Notes of Faith January 19, 2021
Charles was a mentor of mine, a man I loved and respected as another earthly father. Many of you will have fond memories of him. Some of you will not know him until our gathering with our heavenly Father. I wanted to share some of his writings through the Notes of Faith . . . today will be the first. May you be blessed and encouraged by his words of wisdom. Pastor Dale
On Father’s Day 1999, Pastor Charles Covington preached to his beloved congregation at Community Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach. Lunch at his son’s home and a basketball game with his grandchildren followed. The next day he was in intensive care after suffering a massive stroke that almost took his life.
Charles was born and raised in Muleshoe, Texas. At age 30 he believed and trusted by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Sensing a need to learn more about God’s Word, he enrolled in Moody Bible Institute. He later studied at Grace Bible institute and Graduate School in Long Beach and Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California.
For seventeen years he taught doctrine and Bible survey classes at Grace Bible Institute. Many young men and women who are now in Christian ministry all over the world were his students. Pastor Covington also served as associate pastor of Bell Brethren Church, Bethany Baptist Church in Norwalk and senior pastorates at Community Bible Fellowship Church in El Toro, Grace Brethren Cypress, and Community Grace Brethren, Long Beach.
The stroke left him unable to preach from the pulpit but his church family was reluctant to give up his gift of expositing the Word of God and thus began this series of “Pen Pulpits”.
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
January 2, 2000!!!!!
OLD/NEW
II Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away: behold all things have become new.”
Two Observations
1. The passing of the old.
2. The advent of the new.
January 1, 2000 marked the passing of three old entities and the coming of three new ones - two of which none of us has ever experienced.
1. old year - new year
2. old century - new century
3. old millennium - new millennium
Christ’s first coming marked the passing of an old era and the coming of a new era. We read in Hebrews 1:1, 2
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
When a person comes to Christ this marks the passing of an old era and the advent of a new one.
1. old position - no longer in Adam but now in Christ
2. old person - now a new creation in Christ Jesus
May each of us in this new year, new century, new millennium realize anew the wonderful position we have in Christ and live each day to His glory as new creations in Christ Jesus. God bless.
Love to you all,
Charles Covington