To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Happy Belated Canada Day!
We celebrated by doing a family walk around at the Cloverdale park, and then a Greek barbecue as a family. Don’t ask me why Greek as that is not my department, and it was really really good…might be our new tradition, GREEK on CANADA DAY...
I love this country that God has blessed me to be a citizen of, and think we live in the best country in the world. I wrote that in one of our church books, and it offended an American, but I still believe it... I do think America is pretty great too…
That said, as you know the moral fibre of our great nations seems to be shaking, and those who lead them, may not lead them in a way we would deem best, or sometimes even moral. So how do we respond, as those who are IN CHRIST, on days like yesterday? I do think celebrating is fun, and good, and I hope we go deeper than that as well!
I think we need to remember four key realities as those who are IN CHRIST, or we can easily become lost in delight or depression at the greatness or lack there of, of our earthly citizenship.
Reality #1: HOME: 1 Peter 2:11-12
Remember that we are first and foremost citizens in heaven. Here on earth we are, strangers and aliens. This means that we should not expect to feel at home here, and we should be willing to have our loyalty always be to our first love devotion to Jesus.
We should be living for God’s glory, and seeking holiness and love, His way. Our greatest passion when it comes to the world around us, should be to be SALT AND LIGHT, to share the Gospel with people so that they can experience God’s love.
Yes, we should influence the moral fibre of the nation, yes we should seek to protect those who are vulnerable, and these should be important to us…but MOST IMPORTANT by far should be to show people how they can find peace with God through what Jesus has done on the cross.
As those who desire to be WORD saturated, not world oriented, this first reality is key. We live in light of eternity and our hearts and home are found in God. We are livng in light of eternity, and believe that Jesus has gone to the Father to prepare a place for us!
OUR HOME IS IN HEAVEN, we are here in Canada to glorify God by obeying Him, and representing Him.
Reality #2: HOPE: 1 Peter 1:13; Colossians 1:27
Our hope is in God alone, not the next government, or some legislation or decision from those responsible to govern us. Our hope is not found in the economy, or in changes that might come if we finally get the government of our choice. We should vote, and we should care about legistlation, but our HOPE IS FOUND IN GOD ALONE!
This allows us to have the right perception on all that is going on, and our hope is in God, who is Sovereign over all things. We can trust Him ALWAYS!
He is All Powerful! He is All Wise! He is Good! He is Involved!
So, we will never lose heart…and we will always choose to live our lives for Him in this hope.
God is REAL, RELEVANT, and RELATIONAL...and if we believe that, we will find our hope in Him, and in light of this reality...ONLY IN HIM.
This should make us the best citizens here on earth of the countries that God has called us to, for we are serving Him in all things, and doing everything in His name.
Reality #3: HELP: Exodus 17:8-13; Philippians 4:4-6
Our help comes from God!
This makes us people of prayer, not of protest. We will be people who will gather to pray when things are chaotic in the world, and these prayer meetings and personal prayer will dominate our lives way more than any protests or marches.
Our help comes from God!
When you notice things that are going on in the world that don’t align with God’s best, YES be salt and light! YES represent God and His views with grace! MOST OF ALL, PRAY! Joshua was fighting on the plains, but his only hope for victory was Moses arms lifted up…MAY WE NEVER FORGET THIS!
PRAY PRAY PRAY.
God is REAL, RELEVANT, and RELATIONAL. He notices us, He cares, He is involved in our lives, and He responds to prayer.
If you are concerned about anything in your life, or in our world the first and most important place to go and stay is to God in prayer…if we believe this, the more chaotic our world gets, the more full our prayer meetings will be!
Reality #4: HARMONY: Romans 12:10, 17
With a worldview that is from the WORD, and the God who is revealed there, we can have peace with God, ourselves, and pursue it wiht others around us.
A lot of what I see currently in the USA, and in Canada, is a turmoil that is filled with hate/fear towards those who disagree with us, and silo thinking that doesn’t allow for conversation. We who are IN CHRIST don’t have to live like this. We know God’s love for us, we experience a love for one another because of that, and we seek to be at peace with those around us if we can, as we seek to be loyal to God and His Word in love.
That is a lot of reading, but I love my country, and even more, my HOME! In fact, NO COMPARISON...Philippians 1:21
And if you have read to the end…GO CANADA GO…at the Olympics, at Wimbledon, in Soccer, and for any Canadian team in the NHL but the Oilers…okay, to keep peace with others in my family, you are even allowed to cheer for the Oil.
A Canadian, who is more IN CHRIST than in Canada,
Pastor Rob
Sunday Is Coming:
I have so loved the book of Colossians and all that it has taught me on the supremacy of Jesus and living it out in all of life.
May God take this book and use it to help us to exalt Him, and live our lives in His presence for the sake of His name!
Text: Colossians 4:2-6
Title: Keep On Keeping On:
Why does our identity in Christ shape how we live?
- How can you make sure you are growing in your experience of this reality of being IN CHRIST?
- What does STEADFAST PRAYER look like?
- Why is it so important?
- How does Luke 18, and its opening parable help us to be this kind of peole?
- What does it mean to be partners in the Gospel?
- How can you pray for your elders and pastors in light of this?
- What does it mean to walk with wisdom with outsiders?
- Are you doing this?
What changes do you need to make to your life as you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in these areas of your life?
REMEMBER TO JOIN US IN PRAYER ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT 7:00 FOR OUR ELDER LED PRAYER MEETINGS…
Sunday is our celebration of Communion, take the time to prepare your hearts and minds for this special time of remembering!
Bulletin
Summer Prayer Meetings
Starting wed. July 3rd / Fellow. Hall At Cloverdale Baptist we always emphasize the importance of personal and corporate prayer. Throughout the summer, we’ll be meeting every Wednesday at 7pm as our elders lead us through a time of prayer and share a brief message. We hope you’ll make this a priority starting July 3rd.
Habits of Grace Conference
Oct. 25 & 26, 2024 / Cloverdale Baptist We are excited to announce the Habits of Grace Conference in partnership with Desiring God! Guest speaker David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org, will be joining Pastor Rob to delve into how spiritual disciplines can deepen our joy in Christ. Breakout sessions specifically designed for men, women, youth, and couples will focus on spiritual growth. Lunch provided. Registration opens online on July 14th. Learn more >
Thank You to Our Volunteers!
Cloverdale Baptist Church expresses a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers! This appreciation extends to everyone who has given their time throughout the year in various ministries. From food prep and childcare to event organization and security, your contributions are deeply valued. May God bless you all!
