To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
It has been a while since you received one of these. We had a very nice little holiday, and then the privilege of teaching a Master’s course on the General Epistles at Millar in Saskatchewan.
Was strange to travel, and having your temperature being taken at the airport to ensure you can travel home for a hug from the wife you have missed stressful! But here I am in the airport having passed the test and ready to get home. Those pilots/flight attendents sure demand a lot of you when you are travelling, and to have to wear a mask for what feels like forever is not my idea of fun, but that said, worth the small sacrifices to serve my LORD...and pretty sure they are just doing what they are told.
It was a learning week for me, the power of God’s Word, and the privilege of helping God’s people live under it together is truly a delight. The better we know God’s Word, the better we can know Him, and if we learn to fixate on the eternal, the things around us will go strangely dim…if you have struggled with this, read Colossians 3 every day for the next week, and seek to sit under it and allow it to drive your mind to the One who rules all! Found as usual that the teacher learns a lot more than the students, and so encouraging to see a group willing to obey the counter cultural passages of Scripture and to seek to believe, love and obey (1 John summary) because God is LIGHT & LOVE. Now you know what was taught :)
The week of teaching was a wonderful break from COVID and really, the rest of Canada. Millar is in the middle of nowhere, and a wonderful oasis of godly leaders seeking to impact the world for Jesus.
Was delighted that so many gathered to learn, was saddened that so many are beat up by the very people they are seeking to serve and love. Every meal was a reminder of how difficult it is to guide and serve God’s people during times that are inconvenient, where convenience has been so normal, and perhaps for some more important than the truth of God's Word. There were many different views on the current situation we are in, from all over Canada, but I found with great joy that when we focused on Jesus and studied God’s Word, and all that it had to say, those differences literally disappeared. If we could obey what is plain in God's Word well, we would find immediate humility and grace that would explode the things we don't agree on that aren't found there.
Thank you for letting me serve God's people around the world! It was a joy to represent you, and to teach God's Word on your behalf.
I thank you as a congregation for the efforts you have made to keep resting in God, and focused on His Word during this time of turmoil. It is not easy with all of the information and misinformation that seems to run rampant in the demonic attack to distract, and being in Saskatchewan made me thankful for you (and the mountains and ocean and no mosquitos and trees and ……, and for those of you who bleed green, I do like it there as well) as we shared experiences as pastors of God's lambs entrusted to our care and how we are all responding to trials of various kinds.
Finish well. How you ask? Stay focused on Jesus and obedience to His Word, and talk about Him, His Gospel, and your joy, trust and peace in Him…and together we will find a partnership in the Gospel that can’t be touched by anything the world, the flesh and the devil throw at us.
Another thing the trip allowed me to do was to take a trip down memory lane, and see many of the places that are a part of our history as a family. Our first kiss, our engagement spot, the hospital where Ryan was born, where we got thousands of mosquito bites (those are little bugs that suck your blood, if you have lived in this area your whole life), and it was a joy to take many pictures to share with Lori and invite her into these precious memories. I even got pulled over by a very nice police officer who thought it strange that I was stopping and pulling over in so many places (he did eventually believe me), as he thought I might be avoiding him rather than journeying down memory lane. Was a sobriety and wellness pullover, so thankful I do not drink, and was well :)
Our RETURN to church is soon we think. Hoping it will never be back to normal, but we will be closer to Jesus, more driven and defined by our relationship with Him, and living together on mission for Him...IN THE WORLD BUT NOT OF THE WORLD. Watch for spots that are opening up (online registration), and we believe (God willing), July 4 will be wide open welcome. We will try to figure out how people with sensitivities on both sides of the COVID issues can come in peace and love, seeking to ROMANS 12:10 one another (perhaps different sections for different comfort levels).
Please watch for announcements as we seek to re-engage as a church in corporate gatherings. Watch and Pray, so you won’t fall into temptation, and so you will help others in your faith community to follow Him and finish well!
My father turns 80 this week, and it was father’s day, so want to take the time to honour Him….He is one of my heroes, a man of integrity when it cost him, brilliance that he has used to honour God and build His family, and a service of the local church that he has instilled in his children. Dad, you are an amazing man, I am proud to be able to call you dad, and praise God for your modelling of His love for me! I am so thankful for you!
Sunday is Coming:
This week we start the book of Malachi. It has been on my heart to preach this book from God’s Word for over two years, and now we get to study and delight in it together.
Encourage you to read it, then read it again, then start to mark it up as you stand under it with me to learn more about who God is and what He requires of us!
Missed you, and look forward to seeing a lot more of you in the coming weeks and months!
Privileged to serve you, especially during inconvenient times like this,
Pastor Rob
Stay in the loop as to what is happening!
Continued Call To Prayer:
Alistair Begg states, “Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God’s help is not partial but total… Yet many of our church prayer meetings have dwindled in size and influence. Ultimately, the explanation can be traced to spiritual warfare. If, as the hymn writer says, Satan trembles when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees, ” then we may be sure that he and his minions will be working hard to discredit the value of united prayer. The Evil One has scored a great victory in getting sincere believers to waver in their conviction that prayer is necessary and powerful.”
Please consider joining our corporate prayer meetings, and being a part of our prayer movement as a church this summer. If we join together in prayer, we will fight powerfully in unity and for success.
Many of you have asked how you can pray more specifically, and we are working on some solutions to that, but you can join our prayer chain ministry (confidentiality is essential) by contacting, prayerchain@
STAY INFORMED AND KEEP PRAYING Luke 18:1
Other:
Stay informed and connected!
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Please PRAY
Pray for our search process for fulfilling the role of engaging God's people at CBC in songs of worship and encouragement! We long to have His will, for His glory and the good of His people gathered with us!
Pray that July 1 would be the end of COVID restrictions for us as a church family.
Pray for our Kids Ministry:
Treasure in the Tundra: July 12-16. Register online, VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! This is a fantastic way to have children learn to love Jesus together. Take advantage of it, and invite your friends!
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. The yard here on sight looks fantastic, thank you for all that worked hard at weeding! WELL DONE!
PRAYER MEETINGS ARE COMING. These will be live, at the church (Fellowship Hall) unless something changes with the PHO, so come, join us in seeking God's face together! These will start July 6, and run from 7-8.
Please make an effort to stay informed as we seek to get the engagement together moving forward! We are so excited to see God's people joining together in unified pursuit of His best!
Please join me in making an extra effort to pursue unity, encourage a family member, and share what God is teaching you with someone else.
Encourage 3, Invite 1, Share With All Who Will Listen!
STAY STRONG, FAITHFUL, COURAGEOUS and FOCUSED! We are almost around the corner on this challenge, and although there are many more to come, what we have learned will make us stronger if we stay submitted to God and His Word!