Greetings and grace to you in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Summer has arrived but not with its normal activities you expect.  Pre-covid-19 would have us one week away from VBS with Youth Camp having just ended.  But here we are amid this pandemic seeking and depending on the Lord to use us in anyway He chooses to witness unto our Lord Jesus Christ for His glory.  I believe we are faced with three options. 1) We can stick out our bottom lips and pout like a spoiled child not getting our way. 2) We can throw our hands up in the air and quit. 3) We can lift our hands and hearts to God and say, “Not my will but Thine be done.”  And then walk in obedience and fellowship with our Lord.  By God’s grace let us choose the third option.  As God’s children we are spoiled!  Meaning we are loved with an everlasting love by our Heavenly Father, Who is always faithful to take us in His arms, kiss our booboos, graciously forgive our sins, comforting our broken hearts, truthfully teaching and enabling us to live.  We are spoiled by our Father but let us not act like a rotten spoiled child. 

     A big congratulations to our high school graduates.  Watching their graduation services via live stream and thinking how differently their senior year ended than what had been anticipated.  ERBC 2020 graduates exemplified the above positives, and I praise the Lord for each of you and pray the Lord continually blesses you and will use you in the days to come for His glory.

     This paragraph normally contains upcoming ministry activities and events, which for now only includes Sunday and Wednesday worship services.  I am thankful for the ability to gather and worship with the family of God.  I am thankful to be able to join with others and sing praises to our great God and Lord Jesus.  I am thankful to see facial expressions and hear responses to the preached Word of God.  I am thankful for you, dear ERBC family!  As we continue seeking the Lord’s will currently, a busy calendar is not essential.  A “broken and contrite heart” is what God requires (Ps. 51:17).  Looking at a precious gift from a family whose mother, Eunice Richardson, who became an encouraging friend and member of ERBC before she was received into the presence of the Lord.  The gift is a simple laminated sign which was on her refrigerator.  It simply says, “Thou shalt not whine.”  Eunice lived by that and when asked how she was doing would always reply, “I am doing the most I can with what I have.”  May this be true of you and me.  May we do the MOST we can with what we have!  May each of us truly live each day knowing that we minister unto the Lord and not unto man even though our individual acts of ministry is unto the “least of these” (Col. 3:23-24; Mt. 25:40). 

     Therefore, “…let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)  We should be the cause (provoke) for others to love greater!  We should be the cause (provoke) for others to serve the Lord greater!  We should never forsake the assembling of ourselves together, though some have and do.  We should always be an encourager to each other as the return of Christ draws near.  The exercise of caution in these days by higher risk and more vulnerable individuals to not attend in person worship services is not a lack of faith or desire of nearness unto the Lord, but is just that, an exercise of caution in personal wisdom.  I want to exhort each of you to continue contacting and ministering to one another with loving encouragement.  We say again, if you are not comfortable attending currently due to the current Covid-19 situations, be at peace.  Attend online via live stream as though you were attending onsite.  Get ready.  Have Bible in hand and attend the worship service leaving everything else behind.  Turn off other devices.  Tune out the world and tune into God.  Do not allow the kids to do what you would not allow them to do in a pew.  Pray, sing, listen and shout amen if you want!  Communicate prayer requests or needs via email (toneywales@elktonroadbaptist.org), church phone (256-232-9086) or cell phone (256-777-7734).  Hear the provoking of the Word of God, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.   And if they were all one member, where were the body?  But now are they many members, yet but one body.   And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” (1 Cor. 12:18-21)   Yes, we are the body of Christ at Elkton Road Baptist Church, and Every Member Is Needed, Every Member Has Needs and Every Member Needs to Function! 

  

By His grace,

Toney