The Time is Now

Romans 12:12 "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

Dear CBC Family,

Romans 12 tells us that we are “members of one body in Christ” and thus “members one of another.” We are to use our gifts to “serve one another, to love one another with brotherly affection and to rejoice and weep with one another” as we each go through the peaks and valleys of life. Simply put we are to “overcome evil with good.”

These texts have been especially helpful this week as I have seen the lives of believers inundated with much sorrow and difficulty. Paul called this burden “the daily pressure of my concern for all the churches.” This burden is far too great for the pastor to bear alone thus the above commands to care, share, love, weep, rejoice and pray facilitates the constant flow of the Holy Spirit into that church family.

I would like to ask you to join in some prayers for a few individuals of the body of Christ. If you put yourself in their family’s shoes you will feel the “pathos” the Holy Spirit would have us experience as we seek His grace to help in our time of need.

The first request is for Doug Burcombe as he battles with Parkinson’s disease and the increased troubles he has had since going through COVID. He is struggling doing simple tasks and we need the Lord to heal him and strengthen Margie and their children. Please pray that the doctors will have divine assistance and wisdom from the hand of our God.

Next, please pray for Lori Williams who has been dealing with a returned cancer. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, peace for their family and healing for Lori.

Last, but certainly not least, is for my son’s best friend. This young man, who is like a part of my family, was just diagnosed with lymphoma yesterday. He got married a few months ago and it seemed like his life was just starting out. I am not mentioning his name as I want to respect the family during this traumatic time while they are coming to grips with the hard providence of God. Devastation and pain do not begin to describe the emotions here. Please join me in prayer for a miracle of grace in this situation.

Let us each stand in the gap and intercede for our eternal family in all of these situations. These are our brothers and sisters and we must not be passive. Each of us has Spirit enabled power to love in deed and truth to come alongside.

This weekend we will have the youth with us in main as it is a five-weekend month. This means we will be doing another parable. The parables are stories that are intended to hide truth from some and yet, by the Holy Spirit and will of God, to reveal it to others. This weekend I have a burden to go back to the parable of the soils for a different viewpoint that might just awaken us all to something new the Lord desires to do. It is time!

We will pray, we will fight and we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb!

Arise,

Pastor Scott