To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
It is good to know that God is over all, and promises to build His church when we are in confusing times as a nation.
As you probably know, we have taken a stand on God’s Word during this time, and tried hard to focus on God and His gospel even as we seek to gather again as a church family physically. Last week many of you became aware of a few things that were very difficult to deal with….
News came out of Ravi Zacharias hidden lifestyle. Ravi was never my favourite apologist but he was certainly in my world, and the reports from his hidden life have horrified me, and my heart aches for his family and his ministry impact on the church. So how do we respond? The key in my own understanding of this is that we respond by focusing on Jesus and His Gospel, rather than humans. Piper thinks that all of our heroes should be dead heroes so we know they finished well, and I suppose there is wisdom in this, but I think most important is that we keep our focus on Jesus and live our lives for His glory. I was deeply saddened by this situation with Ravi, and also deeply convicted to fight harder for a passion to watch my life and doctrine carefully. To help us as a church family stay loyal to God, His bride, and His ways. I hope Ravi’s situation didn’t devastate you, but if it did (or didn’t) let it remind you to never lose sight of the Gospel and always have the humility to pursue God with Joy, conviction and passion.
A pastor in Edmonton was jailed. I have heard so many stories on this, and know that many in the USA are shouting that the pastor was jailed for preaching. I am thankful for many who know him, and this church, and have really appreciated The Gospel Coalitions desire to know the facts, and respond to the situation with grace and love. The first response is that we should know the situation, rather than what is being shared about the situation. I have found much written on all sides confusing, but Wyatt Graham shared this, and I think, very helpful and gracious.
How should we respond, other than I suppose very shocked that something like this would happen in Canada?
- PRAY confidently (Acts 12).
- Make sure you know the truth, and when people talk to you about the situation that they focus on the facts of the situation so that we don’t make it worse, or better than it is to feed our raw emotion.
- Trust God. As you probably know I don’t agree with what this pastor has done, and I think that the response to him (putting him in jail) has been over the top. I think that this is a warning to us as followers of Jesus that in Canada the response to churches and pastors for following their convictions could be severe.
- Rejoice. That God is BIG, and that if a time comes that we are privileged to suffer for the Gospel we will be considered blessed.
- Don’t divide over this issue. Romans 12-15 is so powerful, and I hope has shaped how you think about the Doctrine, Doxology, Devotion, and Delight in God’s people. The Bible spends so much time on the importance of our unity and our LOVE (22 imperatives in chapter 12 alone), that we know what God’s will is in this situation, and it is building up others around you!
- So…take the time to educate yourself, encourage one another, and entrust yourself to God as you rest in His Gospel. STAY focused on what really matters, so that in the midst of all of this, we can honour Jesus together, unified, on mission, and resting in His Sovereign love.
- Pray for this man and his family, and that we as churches in Canada would be known for our love for one another, and our longing to have people come to know Jesus through His Gospel.
We have a church prayer meeting this Thursday. We hope that soon these can a part of our gathering, but as never before in my ministry I think a call to corporate and personal prayer is necessary and needed! Join us online for this prayer meeting, and God willing, soon we will fill His house with prayer again gathered!
Thursday, February 25....7:30-8:30, and if you want to join in the zoom time of prayer, email Ken Bayne, the elder who is facilitating this ministry of seeking God in our time of need…ken@cloverdalebaptist.ca
Sunday Is Coming
Title: Following King Jesus Together
Text: Romans 15:1-13
- Read the text....and live in it during the week for a richer experience when we look at it together.
- Why is unity so important to Jesus?
- How does Proverbs 6:6-19 help us understand the hatred God has towards those who bring division?
- How can you help us stay unified as a church?
- How does the example of Jesus help us to pursue unity?
- “Don’t insist on your own rights, insist on your own love”
- Why do you think that this great book of Romans spends so much time on helping the local church stay self sacrificially loving of one another, in a time when other subjects, like pandemics, persecution, and pain were so rampant in their culture?
- How does this help us to stay focused on what matters in our time, as we hear what the Spirit said to the churches in our context (and for us if we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit)?
I am looking forward to another great service. My heart has been hugely blessed during this series as I have seen God’s Sovereign planning of our messages, and how incredible they are for, “such a time as this”, even as they were prepared long ago. We serve an amazing God who cares about us, and our church…PRAISE HIM!
Please check out our online bulletin that is updated every week: Keep Informed
cloverdalebaptistchurch.ca/
Other:
Please help our search committee as they look for the man of God that will help us exalt His name in song and deepen our love for Him as we celebrate His greatness together. We long for God's man for the ministry, and would like this to be sooner than later (our timing), so please pray, and help us to pursue this patiently and in God's POWER!
Every Sunday we have CONNECTION CAFÉ: Join us before the service in a time of sharing what God is doing. We need to try significantly harder to stay connected during times like these, so please make this effort to connect!
Sunday School Is On! Pastor Ray and Pastor Thomas are teaching on Worldliness, and it has been an excellent class...and it continues!
How does this work? You go to the link below to watch the teaching time (about 15 mins), then join the Zoom conversation on Sunday morning from 9:30am - 10:00am. Please email Pastor Thomas to get the zoom link: pastorthomas@
Teaching Video Link: (you can review the excellent material here, as well as watch the newest release so that you can join us in this)
https://www.
Kids ministry is seeking to serve you, and help in discipling our children and families even though we are not gathering physically. Please take advantage of this, and continue to make church a priority that your children can see and taste!
Thanks all for staying informed, and for being a family who has a positive impact for God's glory and the good of His church in the world He has sovereignly placed us.
Honoured to serve you, and to be partners in the Gospel at such a time as this, and delighted in our new Valentines day traditions and hoping our LOVE CHALLENGE carries forward...thanks to all who engaged in this week of loving one another...it was effective and had a huge impact on God's people at CBC...WELL DONE! May it continue!
Pastor Rob
Please stay serving:
INVITE 1, ENCOURAGE 3...& no one will fall through the cracks.