Dear Praying Friends,
Greetings in His Matchless Name!
It has been a long time since my last FEDENA FLYER and I am feeling guilty. ( ) So, here goes...
Of course, during COVID lockdown I had very few preaching/teaching engagements which meant a loss of opportunity and income. Now that things are returning to normal (whatever that is) things are starting to look up a bit. The central govt. in D.C. has backed off from
“social distancing” ? and mandating wearing masks (which Dr. Fauci said didn’t do any good in the first place, then he changed his mind and began wearing double masks???).
Now we are being vaxxed and boosted again and again (I refused). I tested 4 times negative
while in the hospital for a cold or flu or whatever, but they placed me in the COVID UNIT lockdown, anyway!? Later, I got a cold which they then called Omicron! Guess what? I have survived anyhow, and I am still above ground and feeling O.K. for an 88 year old preacher.
I praise the Lord for allowing me to continue to preach and teach, and so far I have stayed on track and have not lost my place (or my mind), while doing so. I thank the Lord daily for the churches and individuals who have continued to support me and my limited ministry.
Pastors/preachers are the greatest! However I have recently lost a great man of God and pastor, brother Arthur Gilmore, who has resigned his long time (30 yrs.) pastoral ministry at the First Baptist Church in Easton, PA, who was saved when I was pastor of Faith Baptist in Fairless Hills. He is moving/retiring to the Jacksonville, FL area where some of his family live. He is praying about a new teaching/preaching ministry.
Another great man-of-God, Pastor Corey Woolner of the Delaware Co. Baptist Church in Havertown, PA had me in for a King James Bible conference. While there, I mentioned that most of my kids, grandkids and great grandkids live in Florida and a few days later I received
a text saying that the church wanted to pay my round-trip air fare to Pensacola where most of them live and work. WOW! What a blessing! I spent 2 weeks there, staying with my daughter Crystal and son-in-law, Jerry, and the weather was perfect with the temp hovering between 70+ to 80 degrees with low humidity every day --- except the Saturday I was planning to go fishing with my son-in- law, Jerry and two grandsons, Paul & Jason (the boat owner)! That day it rained and the wind kicked up. ( ) (You should have seen the one – or many – that got away!) My granddaughter, Stephanie and her husband, Andrew along with their 3 sweet girls are coming to stay with me for the Christmas week. I am excited. The Lord is soooo good!)
By the way, back in the day, I used to have a friend named Zero (a ventriloquist puppet). He has been in Florida too for over 20 years with Pastor Gilmore’s son, but he sent him back to me with his dad and this past Sat., I (& Zero), did a little skit for the Senior Saints at Faith Baptist Church, thanks to a gracious invite by Pastor Chad Braley. We had fun and about half the group present remembered him (and me).
Then I spoke from God’s Word on the “THREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS”...
+the Empty Cradle,
+the Empty Cross and
+the Empty Crypt, the Lord graciously gave to us. Afterward we exchanged “White Elephant” gifts.
Then last night I preached a message in my home church, Straightway Baptist, due to the generosity of my Pastor, Louis Guarneri, who usually shares his pulpit with me about once each month. The sermon was entitled “DO YOU TEST POSITIVE? The passage of Scripture was from Hebrews 12:1 and dealt with besetting sins. Of course all or most of us have to deal with these recurring issues, along with the “weights” the verse speaks of as well. (What about YOU?)
I found out yesterday at church that a faithful member and soul-winner (and former bus Capt. and sometimes driver - Mr. Frank Harper
at Faith Baptist Church in a difficult neighborhood, and now a member of my home church) was going on vacation next week. I have been invited to go along at a ridiculously low cost, and it was one of those offers you can’t refuse. Since my wife graduated to glory nearly 4 years ago, I have not taken a real vacation* (who wants to go alone?). (*Of course, I have gone each summer for a few days to the Jersey Shore and Cape May with brother and sister and BEST FRIENDS, Evang. Herb and Marge Brail, where we give out hundreds of tracts and witness using live animals [a bunny, and this year a bird- a white dove] to attract crowds in the Cape May walking mall and on the Wildwood boardwalk. We relax, eat, enjoy each other’s fellowship and witness each day and night – so I guess that counts too as a genuine vacation!)
My health, for an OLD MAN is O.K. I do have breathing problems, which I believe stem from my failing heart. I have had a quadruple heart bypass over 15 years ago and they are all clogged again (thanks to my addiction to Bryers natural vanilla ice cream, I guess) and I am living on 1 small vessel with 2 stents feeding my heart...along with a Pacemaker! Thanks so much for your prayers.
In His Abiding Faithfulness,
Pastor (e) Paul C. Fedena