To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Today in history...1892, Charles Spurgeon went to be with His Saviour. He is one of my heroes, in fact I have a sermon manuscript page on my wall from a sermon he preached on, "Christ, Precious To Believers". He is important to me because of his passion for preaching, his active love in the community for those who needed it, and his strong stand on God's Word in a day when many churches were downgrading. Spurgeon struggled intensely in the midst of a liberal movement away from God and His Word, and as he sought to stand firm he often found himself alone. History has proved his love for God, and God's people. I long to be like Spurgeon in our day, and preach with passion and purity, showing the love of God with my life and lips, and standing firm in a world that is moving further and further away from loyalty to God's Word. Today in history, take the time to read something on Spurgeon, and rejoice in God's movement in history, and pray he would move in ours in us and through us! A great mini biography can be found at, www.desiringgod.org/messages/
Missions Fest has come and gone, and it was fun to go and see what God is doing around the world. I had the privilege on Friday of spending time with the president of SIM, and hearing his heart for revival, and a renewed devotion to reaching people in Canada and around the world. A great reminder for us as AMBASSADORS! Read another article that reminded me of the importance of missions, stating that we as authentic believers, have three options, Send, Go, Disobey...and we as a church continue to long to become more and more effective in our sending and going. The president of SIM shared with me that we as a faithful church have the Great Commission, The Great Command, and the Great Call (to pray for the LORD of the Harvest to send out workers). Love it, and it will preach! So as I begin to research this, would you join me in praying that prayer (Matthew 9:38)?
We are seeking to be a healthy, Christ centred church that holds in extreme balance our pursuit of holiness, our love for one another, our mission to be healthy ambassadors and our holding to God's Word doctrinally (HTML). Holiness, is literally being set apart by God, and being pure. We usually take it in the context of purity, in seeking keep our lives free from the stain of sin and devoted to God's use. Today as a part of our family we encourage you to pursue holiness by rooting out any sin in your life that you are aware of and replacing it with a devotion to God and obedience to His Word. The pathway to true health as a church will begin with those who call this church home, so I plead with you to be HOLY as God is HOLY (1 Peter 1:16). It is as we are holy, distinct from the world around us, that they will notice the difference and ask us the reason for the hope we have.
It was a joy to have Roy and Gwen in our service on Sunday, and to hear from God's Word, and pursue keeping the foundations of loyalty to His Word, and the Gospel. I have often said the blessing of having this couple is not only to hear from them, but to see them and engage with lives that are being well lived. Please continue to keep them in your prayers!
Sunday is coming...as you prepare your hearts for what God has for you from His people, and His Word, may you have EAGER ANTICIPATION!
Text: Galatians 3:15-29
Title: A Promise You Can Count On
How does God's promise to Abraham help us to understand this text, and obedience to the law, in relationship to rejoicing in the Gospel?
What good is the law to us?
How can we include a text like this in our perspective of all of life?
How does grasping our inability of keeping the law perfectly help us to rejoice in the Gospel?
What can we do to become more ALIVE?
May God grant us the courage, love, and power to stand like Charles Spurgeon in a way that impacts this generation, and if Jesus does not return, BEYOND!
A fellow lawbreaker, overwhelmed by God's precious grace...
Pastor Rob