My thought for this first Sunday is “Weeping and Rejoicing.”
The Apostle Paul called us to a life of both weeping and rejoicing, but with a twist. In Romans 12:15, the apostle challenged us to look outside our own experiences to the needs of others. He said, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” This approach is not a naturalistic or humanistic approach, but spiritual. All of us exist in a society that’s pluralistic and secular-humanistic. Twenty-first century individuals are concerned about their own selfish ambitions and self-sufficiency. If we rejoice only in our own victories, we miss the wonder of celebrating the power of the Lord, who desires to accomplish His purposes in and through others as well. If we mourn only our own losses, we lose the opportunity to, “be there” for those who are hurting by showing them compassion.

Life is filled with the extremes of joy and sorrow, victory and defeat. But we have been given the privilege of entering into those moments in peoples’ lives to see the grace of God at work. Don’t miss it! I thought of this poem: Lord, give me sensitivity; to people in their grief and pain; to weep with them and show Your love; in ways mere words cannot attain; Allow me to rejoice with others as they experience victory; that I may fulfill life beauty in triumph and great gain.

Pastor Albert J. Mays, Jr.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We welcome you to the Word of Life Street Witnessing Ministry’s monthly newsletter column. We are here each and every fourth Saturday of the month; we go out into our local community and knock our wonderful friend’s and neighbors’ doors inviting them to church and asking them if we can pray for them and share some of God’s Holy Word with them.

We are working on translating a Spanish & English pass-out leaflet with the church’s home address, phone number and website. Transportation can be provided once they contact the church office, to attend weekly services and ministries at the church in which all are welcome to join in each and every week.

So if you are a first time visitor or member of the Word of Life family, we truly welcome you to come join us each and every fourth Saturday of the month for one hour of a great time, spreading God’s love and power at Word of Life Ministries, Inc. where there is LIFE…IN THE WORD!

Submitted by
Deacon Byrd

Greeters’ Ministry
Mission Statement
“To greet our members and visitors as well as making sure every guest feels welcome in the house of the Lord by providing a warm and friendly atmosphere in love”.

The Word of Life Family and Friends salutes you. Pastor Mays and First lady Mays salute you also in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. Calling on all lovable people of God! If you love God, you love people. Just for thought were looking for smiles not upside down frowns! So if you are looking to do something in the church and for the church, why not start out serving as a greeter in God’s house.

Even our lord and savior became a servant himself! Just about, everyone in the Bible played an important part in serving in some body’s house. Now it’s your turn to play an important part in this house! Welcoming his people with open arms through the door. It will not just be a blessing for you but also for the lost, lonely, ill, meek and humble souls that come into God’s house. 1 Corinthians 16: 20-21 states all the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a Holy kiss. Smile! We greet you in our Lord and savior’s name. From the Greeters!

Aspiring Missionary Kalisha Nelson
Greeter

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

It gives me great pleasure to write to you again about our exceptional youth here at Word of Life Ministries. During our Spring Break we took our youth out to Bob –O’s, where they had miniature golf, laser odyssey, bumper boats, go carts and so much more. I was unable to attend this year but I have had reports that they children had a blessed time, and I would like to take time out to say thank you Mother and Pastor Mays for the opportunity to allow our children to attend and to Minister Strayhorn for all of her hard work and dedication to God, and our children. Congratulations to Marcus Williams who was nominated for the College National Honors Society, to Danielle Richardson who has signed to attend Southwest College, participating in their volleyball program, and to Cedrick Miller who just received another acceptance letter to attend Viterbo University in Wisconsin. We are looking forward to great things from our youth and continued success.

Evangelist Melissa D. Miller

The WOL Media Ministry is currently signing up members (youth through adult) who would like to participate in commercials and media presentations to enhance our visual efforts while presenting Word of Life Ministries to the community of El Paso and Fort Bliss. This will include photos and video footage. For more information, please see Sis. Merriweather or email info@wordoflife2000.org. If you are a member and you have a visual presentation you would like for us to use, please keep the length to less than 45 seconds.

“All things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23

May God bless and keep you always.

Elder Darren Colona
Sis. Monica Tucker

“Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, how awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name. Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Hhttp://wordoflife2000.org/?p=568im. He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; do not let the rebellious exalt themselves”. (Psalm 66:1-7)

From February
Young Women Christian Council (YWCC) )Program—Our Theme “The Fruit of the Spirit” Our Speakers were the Word of Life-Altar Workers. Love-Sis. Jasmine Colona, Joy-Evang. Jacquelyn Lax, Peace-Evang. Vickie Williams, Longsuffering-Mother Shirley Jemison, Gentleness-Evang. Teresa Colbert, Goodness-Min. Monique Strayhorn, Faith-Min. Lois Richardson, Meekness-Evang. Melissa Miller, and Temperance-Missionary Lawanda Washington. Evang. Teresa Colbert invited the most guest and won a gift card from the YWCC Department. We had over eighty people at the program. We had our Women Praise dance to dance to the song “No More Tears “ which was awesome!

Texas Western Jurisdiction Banquet-Word of Life Ministries, were able to get five tables. Thank God for the SGMS, they donated a table to be a blessing to others. We paid for fifty-two tickets; the cost was $50.00 per person. We thank God for his blessings. TWJ Leadership Conference, the Theme “Training for Perfecting Others to Utilize Optimally the Natural and Spiritual Gifts from God”. Scripture: Matthew 25: 14-30. Min Allen Haynes did a Seminar Class on A Sower Went forth to Sow. His Points are: Preaching, Teaching, Prayer, and Praise.

Pastor spoke at New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church. The Lord used him for His Glory. Pastor also spoke at Community Baptist Church Banquet, the Lord used him again! The Power of the Holy Ghost took over at the Banquet.
The Word of Life Valentine’s Banquet- Deacon & Missionary Washington did an outstanding job again! We did Vows for the Singles and the marriage couples. The decorations were beautiful and the food was delicious.

The Lord is truly blessing The Word of Life Ministries. We have seen God healed and delivered. We have seen the Parking Lot Completed, and we are in the process of getting the entire Church building fenced in. Praise the Lord! Thank God for His Favor!

Upcoming Events for the YWCC:
The Women’s Department is on a 21-day fast through April 29th. The fasting times are 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday and 6:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. The color for 5th Sunday is white with purple accessories.
Ladies of WOL will host a program on Saturday, April 28th from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM. More information to follow.
Thank you Lord for blessing Word of Life Ministries.
Mother Willie Mae Mays

Hello Christian Friends,
On Wednesday, 1 March, Bishop J.O. Lawson informed the TWJ Executive Board members that Bishop William H. Watson, Texas Northwest Presiding Bishop has departed this life to be with the Lord. Bishop Lawson introduced me to Bishop Watson in September 2010 during a Board of Bishops Conference in Dallas, TX. During our lunch session, Bishop Lawson indicated the Late Bishop King once said, “A preacher should be ready to do three things”, 1) To preach; 2) Pray; and 3) Die. His statement sent chills down my spine. That afternoon, immediately after work, I went to my church and prayed before the Lord that I will always be prepared for the three at all times.

My thought for the March/April edition of Life in the Word Newsletter is: “Get Rid of Unnecessary Weights.” It’s time to get rid of the unnecessary weights we are carrying around that hinder our progress as this Scripture tells us: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which do easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1).

How many weights does it say to lay aside?

Every weight.

It is time to evaluate what weights we are carrying. If you don’t evaluate your life from time to time, you’ll never find out what is holding you back. The Message Bible calls these weights “spiritual fat.” None of us need any extra fat, physical or spiritual. What is it that is keeping us from living the Word? In what ways have we just been “going through the motions” in our spiritual walk? What is it that trips us up every time we determine in our heart that we’re going to have a regular time of prayer and Bible study each day? It may even be a person or a group of people who are weighing us down and monopolizing our time and energy. It’s time to examine those 24 treasure chests (hours) in our day to identify the spiritual fat and get rid of it.

Your Brother and Friend!
Pastor Albert J. Mays, Jr.

My thought for this Resurrection Sunday is “Judas: A Friend Not a Foe.”
Implied friendship describes your relationship with those who weren’t consciously or obviously trying to help you, yet their actions though painful, were ultimately purposeful. Therefore, we glory in tribulation! We now understand that God used their negativity to accomplish His will for our lives. Every child of God not only has, but also desperately needs, a “Judas” to carry out certain aspects of divine providence in his life! Judas was no mistake. He was handpicked and selected. His role was crucial to the death and resurrection of Christ. No one helped Christ reach His goal like Judas. If God allowed certain types of people to come into our lives, they would hinder us from His divine purpose. You and I must thank the Lord, for mysterious and difficult friends that venomously assault us. Let us celebrate on this Resurrection Sunday the Judas’ in our lives because if it had not been for Judas, there would be no Calvary and without Calvary, there is no Resurrection.

My address for the 2012 Life in the Word Newsletter is “A New Press” selected from Philippians 3:14.

As the 2011 curtain has closed, for many of us, it was a time of disorder and imperfection, but thank God for His Grace and Mercy that enabled us to stand. However, I believe 2012 will bring spiritual and governmental perfection and rule. Service, power, and deliverance will manifest itself in many of our churches as long as we possess a determination to remain obedient in Jesus Christ. The number twelve is a significant number because it represents perfection. Our Lord chose twelve apostles. They were leaders or rulers in the affairs of the early church. They are to eat and drink at “My table in My Kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Thus they share in that perfect governmental rule of our Lord during HIs Millennial reign, God’s city, Jerusalem, is to be perfectly governed in all details. John’s vision portrays twelve gates and at the gates twelve angels.

The wall of the city has twelve foundations and in them the twelve apostles of the Lamb. I believe in 2012 that Word of Life Ministries will witness more of the manifestation of God’s power than ever before. I believe more souls will be saved, healed, delivered, and the captives will be free. However, I believe more will be exposed who are not living right, which all of us have our struggles, but some of us are determined to live holy and righteous before God. I believe more souls will transition into their vision because it brings our future into focus. It means without a dream, a purpose, or a vision in our life, we are going to miss out on God’s best.

You and I must avoid the entrapment of “average” in a mediocre, lukewarm, status quo, maintenance mode. Where there is no vision, people talk about vague, mysterious things, but they never get focused on anything they can accomplish. They walk in circles, like the Israelites did in the wilderness, because they have no vision of their future. This reminds me of Dr. David Yongi Cho’s powerful statement, “Show me your vision, and I’ll show you your future.”

People fit into one of four vision levels:

1) Wanderers: Those who never see it.

2) Followers: Those who see it but never pursue it on their own. 

3) Achievers: Those who see it and pursue it.

4) Leaders: Those who see it and pursue it and help others see it.

2012 will be the year for you to stop thinking you are a victim. If your tree is producing crabapples, then change it! Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matt. 12:33). This will require a “New Press” into God’s Word because vision begins to be shaped by the words of your mouth and the faith in your heart. I look forward to Word of Life membership joining me in reaching more souls for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in 2012.

This will require a ”New Press” with faith in God to bring to past what He said in His Word. What happened in 2011 is coming to a close, but let us gravitate to a “New Press” in God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior for 2012.

Your Pastor and Friend!
 Elder Albert J. Mays, Jr. 

Walking in the Light – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10).

Word of Life-Daycare—A time for the parents to go shopping. They were given three hours, time 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. We had a total of seven youth to attend. I would like to thank Min. Monique Strayhorn for assisting me. We had story time, art/craft, the story and art/ craft were about Christmas. The youth were served lunch, and they enjoyed the food. The youth cleaned up and then they watched a movie about Christmas. We blessed our youth with gift bags, and on Sunday they were given love token.

We went to the Rescue Mission at 4:00 p.m. We had a total of nineteen members to attend. The Church paid for the food, and the Women cooked the food. The menu: Fried Chicken, B.Q. Chicken, Green beans, Corn, Potato Salad, and Corn bread. Elder Lineard Rucker was our speaker. The members, all together sang songs. Some of the members fixed the plates, while the other members were served by waiter and waitress. We had a blessed day. The Pastor also went with us. Thanks goes out to all the supporters.

Young Women Christian Council (YWCC) Christmas Banquet was a success. We had over sixty members and guests to attend. We allowed the Men and our youth to come out. Pastor and I paid for the youth ten and under. We had three speakers to speak on the Biblical Colors. Green-Sister Monique Prince, Gold-Deaconess Joy Jacobs, and Red-Sister Lakeysha Rule. The Lord used them in a mighty way, and He will get the glory. Our Main speaker was Evangelist Tiffany Hobson, and the Lord used her too. Our Theme: The King of the Universe! (Isaiah 9:6-7)

VA Nursing Home—Our Speaker was Evang. Teresa Colbert. We had our Women Praise to dance. The elderly enjoyed the praise dance. We had a total of fifteen to attend. We also passed out Christmas gifts to all the elderly. Pastor Albert Mays gave remarks, and we thank God for him being able to go with us.

Young Women Christian Council Shopping Trip—We had a great time! We had a total of eight women to attend. We shopped for over two hours then we went out to eat. The thing I liked the most was the fellowship. The trip was relaxing and peaceful. We thank God for the excellent driver-Min. Lois Richardson.

The Youth Christmas Program—Play was outstanding, and the participation was great! Thank you Evang. Hobson for writing the play, and thank you Evang. Miller for your support. Thanks goes out to Evang. Washington and Sister Akins for their help as well.
Dinner for the Members—Pastor and I prepared a dinner for the Word of Life Family for Christmas, to let them know that we love them very much and appreciated all they do for the Lord. The menu: Baked Chicken, BQ Ribs, Green beans, Rice/Meat, Cornbread, Potato Pies, Peach Cobbler, Apple Cobbler, Cream Cheese Pecan Layer Cake and Punch.

Community Outreach- Word of Life Women’s Dept. gave out baked cookies to: Police Dept., Fire Dept., Library, VA Nursing Home and Beaumont Army Hospital. Thank you Min. Strayhorn, Sis. Hayward, Dea. Manglona, Missionary Nelson, Mother Jemison and Mother Mays.
Praise the Lord for His goodness! Thank you Lord for all the blessing for the Word of Life family, where there is Life in the Word.

Mother Willie Mae Mays