Phillip Powless Mar-Apr 2020 Prayer LetterIt is an early morning hour as I pen this note of gratitude and praise for the faithfulness of our great God, as well as the faithfulness of the people of God such as yourselves. Many years ago, shortly after I surrendered to preach as a 14-year-old boy, I asked my pastor and pastor’s wife to sign my Bible. One of the verses that my pastor’s wife inscribed with her signature that day became such a dear verse to me then and remains a fresh and great reminder today. That verse is I Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” As we all face many uncertainties with the COVID-19 situation, what a blessed peace and assurance it is to know that our God is FAITHFUL!! It is also such a blessing to know that there are faithful people of God who stand behind us and hold the ropes, helping us serve the Lord here in London, Ontario, through your prayers and faithful missions support. May I say, in these difficult days, a great, heartfelt “THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS!”
As with so many of you, many stipulations have been put into effect due to the Coronavirus outbreak here. We rejoice that all our family is well; all of our church families and members are well up to this point also. Our son Luke is back home with us now after his classes at Bible college could no longer be held on campus. He is finishing up his semester through online classes the college has set up. It is a blessing to have him back serving the Lord with us here at this time.
We are doing the best we can to keep reaching out to people in spite of what I have heard referred to several times now as “the new normal” of social distancing. A universal language, that so much the more needs to be spoken in difficult times, is that of love. We continue both to speak and show the love of God. My wife and daughter have baked numerous delicious pies and brownies, and we have taken them by to church folks to show love and encouragement, as well as finding “random strangers” to give some goodies to with a Gospel tract to brighten their day and seek to share Christ with them. As numbers of you have, we have integrated using online endeavours to continue the preaching services of our church to minster to our church folks, as well as seek to be used of God to reach others. In our churches here in Ontario, we are limited to a maximum of only 5 that can gather together per service, so 5 of us meet. We then livestream the service as though we have a full house in the service. Technology is not my strength, but we pray the Lord can use and is using the efforts we are making to encourage our church folks and also to reach others for the glory of God whether near or far.
On a recent Thursday evening just two weeks ago, it was a blessing to be used of God to be able to lead 6 precious folks to the Lord Jesus Christ. One young lady in her early twenties accepted Jesus Christ in a bus shelter where I approached her out soul winning, and she sweetly trust Christ as her Saviour. I then visited the home of a young teen boy who attends our Friday Evening Teen Outreach. I was able to meet his mother for the first time that evening; he also has 3 teenage sisters. I was able to sit with all of them together and share the Gospel with them in their living room. Praise the Lord, all 5 of them together sweetly prayed aloud and accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour!
Praise God! HE IS FAITHFUL! Thank you also for your faithfulness at such a time as this! May God bless and keep you all!
Pointing people to Jesus,
The Phil Powless Family
Galatians 6:9
