we could give to a second station. At this time I decided to suspend programming on WEBT for a while and concentrate on WOAK, which was the station we began with back in July of ’89.
As time went on, our balance at WOAK in LaGrange, Georgia continued to grow and I could see no way of catching it up in the near future, so I could not justify allowing it to grow beyond reason. In December of ’93 I asked the station manager of WOAK if we could suspend broadcasting until our account was caught up; He agreed to hold our spot, and he said once we caught our bill up, we could go right on with the programs.
I have a heavy burden on my heart to get these programs back on the air. Please pray that the Lord will supply these needs! Our balance at WOAK stands at just under $400.00 and to resume broadcasting on either or both of these stations will require monthly finances that, as seen by the last year, cannot be done without some kind of support, of which we’ve not had in the past five years. I’ve never asked for support on the air other than offering tapes for a donation: I don’t want to spend time asking for money when we are paying for that time to preach. My prayer is that God will lay it on the hearts of those whom He will to support this ministry or businesses that could sponsor the program.
To share my burden for this ministry I have reprinted an article that was in our fall ’92 newsletter entitled "A Burden to Broadcast."

Blame
If I haven’t loved today
Or embraced a pleasant thought;
If I lead myself to sway,
Do that which is nought,
Forsake the way that’s good
Or bring myself to pain,
Not do the thing I should,
Receive a loss, not gain;
He’ll make my eyes to see
And know my open shame,
To know it must be me
And Christ is not to blame.

Written by Tim Martin, ‘91 Copyright (c) 1994 by Tim Martin

--Printed by permission (Entitled "Blame" by editor for this publication)

A Burden to Broadcast
About six years ago, the Lord placed a burden on my heart to begin a radio broadcast. As I began to look into what would be involved, I visited a radio station manager about their air-time rates, and realized that the greatest barrier would be finances. The only option I had was to find a sponsor to finance the air-time which I was unsuccessful in doing. I knew that if the Lord wanted me in this ministry, He would supply the need, but at the time all I could do was pray about it. The burden stayed with me as I moved away to attend Tabernacle Bible College and I continued to pray for an open door. I checked into the rates at Tabernacle’s station and found the same barrier there.
As I continued in prayer about the matter, an appeal by Dr. Sightler had a great impact on my vision for this ministry. (He had been broadcasting "The Bright Spot Hour" for close to fifty years at that time.) He spoke of his concern that young preachers enter the Radio Ministry, because he and J. Harold Smith, who were nearing the end of their ministry, and others such as J. Vernon McGee and Oliver B. Greene, who have already finished their course, would not be here to carry on this needed ministry. Until then, I had looked at radio broadcasting as simply an opportunity to preach; It was only then that I realized the true necessity of this ministry. That was during my first year at Tabernacle and the following summer, due to my job situation and a step of faith, I was able to purchase the equipment needed and begin broadcasting on the station I had first inquired into, which covered my home area. I wanted to name the broadcast something that would reflect it’s content best, so I entitled it "The Story of Jesus."
In years past the radio ministry has been used to reach the lost across the country. This has faded drastically due to the difficulty of getting air-time on a secular station. Besides the fact of high commercial rates and very little acceptance, you must consider the fact that you would be financially supporting the secular station. On the other hand, we have a great need for Christian radio and thus a great need for Christian Broadcasting; This is often also an outreach to the lost because they do often come into contact with these stations on their own radios when they may not otherwise ever hear a message preached. This is also a great ministry to reach shut-ins, nursing homes, hospital rooms, and even jail cells. In supporting Christian radio, it also provides holy and righteous entertainment for families throughout the week; That’s something we don’t have much of today.
Please pray that doors will be opened and that the financial needs will be met. Our goal is simply to tell "The Story of Jesus."

Please Pray for the Following:
1. Open doors to preach the mysteries of Christ. Col. 4:3
2. Guidance in Preaching not just a sermon, but a message from God. Col. 4:4
3. That I will be the right example to the lost. Col. 4:5
4. That I Study, Pray and walk in the Spirit. Col. 4:6

The Story of Jesus Ministries is an Independent, Fundamental Baptist work established around the plenary and verbally inspired and inherent Word of God and operated under the authority of the autonomous local church. We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth and His bodily resurrection. We are anxiously awaiting the pre-tribulation rapture and the pre-millennial return of our Lord.

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