On Sunday, March 30, God gave us taste of Heaven!

After a good Sunday School hour, we gathered in the church auditorium for the morning service. Just before the choir sang, Pastor Shiflett had a missionary visiting in the service take a few minutes to share his work.  Brother Dennis Harry told the church about his ministry for the past twenty-three years with the military bases near Charleston, SC. It was a blessing to hear the many ways he has been faithfully ministering to the spiritual needs of those who serve our country.

After some good choir songs and two special numbers, through which God blessed the church family, Brother Shiflett came to the pulpit ready to preach. Just before he announced his text, one of our ladies gave a good testimony, bragging on the hand of God in her life. Then, just as the pastor started to announce his text, one of our men spoke up and said he needed to testify. (Praise the Lord for a church where obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit is encouraged!) Pastor Shiflett told the brother to go right ahead. Then, through the tears of an overflowing heart, this brother shared with the church that twenty-two years ago, God has used Brother Harry, the military missionary, to disciple him when he was a young, struggling Christian in the United States Air Force and stationed in Charleston, SC! Brother Harry jumped to his feet on the other side of the church, looked at the man and called out his name to see who he was. When he realized who was talking, he ran to Brother Adkins, and the two embraced, rejoicing in the providence of God that had brought them together after so many years. What an encouragement it was to the missionary to see someone he had poured his life into still serving God faithfully with a wife and three precious children!

Needless to say, the church rejoiced to see this reunion! Then as others obeyed God, His presence became more and more real in the service. Nearly and hour and a half later, two souls had been saved, some had gotten right with the Lord, and many folks had burdens lifted. The same spirit of thankfulness carried over into the evening service, followed by a message on the uncertainties of life from the book of James. God truly blessed our hearts on the Lord's Day!

To read more about what God is doing here at Pleasant View and through this ministry, be sure to check out Pastor Shiflett's blog. Also, you can read the complete testimony of Bro. Lionel Adkins, the man discipled while serving in the military twenty-two years ago on this church-news portion of the web site.