Still At It!”
by Keith Bellamy
Twenty years may seem like a long time. And it is when one has ministered to the same church for that long. When we left Bishop, Texas after 14-1/2 years, there was not any indication we would be in Woodville for twenty years.
When Lee Mann approached us about coming to Woodville, I had to let him know we couldn’t consider a move, as my mother had had her first heart attack. But, after some discussion we agreed to visit Woodville.
We were invited twice to speak to this church back in 1999. We thought we would be moving to West Texas. But it seems God had other plans for us. We believe in the providence of God (Romans 8:28).
I ran into a man recently who knew me from South Texas. I had preached his co-worker’s memorial service in Bishop, Texas back in 1995. The man asked me what caused us to move to Woodville. And I told him promptly, “The Lord sent us here.”
I have been asked if I was still preaching, or if I had retired. I’m kind of like a friend of mine once said, “If God called you to preach, then how can you retire?” I believe in God’s providence. He did push me to become a preacher. Whatever you want to call it, something moved me to leave the insurance business and become a preacher. I say God caused it.
God has made it possible for us to serve the Woodville church family for more than twenty years now. The Woodville church family has had many ups and many downs, but we know that this church is, because of God.
“I pray that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:16-21; NIV).
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