How different things looked when I last wrote a report back in January! The coronavirus has been a powerful reminder that our times are in God’s hands and it is not us humans who rule our world. In past generations such an epidemic might have been seen as an occasion to call the nation to cry out to God, but such is the spiritual blindness of our times that I suspect the idea may have never crossed our leaders’ minds. All credit, though, to the government for their efforts to save lives and to all those key workers and the NHS who rightly have been applauded for the efforts for our general good. But it all underlines how lost our society is and how wonderful it is to know God and to have in Christ true security and hope forever! And all this also serves to remind us again how much we need to have God’s Word proclaimed and to pray for the gospel to spread and triumph in people’s lives.
Up until mid-March I was engaged in my scheduled speaking but abruptly normal life came to an end! From 16th March until this month Margie and I have been in isolation due to my health vulnerabilities. Almost all my scheduled commitments have been moved to 2021. Our church, Emmanuel, has continued, like so many, on Zoom and I have preached in Emmanuel every so often in this period. The only commitment that went on as scheduled, transferred to Zoom, were two talks for the London Cornhill course in June.
The lockdown has had its joys as well as frustrations, as we will all have experienced. We are very grateful for the support of the Trust during this time and are also grateful to God for a government grant given to help the self-employed. We were thrilled with the safe arrival to Pete and Susie of their fourth child (and our 16th grandchild!), Joel Isaac on 30th March. We have had much to thank God for, and we have been very blessed by the care of our family and our church. One helpful consequence of the lockdown was that I have had plenty of time to prepare a new set of seminars on how to preach the book of Jude! I was also delighted to have the chance of preaching through Jude in three sermons for Emmanuel.
In regard to the future, we are so glad that it is safely in the hands of our God! There is little left in my diary for the autumn except for the Christian Institute trust board and a day for the Belfast Cornhill course, both of which will be by Zoom. I am also likely to do two talks that will be recorded here in Bath sometime in September, for the Delhi Bible Institute’s Word Conference. I am particularly pleased about this because I had felt that I had to decline an invitation made to me previously to go in person to speak at this conference, due to my very bad reaction the last time I went to the tremendous smog in Delhi at that time of year.
As for 2021, I have set out below what is in my diary. It is good to have quite a number of things to look forward to participating in, but whether all or any of it will be as planned rests in the Lord’s sovereign and all-wise hands.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. May the Lord encourage your hearts and strengthen you in His service.
With our very best wishes,
Rupert and Margie.
Rupert’s Past Commitments January to March 2020
(so you know what you have supported!)
January 2020
16th Wed South West Gospel Partnership, Ministry Training Course session 1 on Judges
23rd Thurs Christian Institute trust board
24th Fri preached and lectured to Christian Institute staff
26th Sun preached at Emmanuel
30th Thurs SWGP MTC session 2 on Judges
February
6th Thurs SWGP MTC session 3 on Judges
13th Thurs SWGP MTC sessions 4 & 5 on Judges
16th Sun preached at Emmanuel
23rd Sun preached twice at Forest Fold, Crowborough
March
15th Sun preached at Emmanuel
……….!
May (all by Zoom)
14th Thurs Christian Institute trust board
24th Sun preached at Emmanuel
June (all by Zoom)
14th Sun preached at Emmanuel
15th & 16th Mon & Tues talk on Endurance for the London Cornhill Course
21st Sun preached at Emmanuel
28th Sun preached at Emmanuel
July (all by Zoom)
12th Sun preached at Emmanuel
Future Commitments
September 2020
6th preaching Hilperton Reformed Baptist Church (?)
10th Christian Institute trust board by Zoom
At some point recording two talks for the Word Conference, Delhi Bible Institute, India
December
1st Tues day of seminars for Belfast Cornhill course by Zoom
January 2021
4th-6th Irish Preachers Conference in County Wexford
March
17th-19th speaking at Affinity Theological Conference
April
19th-22nd speaking at Derby Bible Week
May
8th speaking at Scottish Reformed Conference
9th-10th preaching 3 times at New Inn Congregation Pontypool
June
12th speaking at Midland’s Men’s Convention West (Birmingham)
14th speaking for London Cornhill course (by Zoom)
July
3rd-5th speaking at Northumberland Bible Convention
October
9th-10th speaking at anniversary services at Great Ellingham, Norfolk
November
6th speaking at Midland’s Men’s Convention East (Nottingham)
In addition, I will be preaching every so often at Emmanuel and there are likely to be some preachers’ day conferences for the Christian Institute, yet to be arranged, as well other invitations, presuming life continues to return towards normality.