Life Update

Somebody stop the world while I catch up! I actually sat down and started this letter on the 5^th knowing that it was overdue then! I passed my 54^th birthday on the 9^th which means that it is official: I have been a Christian now longer than not. Vivian and I were both saved on January 28^th, 1994, when I was 27 years old – well, 26 years, 10 months, 17 days, 4 hours and 38 minutes (just kidding! haha!). Vivian bought me a very nice 3 piece suit from a shop that was going out of business in February. I actually needed the suit to perform a wedding ceremony for Kelvin and Emily.

I reported last month that my son and daughter had two funerals in their family. This caused quite a stir in our household as both have moved back home for now. Living with Vivian and I are: Amanda and her son, Joshua; Murray and his daughter, Kashis; Adrienne and her son, Malakai; Kienan, Kristian, Alexah, Serenity, Jayden, and Jordan. It is wonderful to have family so close. With the help of God’s Holy Spirit, it is a very healthy, happy, and peaceful home. Murray had a heart attack as a result of the anxiety he suffered when his biological father died. That’s why he and Amanda are home again. He is recovering very well and has rededicated his life to the Lord.

I am still doing quite a bit of painting in my spare time as well as working on translating the Psalms into syllabic and Roman Orthography (here is a video of the process). I was also recently given the book We Will Not Be Silenced by Erwin W. Lutzer, who is one of my favourite authors. The subtitle is Responding Courageously to our Culture’s Assault on Christianity. A number of years ago I read The Vision of the Elite, which sounded a similar warning, albeit from a non-christian perspective.

Conspiracy Theories

These days, conspiracy theories abound and misinformation is rampant. Even traditional news outlets have become biased and thus unreliable. Participation in the church is dwindling even faster now as the global pandemic of 2020 officially turns 1 year old. Fear has become deep seated, widespread and even more infectious than the Corona Virus itself. The bedrock of my ministry has been to engage men in conversations about things that they would want prayer for. I want to be known as a man of prayer so that when those men reach a point in their lives when they have nothing left but to turn to prayer, that I would come to mind. Thus, I have had numerous conversations with men over the past year focused on the intersections of current events, conspiracy theories, media sources, and the Bible, God, and the Christian faith.

Ministry Update

I have given more Journey Through the Bible workbooks away than I care to count. I continually encourage people to search the Scriptures for themselves to find the solid foundation and assurance that they need to combat the fear that threatens to overwhelm them. On April 11^th, I will lead a new group through the course, and I hope to be able to make it available online as well. On March 14^th, I was privileged to share at Sonlight Community Church about having an audacious faith that is able to endure in the face of fear, trials, tribulations, and even persecution.

Moving forward, I am increasingly aware of where my commitment to the incorruption of the Word of God is contrary to those of groups, opinions and views that have gained widespread support and acceptance in Saskatchewan’s mainstream culture. Put simply, there are principles to which I adhere which I am not willing to compromise.

“That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.” ~2 Timothy 1:12

These are not idle days, waiting for the pandemic to end.  We have been given an opportunity.