Pastor's Notes

     Greetings and grace to you in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Hopefully you are still praising the Lord for how He has blessed us as a church family, and is working in us.  May we stay clean and close unto the Lord that His continued blessings would be unhindered.  To God be the glory, great things He has done, and greater things He will do!

     The Ministry Fair began February 24.  Thank you to all the Ministry Team leaders and members for doing a great job on the ministry displays.  Please take the time to look through all the ministry displays and signup for the ministries you would like to participate in.  As you might remember, there are Servant Teams and Select Teams at ERBC.  The Nominating Team recommends the Servant Team leaders and Select Teams members to the church family for approval.  If you are contacted by the Nominating Team, please know they have bathed you in prayer and do so being led by the Lord.  ” For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Heb.6:10)

     “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” (Job 42:5)  It was God that first mentioned Job unto the Satan, describing Job as a “perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil.” (Job 1:7; 2:3).  Job was not sinless, but was a believer and God had accounted his faith unto him for righteousness just as with Abraham.  Job knew God, but through his experienced sufferings he would know God more fully.  For many people it is only in a time of suffering and trouble that that seek after the Lord with their whole heart.  Better that you and I seek the Lord with our whole heart continually that we will find and know Him to our fullest capacity (Jer. 29:13). But, let us be assured of the promise, regardless of the circumstances of our whole hearted seeking, God has promised His finding.  Certainly from Job, as with Paul, we learn that it is possible to come to know God better, fuller and more intimate way.  Job’s fuller, better and more intimate knowledge of God led him to say, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:6)  Be assured Job’s experience of this better, fuller and more intimate knowledge of God, will be ours too.  The better we know God and see Him in His holiness; we also know ourselves and see our own sinfulness.   This leads us to abhor what God abhors, and to repent and agree with Him in our heart’s confession.  Dear friend do not let this truth be a deterrent, but an encouragement to seek and know the Lord better with each passing moment.  Yes, let Paul’s desire, “That I may know Him,” be our desire and the cry of our heart! 

By His grace,

Toney