Greetings Faith Family,

Monday March 20th is the first official day of Spring. Indeed Spring is just around the corner. Spring represents a new beginning after the winter months. The budding trees and flowers serve as a reminder that life has different seasons.

The Bible states in The Book of Isaiah 43:9, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the waste land."

What a wonderful promise from God is contained in that passage of Scripture. Please notice the following:

A. The Performance. Isaiah 43:9a

B. The Power. Isaiah 43:9b.
C. The Perception. Isaiah 43:9c.
D. The Path. Isaiah 43.9d.
E. The Provision. Isaiah 43:9e.

As the season of Spring approaches may we as Christ followers realize that God is at work in our lives, bringing us into a new season of life.
 

By His Grace and for His Glory, Eric

Greetings Faith Family,

A Baptist preacher in the mid 1800’s, Francis Rowley gave us the hymn “I will sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me.  How He left His home to glory for the cross of Calvary.  Yes, I’ll sing the wondrous story of the Christ of Calvary, sing it with the saints in glory gathered by the crystal sea.”

Nowhere is the story of the Grace and Love of God told better than in John 3:16.  This passage of scripture has been described as:

“The World’s greatest text.”

“An ocean of thought in a drop of language.”

“These are not words to comment upon but to feel.”

Martin Luther said. “I love the text beyond measure.”

Each of its 25 words are full of meaning, feeling, revelation and kindness.

1. The Person of God is Defended. “For God”

2. The Presence of God is Declared. “For God so loved the world”

3. The Purpose of God is Disclosed. “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.”

What a wonderful story we have to share!

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Eric

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Can you believe that the new year of 2023 has already arrived? It seems only a short while ago we were ushering in 2022 and yet here we are at the beginning of 2023.

This is the time of year when many people will make the famous new year's resolutions. With that thought in mind I would like to share a passage of Scripture from the Book of Micah chapter 7 and verse 7. The Bible states, "Therefore, I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me."

Contained in that passage of Scripture are three resolutions that we as a Faith Family need to make as we are blessed to enter 2023:

1. A Resolution of Faith: "I will look."
2. A Resolution of Patience: "I will wait."
3. A Resolution of Confidence: "My God will hear me."

Wise resolutions such as these will bring beneficial results in our personal lives as well as our relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Minnie and I pray that God will bless each of you mightily in this new year.

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Eric

Greetings Faith Family.

The Advent Season has arrived! What a joyous time of year it is. The weather is colder, the leaves have fallen and perhaps in various places on the map snow as well. Along with setting aside time for decorating, shopping, planning menu's and gatherings, may we re- member the "Reason for The Season". The Bible states in the Gospel of Matthew chapter One and verse 23, "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us".

During this Advent Season may we find ourselves reflecting upon this verse often. Advent is a time when:
Prophecy was fulfilled.
The Provision of our salvation was given.
The Presence of God was manifest.
 

It will be my prayer for each of you this Advent Season that you experience the presence of God greater than at any previous point in time. What a joyous season this can be when we realize that the promise of Scripture is fulfilled and that God indeed is with us.
 

Minnie and I hope that each of you have a wonderful Advent Season and a very Merry Christmas. We look forward to serving the Lord with each of you in 2023.
By His Grace and for His Glory,

Eric

Greetings Faith Family,

November has arrived and soon, Thanksgiving Day. What a wonderful opportunity we have to take some time to cultivate a time of gratitude for the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

The Bible states in The Book of Psalms 150 and verse one and two, " Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness."

May we pause in our hectic daily schedules this month and cultivate an attitude of gratitude. A time of Reflection can lead to a time of Rejoicing in our lives because of the grace that God daily blesses us with.

Minnie and I are truly grateful for each one in our Faith Family. We are looking forward to sharing this month of Reflection and Rejoicing with you as we walk together into God's Word.

By His Grace and for His Glory, Eric

Greetings Faith Family,

Welcome to the Fall season of 2022. The season has definitely changed. It's now the time of cooler mornings, lower humidity, shorter day light hours, changing of the color of the leaves and pumpkin spice lattes.

We are definitely surrounded by change, political, social, environmental and personal. Yet in the midst of monumental changes we as Believers can rejoice that we are trusting an UNCHANG- ING God! The Bible states in the Book of Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 8, "Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever." Now that is GOOD NEWS!

We can rejoice that:
The Love of God is UNCHANGING.
The Light of God is UNCHANGING.
The Lift that God brings into our life is UNCHANGING.

In a sea of change, may we look to the Master of the Sea because He NEVER CHANGES! By His Grace and for His Glory,

Eric

Greetings Faith Family.

Time is swiftly passing by. The calendar seems to flip pages at an increasing rate of speed. In just a few days we will enter a new season of the year with the arrival of Fall 2022.

The Bible states in The Book of Ecclesiastes chapter 4 and verse 1, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

As we think about entering a new season of the calendar year, may we also consider entering a new season spiritually. I truly believe that God is moving in a mighty way at Pfafftown for His honor and glory and bringing us as a congregation into a new season.

The Bible states in The Book of Isaiah chapter 43 and verse 19, "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and riv- ers in the desert."

The new season that God is bringing us into is a season of:

1. Realization.
2. Rededication.
3. Revitalization.
4. Reaching.
5. Rejoicing.

May we truly hear and heed the call of God as He moves in our midst. An exciting new season is upon us, may we rejoice in what God is doing on our behalf.

By His Grace and for His Glory,

Eric

Greetings Faith Family. Minnie and I are so very blessed to have the opportunity to serve the Lord with each of you.

John chapter Three and verse 16 is on my mind as I write this article. "For God so loved". What a powerful statement that is. The entirety of the verse is a perfect pic- ture of the Amazing Grace of God. When you and I pause in life and truly consider the reality of the love of God, we must stand in sheer awe that God in His grace loves each of us.

The God that loves us accompanies us each moment in this life. We CANNOT be separated from His love. What a comfort that fact is to the believer. We find comfort in the love of God.

We can also find courage in the love of God. Because He loves us, and we can't be separated from His love, we find the courage to face the future. We can trust an un- known future to a known God.

We can also be compassionate to others when we realize that God loves us. We love Him because He first loved us and we can love others because we are loved.

By His Grace and for His Glory, Eric

Greetings Faith Family,

True freedom is a gift from God. The Bible states in John 8:36, "So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed."

During the month of July, we as Americans celebrate our freedom. As Christian citizens, we can rejoice that in this nation we have the freedom to worship and live out the faith that God has brought into our hearts.

We should, during this month, reflect upon the cost of our free- dom. Throughout our national history there have been brave men and women that God has raised up and used to both purchase and defend our freedoms. We must never take their sacrifice for granted.

During this month of celebration we need to realize our total dependence upon God, both as a nation and as individual believers. We need to enter this month in a season of prayer: praying for our leaders, our soldiers, our educational leaders, first responders, those without Christ as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ. Indeed we have much and many to pray for and about.

Minnie and I hope that each of you have a very blessed month as we re- joice in the precious gift of freedom both politically and spiritually that we as Americans and Christians enjoy.

By His Grace and for His Glory, Eric