March 2, 2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

I trust you are doing well, church family. My hope and prayer is that you are finding your joy in the Lord, and striving to grow in your knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18). God is good! And He does all things well (Mark 7:37).

As the world continues to change at breakneck speed, remember that God never changes (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19). “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). As Christians, we have a living hope, a steadfast anchor of the soul, that grounds us in the midst of uncertain times. If our confidence and hope is attached to the stock market, our government, or our own success in life, we might be a little nutty by now. But thank God it is not! Our hope is found in the living God (Romans 15:13) and the mediating work of Jesus Christ. Praise God!

This morning found me meditating on the book of Acts. In Acts 4:12-13, we read, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

Jesus Christ is the one Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). The pursuit of salvation apart from Christ will always be a dead-end street. Like Peter and John, we must never deviate from the truth of the gospel – that Christ alone can save us from our sins. Let me encourage you to “let your light shine before others” that they might give glory to God (Matthew 5:16). Our lives should be attractive to the watching world. As people looked at Peter and John, it was obvious that they had been with Jesus. Even though they were ordinary, common men, there was something very different and compelling about them.

What about you? Is it obvious to the world that Jesus has made a difference in your life? That you have spent time with him? That you know him?

Mifflin County desperately needs the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that
is where we come in. We are witnesses and ambassadors for Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8). We have the most important job in the world! We
tell people that through Christ, they can be reconciled to Almighty God
(2 Corinthians 5:16-21). But we must couple that message with lives that are attractive, compelling, and energized by the grace of God.

There are several prayer items I want to highlight for you:

• Jonathan and Reba Yoder (following the tragic death of their two year old son Clarence)
• Turkey – Syria earthquake victims (tens of thousands have died)
• War in Ukraine (just passed the one-year anniversary, with no end in sight)
• Our governing authorities and their salvation (1 Timothy 2:1-4)
• Jerry Koontz (still in rehab center in Tyrone)
• Mona Renninger (currently fighting Covid)
• Leroy Harshbarger (as he continues to recover from his stroke)
• Jeannie McCartle and Cari Haubrick (Cancer)
• Theil Kauffman (as he grieves the loss of Andrea)
• Buck Carolus (as he continues to recover from his surgery in November)
• Lois Walters (upcoming surgery on March 9^th)
• Ross and Elaine (as they settle into a new ministry context in Guinea
• Sefin Kumar and his family (Ministering in central India, facing much spiritual warfare of late)
• Catalin Croiter and wife Paula (Ministering in northern Romania, near Ukraine border, dealing with severe migraines)
• Jeannie McCartle and John Stegeman (getting baptized on March 12^th)
• GriefShare (starting March 2 and continuing for 13 weeks)
• The ministry of the Word at PGAC

As you can tell, there is no shortage of prayer requests. We are a needy people, but God is always sufficient for our every need (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Let’s take these matters to Him with great hope, confidence, and expectancy.

Brothers and sisters, keep your eyes fixed upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Always remember the good news of the gospel. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Even though our sins are many, His mercy is more!

Additionally, “keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). The greatest reality in all the world is being a Christian and having all your sins forgiven. God is doing a marvelous work in our midst! What a privilege it is to be a part of it.

I close with the words of Colossians 3:17. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

With much love and gratitude,

Pastor Dan