January 2021 Newsletter

 TheyHave Met:                                                                                                                                 

Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church had their first service in their new building on New Year's Eve! It was a task to get done along with my prayer that Cornerstone would be able to start having their church services in their new building by the end of 2020 when their rent year was done. Now they are rent-free! The initial flooring of the auditorium and the storage room, trusses, the Slate Roofing Sheets, and the Ridge Caps were all finished being poured, put up and put on by December the 23^rd. To those who gave towards their building thank you. Thank you Calvary Baptist and Faith Baptist as the most recent givers toward Cornerstone's church building. Cornerstone still has plenty of things to get done, but at least they are under roof!!! To God Be The Glory!!! This is where they are at now. They are putting up boundary/perimeter walls. They still need to put in windows, doors, permanent electricity, ceiling tiles, skimming the outside and inside walls with cement plastering. If you would like to continue to give toward this project you are welcome, but at this time I am not asking for more. I am grateful for what you have allowed God to do through you. We will see what Cornerstone can achieve with the remaining funds for the remaining work that they have. We post  on Facebook pictures of the church building progress and on our blog page we put our newsletters with pictures helping you visualize what the Newsletters say at: siekbertnewsletter.blogspot.com                                                                                                                            

The storage above the veranda

Pouring the floor to the storage area.

Finished

Pouring the auditorium floor

Finished

Continuing the roof

Roof complete

From the back, veranda side

Passing ridge caps up the ladder

Complete

CBBC First Service 12/31/2020

Working on perimeter wall 

Anaji Bible Study:   

                                                                                                                                       

In our November newsletter we mentioned needing to find a different room to rent for our Anaji Bible Studies and that we did. We have a Room! By the last two weeks in November we found a room  to rent. It is in a better location, it is a bigger room, and the cost of the room is the same as the former Bible study room we had. At the end of November when we started our Bible study in it's new location we had the usual 4  little kids come from the old location, which was a concern of ours that their parents might not let them come; Emmanuel, the architect I won to the Lord in August; Abigail, an older teenager who Jackie invited on visitation and frequently visits us at services as she struggles with going to a charismatic church she grew up in; and two  new youngsters of 11 years. Kalvin, the first youngster who comes faithfully to every service, being raised by his grandma on the second floor of the same building we now have our Bible study in, started coming the very first day we started at that location. My wife has talked with Kalvin about salvation but he is still confused about it. Koby, the second youngster that lives in our building also and was invited by Kalvin, just started coming about three weeks ago. I talked with Koby about salvation and he says that he is sure. After I spoke to him about salvation I asked him to faithfully come back to our church/Bible study services. He was surprised at that  invitation and then asked why? Then I told him that it is necessary as food but to the soul that can help him to  grow in knowledge and understanding. So he has been coming faithfully and his mother even introduced herself to us. Please pray for us as we watch, work, and wait!!! In December I finished up teaching New Testament  Survey I. January 12th I started teaching New Testament Survey II. There are six students:1 from Cornerstone, Benjamin; 2 from our Anaji Bible Study, Emmanuel and Abigail; then 3 from my family, Jackie, Joseph, and Nehemiah. Pray for understanding, growth, and God's Leading.   

                                                     

Miscellaneous Happenings:                                                                                                                          

Last but not least, we want to thank those who have given to us some Christmas gifts and the anonymous givers towards the work here in Ghana and our family's needs! You are in our prayers! God Bless You!                                                                                                                                             

Bits of Bread:                                                                                                                                                 

The Sermon on the Mount was just Preached by the Lord in Matthew 5:1-7:29. These teachings are Character Building and of Foundational Truths. Then in application to the Wise and Foolish builders on rock or sand Jesus said,"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:" - Mt 7:24."The wise take the sayings of the  Sermon on the Mount at face value and build on them. The foolish are familiar with the sayings, but discount them." - John Phillips. We can learn from and build off of every part of God's Word. The Lord did not give us His Word in vain and no part of it is vain! For example, the messages to the seven churches in revelation were direct messages to them, but also for all the local churches during the church age to learn from.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Matthew J Siekbert                    

2020 November Newsletter

 We Have Met Our Goal: Our Goal of $20,000 for Cornerstone's Church Building has been met with a surplus!!! Carpenter's House Baptist Church sent us the check that put us over the goal of $20,000 by $59. Also Bible Baptist in OK added to that fund making us a total of $21,059. Thank you to all the churches for helping us Finalize and Smash that goal! 

Cornerstone is now putting on the Trusses of the Church building. Between the Trusses and the Roofing Sheets the estimated cost is about $7,500. We have $2,000 that has  been given toward the Roofing several years ago by Fellowship in PA leaving us needing $5,500 to cover the rest of the Roofing costs. That would be $1,100 a piece for only 5 more churches. Please consider what you can do. 

We started back working on the church building October 26th. It is now being bricked in along with the Trusses being constructed. On November 4th parts of the trusses for the auditorium have been raised by manpower after raising other parts of that Truss is worked on to finish the  construction of that one. There are 6 auditorium Trusses. It is done in that way because the Trusses are made of dense heavy wood that make them to heavy to manually lift. Please remember to pray for the Safety and the Salvation of the workers. There are some videos of the raising. We post on Facebook pictures of the church building progress and on our blog page we put our newsletters with pictures helping you visualize what the Newsletters say at: siekbertnewsletter.blogspot.com

While We Were Gone: 

While being gone I had the work at church building stopped which served for several good reasons one of them being Bro Koasi and Bro Benjamin. Pastor Koasi, the secondary pastor to

Pastor Prince from Cornerstone, took my place in our Anaji Bible Study Sunday Services and Wednesday Services along with teaching my New Testament Survey Class. Bro Benjamin, Pastor Prince's brother, took Jackie's Sunday School and Jr Church classes for the kids that come. They both did a good and faithful job. I always tell them even before Pastor Prince took Cornerstone as the Pastor there, that they are more meaningful to their people. We pray for God's Leading, their Listening, and their Faith. Pray for us at the Anaji Bible Study. In our September Newsletter I mentioned the owners of our ABS room does not want to renew with us for a year's lease so we are looking for another room. One of the problems we are facing is that "Ghana Christians" dance, do so called Tongue Speaking, make a lot of noise and raucous over their PA systems so searching for a room no one wants to rent to you because they think Churches/Bible Studies are a noisy mess that they do not want. A man with an available room that I spoke to in September before we left turned us down. I went to him just the other day and asked him why and this is what he said, "When the white man leaves the Ghanaian man will go

back to the noisy mess." We need to find something by the end of November. Principles and 

Truths to be heeded: Do not spoil the trust one has in you, it is hard to get it back! What are you displaying as a Christian? Those associated with you or the Christian name reap some of the results of your actions.

Thanks Givings: 

It always brings excitement to our house when I walk in and announce we have a box. A

box?!! As we all scramble to the table to open and see the contents. We don't get many packages but we received two last week. We would like to thank Gospel Light for the Salvation bracelets and the many notes sent to us by the kids. We also would like to thank Hilltop Baptist, for the box of candy and snacks. Thank you!

Bits Of Bread: 

It was a special event as a father to Perform the Wedding of my son Matthew and my now

daughter-in-law Sarah for one of the many reasons. The wedding brought to remembrance that one day Christ will Return in the Rapture for His Bride, the truly Saved of the Church age and (paraphrased of Clarence Larkin book) doubtless God the Father will perform His Son's wedding. 

Two questions: 1. To be Christ's Bride you must be Saved, are you Truly Saved or will you miss the Rapture?;   2. If you are Saved, are you making yourself ready or are you going to suffer loss, not of Salvation, but of Rewards? "Every man's work shall be made manifest" – I Cor 3:13a; "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." – Rev 19:7 c/w I Cor 3:10-15

THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS for YOUR FAITHFULNESS TO US and THE LORD!!! HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING, A MERRY CHRISTMAS, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

Matthew J Siekbert

2020 September Newsletter

Well Within Sight:

The church building is going smoothly, the church laborers have been busy, and the Building is now Taking Shape and Defining its self. We thank the Lord for the Covid -19 Virus. It has been a blessing to us in ways. Many of those working on the church building are folks who are to be in school, teaching school, or in college for additional schooling.  All of the Rod irons have been covered over with cement. That means all of the Columns, the Beams, the Door and Window Lintels, the Ring Beams, the Stairs, and the 2^ndfloor have been poured. Hallelujah!!! That phase is done! What is next to be worked on are: The Roofing, Trusses and Slate Sheets; the putting up of the Walls; the Circuit Box and Breakers, the Conduit and Electrical Wires to be put up and to be ran; the pouring of the Auditorium Floor; the putting on and up of the Doors and the Windows; and the Final Smoothing of all the Cement Work of the Whole Building inside and outside, Floors and the Stairs; the putting up of inside Ceilings, and the installing of the Fans, the Lighting, and the Plug Outlets. The Building fund Goal for CBBC's building is at $19,363.87. That is 95.419% of our Goal of $20,000.OUR GOAL IS WELL WITHIN SIGHT!!! In July and August we had 6 more give towards our Goal for CBBC's Building Project. THANK YOU Calvary Bible, Crusade Baptist, the Anonymous, Cornerstone Sunday School class and couple, the man of outside donation, and First Freedom. TO REACH OUR GOAL OF $20,000 WE ONLY NEED $916.00!!! In our March Newsletter I asked for help to start a building fund for CBBC, our first church plant and we have come this close already let's smash this Projected Goal!!! We post on Facebook and our blog page at: siekbertnewsletter.blogspot.com  

Anaji Bible Study Witness:

About a year ago my wife, my boys Joseph and Nehemiah, and myself were visiting and I went to an Architect's office and was speaking to the Architect about Christ and invited him to our Bible Study in Anaji, the town where we have lived for the last 16 years. With encouraging and promising words, but empty words, he did not come which is usual hospitality. That day when I was talking to the Architect his co-worker was sitting on the other side of the office listening. A year passed since that day of my visit and a young man by the name of Emmanuel came to our Bible Studies one Sunday morning and said, "I want to become a member." So I started having some special classes on Membership/Baptism that start with teaching on Salvation. After 2 weeks of these classes he realized that trusting in his works would not justify him and get him to heaven but a promised eternity in Hell. Emmanuel on August 4^th in my special class for him, Bro Koasi and I led Emmanuel to the Lord Jesus Christ. Emmanuel has been coming to every service since on Sundays and on Wednesday evening. Also I am continuing with our membership/Baptism classes with him on Thursdays and he has started with our New Testament Survey I Classes we have started on every Tuesday night at 5 pm. Emmanuel was that man in the Architect's office on the other side of the room. Be faithful in giving out the Gospel message, witnessing for Christ you do not know just where all the Gospel Seed is falling! Pray for us as I was just told by the owners last week, who we rent our ABS room from, that they will not be renewing our lease which is due October 1st. We pray that we will find the right place to rent. With many things going on for the Glory of God the Devil is upset and stirring the pot! We are having kids come Sunday morning and 2 to 3 adults come plus my family. ABS's church services and times of 2 hours instead of 1 hour have resumed since mid-July.    

Bits Of Bread:

NOT ASKED & NOT PUBLISHED, BUT GOD!Finishing up this Newsletter I would like to give a personal/inside testimony. Our son Matthew J Siekbert Jr and Sarah L Crozier are getting married September 26, 2020. Matthew and Sarah received Christ as youngsters and met at PCC. They have been engaged since December 25, 2019. We  have always planned to be at their wedding not only because it is a special day for them, but as parents it is special day to us. We have not publically asked or published this need of Traveling from and back to Ghana, BUT GOD who knows our yearning hearts desire and private beseeching in prayer marvelously had some sensitive souls help pay for our family's whirlwind traveling expenses, removed the traveling ban in because of COVID 19, opened up the airports in Ghana W Africa on September 1^st. God blessed us with Matthew 21 years ago. Matthew Received Christ as his Savior just after we arrived on the mission field of Ghana W Africa. Matthew has always yielded to his authority, the Lord, his parents, and his church; he has served willingly on the mission field with us as a son and as a man taking responsibilities many his age as a teenager would not even imagined like going with us to a public school regularly, me, his Dad and the pastors I've brought up taking a class of 80 to 100 or more students and teaching them of Christ and the Gospel, leading some to the Lord; he has honored God, he has honored us his parents, he has honored the process and the counsel. Now he is going into an honorablemarriage that we  his parents are proud and honored to be at. Please be in prayer for this couple!!!                                                                    

 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." – I Peter 5:7    

 Matthew J Siekbert