ICM - One Christian Ministry

For Eternity Church Testimonials

God’s Vacation
(written in 2001)

Sometimes it’s the small things that reveal God’s Power and Glory.

I know a man that pastors a church and has set his heart, as he should, to put God first, then family, and then work. Yes, he is a working Pastor. He has a dream. That dream being that he is able to sustain his family and his self such that he is never dependent upon the Church financially. Many do not agree with him here, and only time will reveal if this is to be an end reality for his God given ministry.

One day not long ago, this man realized it was time for his family to take a vacation. He found himself with vacation time, but no money and no means. Somehow, he realized, in spite of his lack of finances, that the Lord would make a way. This man knew how important it was to spend time AWAY with his family. He began to think, “Lord what will we do, where will we go?” Then, he remembered the company that he works for offers FREE corporate time-sharing. This was a pleasing thought! He rejoiced in the fact that he would have somewhere to take his family at no charge.

To the Pastor’s dismay, it appeared that there were no dates available. However, as he conversed with the Benefits Officer (via phone) something strange happened (THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERVENED). The CEO of the company walked into the room and overheard a portion of the conversation. The CEO asked her, “to whom are you speaking?” The Benefits Officer gave the CEO the Pastor’s name.

Now, knowing that this Pastor is a child of God and preacher of the unadulterated, unadded to, unaltered WORD of God, it should not be hard to understand or explain the sequence of events that occurred.

The CEO said, “this man (he says the Pastor’s name) is going to Maui.” “We’re sending him to paradise on earth.” “We will pay for the tickets and he will stay, at no charge, at our corporate condominium.” And tell him to take the family, “it's on us”. The Pastor felt the presence of the Holy Spirit, and although he was very appreciative toward the CEO for giving him the vacation of a lifetime, he thanked God because he knew it was of God and from God.

The corporation was so kind. They wanted this Pastor to leave out on a Saturday and although the Pastor thought about it, he said no. The Pastor stated, “I must leave after service on Sunday for I have to be with my flock.” You see, there were no other ministers in this Church and for this Pastor to miss a Sunday would mean the flock would miss a service; besides, this minister wanted to be at the Church on Sunday. They (the corporation) said him, it may be too costly to leave out after Saturday. Therefore, we will not be able to send the family. The minister, although tested in this, nevertheless said, “well then, we just won’t be able to take the whole family.” The following day, the Benefits Officer checked the flights and to her surprise, it was less expensive to leave out after Sunday. Do you see God working here? We must be obedient. We must continually seek the Kingdom first!

The trip was set. The family and church family all rejoiced over what God had given, but God wasn’t finished. Just as God had searched the heart of the Pastor to know where he longed to travel, He also knew the minister needed other things for this vacation to be complete. About two weeks before they left, the CEO was once again prompted to bless the pastor. He said to the Pastor, “You will need transportation.” “Don’t worry, we will take care of it.”

Praise the Lord, Saints! Praise the Lord!!

God still wasn’t finished. On Tuesday before the trip, God sent 2 Christians to the Pastor's workplace for two distinct reasons. The first came just to fellowship and pray. Therefore, at lunchtime, the Pastor and the other Christian prayed and fellowshipped. They did this in that very workplace, in that very corporate building. They were both blessed and felt another miracle was about to take place. The Christian left and the Pastor returned to his work and then came the next Christian. She happens to be a preacher’s wife and the mother-in-law of the CEO. She handed the Pastor an envelope. The Pastor, under assumption, thanked her for giving him his check in advance so as to better enjoy his vacation. She told the Pastor, “this is not your pay check, this is money for you and your family to use for your vacation.” She further stated, “consider it a bonus”. Yes, God will do it!!!

I hope that about now you are praising God. I hope that in this you can see His Goodness and His Power.

My friend, God wants you to enjoy life. Don’t be afraid to enjoy what God has created. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. Jesus says in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.”(KJV)

According to the Pastor, the trip was wonderful. In Maui, one can see many of God’s wonders. For much of the land is still untainted by man. It is a beautiful place with green covered mountainous terrain and waterfalls, nature pools, and black volcanic beaches and the rain forest, yes the rain forest. It is magnificent. It is God’s creation.

The trip began to climax as the Pastor and his wife were making their way over to Hana. They admired all of God’s beauty on the way. Little did the Pastor know, God had something very special waiting for him in Hana. They arrived in Hana and enjoyed the black volcanic beach and decided to take the long journey (about 2-3 hours) back before dark. As they were leaving, the Pastor said to his wife, “we must go back and take a picture of the sign in Hana”. As he turned back, the Holy Spirit once again intervened. The Pastor decided to go a little further into Hana. To his delight, he saw a Cross mounted on a hill some 200 feet above them. He tried to take a picture, but he could only get within 300 yards of the Cross due to a barrier (5 foot locked wooden fence). He could feel himself being drawn to this Cross in the sky. As I write this, I am hearing these words of Jesus, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. (John 12:32)(KJV) The Pastor sadly decided to leave, and as he drove away he looked back just for one more glimpse of this Cross. Then he saw someone in the field between the Cross and the barrier and he said to his wife “there must be a way that I can get there”. He turned and began to seek someone, "anyone", he thought, to ask about this Cross. He discovered from the seeking that he could indeed obtain the keys to the fence and drive up to the Cross. He obtained the keys and opened the gate and drove up to the Cross. And up and up they went. When they arrived at the top, he dared not approach the Cross too closely with the vehicle. He knew he was approaching Holy Ground. The Pastor got out of the vehicle and approached the Cross on foot. The Cross stood approximately 40 feet tall. As he approached, he was led of the Holy Spirit to remove his shoes. As he stood there next to the Cross barefoot, with his hands opened and looking out at the ocean, the wind began to wrap all around him like a whirlwind. It was as if the hands of God were all over him. And as tears flowed from his eyes, he began to thank the Lord for EVERYTHING! There is no doubt, the Lord brought this Pastor to Maui and revealed unto him a glimpse of His Glory!!!

Make God your CEO. Always put the kingdom of God first. Remember to give God your best which are sacrifices of prayer and praise. For the word tells us in Psalms 50:12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.”(KJV) While this Psalm shows us we can not nor does God need us to feed Him, the earth is His and the fullness thereof. Therefore, as an obedient child of the Father, you have the right to partake in that fullness.

Do not let the barriers of the world keep you from God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:8-9, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened.”(NIV)

God has given us the key to His glory – Jesus Christ. We find in 1st Peter 2:24, He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, by His stripes you have been healed.

If we believe in Him, the fence will be unlocked between God and man, and we are saved and we will see His Glory!!!

If this has inspired you and you are led of God to pass the testimony of this Pastor on, you are welcome. In any case, thanks for allowing me to share it with you. You see, I know it to be true, I am the Pastor and this is my testimony.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor LaMar Williams, Jr.
For Eternity Christian Church
(678-476-8227)

This was written in 2001 during the beginning months of our worship services. If you read this carefully, you will see our vision and know that it has not changed.

Today, we have grown much in the faith and we remain faithful unto God who sustains us and gives us strength.

We remain focused on God and have faith that God will supply all of our needs.

It remains our mission to lead the unsaved to salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

It remains our mission to lead the saved through a lifetime of spiritual growth and service.

It remains our mission to delight in the Lord, to serve the Lord, and to worship and praise the Lord!!!

…And we know, it is a privilege and we are very joyful and happy in our being and doing for the Lord!!!

On behalf of the Williams’ family, I would like to Thank all who Love the Lord. Thank you for your work, your love, and your service for this occasion that has been set aside to recognize 5 AWESOME years in the Lord’s ministry of rightly giving the WORD unto His people!!!

May the Lord bless and keep you exceeding abundantly above all you could ever conceive of.