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Good morning, Mt. Carmel! I hope you had a blessed week! My heart was moved afresh this week as I was reminded of the inheritance of the saints stated in Ephesians 1:18. Upon salvation, we not only received the forgiveness of sins, the restoration in our broken relationship with God, and the amazing promise of eternal life—but we also received one another! We were gifted to one another in order to encourage our hearts to grow in the goodness and glory of Jesus. So, not only should I invest in you—but you should invest in me—and both of us invest in others! I hope someone has pointed you to Jesus this week. Who have you pointed to Jesus? You are a part of their inheritance! May I encourage you to live out that calling with joy!

You may have read that yesterday, the VA Governor issued some new COVID guidelines for the state to go into effect next week. Just so you know, the new orders do not change anything about our assembly of the saints tomorrow. We are in communication with Attorney David Gibbs III and our legal advisors, the NCLL, to keep up with any necessary changes. While we have already been informed that religious services are not restricted to the 25-person gathering, we may need to share other guidelines with you next week as we learn more.

I want you to know that, as your pastor, I want what is best for you. While I would certainly love to see people in the church house, I am not concerned about tallying numbers for attendance. My heart’s desire is for you to seek Jesus with your whole heart, continue to grow more and more dependent upon Him, and become a disciple-maker as our Lord commanded.

I do believe that a physical gathering with other believers is very important—it’s why Christ started the church. It’s part of the plan of the assembly of the saints. However, I do not want you or your loved ones to feel guilted into gathering with other believers if you have a true health concern. If you believe it is best for you to stay engaged with the church from home, then I support your decision. 

If you and your family choose not to be here physically, I would encourage you to join us virtually on our website   at mcrbc.org tomorrow at 11.

As of now, on Sunday, November 15, we will meet at 9 a.m. for worship. We will meet at 10 a.m. for kids/teen Sunday school and adult Life Groups. And we will meet at 11 a.m. for worship. The high school youth group will meet tomorrow evening at 6 p.m.

If you want the latest updates about the church, just click here.

Finally, let’s continue to place our trust in God alone! I cannot wait to share with you—either in-person or online—the conclusion of the Book of Esther! I promise your heart will be excited! Because, in Esther, we see that even when God is not mentioned, He continues to stay true to His promises. He stayed true during the days of Esther. He stayed true during the days of the church’s great persecution in Acts. And, we can be assured, God will continue to stay true to us today. He is our Hope, our Shield, our All in All!

May God bless you, my dear fellow believers. Let us have great faith in the One who deserves our great faith—King Jesus! I love you all!

Pastor Brian