May Newsletter 2021

 CBBCBuilding Progress:                                                                                                                                       In the 2 story section of CBBC's building all the wiring has been run, the inner and outer walls have all been plastered, the final flooring and the steps have been poured/laid, the ceiling tiles are now up on the 2^nd floor and the storage area. For the Outside of the whole building the plasterwork is finished all but the columns on the veranda and the auditorium sections. For inside the auditorium wire needs ran, all the plastering for the walls and columns need to be done yet, ceiling tiles, and the final flooring needs poured/laid. Then the doors and windows can be put on the building. I would like to give thanks to Bible Baptist, Emmanuel Baptist, Old Paths Baptist, and Chippewa Lake Baptist for giving towards Cornerstone's building since our March Newsletter.

DOINGS:                                                                                                                                                       March 21-24 CBBC had their Mission Conference. I spoke the evenings of March the 22nd and the 23^rd. Chippewa Lake Baptist Church had a Missions month in April where missions is emphasized every Sunday of the month. On Sunday April 25^th I showed some picture clips about: our Church Plant in Sekondi, our Bible Study in Anaji, our extra ministering there in Anaji schools, and of the building progress from start till now, taught, and preached that day. Between the two mission conferences/emphasis I spoke on "What It Takes To Get Involved in Missions and in a Bigger Way"; "Fulfilling Christ Command Can Only Be Accomplished Through Being Spirit Filled"; "Doing For Others"; and "The Ways, The Whys, and The Whats In Getting Involved In Missions". On May 2^nd we went to First Baptist Church of Milford to be with them on their new Press Dedication for Bearing Precious Seed Bible Printing. Also while back in our intermediate time in the States we had doctor appointments, eye and dentist appointments along with updating and repairing our ministry computers. I would like to give thanks to my niece in giving me her computer. It is expensive being here and we have got to get back to Africa!

TRAVELS:                                                                                                                                                     We came back to the States in April to bring our son Joseph home to start his life here. We needed to get him started with jobs making money to pay for his college. He is done with Homeschooling and will be Graduating at ABeka in Pensacola, Florida on May 22^nd. We are having a graduation party for him May 15^th at our church, Chippewa Lake Baptist. At the end of August he will be going to the Bill Rice Ranch Bible Institute for 2 years, maybe, 4 years. As most of you churches, friends, and families have been in support of our family please be in prayer for him, his safety, his housing, his travels, God's Will for him, and as he will be faced with many decisions, temptations, and trials. Please pray for us also (My wife Jackie, my son Nehemiah, and myself)   as we will leave another one of our children here in the US. We are here until June 8^ththen we will be going back to Ghana W. Africa.

He did it!

From 6 of us down to the 3 of us.

Bits of Bread:"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath   loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."                                  – Ephesians 5:1-2

 "Followers of God, as dear children"speaks to me of an innocent, un-defiant trust in yielding and obeying as a young child to his father even when one does not understand.                                                                                        "And Walk in Love, as Christ"speaks to me of the Devout love Jesus has for His Father to be an offering for us (the human race that is not worthy of Jesus) and a sacrifice to God: that was for the sake of His Father's Will that no one perish, that Christ was and is Holy, Acceptable, All-Sufficient, and that Christ sacrifice was All-Pleasing. As individual Christians, I think, Only Walking In Love As Christcan help us accomplish being the Offering for others to be bettered for God's Glory and the Sacrifice that is pleasing to God's Glory! The amount of One's Love of God and Love of His Word is shown in One's level of Character, of Trust, and of Willing Obedience.                                                                        

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Matthew J Siekbert                    

 

Cornerstone recognized Joseph's last Sunday in Ghana before returning to the U.S. They gave him a Ghanaian smock and a scarf. Joseph was in Ghana for 17 years. 

Prince, Linda and Matthew with Joseph

Prince, Joseph and Koasi

Our Family with Joseph

Our Family on a Sunday

March Newsletter 2021

CBBCBuilding Work: Cornerstone is still using the funds that have been raised for them, but they are coming to a soon end of those funds. If you still would like to give towards Cornerstone's building it would be quite welcome. They still need funds for the Ceiling tiles, Staircase banister, Running more wires through out the auditorium, Laying the final cement work over the floors and steps in the Office area and in the Auditorium area, Finishing up the perimeter walls around the Church property and Having gates built for the front wall. They also need window screens, a prepaid meter box that needs to be bought at the electricity company along with some Electrical poles to properly and officially run electricity to the church building. All of the doors need to be put up. Most of the doors have been bought except for 3 storage area doors remaining. They have framed in all of the wooden doorframes and all of the wooden window frames. We have bought louver frames and louver glass for the windows for the entire church building. To install the doors  and the windows we must finish with the plastering and the laying of the final cement work. We (Koasi and my son, Joseph for the most part) have chiseled channels in the cement walls to run conduit for the wiring, installed the main breaker box (which is for the whole building), electrical boxes for the plugs sockets, for the light  switches and for the fans in the two story office section and storage area. As I write they are working on finishing chiseling the auditorium area. They have chiseled it already, but now more definably for conduit  channels in the cement walls of the auditorium for the conduit to be laid, so the electrical wires can be ran through the conduit to the electrical boxes!!!!! The masons are trying to complete the two-story office section plastering the final cement on the inside and outside walls with fine (more cautious and particular) work on the pillars. LOOKING AT THE MOUNTAIN Of Things To Do we look at what has been done already, THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS In Getting this far and press on to the next. Our immediate goal is to completely finish up with the Storage area, the Office section, and the Perimeter walls and gates, then work on the finishing of the auditorium and the veranda areas. 

ABS Work:At the end of January Emmanuel was baptized! We have had many visitors come to our services at the Anaji Bible Study. Some of those visitors come off and on. A young man somewhere in his 20's named  Gad, a friend of Emmanuel's has come several times and each time he comes after the message is over he asks more questions. He was a Jehovah's Witness (Devil's Deceiving Liar). Pray for him we would like to see him getting Saved. 

God's Work:God's Work Is Done In His Time! When I was a teenager growing up there were two statements made to me that were very significant to me. One was my Mother would quite often tell me, "God is teaching you patience." The other one was my Pastor while I was growing up would always say, "Faithfulness is the key." Now I am realizing   somewhat more of why these statements were so important. God's Working is not within   my timing and I get weary in well doing! But I try not to forget the rest of that verse, "for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." – Gal 6:9. CBBC (Cornerstone Biblical Baptist Church) will be having their Conference on Missions next week. Please be in prayer for us (Pastor Prince, Bro Koasi, and myself) as we bring the messages,  as the Lord's messages fall on the hearing ears, and for the pliable heart.

Bits of Bread:"For neither did his brethren believe in him." – Jn 7:5.  Whenever your life rightly lived  testifies against someone else's life wrongly lived most likely the immediate outcome will be hate (v7), but do not let that detour you. Eventually, they may come around and the final outcome maybe rewarding! The half brothers of Jesus got Saved after Christ's Resurrection, They sought through prayer in the upper room before Pentecost the filling and power of the Holy Ghost to live their lives and evangelize, James became the Pastor at the Jerusalem Church, James and Jude wrote letters in the Bible challenging and exhorting the Christians!

                                                                                                         Matthew J Siekbert

 

Electrical Work

Upstairs

The wall looking at the front of the building

Back left side of the building. The porch off of the auditorium. 

Looking front to back, side of auditorium.

From back to front, side of auditorium and 2 story office area. 

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