To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
The summer is upon us, school is out, and we have an opportunity to slow down and consider where we are going. Sometimes I feel like the Pilot who came on the intercom to his passengers with good and bad news...the good news, we have an amazing tail wind and are moving very quickly, the bad news, we have lost navigation equipment, and don't know where we are going. I hope this summer you will take the time to reflect on the greatness of the Gospel of Jesus, and all that it means. I pray that together we will continue to re-orient all of our lives around that! If you are like me, slowing down once in a while is super important, to reflect on where you are actually going. Let's pursue all of life with a focus on Jesus and make sure that we intensify our fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.
We have been talking about what it means to grow in our faith, and to make sure that we are growing relationally and with our wills in obedience to Jesus.
We have been following the A.L.I.V.E. acrostic to help with focus and accomplishment in this desire to grow.
The starting place for growth is always a relationship with the LORD that includes forgiveness, surrender and joyful submission. A: All out for God; L: Longing to Know God's Word...AND
The third key to spiritual growth is...
I: Inviting God Into All Of Life:
This key to growth includes prayer and the passion to live all of life in the presence of God. Psalm 16:8 tells us to set the LORD always before us, and then we will not be shaken. This is a willingness and passion to live life conscious of His presence. Being aware of His presence will yield a desire for holiness, because God is holy, and a confidence to do His will because God is with us. We need never be afraid, and as we become more and more aware of His presence, we will long to please Him in all we do and say!
Inviting God into all of life includes pursuing Him in prayer as well, both prolonged times of prayer and arrow prayers for help, or praise. Prayer for the believer should be as natural as breathing! Spurgeon said, "neglected prayer is the birthplace of all evil". This may be an overstatement, but it is calls for a reality check on our own prayer lives, and the importance of prayer in the pursuit of holiness and success God's way for God's glory.
The more we can consciously live in the presence of God, the more like God we will become!
Put up reminders to help you to engage your mind's eye to the presence of God with you, and let it define your pursuit of holiness, and confidence in service.
This week we celebrate Canada Day. I love the country that we live in, and am wearing my Canada jersey as I write to prove it. Make sure as we enjoy a day off in the sun that we take the time to thank God for our beloved country to pray for those who are giving leadership to it in our government. We are commanded to pray for them, and it is a privilege to do so in a country that is glorious and free.
As summer officially starts, so do our evening ELDER LED PRAYER meetings on Tuesday nights. Encourage you to come out on Tuesday night for a time of prayer as we long to be a church that moves forward on her knees. You can often tell the health of God's people, by their desire to join together and pray. Please, if you are free on Tuesday night, join us for a time of prayer from 7-8, as we reflect on 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. Why should you come? Because seeking God's face together is commanded, needed, and a tremendous privilege that we have as God's people. I hope you will consider making this a priority this summer. It will reflect your priorities, and my longing is that it would also show the passion we have as a church to see God move in this place drawing people to Him, and deeper with Him. APART FROM HIM WE CAN DO NOTHING!
Sunday night is also a prayer gathering at our church for the Muslim world as we continue in our desire to see Muslims know and love Jesus and follow the God of the Bible exclusively. For more information on this please check your bulletin, and join many in seeking God for these lost people.
FAMILY NOTES:
We are changing from our regular celebration of communion on July 3, to July 10. Please don't FORGET.
Please continue to pray for short term missionaries we have sent out! This week, my youngest (Graeme, and yes that is worth $5) goes to Sunnybrae. Please pray for our church family that is going out all over the world, and praise God for those willing to go to bring the Gospel to those who need it!
It is an honour to be a part of this family. As we rejoice and weep together, look for someone you can encourage, and let us continue to grow deeper as we grow wider.
Have an amazing week!
Pastor Rob