The White Robe Multimedia Drama

Seeds International, a ministry which supports children in third world countries by providing backpacks of school supplies and knowledge of Jesus, will present a live theatre/multimedia mission event:

Tues, March 23
at
Church on the Hill

Glenavon, SK


Here's a promotional video about The White Robe presentation:

Please join us. Everyone is welcome.

Learning What Not To Do

The Rawling Brothers from Alberta led worship at church on Sunday morning, bringing out some favorite hymns as well as songs from their CD’s. Songs included His Sheep Am I, Consecrated, I Saw the Light, You’re Beautiful Jesus, I’ll Fly Away, Peace Like an Ocean and A Closer Walk with Thee.

Darryl Hawbolt gave the message. He started by thanking Church on the Hill (COTH) for welcoming him and his family when they moved to the area last summer and letting them become a part of COTH.

Scriptures used: Matt 14: 22-33, 1 Chron 16:11

Darryl said he remembers before Tyler was born when he’d look at other families walking around with their kids and he’d pick out qualities of parenting he wanted to use in his family – or not if the kids didn’t seem to be disciplined. He said when he was young he wasn’t bad… just busy. He remembers going to K-mart and his mom would be crying because of him. Once, she told him to stay in a rack of clothes while she looked around and when she looked back a second later, he was already gone. She was frantically searching for him when one of those round racks on wheels started going down the aisle. Through the clothes, she could hear him giggling as he propelled the rack away from her. He said he heard the word ‘no’ a lot as he was growing up. Usually when a parent says no it means they have wisdom and are using guidance to teach their child. They’ve been down that road and have learned what to do and want to pass on their knowledge.

Darryl used the example of cliff jumping as a teen with the youth group. The cliff was 35‘ high and he was told to jump off with his arms spread out on either side of him and not to bring his arms down until he entered the water – not before. But as soon as his feet hit the water, he dropped his arms and they slapped the water, hard. It was his last jump of the day due to his bruised arms.

Learning isn’t just about learning what to do, but also what not to do.

Darryl read Matt14:22-33 which is the where Peter walks on the water. He said the Sea of Galilee is normally tranquil but it’s ringed by two mountain ranges on the north side and when the wind whips between them, it has a tunneling effect creating havoc on the water. On this night, a major storm abruptly started with high waves coming over the bow of the boat. As fishermen, the disciples were professional sailors but even they were scared at the storm’s ferocity. Then they saw someone walking on the water toward them and were even more frightened. V27-29 says, ‘But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," He said.

If we want to accomplish tasks for God there are things we should avoid.

1. We should not live for Jesus on our own strength.
Peter walked on the water because of his faith in God’s power. Walking on the water is a supernatural act we can’t do on our own. It’s humanly impossible. Have you ever wondered if you could be like Peter and tried to walk on water, say at the beach?

Darryl spoke about the missionary Hudson Taylor who said, “All God’s giants have been weak men who did great things for God because they reckoned on His being with them.”

Darryl then said Pastor David said, “When you see a turtle on a fence post, you wonder how it got there.” In the same way, we can’t do anything of our own because we need God’s strength to accomplish it. The key to living a productive Christian life is to rely on the strength of God. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, ‘Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.’ When people look at us and see the things we do, and they see something supernatural happening or a smile on our face when we’re going through a crisis, they wonder why. It’s like the turtle on that fencepost they wonder how it got there.

2. We should not allow ourselves to become distracted.
When Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus, he was walking on the water. He was doing the impossible. But as soon as he allowed himself to be distracted, he started to sink. With the wind blowing, and the rain falling, the last thing you want to do is get out of the boat but Peter did. He put his trust in Jesus and stepped out. How often do we find ourselves starting to do something for God and in His strength, we begin to do something beyond our capabilities and then we look around and our faith waivers. The storm overtakes us and we begin to sink. We take our eyes off Jesus when we’re distracted by something else.

3. We should not stay in the boat.
Imagine being in that boat with the waves crashing against and over the boat, the sails snapping, the wood creaking and groaning, and the wind whipping across your face. Peter was wet, cold, exhausted and terrified. It would have been easy to stay in the safety of the boat. But if Peter never got out of the boat, he would never have walked on the water. To walk on water requires you to climb out of the boat and step out in faith. That’s what Peter did. So did Peter fail then when he started to sink?

Darryl mentioned Jonas Salk who made 200 unsuccessful vaccines for polio before he found one that worked. When someone asked him how it felt to fail 200 times, this was his response, “I never failed 200 times at anything in my live. My family taught me never to use that word. I simply discovered 200 ways how NOT to make a vaccine for polio.”

So in a sense Peter did fail because he began to sink when he became distracted and took his eyes off Jesus. But there were 11 bigger failures who sat in the safely, quietly in the boat. Their failure was unnoticed and uncriticized. Only Peter experienced the shame of public failure. And only Peter knew the glory of walking on the water.

What do we need to know if we decide to get out of the boat?

1. At times you will fail and begin to sink just like Peter. But Peter experienced something no one else did. He actually walked on the water! There is no record of anyone else doing it.

2. Jesus will be there to grab your hand.
Only Peter knew the glory of walking on the water. And the moment he started to sink, Jesus grabbed his hand and pulled him up. Only Peter knew, in a way the others in the boat never would, that when he sank, Jesus would be there to save him. Peter shared that moment with Jesus and we know he went on to do great things after that. It was a connection the others missed. And they missed it because they chose the safety and comfort of the boat instead of stepping out onto uncharted waters.

Darryl said to turn it around and apply it to ourselves – especially to those of us who learn by being told what they should do… you won’t always stay on top of the water, but at the time you start to sink, Jesus will be there to grab your hand.

If you want to walk on water, you need to:
1. Rely on Jesus for your strength.
2. Keep your eyes fixed on Him.
3. Get out of the boat.

We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He’s the one to keep us going. When you’re in a difficult time, ridiculed by people around you who are questioning you – maybe even Satan is whispering words of doubt in your ear. So you doubt your faith and your trust in God. You think maybe someone else should do it. And you find yourself wanting to get back in the boat. But you’ll never experience walking on the water if you don’t get out of the boat. If you want an experience similar to Peter, and you want to step out and do incredible things for God, especially in your community where there are many people who don’t know that power of having their sins forgiven, or people in our midst who have sickness and need healing – you want to be that person who steps out in faith and believes things will happen.

And if we, as a church believe we can do these things, then people all over the place will come see why there’s a turtle sitting on the fence post. We will see God moving in our midst and we’ll see a revival happening because we‘re stepping out of the boat and keeping our eyes on Jesus. And these things will happen if we believe.

The Rawling Brothers followed Darryl’s message with the songs, Hosanna and I Lift My Eyes Up.

Pastor Lorne said we’ve had good music and a good message of encouragement to give us something to take us through the week . He thanked The Rawling Brothers for their concert last night and for blessing us this morning. The congregation then gave The Rawling Brothers a standing ovation so they went back up for another song.

Doug asked if anyone is familiar with the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He said it’s about a slave who had everything taken away – but not quite everything because he said his body was just his cabin and he was leaving it behind when he went.

Final song: Golden Slippers

If you would like to know more about having Christ as your personal Saviour, please contact us.

Blessed By the Rawling Brothers Concert

Church on the Hill was filled to capacity Sat night when the Rawling Brothers from Alberta blessed us with an eclectric mix of songs from old standsards to their own creations.









Doug said the Rawling Brothers all have a Rawling last name and they're all brothers but not to each other.
Bruce (on the right) is from Taber Alberta and he's Doug’s brother.
Doug (on the left) lives west of Pincher Creek and he's Bruce’s brother. (Laughter)
Mark (in the middle) is from Wainwright and is a brother to Doug’s daughters (Doug’s son) heh.

After a couple songs, Doug Rawling (on the left) said we have to give Pastor Lorne some slack because he flew back from Australia yesterday so if we hear him snoring during the concert, it’s okay. (Laughter)

Doug says he comes from the Southwest corner of Alberta and wanted to tell us about an old bachelor friend he has there. He said the old cowboy's name is George and this next song was dedicated to him. George lives in a house that's no bigger than the church dais with only cold running water and an outhouse. But George told Doug he had to work hard when he was young so Doug could be ‘set’ like George when he was George's age.
Doug said we all have a story to tell and the author of life who gave us each a story, knows each of our lives.
Song: The Last of the Horseback Kid.


Doug: Said they run a camp called Wilderness Ranch out near Pincher Creek where they take kids on horseback rides. Some family camps, too. He said he used to spend a lot of summers going to Bible camp. It's so important to have kids in an environment where they know they are loved even when they mess up. Some kids only see black asphalt and video games and it’s easy to see that God is really big when you’re out country he made.
Song: Life of a Cowboy with Wilderness Ranch slideshow

Doug said this is their 4th time playing in Glenavon now and it feels like home. He said we have a awesome pastor and they really enjoyed having a meal at Pastor Lorne's place.
He said the Bible says we are to give thanks - all the time in all circumstances. If our day is going great or terrible, we are supposed to be thankful people. Some days we wonder what is there to be thankful for, but if we believe Jesus came to this earth to die on the cross so we can be forgiven and our sins taken away, then there’s always something to be thankful for.
Song: Keep on the Sunny Side


Doug says he's been a grandpa since last May and it’s fun. His granddaughter is 9 months old and she thinks she’s big and tries to do things by herself but can only crawl and needs help. Sometimes we think we’re pretty tough and can face the world alone and we break off too much to chew but it’s good that we have someone there – like Grandpa – and God to lean on.
Song: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Jesus fed 5,000 people with a little boy’s lunch. You don’t need to do it alone. Give it to Jesus and He’ll make it big enough for everyone.
Song: Sombbody (written by Mark)

Song: I Saw the Light

Doug said it’s funny how you can play the same song over and over and still have fun playing it.

Instrumental: Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Doug on harmonica, Mark on bass, and Bruce on 6 string guitar pretending it was a banjo. They sounded great.


Doug said the songs tonight are pretty old tunes, some older than others and one is older than all the audience put together. It was written long ago by David the King who wrote some songs in the Bible called Psalms.
Song: I Lift Mine Eyes Up (Sung and played by Mark now on guitar.)

Doug said at Easter, Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. The prophesy said the king would come riding on a donkey. The place when crazy. "Hosanna!" they called. Doug thought it meant ‘Yay, God!’, but it means ‘Save Now'. The Jews didn’t think He should come just to die. They wanted Him to kick the Romans out and make Israel a great nation. ‘Save now son of David’. There are times in our life we didn’t know which way was up. In our heart of hearts we cry out ‘Hosanna!’ If you cry it out, God will hear your prayer. Doug said when he's going through a difficult period, it’s reassuring to know even Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46) No matter what, we can still rest in Him. Doug wonders when God will say enough is enough and send Jesus back to us. He is the great Redeemer.
Song: Hosanna

Bruce said he wrote this next song in a time of his life when he needed to be ‘Saved Now’. Everyone experiences those difficult times. Bruce wants to focus on the fact God is bigger than our difficult times. That’s an awesome thing.
Song: Peace Like an Ocean

Doug said he appreciates everyone here tonight as well as the family who travels with him.

Song: How Great Thou Art (Love offering taken)
Song: In the Sweet By and By

Bruce said Jesus has been rock steady in the lives of the Rawling Brothers. He’s been steady and faithful and dependable. If you don’t know how good a friend Jesus is, then Bruce wants to encourage you to get to know Him. Invite Him into your life to be your friend and Savior and find out how rock steady He is.
Song: Rock Steady

Pastor Lorne said the Rawling Brothers weren't done yet as they will be doing worship during the service tomorrow morning here at Church on the Hill in Glenavon.

He then lead us in a prayer and said if there was anyone who wanted a personal relationship with Jesus to pray a simple prayer asking Jesus into your heart.

The Privileged to Serve

Scriptures used: Matt 19:16-30, Matt 20:1-16

On Feb 28, 2010 Maurice Giroux of Montmartre spoke on The Privileged to Serve.

Maurice started his message by referring to Gary Inrig’s book, The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant as it pertained to the American Bill Borden. His parents were descended from the British aristocracy and his dad made his fortune in the Colorado silver mines, so by the time Bill was 21 yrs old in 1908, he was already worth a million dollars which equates to 40 million dollars today. The book continues with, “But in 1912, at the age of 25, Bill Borden did two things that made headlines. First, he gave away his entire fortune, half to God’s work in the United States and half to missions overseas. Second, he chose to set sail for missionary work among the Muslims, first in Egypt to learn Arabic and then, ultimately, to a remote part of China. To the public and the media, and even to many of his Christian friends, Borden’s actions seemed incredibly wasteful, especially when he died of cerebrospinal meningitis shortly after reaching Cairo. He had apparently thrown away his money, his career, and even his life. To what end?”

Maurice said he had a good friend who died recently. Although this man only had a Gr 6 education, he said he’d completed Gr. 12. He farmed and auctioneered. And he kept renting more and more land. He wanted lots of land and machinery and he worked day and night to keep up with all the work from having that much land and machinery. He wanted to win the 649 lottery so he could buy all new equipment. But his health declined. He went through 3 failed marriages and was living common-law. And he started to let his land go. Maurice said he would minister to his friend but the guy just couldn’t seem to connect with God. He died waiting for a double lung and heart transplant operation.

Maurice said the book of Job is a conversation between God and Satan. Does Job fear God for nothing? That accusation is powerful and disquieting and even modern. Why do you serve? For His blessings? There’s no need to be embarrassed by God’s blessings, but is that your motivation? If it is, then your enthusiasm will be thin in difficult times. We need something more solid to hold us.

Matt 19:17 says, “Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” Maurice says Jesus is trying to teach that all men are sinners. Jesus is referring to mosaic law where God commanded us to obey the ten commandments. This is the standard required by God. You can’t get into heaven doing it alone, or by religious means, or by your own terms.

Matt 19:21-24 says, "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Maurice said Jesus is trying to expose the rich man’s heart. Jesus already knew it which is why He brought it up. The guy wanted to continue doing it his way where his money was ruling him and not the other way around. The analogy is anything that big will not fit through anything that small.

The needle Jesus is talking about refers to a mountain range with a small opening on the border between 2 countries. (Petra, Jordan) You could shave several days travel on foot if you go through the opening, but a camel couldn’t fit through it. Caravans must detour several days to weeks to go around the mountain range.

Maurice said maybe Jesus is trying to tell us our religious ways are the camel. They won’t get us into heaven. We must go through the mountain range to get to heaven but we can’t go through with all our worldly baggage. Salvation is grace alone, thru faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Maurice said we should hang onto this whether we have doctrinal issues with others. If they don’t have this message, they’re missing the point. If you picture a table cluttered with dishes, that statement should be your centerpiece and if you need to move some dishes to make it fit, then do so.

Matt 19:27 says, Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" The disciples are trying to understand Jesus’ teachings from an earthly perspective. They are desperately trying to connect the dots. They already walked away from their earthly possessions and they’re following Jesus but they keep asking, what’s in it for me?

Matt 20:1-16 is the parable about the vineyard owner and his workers. Maurice believes that story clearly talks about anyone coming to Christ for salvation. In the parable, it didn’t matter if they worked one hour or 12 hrs, they were all paid the same. Some people come to Christ when they’re young and have 50-60 hrs serving God but others come later on. The last group are not denied the Kingdom of God regardless of when they accepted.

Maurice said we read in the 2nd chapter of Acts where the apostles became empowered with the Holy Spirit and dedicated their lives to serving Christ. But Maurice read about the fate of the Apostles in Sincerely Yours Vol Five The Book of Acts by Ann Mainse. All of their deaths were premature and not pleasant:
- John fared the best and died from extreme old age
- Judas – suicide
- Peter – crucified by Nero
- Andrew – died on a cross
- James the younger brother of Jesus –thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and beaten
- James the son of Zebedee – beheaded
-Matthew- killed by an axe in North Aftrica
- Thomas – lanced in Indies
- Simon – died on a cross in Persia
- Batholomen – was flayed alive (skin ripped off)
And they all died because they were spreading the gospel.

Maurice referred us back to The Parables: Understanding What Jesus Meant where Gary Inrig talks about David Livingstone in Africa. The missionary said ‘I personally have never ceased to rejoice that God has entrusted me with the service’ and ‘can this be a sacrifice if we give Him back what we owe Him?’ He said it was a privilege not a sacrifice to do God’s work.

When Beth Moore was called to comment on her missionary work she referred to Heb 12:1&2 which says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” When she was commenting on that passage, she said, ‘instead of running a foot race, what if it was by car and you had to cross the finish line without any blemishes on your car?’ That’s hard to do if you’re in a car that’s gone done dirt trails and rabbit trails. And if you’re spreading God’s word, there will be times people will broad side you.

What will your car look like when you cross the finish line?