Every month Cliff and Denise Roberts write home to their high desert family at New Life Fellowship to share all the happenings in their lives and their new church community. We look forward to posting their spiritual insights as they continue walking with the Lord in Lakeland, Tennessee.

returned home from a 7-HOUR DAY at the local dmv, tossed my jacket on the bed and complained to the Lord, “Lord, I got nothing done today!” I had a list of things I’d hoped to accomplish: preparations for Sunday, writing this monthly update, errands to run and the like—but instead, I spent the entire day stuck at the dmv with Justice waiting to get her learner’s permit. I wasn’t completely frustrated once we got home (or at least, not too frustrated), but it bothered me that now the next day would be crammed with all the stuff I didn’t have time to get done today. And then the Holy Spirit gently corrected me: I had gotten something done today…I got Justice her learner’s permit. And she was truly a joy to be with, even if all we did was sit there waiting for hours upon end, talking about how hungry we both were, commenting on the people we saw and interacted with, conversing about whatever random topics of conversation came up. She was a champ, and although I know I may be a bit biased, she was more patient than most other teenagers I’ve been around. It was a good day, and the next was certainly packed as a result, but I even managed to spend some quality time with our three boys and still get most of my stuff done. And the stuff I didn’t get done? Well, you’re reading it right now!

Honestly, I’m a bit thankful that this monthly update was delayed by a few days, especially after last night’s Presidential address to Congress and the American people. I won’t bore you with my take on the entire thing, or my comments or thoughts about various points President Trump made. Instead, I want to highlight what the Lord’s been stirring in my heart the past few days, because I think it’s all connected.

In the Gospel of John, the first chapter offers some details into John the Baptist’s ministry as recorded by “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” John the Baptist had spoken numerous times about the coming Messiah and that his own personal mission was to prepare the way for His arrival. Many had flocked to John’s ministry of baptism for repentance, and he’d amassed a gathering of numerous disciples. John 1:35-36 records, “Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’” And what happens next is huge: “The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” (Jn. 1:37) At John’s word, and nothing more, these two men ended their discipleship with John the Baptist and followed Jesus. Though their allegiance to John was genuine, likely a matter of deep conviction, they dropped it all at John’s words about Jesus.

Their immediate response speaks volumes about the nature of their discipleship. They weren’t following John because of John, but because John was preparing the way for the Messiah. Once John identified the Lamb of God, these two stopped following him and began following Jesus. They weren’t committed to John more than they were committed to the Lord, nor to his ministry more than God’s call. In fact, they didn’t even wait for Jesus to call them before they began following. Andrew was immediately convinced, and he changed course right at that moment to follow Jesus and never looked back.

In my own pursuit of the Lord, I can sometimes “lock on” to something He’s doing or saying, and end up becoming more committed to that thing than I am even to Him. That makes it really hard to change course and often delays my obedience when He requires adjustment. We moved from Barstow to Lakeland only at His word, and we knew that He had called our family here to Memphis. Youth ministry at New Life Fellowship would have been my passion until Jesus’ return, but when He required a change, I had to adjust or risk becoming disobedient. I’m so thankful that He calls us to follow Him more than any ministry plan, job requirement, position, person or long-term project. I don’t want to be so locked on to whatever mission He’s given me that I miss what’s more important. It’s easy to become so strident about “following John” that I forget I’m actually following the guy John’s pointing me toward. I’m not following a plan, but a Person, and that needs to remain front-and-center in my heart, my head, my words and my actions.

There are plenty of things happening in government right now that I am thankful for, and I continue to pray for the Lord’s wisdom, His justice and truth to prevail and to direct our leaders’ decisions. But my faith and commitment is not to anyone’s plan to fix America, because none of those plans can solve our nation’s woes. The most important crisis we face as a country is not financial, military, economic, cultural, political or diplomatic—it’s spiritual. And the efforts we make to address those many important (albeit tangential) issues, are incapable of resolving the spiritual crisis we face as a nation. If our attention is not focused there, then we are distracted, even if we are busying ourselves with expert solutions to complex problems and making great progress in bringing about significant change. That is not the hope-filled America that God desires us to be.

The Bible makes it clear that America is blessed when our God is the Lord (Ps. 33:12), not when we believe in ourselves and rely upon ourselves. Again, it must always be about the Person more than the plan. As the Lord gives President Trump and those around him the wisdom they humbly ask for in leading our nation, they must do more than simply redouble their efforts to implement a better plan. Benjamin Franklin once said, “God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” Well said, sir.

I must regularly remind myself that I am first and foremost submitted to the Lord, even as I am fiercely determined to live an obedient and God-honoring life. There is no value in my obedience if my main focus is simply on my obedience. My main focus must be on Him, the One that I’m obeying. His plan for my life, for our nation, for His Church, is never more important than the Planner. After all, the whole point of those many plans is to glorify Him. He truly is the focal point of all our activity. For me, that activity will shortly include more walking, more praying, more interactions with leaders, more flights, more driving, and more interruptions and upending of those very same plans. Through it all, I remain convinced that God is revealing more of His glory, manifesting His presence in more profound ways, and planning something unlike anything we have ever seen. Let’s keep our eyes on Him, Church, because I don’t want to miss a single thing He’s about to do.

This wasn’t exactly the “state of the ministry” update I had initially considered writing this month, but so much for all my “plans”, right? Ha! Please know that our family loves you dearly and misses many of you. Your prayers, your financial support, your phone calls and your friendships are a treasure beyond compare. THANK YOU for the love you consistently show us. For anyone wanting to give financial support, I recently found out that you can give digitally through New Life Fellowship’s online giving platform. https://newlifebarstow.com/give is the link, and you can choose “Missions - Roberts family” to designate giving specifically for us. Thank you again and we love y’all lots. (Okay, now I’ve gotta ask Denise to send me some pictures to include!)


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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

My wife celebrates her birthday every March 3rd. And while this isn’t a “birthday pic” officially,
one of her favorite things is FRIENDS and one of her favorite friends is PIA. Here they are together!

Denise handles all of Life’s SCIENCE schoolwork, so I’m not sure exactly what’s going on here.
But apparently, there’s some kind of egg explosion (“egg-splosion”?) going on here and it includes fire.
So obviously, Life was all over that!

Honor went ALL-IN on being Davy Crockett for his English class.
Truth wanted him to make it everyday attire, but alas, ’twas only a passing fancy.

Our kids and their besties, having fun as usual.

Check out the awesome NLF merch in the foyer, from cool cups to rad T's.
Keeping Up With the Roberts Family
Each month Cliff and Denise Roberts write home to their high desert family at New Life Fellowship to share all the happenings in their lives and their new church community. We look forward to posting their spiritual insights as they continue walking with the Lord in Lakeland, Tennessee.
FEBRUARY: what an end to an exciting month
Hoo-boy, what a whopper of an end to January! After our numerous birthday celebrations and many festivities, our family spent the last week of the month sprawled across the living room couch, on mattresses and beanbags with buckets and blankets everywhere. Everyone except for Denise went down with some kind of stomach virus and we did little else but sleep, drink Gatorade and suck on popsicles. I think we’ve rewatched just about every movie in our library as well and if I never have to stare at the tv again, I’ll be just fine. Sheesh, what an end to an exciting month. Thankfully, God still heals and we are all well now. Kids have caught up on school, Denise and I are just about caught up on our own responsibilities and tasks, and after I finish this monthly update…I’ll only have like 3 more things left to do that would have gotten done had I not been incoherent and passed out on a couch. THANK YOU to all our friends who prayed faithfully for us. Not only were your prayers deeply appreciated, but they were effective. Praise the Lord!

Because of my journeys and activities with Tom and Pentecost Walk, I have regular conversations with folks about “government stuff”, and while I don’t know much more than most, it’s been a privilege to meet and pray with many of those who serve in our nation’s capitol. This year has already seen sweeping changes throughout our government, and while I’m encouraged by much of it, there’s still plenty left to pray about. In John 8:32, Jesus said to those Jews who had believed in Him, “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” And while the general principle is always true that lies enslave and truth liberates, Jesus wasn’t teaching a general principle or universal truth. As always with the Lord, there’s something greater that He’s indicating.

In my recent studies through this passage of Scripture, one commentator I read wrote this:

“Nowhere in the Gospels will you find the demands of faith watered down, so as to leave the feeling that Jesus’ major concern for His followers is that they become pleasant people. The radical demands of the NT have as their goal the spiritual transformation of sinful people into the image of Jesus Christ—a demanding challenge that cannot countenance anything less than full commitment. ‘Live in My word,’ says Jesus in effect. ‘Let what I say control your every action, and you will show that you really are My disciples.’”

This is the kind of radical discipleship that really sets us apart as Christians, because it’s only possible to live this way if we are in love with Him and walk in love with one another. This is denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Him, and it’s far more than a mental agreement or basic acknowledgement—it is a fully surrendered and transformed life. In the same way, changes in public policy, or legislation, or leadership personnel is not enough to transform the spiritual condition of a nation in need of His forgiveness. It’s not enough to simply make better choices or to stop making wrong ones, because our efforts can never save us. His presence and His powerful and liberating forgiveness responds to our repentant hearts, not just our reinvigorated efforts to do better.

Another commentator observed the following:

“People do not always, or even usually, realize they are in bondage. They tend to rest in some fancied position of privilege: national, social, or religious. So these Jews, proud of their religion, did not even know their need to be free.”

As Americans, this is even more dangerous for us, because our “fancied position” is often freedom itself! Because we’re free, because we fought for independence and acknowledged it a God-given right, we assume we’ve arrived. Our response to the gospel is often the same as these Jews, “We’ll be free from what? We’re already free.” The policy changes implemented by our nation’s leaders must be more than simple course corrections for our country. We must acknowledge past mistakes and pursuits as wickedly sinful, rebellious acts against God and His Word, and from a place of humility commit ourselves to obeying and honoring Him openly instead. God hasn’t blessed America so that we can show how much better our nation is than others. I’m a proud patriot, but “blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12) is meant to credit HIM with all of the glory and ourselves with none of it. We can’t do that properly without acknowledging Him personally and publicly.

As a final entry from my recent studies, I also read this:

“The truth of which Jesus speaks is not the truth of rational discourse, an intellectual attainment, but the truth of relationship. It is the revelatory truth of knowing Jesus for Who He is. It is the truth that liberates people from the bondage of sin and sets them free to become the kind of people their Creator intended them to be…To know the truth is not merely to understand what it affirms but to commit oneself personally to the One Who is the truth.”

And that’s where so many will actually fall short of true discipleship. It’s why in a “Christian” nation, many people consider themselves Christians and yet act and think much like the world. It’s why those outside the church often see little difference between their own lives and those who profess to be “saved”. I’m reminded of Jesus’ terrifying words from Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

As we pray for those in authority, our focus must be more on the condition of their hearts than the product of their efforts. For President Trump and those around him, no amount of good, wise, noble or strategic decisions can ever replace a humble heart repentant before the Lord. I’m so encouraged to hear public officials champion truth, accountability and transparency, but that still falls short of what Jesus says in John 8:32 about how the truth sets us free. HE is the truth, and knowing HIM, not just the stories about Him (and even believing those stories) is the same thing. Those were hard words for Jesus’ listeners to receive, and many of them didn’t. That’s just as true for many people today as well.

Many of our nation’s leaders are striving to do the right thing, for what I believe are the right reasons, and are also trying to do it the right way. But much of that activity is still done with little genuine spiritual understanding. Our leaders are God’s instruments, placed by Him into their various positions and given responsibility directly from Him. Many of them are not openly hostile to the Lord, even if they are somewhat resistant to a truly biblical worldview, but they often don’t fully understand the One Whom they serve, nor do they actively seek to glorify Him above all else. They are not directed TOWARD the Lord, even if they are directed BY the Lord, and thus they are not very effective at pointing people toward Him either.

And that’s where we come in as the people of God. Directing hearts and attention toward the Lord is our responsibility as Christians, not just the role of leaders in our nation. Our witness and message and effort is meant to draw the focus of all around us toward the God we serve. Our current governmental transition seems to include an openness to the Lord that was not present with the last administration. But general willingness, just like general knowledge, cannot save anyone. Only personal embrace of the gospel, genuine repentance and acceptance of His sacrifice in our place can change a human heart. Too many gladly accept general principles while rejecting personal accountability before the Lord. That CANNOT lead to success or victory, not even if the actions and motivations are noble. Jesus remains our only hope, and His people are His witnesses while we are on this earth.

I’m thankful that many of those stepping into new positions of authority and influence within government are openly professing faith in Christ and a commitment to serve and honor Him first above all else. I would strongly encourage people to pray for our leaders by name, especially for those who are saved, that they would be strengthened, emboldened, equipped and relentless in their pursuit of Christ and their efforts to glorify Him. May their influence grow among those they lead and with those they serve. May the Church, in government, business, the public square, homes and private institutions, shape the culture around us by openly inserting the gospel into everything we do. When Jesus becomes the reason for everything and our answer to every problem we face, our dependence upon Him grows and we witness His faithfulness in unprecedented ways. Keep praying, church, and be amazed at how God answers.

I think that next month I may give more of an update on the “state of the ministry” (yeah, it’s a horrible title and I’m not feeling creative enough to come up with anything better at the moment) for our family and our present activity here in Lakeland. But until then, know that we cherish your prayers, your friendship and support so deeply. THANK YOU for your partnership in the plans God has for the Roberts family here in Tennessee. I recently found out that we can now receive financial support digitally through New Life Fellowship’s online giving platform. https://newlifebarstow.com/give is the link, and you can choose “Missions - Roberts family” to designate giving specifically for us. We really do love the continued friendship and fellowship with our family in Barstow, CA, and it has blessed us so much to see how that’s grown to include folks across the U.S.. What a joy to be a part of God’s kingdom advancing on the earth. We love y’all tons.

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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

I hope y’all had a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I apologize that this update comes a bit late, but our holiday season was a bit extra busy and disjointed this year. Purity had already planned to join the Young Adults at Upper Room in Dallas over New Year’s, and sorta last minute Denise ended up taking Wisdom, Truth and Justice as well. So, with me, Honor and Life at home, I did my best to be a good Mr. Mom, but still managed to miss, forget about and overlook multiple details. And yes, January’s update was one of those details. Thank you for your patience and understanding. But hey, we did manage to build a giant fort upstairs and stayed up until midnight watching Spider-Man cartoons in our sleeping bags before crashing out on couches beneath the sheets we’d hung up all over. Yeah, total BOY fun to ring in the new year!

After a late Thanksgiving last year (yes, 11/28 is the LAST possible day that Thanksgiving can ever fall on), the Christmas season felt like a shortened RUSH through the holidays and into the new year. I’d hoped that starting things off in 2025 would include restarting life at a somewhat slower pace than we entered the year, but alas, ’twas not to be. Purity is now driving her own vehicle, which is pretty exciting. It was also an absolute testimony to God’s favor and grace that we got her this particular vehicle in a way only He could arrange. (Feel free to call me for details, as it’s a pretty neat story.) So, throw a quick trip to Houston to bring back her car right before Christmas and the fun just never stops around here!

Tom’s health hiccups delayed our travel plans to DC in December, but the Lord continues to move on hearts and to coordinate efforts despite our pauses and rescheduling. Having met and prayed with many of those working on Capitol Hill, it was an engaging experience to witness the vote for Speaker of the House. The Lord answered personal prayers for particular members and we were able to witness His hand at work behind the scenes of what played out in public. We also had plans to be in DC early in January, to pray on location during the electoral certification, but Tom was not yet fully cleared to travel and we decided to postpone that outing. But we had several friends step up to go and pray in our stead, so prayers here, there, everywhere! It’s so neat to see His body in action, and His Spirit leading many parts all in one unified direction. As Tom shared with me specifics of conversations he’s had with various leaders, it echoed so closely the same things the Lord had been laying on my heart in prayers for them as well. Funny how He can coordinate things without our help, huh?

So, what does 2025 look like so far for me? I confess that I find it a bit odd to be starting off this year reading through the book of Revelation, but I felt prompted by the Lord to spend some time there and who am I to suggest to Him otherwise? So, I’m beginning at the end! I’m reminded again that the entire book of Revelation is something God wants to REVEAL, not something He wants to hide from me and shroud in mystery. And yes, while He remains majestically mysterious, Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father to mankind (Jn. 14:6-9). God wants to be seen and known by His creation just as He sees and knows each one of us. And in our seeing and our knowing, I believe His heart is for our perspective to change so that we see as He does.

That’s where I really sense Him directing my focus in this new season. Revelation consistently puts eternity front and center. It reveals how God views our present and how His heart longs for the world to know Him. I want to be motivated by that same longing for those around me to know the Lord. Yes, I want them to escape His wrath and judgment, but even more I want them to experience the joy of following Christ and making disciples who do the same. So in the midst of a busy month of birthdays, houseguests and game nights, my heart remains focused on seeing my neighbors come to know Jesus. Through my life and influence, in my words and actions, by my own example and invitation, I want those around me to turn their attention toward eternity and the God Who loves them and longs for them to know Him.

There’s no shortage of activity or busyness available to be, and much of it is good, helpful, honoring to the Lord and beneficial for myself as well. But He doesn’t want any of that distracting me from developing a heart that loves Him more and is moved with compassion for the people who live right next door. He’s put us here in Lakeland, on Mt. Gillespie Dr., in this particular house at this particular time because there are people near us who need Him. Their moment of deepest need may seem far off in response to some future event or calamity, but since we live in the last days right now, their deepest need is much closer than that. And it’s that need which continues to consume my thoughts, motivates my actions and directs my prayers. I’m thankful for the book of Revelation and how the Lord is using it to help keep things in perspective, and I’m anticipating that 2025 will be a fruitful year in response to His leading and direction.

On behalf of our entire family of Roberts here in Tennessee, THANK YOU for partnering with us as we pursue the Lord here in Memphis. Many of you continue to reach out in texts, emails, phone calls and video chats, and we are so glad for technology that helps us stay connected. Thank you as well for your faithful prayers for our family. We know that we weather much of what we deal with not in our own strength, but through His and with the encouragement of your prayers. What a treasure. Your financial blessing to our family humbles us all the time as well, and we strive to be good stewards of the trust He’s given us in that regard. For all of the love you express to us in so many ways, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. For those reading this and wanting to support us financially, please send checks to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and simply mark it as “Missions: The Roberts Family” (or something like that).

This month, we’re welcoming another adult into our family as Wisdom celebrates her 18th birthday! Justice turns 15 in another week and has already set her sights on her driver’s permit. So yeah, we’re ringing in the new year with lots of exciting changes. Thankfully, His faithfulness endures through all of those new experiences and it’s a joy to lead our kids through each one of them. Y’all are loved from Tennessee and we pray that your 2025 is filled with the Lord’s abundance in every way.

Love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Whew! After our hectic Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride through numerous battleground races across the country prior to the election, Tom and I finally made it home at the very end of October. …and then we added one last-minute excursion to Philadelphia. (Y’know, ‘cuz why not, right? Ha!) Unbeknownst to us, Kamala Harris had scheduled her final campaign rally to be in Philly at the same time, and yes, we did in fact end up making our prayerwalking way there. Boy howdy, do we have some stories to tell about that. Very enlightening experience. Feel free to contact me for the extended recap. Anyway, I arrived home in time to watch the Election Night coverage and then nestled into several peaceful weeks of…IT’S THANKSGIVING! Quick, get ready for Christmas! Why is the holiday so late this year? Presents? Get the shopping done and then the decorating and then the yard winterization and then a quick trip to DC and don’t forget the homeschooling activities and gradebook entries and enjoy the season and it’s gonna be New Year’s and we have two kids’ birthdays in January and… Yes, life is so “relaxing”, isn’t it? So, here’s what the rest of our crew has been up to:

Life is 8, and yes, he’s still the youngest. Which means that he’s totally allowed to wrestle everyone in the family on the couch, and then wrestle with Dad before bed, and ride rope swings smashing into towers of cardboard boxes, and no I had nothing to do with any of that, nor did I instigate any such activities, condone them or encourage other family members to participate…okay, so maybe I had a teensy bit of influence. Currently, I’m pausing this update to inspect his G.I.Joe display of the Nativity, which he’s made into a short film apparently. I’ll let you know how it goes… Well, Cobra Commander made a wonderful King Herod, I must say. Yes, Life is a typical imaginative boy with a sensitive heart, inquisitive mind and bountiful energy. Y’all are welcome to come over and play whenever you’d like, and I’ll keep the coffee coming if you start to feel exhausted.

Honor is coming home from his Endocrinologist appointment as I’m writing this belated update, and while those aren’t his favorite doctor visits (are ANY of them really our favorite?), we always look forward to hearing a professional’s take on what God is doing in his body. He’s thirteen now, so we’re anticipating good growth spurts during the next few years. We continue to pray for supernatural growth, and I know that the Lord has specifically said that He wants to answer Honor’s own prayers regarding his physical development. Honor has been faithful to pray and ask God for supernatural growth, and although he’s going back on hormone treatments again, all of us are expectant that God’s work in the next few months and years is going to astound us. None of those physical issues have any impact, however, on his love for board games, video games, puzzle games, etc. His favorites are always cooperative, where everyone is working together to beat the game. But even in competitive games he holds his own and manages to humble me pretty consistently. He’s a true gamer in every sense, and thankfully not addicted to video games even as much as he enjoys them. Math whiz, board game omnivore and Dude Perfect fan for life - that’s our Honor.

Justice asked me several months ago if I could take her driving during Christmas break. Wait, she’s only 14! “Yes, Dad,” she would say, “but I’ll be 15 in January.” And then I remember how tenacious she is with just about everything in life, and it all makes perfect sense. Thankfully, she’s just as tenacious with her friends. She’s persistently-yet-naturally laser-focused on investing in their lives as much godly influence as she can give them, inviting them to join her in pursuing Christ faithfully. It’s her number one passion to see her friends loving the Lord right beside her…and that places her regularly by their side as well. In fact, guess where she is right now as I’m writing? Yep, at a friend’s house. And who’s coming over to play games and hang out with our family tonight? Yep, more friends. And who’s the most likely in our family to constantly drop those less-than-subtle hints about our spare bedroom, the long drive home at night and the opportunity to keep playing games and having fun if they just decided to sleep over instead of leaving? Yeah, that’d be Justice. She oozes “social butterfly” in every situation, with every desire, with every conversation and behind-her-parents’-back little arrangements for impromptu slumber parties and kid-exchanges. I love that about her, and the fact that it all happens naturally, without even a thought or plan in place—just a desire to be with friends. That’s so cool.

Truth has achieved permanent Employee of the Month status at our local Chick-fil-A! And while his management team knows nothing about the honorary title I’ve personally bestowed upon him, it doesn’t change the fact that he is a diligent and faithful worker who loves his job and the people he works with. He likes earning money, and the fabled “car” will become a reality once he’s logged some serious hours behind the wheel first, but he’s got goals and is working hard towards them. Truth is a very thoughtful and caring young man, keenly aware of how his walk with God impacts himself and those around him. So, he’s been intentional about serving the Lord, serving others, serving in ministry and serving at work. There are endless opportunities to learn new lessons in all of those service areas, and Truth has been gracious to receive counsel and wisdom from those around him, especially his parents. Applying what he’s learned is always a challenge, but he experiences regular successes and I’m immensely proud of him. Now, about that “employee discount” thing…

Wisdom loves babies. I mean, more than your average person loves babies. It’s kinda like her thing now. Actually, it’s been her thing for a long time, and the little ones in the church nursery often become toddlers and preschoolers who still thoroughly adore Miss Wisdom. I’m not exactly sure how needy and fussy babies jive with elongated solo reading sessions, but Wisdom loves them both. Last weekend, she actually planned to do nothing but read books all day long…and she accomplished her goal! But while her nose is often in a book, her heart is certainly engaged with others. She adores her family and is fiercely loyal to her friends as well. Couple that with being a very responsible and beautiful young lady and it’s easy to see why those around her enjoy her so much too. She’s finishing her senior year strong and has no idea what she wants to do after that. However, if it includes something about going to Japan, I’m sure she’d be all over that…as long as Purity joins her.

Purity is attending Life Pacific University online this year, and it has certainly given her some late nights, busy weekends and much less free time. But that’s okay, because she’s also doing an internship at Memphis Tabernacle and now has something to occupy every single one of those remaining non-school moments during the week! She’s busy cleaning the church building, prepping rooms and areas for regular activities, serving weekly in ministry, attending meetings and working through discipleship lessons as well. And if all of that sounds like work—it is! But the coolest part is that she’s surrounded by her friends who are all doing it together. Being able to rub shoulders with them on a regular basis, to share those experiences and responsibilities together, it’s pretty sweet. So yeah, she’s busy, but it’s a “good” busy. However, we’re also needing another vehicle to assist all of this increased busyness. Yay for a house full of teenagers and all of their driver’s licenses, right?

Following the Lord is not overly complicated, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. I’ve watched firsthand as my wife has challenged herself in response to the Lord’s leading, and the results are incredible. There are spaces and places where she was once timid, but those have become thriving and fulfilling parts of her life now. Her love for people continues to grow, and the Lord’s gift of mercy flows freely from her to those around her. It seems like Amazon delivers new Bibles to our house every month because she’s connected with yet another teenager whom she absolutely LOVES to bless with a specialized Bible in their favorite color, design, size, etc. Surrounded by people, Denise is constantly ministering to those around her, imparting God’s words and His insight to each of them in personal ways. In the midst of all our activity, Denise has been steadfast with the Lord and rock solid in pursuit of Him. His grace over her life and extended to our family is a joy to witness and encourages me so much as a husband and a father. She continues to be completely amazing.

Bringing up the rear of this annual tradition updating everyone on each of our family members—it’s me. It seems like the question I’m asked most often by folks is, “How long are you home for?” Many have just gotten used to not seeing me regularly and know that I’m often away from home a week or two at a time when Tom and I are on the road. I enjoy the extended stays at home between prayerwalking legs (or more recently, “driving-all-across-the-country-to-numerous-battleground” legs), but even those weeks at home are quickly filled with family, friends and daily activities that don’t allow me as many board gaming hours as I would like. That’s okay, because even during the busy downtime, I’m learning plenty about following the Lord and praying faithfully, even when it’s not along 20 miles of backroads across the hinterlands of America. Following the Lord continues to be an adventure, and I don’t often know what the next step or the next season looks like, but He is so faithful to remind me that He’s there and that He’s leading. And that really helps during those difficult times of waiting, wondering and praying as diligently as I can. It’s true that there is joy in the journey, and I’m thankful that He’s so patient with me as I follow Him.

Okay, it’s time to wrap some presents now. Actually, that’s just my excuse to do something besides going outside to hang Christmas lights in the cold. With Thanksgiving coming so late this year and hardly having any time to get ready or decorated for Christmas, I’m considering leaving up all the festive accoutrements through February. Who’s with me?! But seriously, our family is so thankful for the love and support we receive from friends and family around the country. Thank you all for fulfilling the part God has you playing in our family’s pursuit of Him. It means the world to us that we’re not following Him alone, that He’s moved on the hearts of others to sow into the work He’s doing in us and through us. His faithfulness, expressed in tangible ways through your financial support, your words of encouragement, your prayers for us and conversations with us—that sustains us so lovingly and beautifully. I’m humbled to be His servant and grateful for those He’s surrounded our family with on this journey into every next season in front of us. We love y’all so much. Have the very Merriest Christmas ever as we celebrate His gift to the world and the treasure each of us carries as witnesses to how that gift has transformed our lives. Merry Christmas!


The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure whether to designate this update as an official-and-early November update, or as a Part B to October’s, or simply as a wandering update that doesn’t really seem to belong anywhere specifically. Whatever the case may be, I’ve finally stopped repeatedly editing everything and settled on a final version of what I’ve been writing and working through for many months now. I’d like to give y’all the finished product before I race out the door to drive to Detroit, then navigate to Kansas City (via Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines and plenty of other stops), before flying to Alaska, then flying to Florida, then flying back to Kansas City before driving home…in the span of 10 days. Yeah, can you say “hectic”? (And yet, despite my best intentions, Amazon took a few days to approve my book submission. So I’m actually doing this from Madison, WI rather than from the comfort of our home in Lakeland.)

Tom and I are both looking forward not only to meeting and praying with various candidates and public officials along the way, but also to simply get our feet on the ground in all of these important battleground races across the country before Election Day in November. I’m doing my best to not directly link any particular election outcome with my definition of “success”, but I’m encouraged to know that many seeking public office are keenly aware that God is sovereign, has sovereign plans He seeks to include us all in, and that our best way forward is through humble acknowledgement of that reality and a willing submission to Him. He calls His servants to run for office and to to serve people by serving Him, and He calls each of us to support, vote for, pray for and encourage righteous leadership throughout our government. Okay, enough about all of that, here’s the book info:

I’ve posted my book available for download here:
https://mega.nz/file/8oo3yQZa#hKj3bJi2Gd3H1d4NqRCnV-80uRAwgfLPG5A6Sgr1OQ0

That will link you to a file which you can then download to your computer, phone, ebook reader, etc. And yes, you’ll need something that can read .ePub files in order to view it. Apple folks, the Books app does exactly that, and you can download it for free from the App Store. Non-Apple people, there are plenty of options for you too…just ask your local teenager to help ya. Ha!

And if you read ebooks on a Kindle, it’s available for download on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DKPWNYRQ

It’s not my intention to make any money here, but Amazon discourages freebies and requires a minimum price for published content. So, the $1.00 price is to honor their policies, not to provide for my retirement.

I’ve had it in my heart for quite some time to get this all finished before November…and I did it! Yes, it took a bit of extra prompting from the Holy Spirit, and He was faithful to use some timely words from others to do that. I’m so extremely thankful for the body of Christ and my brothers and sisters in the Lord who continue to be used by Him both in public and in secret. Thank you for your encouragement!

And with that, I’m gonna end this here and head on out the door to drive another 400 miles or so today. I’ll skip the usual formalities and only communicate the essentials: we love y’all lots. Thank you for everything.

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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor, and Life)

(Sorry, I didn’t have time for pics, so I’ll try and make up for that next time!)

During my first few years of youth ministry in Barstow, CA, I would often joke about some day writing a book entitled: “1,001 Things They Never Teach You About Youth Ministry in Bible College”. (It may not have become a bestseller, but I know a handful of youth pastors who’d totally get every reference.) I never imagined I’d be climbing into the back side of a football toss arcade machine to replace an old motor, or swapping out Japanese circuit boards in video games to link two machines together, or jackhammering and digging an 8-foot deep hole in our church floor, or a host of other surprising activities that on the surface seemed to have very little to do with “making disciples”. But, serving the Lord is certainly a journey filled with unexpected activities, and my years in youth ministry introduced me to quite a few of those.

I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised, because I’m sure Jesus’ disciples (all those former fishermen, tax collectors and the like) didn’t expect to walk on water, cast out demons, speak in tongues or witness their Messiah being crucified on a cross. As I read through the gospels, I can’t help but think that every day, the disciples probably woke up thinking, “I wonder what unexpected crazy thing we’re gonna do today?” Jesus seems to have regularly surprised them. Moses was used unexpectedly too, and this not-a-very-good-public-speaker (or so he said) directly challenged Egypt’s mightiest leader. David was nothing special in the eyes of even his own family and Paul was the chief among sinners, not the world’s most famous apostle. But the Lord grabbed these men unexpectedly to use them in mighty ways, in uncomfortable situations, and in tasks that none of them had ever experienced before.

I used to tell people regularly (even while leading worship), that I wasn’t a worship leader. I could finger some chords on a piano, carry a mediocre tune vocally, and communicate direction to a team…but leading worship was never something I saw as my primary function or greatest strength in ministry. It was simply a part of serving the Lord, making disciples, and expressing publicly what the Lord was doing privately. I guess it was kinda just “me” after all—so maybe I’m more of a worship leader than I thought?

I joke with people regularly today that I don’t consider myself a health-walker kinda guy. I ran track in high school and hated it. I ran cross country and hated that too. And yet, here I am walking all over the nation, covering literally thousands of miles on highways, country roads, big city streets and lonely dirt trails…but I’m not a walker, right? And Denise has always been the intercessor in our family. She easily loses track of the hours spent in prayer just as easily as I lose track of what I was supposed to be praying about. What could I possibly pray about for that long? And yet, I’ve spent hours a day praying all over the nation for a host of people, issues, situations and circumstances…but I’m not an intercessor, right?

And now, I’m finishing up writing a book (no, not this month’s update), but like a real actual book. I’m no editor and I’m not an author, so my work is somewhat rough. I’m also not a publisher or marketer and have no desire to be—so again, this work is somewhat rough. I may not be any of those things, but what I am is burdened by the Lord with a call for His people to lead our nation back to Him. He’s been stirring things in my heart for quite some time now, and while I wish I could say that I diligently sat down at my computer and just kept writing until it was all finished—let’s just say that I’m glad to be actually getting this all done. I expect that later this month, whatever finished product is finally ready to be shared, will get shared. No, it’s not gonna be sold on Amazon or displayed on shelves at Barnes & Noble. I’ll probably just post a link to a file and let folks download it for free there. How’s that for marketing?

So, now you have something to look forward to! I’ll admit that although I’ve never given birth, the whole “postpartum” thing is real and Denise is a CHAMP for all that she navigated through during her many pregnancies, premature births, a miscarriage and a few helicopter flights and ambulance rides. I asked the Lord about what I was feeling a while back and He basically said this felt weighty because it was a burden that was about to be lifted as it was shared. So, that lifting is happening and I’m not sure exactly what happens next or how I’m supposed to feel about all of this? Am I relieved? Excited? Curious? Hopeful? Wondering what’s next? Yeah, probably all of those things and more. But it’s just one step on a journey of following Him, so I’ll take it and keep on going.

Tom and I are headed out on a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride journey as we pray through 51 battleground races in 16 days during the month of October. We’re hoping to meet and pray with many candidates, encouraging both them and their staffs as we head into “the most important election in our nation’s history” (or whatever people are calling it nowadays). Did I mention that I’m also not a politician? And yet, I smile every time I think about my Political Science major, History minor and Pre-Law emphasis from Santa Clara University many many years ago. It’s like God knows stuff ahead of time, huh?

One of my favorite memories from all those youth activities in Barstow was one time after we’d done a sample survey of all our U-Turn kids. There were probably 70-80 of them gathered on a Saturday night for our monthly outreach event and we had them answer a fun questionnaire about everything from their favorite DelTaco menu item to what they wanted to be when they grew up. One young man answered that last question with something completely unexpected. Amidst the “race car driver” and “veterinary” answers, he wrote down, “a servant of God”.

I know his dad well, and I understood exactly what this kid was saying when he wrote that. He was saying, “I want to be like my dad.” You see, his dad had been doing unexpected things for a while, following the Lord into all sorts of ridiculously crazy incredible encounters as faithfully and humbly as he could. His son witnessed all of it firsthand and thought that was just the coolest thing ever. Can you really just aspire to follow Jesus and do whatever He says…and that’s your whole life trajectory? Can you actually live like that without some clearly-defined goal, ambitious single-issue passion and mandate from heaven telling you exactly what to do with your life? Can you really just present yourself to the Lord and say, “Here I am, God. Send me.”?

I’m writing this to tell you that yes, you really can live for the Lord like that. I’m striving to do the same thing even now, hopefully inspiring my own kids as I do. Moving to Lakeland, TN not knowing what in the world the Lord had in store for us was just one step along that journey. Joining Tom with Pentecost Walk and praying with government leaders is yet another one. Writing a book feels like the same thing too. But I want my own kids to witness their dad pursuing the Lord wherever He leads, even when I don’t have all the answers and can’t explain everything to them in ways they can understand. As they watch me follow Christ, and as I encourage them to do the same, they’ll learn how to follow Him into all of their own unexpected’s and witness His faithfulness firsthand. I don’t know what that looks like for each of them, but I do know the One guiding them gently through that process of discovery. And I trust Him…completely.

It’s so humbling and joyous to be supported on this crazy journey in pursuit of Him by so many friends and family from across the country. We all love receiving your phone calls and text messages, seeing the pics that are shared with us and the prayer requests that still come our way. We’re also so appreciative of the financial support we receive from people. Talk about being humbled, thank you all so much. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our flow-through for finances to us here in Lakeland, TN. Any missionary giving can be sent to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and designated “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Thank you again, everyone, for everything. You are deeply and dearly loved.

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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Don’t worry, no children were eaten by alligators in the taking of this picture.

When you see a DOUBLE RAINBOW, that’s God saying He’ll never ever forever
never ever flood the earth again never forever ever!

We’re so thankful to have our kids surrounded by good friends, godly influences and faithful followers of Christ
who regularly encourage them. Imagine that, I love teens and young adults!

Hi Mom! (and you too, Mr. Beardshear) lol!

Well, I just finished fixing a toilet, grading some geometry work and starting some laundry, but I’ve still got coffee beans to roast and a yard in need of another mow before I drive outta town this week with Tom. We’re headed north to meet with folks and pray with candidates in multiple battleground races in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and the Northeast. I’m excited to get back on the road and looking forward to the encounters we often seem to “stumble into” by God’s gracious and omniscient design. Following the Lord is certainly an adventure and is filled with surprises, but His faithfulness throughout all the unexpected happenings is a welcome and reassuring reminder that He truly is in control and always at work. We’re putting some serious miles on our travel vehicle, and we’re driving much more than walking in this current season, but the fruitfulness of relationships and prayerful encounters together is richly rewarding. I’m continually humbled by the fact that God chose me to be a part of what He’s doing in the lives of people all across the country.

I wrote briefly last month about some of what the Lord has been stirring in my heart to share more broadly with folks in some form or another. That’s likely something I’ll convey much more deeply in the very near future (so stay tuned!), but it touches on what He abruptly corrected me with just the other day during a time of prayer. I’d like to share that this month both as an encouragement for all of us and a bit of segue into the bulk of what my reading, praying, thinking, sharing and writing has been focused on for many months now. I’ve been spending time in 1 and 2 Kings recently, and I remember several years ago that these same books seemed so timely for where we were as a nation: the condition our government, the direction of our country, God’s heart for righteous leadership at her helm. I expected much of the same focus to be present again this time through these books, but instead of the Holy Spirit applying it broadly to larger issues, He kept applying it to my own heart and my own life. So I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised when He snapped me back to a more personal focus during my recent time with Him, but yeah, I still didn’t expect it.

King Josiah’s story begins in 2 Kings 22 with a ringing endorsement that he “…did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” - 2 Kings 22:2 (NIV). Once he learned how serious the nation’s sins were and how fierce the Lord’s anger burned in response to their disobedience, he immediately tore his robes and humbled himself before God in repentance. Chapter 23 details many of his reforms and the great extent to which he went removing idolatry from the entire kingdom. He renewed the nation’s covenant with the Lord which they had so horribly broken. He desecrated every place of false worship and tore down all the pagan altars and shrines that had been erected throughout the land. Every false deity was exposed and every false religion was dealt with—none were allowed to remain. He even demolished the original idolatrous high place at Bethel which had first been established when Israel broke away from Judah. He went to the very spiritual roots of that pagan worship and ripped them out so as to remove them from among the people. He established the observance of Passover once again, such as had never been celebrated either during the days of the judges in Israel or even during subsequent royal reigns. His reforms were comprehensive, extreme, revolutionary and about as full-throated in their conviction as you could imagine. Josiah was an incredible king who ushered in a return to the Lord that stands apart as unique throughout all of history. Sadly, those reforms did not last and without Josiah present to keep them going, the people quickly turned back to idolatry immediately after he died.

There are plenty of lessons in those two chapters for America today, but my response that morning was to begin praying for a modern day version of Josiah for America. Oh that we would have righteous leadership turning our nation’s heart back to the Lord and humbling ourselves before Him in repentance. I began to pray for our nation’s leaders, for President Trump and Vice President Harris, when the Lord arrested my thoughts with these words:

President Trump is not King Josiah. That’s not his job—that’s the responsibility of the church.

I had to stop for just a moment to let His words sink in, but the more I prayed the more I began to understand my role in all of that. While I have not ceased praying for leaders and for the righteous to rule that the people may rejoice (Prov. 29:2), I firmly believe that He is calling for His people, for the church, for Christians, for me, to lead the way of spiritual reformation much like Josiah—through our own repentance.

For too long, we as Christians have been content to “phone in” our mantle of spiritual responsibility for America by simply voting for righteous leaders, praying for godly politicians, encouraging one another to be informed and to be biblical…but little else. We’ve gotten comfortable praying and voting (and yes, we should continue to do both), but that’s often the extent of our involvement in solving the nation’s problems, addressing larger-than-life issues and tackling cultural disease that seems to permeate every corner of society. If we’ll just elect the right people, a godly Josiah, then that person can lead America to repentance before God. After all, God did it with Josiah and other kings like him; He used judges to do the same before the succession of kings had been established; and prophets often arose to guide the affairs of entire nations. And since we’re not any of those kinds of mighty figures, we dutifully pray for those who are: politicians, judges, mayors, governors, generals, national figures and world-renowned celebrities. How many times have we thought to ourselves, “Man, if so-and-so every got radically saved, do you know how many people they could lead to Jesus?”

But if “My people” are the ones called by His name, and if “My people” are tasked with humbling ourselves, and if “My people” are called to pray, and if “My people” must first turn from their own wicked ways…why are we so intent on praying for a King Josiah to lead America? God has already given us His answer to our prayers, and that answer is US! His people are called to lead the way in repentance. His people are called to show the world what true humility looks like. His people are separated out as unique, distinct, different from all those around them, and we are to do the very thing we keep hoping that a King Josiah will rise up and lead us to do. Repentance, like His judgment, begins with the house of God. He has given us His answer to our prayers for righteous leadership, and His answer is for His people to rise up and lead in righteousness, to lead in repentance, to lead in courage and faith in both word and deed. His answer is for us to leave the comfort of whatever our current “safe space” consists of, and to boldly acknowledge before all those around us that we need Him, that He is our only hope, not just for our nation, but for me personally. His answer requires of us transparency, honesty, accountability, confession, humbly asking for others’ forgiveness as we failed to lead, as we faithfully prayed for a Josiah but failed to be a Josiah. That failure ends the moment we repent, just like Josiah.

So how do I do that? How do I communicate that and begin living out a response to that? Well, I start by acknowledging the truth before God. And then I simply begin to engage those around me in those very same topics of conversation, having those uncomfortable discussions about those sensitive subjects. In the course of my engagement about those things, I need to highlight my own shortcomings more than focusing on others’ faults or defending my position. It’s easy to complain, especially when that’s considered “neutral territory” (as long as we’re both complaining, we have common ground, right?), but it’s harder to humbly confess to someone who promotes child sacrifice that I’ve had to repent for not doing and saying more. I’ve had to repent for fear, for apathy, for laziness, for prejudice, for disobedience. The point is not to start an argument, but to reveal a heart of genuine contrition, the same repentance we pray that others have in response to the gospel. Repentance cannot be something reserved for my private prayer closet or during a gathering of intercessors—it must become part of my daily self-denial, cross-bearing and pursuit of Him. If my mouth speaks from whatever fills my heart, then my heart needs to be filled with humility, honesty, and transparency before the Lord and others.

I hope y’all are challenged, just as I’ve been. We’re headed into some…umm…interesting(?) times ahead of us as a nation. In so many ways, the phrase “we’ve never been here before” applies over and over and over again. Fortunately, God exists outside of time and He’s already been to tomorrow, to November 5, to January 20th, and to December 25th too (yes, He knows what you’re getting for Christmas). And what He’s doing and saying now is all part of His preparation for the stuff we don’t even know about yet and hasn’t even crossed our minds. We can trust Him with the future and focus on today. And today, He’s calling us to be a Josiah for our nation, church. I encourage you to read his story in 2 Kings 22-23 and in 2 Chronicles 34-35. And when you’re done, take some time to pray, and listen, and then do whatever He says.

Our family continues to cherish your phone calls, texts, prayers, financial support, pics, vids and notes. I was just telling Denise today how much I love seeing the body of Christ connected in so many places around the country, experiencing unity and fellowship even in brief meetings between total strangers. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our flow-through for financial support to us here in Lakeland, TN. Any missionary giving can be sent to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and designated “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Again and again, thank you. Thank you again for your love, your friendship and your partnership in His kingdom work together. We love you lots.

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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Truth and I drove our prayerwalking travel vehicle back to TN from AZ,
and you better believe we had us some In-n-Out on the way home! Yeah baby!!

Nothing fancy here, just some backyard hooligans trying to all smile and look at the camera simultaneously without blinking, falling over or looking overly bored. Yes, that’s a challenge which often thwarts even our most valiant efforts.

Honor is now THIRTEEN YEARS OLD! We have FIVE teenagers living in our house…and it’s awesome!
Sadly, one of those teens was working this day and Truth missed joining us for a birthday escape room adventure.
Honor did indeed escape, but with less than 6 minutes to spare!

Truth is joining Tom and me on our next travel leg as we fly to Denver, then drive to Las Vegas, drive even more to Phoenix and then drive all the way back to Tennessee. So we’re packing suitcases today and preparing for a whole lotta driving! But before we head out the door and hit the trail for a week, I wanted to get an August “update” done (of sorts). I’ve mentioned it before, but there’s a lot in my heart that I believe the Lord wants to put onto paper and communicate, and while I’m working at it sporadically while I’m home (and sometimes when we’re on the road), it’s definitely coming together more slowly than I’d like. But the long slow burn in my spirit gives me numerous conversations with the Lord about stuff and causes me to think much more deeply than those spur-of-the-moment ideas or discoveries. So, I’m writing while marinating, but honestly felt like a portion of that effort should be shared this month. I can’t promise this as any sort of “final draft”, nor is it really the main point of what He’s stirring within me and having me write about. But it’s connected, and I believe it’s timely. And if anyone feels like offering any constructive criticism (or even “destructive” criticism), as always, we love hearing from you and treasure your partnership with us on this adventure of following the Lord together. And with that, here are some thoughts about...

                                                                                                        COMMUNITY

For 20 years while serving as youth pastor at New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA, I would routinely tell people that I had “the best job on the planet”. After all, I got paid to hang out with teenagers! How great is that?! From my perspective, it truly was the sweetest gig in the world, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was always looking for good role models for our teens, godly leaders and parents who would be willing to invest themselves in the lives of young people and disciple them in the Lord and who would enjoy it as much as I did. As our leadership team grew (and grew more seasoned), I began to develop meaningful relationships with those leaders. We became true friends, not just ministry partners. Our families would celebrate birthdays together, join on holidays with each other, schedule fun times just with ourselves, and I gradually began to prioritize those relationships even more than my “youth ministry work”. Wednesday nights, camps, special events, discipleship classes and the like were all still important, but my heart was being drawn more and more consistently to the friends who surrounded me. My fellow leaders who walked with me as we sought to disciple teenagers, they were becoming my focus far more than any of the kids in our youth group. It was a significant shift for me, and not one that I made easily.

Like many full-time pastors, “ministry” was a primary focus for me (that is what I was hired for, right?) because the goal of ministry is to connect God’s work and His Word to His people in meaningful ways. In particular, youth ministry highlighted His communication to young people that their truest and most valuable identity was found only in Christ. With such an important and life-impacting drive motivating my approach to youth ministry, it almost felt like a betrayal to prioritize anything else instead. “Focus more on leaders than on our youth group? Surely that can’t be right,” I thought. I knew that God had called me into full-time ministry, but I could no longer devote myself full-time to teenagers while allowing the leaders around me to simply learn by following my example. That erroneous approach was yielding to a greater conviction that my own relationships with close friends, friends who served together with me in ministering to young people, those relationships were actually more important than the ministry we were all involved in. That shift in focus was exactly what I found myself doing, feeling a bit guilty for, yet longing to do even more. Simple acts of naturally gravitating to a gathering of my fellow leaders rather than naturally gravitating to a group of teens began to make me wrestle a bit with my entire philosophy of ministry and the priorities I had been following in my efforts to make disciples.

As I began to focus more on investing in our leadership team, I struggled with how that simultaneously seemed to “de-prioritize” a focus on the youth we were supposed to be leading. At first, I began to disciple leaders in earnest, often dedicating more time and energy to those training efforts than to my youth lessons, worship practice, sermon prep and the like. The big youth night on Wednesday may have looked like the culmination of a week’s work, but the work that occupied most of my time in prayer, in thought, and certainly in my heart, was ministry focused on leaders rather than youth. Yet even that subtle shift toward discipling leaders began to give way to a genuine love for the friends God had placed in my life which only tangentially connected us in ministry efforts together. He was working deeply in those friendships and it was becoming clearer to me that investing in those close relationships actually was the most effective way for us all to minister as a group of leaders. Our love for one another was meant to create an atmosphere of genuine love within our youth group, a spirit of dedication not to the ministry we were all a part of, but to one another. “Youth ministry” flowed naturally out of our mutual desire to be used by the Lord however He would choose to lead us.

Like many things with the Lord, I felt that I had stumbled into my newfound realization rather awkwardly. Shouldn’t I have learned these things ahead-of-time, been trained in them during my years of Bible college education, and then implemented them into my 2-, 5-, and 10-year ministry plans? I much prefer that the Lord simply provide me with clear instructions so that I can focus on obeying and doing. But God seems to prefer surprises, and He often teaches me when I do not even realize I am learning anything. Knowing me, I would have organized and planned and scheduled and sucked the life right out of what He was showing me if I had first learned it as a ministry principle. So He taught me by discovery, by what seemed to me like accident, and in my struggle to reconcile that discovery with how I had approached ministry prior, He made this principle clear: rather than relationships developing out of ministry, His heart is for ministry to develop out of relationships. That may not seem like a revolutionary concept, but it certainly runs counter to much of my own experience in ministry and what I have witnessed within the body of Christ almost all of my life.

In many churches, relationships are often the result of participation in ministry together with others. It happens quite naturally, and even by design, but the common approach assembles a group of people for a particular ministry, small group participation, service opportunity and the like. As those people participate in that capacity together, they form friendships, get to know one another, and perhaps even maintain relationships beyond those particular ministry activities. Under this model, relationships develop out of ministry together with others. Many church leadership teams operate according to this pattern, implement it across multiple ministry areas within the church, and would consider this approach to be a healthy way of nurturing community among the body of Christ. The “common unity” shared among people who are similarly invested in the leadership team, youth team, worship team, men’s ministry, small group ministry, food outreach, etc., creates a genuine sense of community. And at the same time, those shared activities encourage participation from others who are also looking to experience healthy Christian community.

But what if we only sought to develop ministry as a natural byproduct of our friendships? What if people first assembled only to invest in their relationships with one another rather than to join a particular team or do a particular task? What if their first priority was not the joint ministry effort, but rather their own friendships? What would that look like? The result would likely be a group of people dedicated to one another, invested in each other’s lives, and actively being used by the Lord to minister to one another in deeper and deeper ways. Would not the Lord then direct that heart-knit group of genuine friends to reach out in a combined and intentional way to minister to others? This is ministry developing out of relationships, blossoming from a community of true friends, rather than ministry producing community through combined participation. And the beautiful part of this approach is that others notice the relationships present within that group first, even more impactful to them than the whatever outward ministry is taking place. It took me years of unlearning to begin understanding this, but this is truly the Lord’s heart for His disciples.

In John 15, Jesus told His disciples that they were indeed His friends. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you.” - John 15:15 (NIV) And what were His immediate commands to His friends? Rather than a list of ministry activities, the Lord prioritized their love for one another. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you…This is my command: Love each other.” - John 15:12,17 (NIV) Jesus had already told them, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35 (NIV). Love for one another was intended to be both the primary focus and the primary witness of Jesus’ followers. The Lord’s rally cry for unity among His disciples was not centered around any ministry effort or group gathering. They were to be one just as He and the Father are one (John 17), and their oneness was so much more than only a common mission: it was love for one another. Loving one another must be more important than whatever ministry we are doing—because it is the ministry we are to be doing. And as others witness God’s people loving each other, they see what Jesus really intended for His disciples to be—friends.

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As always, thank you for the phone calls, the text messages, the financial support, the prayers, the notes, the pictures and the videos. Our family vacation to Barstow last month was a treasure for all of us as we reconnected with so many wonderful friends and family. We certainly feel loved by our extended church family from around the country. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our flow-through for financial support to us here in Lakeland, TN. Any missionary giving can be sent to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and designated “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Again and again, thank you. Thank you again for your love, your friendship and your partnership in His kingdom work together. We love you lots.

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The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Here’s our crazy bunch dragging Christian along as we brought him kicking and screaming back to Barstow with us. We LOVED having him stay with us for 10 days or so, and the fact that he actually wants to come back to TN for another visit is totally awesome!

Purity is now 19 years old! Her grandparents treated her to sushi for her birthday.
And yes, that is the exact same backdrop from my own birthday sushi restaurant picture. And yes, I am very proud to have raised a daughter who loves sushi so much.
And yes, I was the one who suggested the entire idea for her birthday.
And no, I wasn’t only thinking of myself when I did that. Lol!

Okay, total honesty here: I’m mainly including this for all of our California friends who pay nearly TWICE this much for gas.
We filled up here on the way to a friend’s house and even I was surprised to see gas this cheap!

Happy “HOT Month” everyone! It’s pretty funny hearing folks talk about how it’s so much hotter today than it was even a few years ago because of “climate change” or whatever. Obviously, they’ve never lived in the desert because (NEWS FLASH!!) it’s hot in the summer! We’re currently on vacation in Barstow as I write this little update, and it has been amazing to see friends, love on folks and be with family that we don’t get to hang with in person very often. But yes, it is indeed HOT in Barstow in July…just like it was every single year we lived here. Amazing, isn’t it? Anyway, enough chit-chat about the weather, I actually just wanted to give a heads up to y’all that this month’s update will be more “in person” than usual. Pastor Joe invited me to preach on Sunday, July 7th, so I’ll update everyone then and say “Hi!” in person! If you will be in service that day (since I’m writing this early), we’ll see ya then! If you’re reading this after the fact, here’s a link to that Sunday’s live service:   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064458318967   You can find the recorded service later on:    https://newlifebarstow.com/  
As always, we love you tons and are so blessed to be here in Barstow for our summer vacation…no matter how hot it is! Lol!

Love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Well, summer is here, along with the bugs, the humidity, the twice-a-week yard-mowing, bored kids who can’t manage to entertain themselves even with entire rooms full of stuffed animals, toys, books, puzzles, games and many other non-electronic device items, and thoughts about next year’s homeschool curriculum choices already swirling in my head. Oh, and Tom and I are headed to DC and across the country to meet and pray with candidates, leaders, friends and strangers as we look forward to an election cycle this fall that portends to…end democracy?…save democracy?…I’m not exactly sure, but I’m assured by many that it’s the most important election ever.

President Obama famously stated, “Elections have consequences,” and he was right. That simple phrase has been used by folks on both sides of the political aisle to drum up support and to warn against their opponents. Many who feel that elections have become increasingly corrupted since COVID are convinced that if this election cycle does not stem the tide, we will never participate in a free and fair election ever again. Many others fear that if the rabid masses have their way, the levers of power will be permanently corrupted and our nation laid waste before the authoritarian whims of despotic rule. And there are a good many who feel like the sun has already set on America and our eyes just haven’t adjusted to reality yet. This November’s election will certainly have consequences, but even the most dire outcomes pale in comparison to the impact that God intends for His people to have upon this earth.

…and now yet another “unprecedented” (man, I’m growing tired of that word) moment has just happened. We’ve just convicted a former President of the United States as a felon in a court of law. That has never happened before. I paused while writing this monthly update and by the time I returned to finish, that just happened. I am grieved at the way our system of justice in America does not reflect the Lord’s justice very well. If His Word was held in higher regard than our own fallible legal arguments, precedents and court decisions, we would live in a more just society. But when God is largely removed from the process and we are left to our own devices, it never ends well.

As many of you know, I graduated from Santa Clara University before attending LIFE Bible College. I majored in Political Science at SCU with a minor in History and completed a Pre-Law emphasis as well. I had intended to become the FBI’s equivalent of Jack Bauer…before there ever was a Jack Bauer, but the Lord had different plans for me. I figured those plans involved youth ministry until the Lord returns, but again, He had different plans for me. Prayerwalking across the nation and meeting with political candidates and leaders certainly wasn’t on my radar, but I laugh to myself whenever I consider how God orchestrates our lives for His purposes if we’ll but yield ourselves to Him and follow. So here I am, praying for leaders in ways I never imagined myself doing, considering topics and arguments I had once thought were only classroom exercises, thinking and reasoning biblically about issues I did not used to consider all that spiritual. Things are different now, and I’m thankful for how God is using me and our family.

If you will allow me a bit of professorial freedom, I’d like to share a few thoughts about our system of government in America and how we can be praying and serving in ways that fulfill the Lord’s purposes for our nation. I’m not sure public schools teach about all three branches of our government, but the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches are actually representative of the Lord’s character and are intended to be reflections of the same. The JUSTICE of the Lord is evident throughout Scripture, but our own system of justice prioritizes its adherence to man’s legislative concoctions above its first duty to honor God by upholding that legislation which honors His Word. The U.S. Constitution is not Scripture and is not without flaw, but it is rooted in biblical principles and reflects an acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty. When our courts lose their moorings from our founding documents, the principles therein, and the Word of God which undergirds their reasoning, they no longer reflect the justice which is God’s very character. God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS was revealed in His law given to His people, the means by which they were to walk in holiness and obedience to Him. Christ fulfilled the law and made possible our becoming the very righteousness of God in Him by His death and resurrection. We are now free to serve and obey Him according to His purposes for us as revealed in His Word and by the Holy Spirit. Laws are more than simply rules to follow, but are meant to govern lives and provide guardrails so that we align ourselves with proper principles, God-honoring principles, and avoid the errors of selfishness, pride, greed and sin. Righteous laws direct righteous behavior in view of a righteous God. You cannot legislate morality or virtue, but laws can navigate behavior to reflect those values which most accurately represent the Lord’s character. And just as the Executive Branch of government is tasked with enforcing our nation’s laws, so too it is meant to reflect the AUTHORITY of God, His power to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. It is not intended for any other reason, and its misuse dishonors the authority God has granted to the Executive as His instrument on behalf of people.

All three of those branches of government are obviously imperfect, filled with imperfect people doing imperfect things in imperfect ways. And yes, We The People seem to routinely get the short end of the stick as a result. I’ve heard responses ranging from “Burn it all down!” to “Take it all over!”, but neither of those solutions and nothing in between gives me any hope. Jesus is my hope, and the transformation needed is not within institutions, but within individual hearts. When hearts are transformed, we will see justice implemented in America, and we will see righteousness celebrated, and we will see authority enacting God’s purposes for our country. None of those things are dependent upon any election, legislation or judicial decision—they are dependent upon people. And those people are elected, chosen, elevated, called to serve and set in place through avenues which our nation allows us to participate in and to influence. Beyond that, we’re called to pray faithfully, speak boldly and serve sacrificially on behalf of those same people. They are real-life people, not one-party politicians or one-ideology zealots—they are people. Many of them do not yet fully understand their place in God’s design for America, but as the church engages them personally, those relationships become transformative to that understanding.

That is what I get to witness firsthand as we travel the country and meet with various leaders and aspiring politicians. Our conversations often reflect the fact that God’s heart is intently focused on individual people, not the great and grand institutions to which they may belong. And as those individuals respond to His keen interest in their lives, they open their hearts to His and become His instruments of change, reconciliation, repentance and fellowship. Fill a bunch of government institutions with people like that, and we’ll see something radically different happening throughout our country. It’s exciting to be a part of that with individual leaders, but it’s the same work God wants to do within His body. Church, we are to lead by example, not in the busyness of our activities, but in our relationships with one another. Invested in each other’s lives as our first priority, we grow together in love, community, and common purpose, becoming His instruments fashioned for His purposes by His sovereign design. Congress often seems gridlocked and unable to accomplish anything, and I’ve heard people celebrate the inactivity because doing more is often worse than doing nothing when it comes to its legislative efforts. Perhaps it is time for the church to lead the way here by focusing our own activities not on the “more”, but the “more important”.

I’ve been writing more during my days at home, eager to put onto paper what God has been stirring in my heart. I don’t yet know what the finished product looks like or how He’ll choose to use me, but the time spent with Him allowing the Holy Spirit to refine my thinking and correct my heart has been a pretty neat experience. I’m sure I’ll have plenty more to share in that regard, but for now, the above is a sample of that, a product of things He’s been stirring within me for a while now. I’m excited for the fruit He’s soon to produce.

Our family is so grateful for your partnership in this incredible journey of following the Lord to Lakeland and beyond. Thank you for the phone calls, the text messages, the financial support, the prayers, the notes, the pictures and the videos. We certainly feel loved by our extended church family from around the country. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our family’s flow-through for directing financial resources to us here in Lakeland, TN. Any missionary support can be sent to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and designated “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Again and again, thank you. Thank you for being with us even when we don’t get to see you as often as we’d like. We love y’all lots and are grateful beyond words for your friendship.

Loads of love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

May is an eventful month for our family. Here’s a breakdown of our many reasons for celebrating throughout the month:
May 1st: my parents’ anniversary
May 4th: my birthday
May ???: Mothers’s Day
May 19th: my sister’s birthday
May 31st: our anniversary
And now, pics…

Buckle up, y’all…it’s MAY! This is the month where everything feels like it kicks into high gear and we blast our way into summer and beyond! Our family gets to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and the end of the school year all smashed into just a few weeks. Some of those events are more exciting for our kids than the others, but it certainly makes for a busy month. We just finished celebrating Life’s 8th birthday on 4/29, and the frozen yogurt and video games and laser tag which he’d requested were thoroughly enjoyed by all. (Pics to follow…)

Tom, Kevin and I were back on the road again as we headed to Texas at the end of April. We were able to walk, pray, meet with folks, visit friends, encourage people and be encouraged ourselves. I’m always amazed at how diverse the body of Christ is, and so thankful for the ways our faith is expressed differently yet uniformly. Kevin and I drove south from Tennessee and managed to pick up a nice fresh chip in our windshield as we began our journey (definitely not our first experience with that). So, after Tom flew in and joined us, the first order of business was getting it fixed and that’s where things got really fun.

Steven and Alicia Maples own Fix-A-Crack, a windshield repair shop in McAllen, TX. They were our first stop on our first day trying to get into a new rhythm and schedule for our prayerwalking trips. And boy, that wonderful couple is an absolute treasure! We chatted, shared testimonies, prayed together and were so encouraged by one another’s heartfelt partnership in building God’s kingdom. Honestly, it was kinda bittersweet when the repair was finished because we felt like we’d made such great friends. You know those “God encounters” with people that are more than simply divinely orchestrated, but where He really seems to bring like-minded brothers and sisters together in spirit, in heart and in real fellowship? Yeah, it was awesome enough that we considered returning the next day just to hang out a bit, but there was much to do.

There are some really great people currently serving in our government (despite what you read online and see in the media), and we’ve had the opportunity to talk and pray with many of them. This trip to Texas included visits both with those serving now and those running for election in November. In a society growing increasingly hostile to the gospel and dismissive of the church, it’s refreshing to know that there are Christians in governmental leadership who serve righteously. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (NKJV) Much of the groaning we are experiencing across America is directly connected to wicked leadership and godless practices. I believe the Lord wants to change that, to establish righteous leadership and bring cause for joyous celebration among the people. That is not the product of any political party, government leader, election cycle or Supreme Court decision—it is the result of His righteousness ruling in the hearts of His people, who in turn serve their nation as they follow the Lord.

As we continue to humbly pray for the Holy Spirit’s direction regarding our calendar and prayerwalking route for the remainder of the year, it’s clear that He is leading us to target key “battleground” races prior to the November election. These races are not the ones where everyone already knows who’s going to win, but those where the outcome is still a bit up in the air. So, we are traveling to some 100 of these places, meeting with candidates, staff, pastors and friends along the way, and praying while walking directly in those specific locations. We are praying for righteous leadership, for penitent hearts and for boldness within the body of Christ.

It feels like the entire world is on fire right now, and that’s likely by design. But the emptiness and hopelessness felt by many is fertile soil for the seed of the gospel and the call to repent. I’m drawn regularly to Habakkuk 3:2—“Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” (NIV) Wicked rulers induce groaning because sin carries with it the consequences of God’s wrath. Yet while suffering is terrible, it affords us the opportunity to repent, to be forgiven and to be made righteous. And when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. I am praying for that joy, and my heart is set on seeing His righteousness exalted and demonstrated by our leaders. It’s pretty humbling to know that He calls me to be an example of that and then allows me to pray with and encourage those in leadership to do the same. Folks like Steven and Alicia are modeling His righteousness daily with encounters in their shop and relationships in their community. Passionate brothers and sisters in Congress are faithfully doing the same among their colleagues on Capitol Hill. It’s both a joy and a great encouragement to meet the body of Christ striving to model His righteousness in so many different ways. The three of us are routinely blessed by what we experience as we travel the country walking and praying wherever He leads…even into windshield repair shops.

For the Roberts family, your partnership means the world to us. The notes of encouragement really ARE encouraging! The phone calls and texts are always welcome reminders of church family and friends whom we don’t get to see nearly often enough. But we feel loved by y’all and so undeserving of God’s grace expressed through all the different ways you respond to Him. Thank you for your prayers, your giving, your friendship and your love. We love you tons, right back at ya! For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our family’s flow-through for directing financial resources to us here in Lakeland, TN. Any missionary support can be sent to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and designated “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. I am actually writing this on the first of the month, so YAY! for me being on time and all that jazz. Lol!

Lots and lots of love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Okay, it’s time for me to confess: there are lots of things I do NOT enjoy about the spring season. I know, I know, it’s a wonderful, beautiful, fresh, vibrant, colorful and exciting time of year. But springtime in Tennessee brings with it challenges I never had to deal with while living in the desert—like grass, and pollen, and rain, and why are my trees still dropping leaves and branches every week? As I’m writing this update, I’m fighting a cold and wrestling with allergies that I’ve not really had to deal with since moving here. My lawn care service (aka, Truth) is now working part-time at Chick-fil-A, so it looks like Honor’s going to be next on yardwork detail. My mulch beds are overrun with pollen and the bushes suddenly seem three times as big as they were just a month ago. And the pollen? Yeah, it’s like a carpet of yellow, orange and brown fuzz covering my van, the yard, the trash cans, our trampoline, the driveway, and the insides of my entire family’s nostrils. AAAACHOOOOOO!

Being at home for an extended break from the prayerwalking trail has been great, and I relish the time together with family and friends. But those to-do’s really stare you in the face when you’re here to be stared at, y’know? I’m aware of all the small things that need fixing, touching-up, reinforcing, changing, updating, adjusting, tightening, etc. And while I enjoy finishing those various tasks, I often ask the Lord, “Is this really what You want me doing right now, God? Surely there’s more important stuff for me to occupy myself with. I could be doing this, or this, or this other thing, or maybe even this over here, or start this, or spend more time doing this…” And then the Holy Spirit gently interrupts my brainstorming and asks me, “Have I told you to do any of those?”

It’s usually at this point when I will pause and rest, reminding myself that my life belongs to Him and that He is allowed to do with it whatever He pleases. I remember talking with the Lord years ago as I was still praying about our family’s move to Lakeland and I asked Him specifically, “Why me, Lord?” Of all the people He could send to Lakeland, TN, why did He choose me? I will never forget His words spoken to my heart in response: “Because I know you’ll do it.” And He’s right, of course, because here I am in Lakeland, TN, even if the road here and the way forward looks different than I ever imagined. I certainly don’t obey perfectly or as readily as I want to all of the time, but God knows that He has my heart, and all of my love and devotion with it. Yet even then, He still reminds me that I need to surrender, to stop doing what just comes naturally or what I think is expected of me, and to take the simple yet too often overlooked step of asking Him, “What now, Lord?”

Currently, “now” is filled with more writing than I am accustomed to doing. I used to joke about writing a book one day detailing “1,001 Youth Ministry Tasks They Never Trained Me for in Bible College”. And while that might make for an interesting read, that’s not quite it. Walking and praying for thousands of miles across the country has given me such a burden for our nation, and it’s apparent to many that America is suffering. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” - Proverbs 14:34 (NASB) Our country is experiencing firsthand the consequences of preferring sin over righteousness, and our only hope is a desperate and humbling repentance. But that is not just a message for “those other people”; God has called His people to lead the way. And just as Jesus taught, we can easily identify a litany of specks in the eyes of our nation while missing the logs in our own. But here is where the redemptive plan of God becomes so beautiful: as the Church boldly models genuine repentance, confident in the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy, we will lead our entire country to do the same and to expect God’s same response. Those results are absolutely transformative, both for individual lives and entire nations. I believe this is the moment for the Church to be as diligent in repenting as we are in preaching the gospel. There is a harvest coming, and a revival among God’s people as well. We are stepping into that moment right now, and I am excited about the season ahead of us.

For Tom, Kevin and myself, that next season is shaping up to be pretty busy. God has our attention focused on our nation’s leaders, and whether we are walking and praying along a lonely stretch of highway, or gathered with politicians and their office staff in prayer, or loving local ministries and encouraging the body of Christ, we are constantly aware of the urgency of the hour. God’s incredible plans aren’t reserved for the fastest walkers or most eloquent prayer leaders (thank goodness, because that absolutely does not describe our little prayerwalking trio). He is calling all of His people to respond to Him right where we are, with the very next task in front of us, in our immediate conversation, during that unexpected moment of opportunity. Those are the things I don’t want to miss while I’m busy doing everything else that seems so important. What He says is the most important thing…ever…all the time…every time. Thank God for His Word and for the Holy Spirit’s faithful reminders of both what He has said and what He is saying right now.

Our family is deeply grateful for the support we receive from so many friends and loved ones. From Barstow to Memphis and all the others places, we feel extremely loved and encouraged as we follow the Lord wherever He leads. Yes, thank you for your missions giving and your text messages and your phone calls, but thank you most of all for your faithfulness to the Lord. It’s a joy serving Him together whether right next door or across several states. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our family’s flow-through for directing financial resources to us here in Lakeland, TN. You can send support to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and simply designate it as “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Well, it’s the first of the month and I’m actually completing this brief update on time! And yes, as soon as I’m finished with this, I’ll be asking the Lord what He wants me to do next!

With all of our love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

March is here, and it brought another round of colder weather in our neck of the woods. Wait a sec…why do we always have these conversations about the weather? Is it really that interesting, or are we just that bored? Whatever the case may be, when we lived in Barstow and were asked about the weather, our answer was typically either, “It’s stinkin’ hot and really windy!” or else, “It’s freezing cold and really windy!” However, in Memphis you kinda never know what you’re going to get. Yesterday, it starting getting colder after the sun rose. (What?!) Today, we’re about to have some rain. This weekend should be beautiful. And anything after that is anyone’s guess. Of course, all of that is likely to change before I finish typing this update…but that’s Memphis for ya!

I’m not really a big New Year’s resolution kinda guy, but I had a conversation with the Lord in early January and asked Him to give me a focus or a heads-up for the weeks/months/whatever ahead. “Patience” was His reply, and in typical fashion, He’s had me apply that in a wide variety of ways and continues to provide me with more and more opportunities to grow this particular fruit of the Spirit in my life. (Umm…yay?) We’ve had delayed birthday parties, prolonged sicknesses, upended prayerwalking plans, and a laborious quest to replace our travel vehicle which accompanies us for all of those prayerwalking miles across the country. It feels like “waiting” is the new “doing”; and while I wish this was a new lesson I’m learning for the first time…it’s not.

Waiting isn’t particularly fun for me because I’d much rather be doing stuff that I feel is far more productive. But the Lord uses times of waiting to prepare us for greater productivity, more effective ministry, and a deeper understanding of what He knows we’ll soon experience. Moses didn’t become the leader of his people immediately after killing an Egyptian. David didn’t become king immediately after being anointed by Samuel. Jesus didn’t begin His earthly ministry immediately after being baptized by John. His disciples in turn were specifically told to wait before fulfilling the Great Commission. Waiting seems pretty common in God’s way of doing things, and He’s not one for wasting time or effort on anything. So, if He’s having me wait, He has good reasons and I need to trust Him.

This is shaping up to be a busy year for Tom, Kevin and myself. Along with thousands of prayerwalking miles yet to traverse across the country, there will likely be multiple trips to D.C. as we meet and pray with leaders there too. God is moving among the halls of Congress, and He’s given us favor with these leaders because His heart is to save them, bless them and use them as His instruments and for His glory. I’m looking forward to those “interruptions” and pauses to our prayerwalking schedule because I fully expect them to not only grant us the honor and privilege of praying with national leaders, but also inform our prayers as we continue traversing the nation. I just read in Psalm 138:4 recently, “May all the kings of the earth praise You, Lord, when they hear what You have decreed.” God’s Word is a sure counsel and guide for our nation’s leaders, and the opportunity to share His wisdom, to pray His words with these men and women whom He’s elevated to their positions of authority is truly a joy.

How do you schedule thousands of prayerwalking miles, multiple meetings with national and state leaders, quality time spent with family, hours on the road connecting with folks across the country, and  all of that during what will likely be one of the most intense political seasons our nation has ever experienced? Well, you pray lots…and you wait. God has all the answers (if He doesn’t, we’re in deep trouble) and His Word is our roadmap for life - not just “spiritual life”, but ALL of life. As each of us obediently follows Him and lives according to His Word, His infinite and perfect wisdom directs our steps and aligns our lives with His perfect intentions for us. And those intentions are good. Romans 12:2 promises that and we are able to not just experience it personally, but reveal that to all the kings of the earth, that they would hear what He has said in His Word, marvel at His wisdom, and submit themselves wholeheartedly to living for His glory. That is our path forward as a nation, and if I need to wait a bit in order to fulfill my small part of His grand design, I trust Him and will do my best to honor Him.

As always, our entire family is deeply grateful for the friendships and partnerships on this journey. God has knit our hearts together with our church family in Barstow and in Memphis, and with family and friends across the country. Thank you for everything, and for being our constant reminders that we are never alone, and that His Church is always bigger than we realize. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our flow-through for financial resources here in Lakeland, TN. Please direct your partnership with us through our partnership with them. You can send support to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and simply designate it as “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. Well, Denise is having a birthday this month, so I will wrap this up here and get to “wrapping” other things. We love y’all lots…like, lots and lots. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Don't want to arrive too early? Set clocks ahead 1 hour for NEXT Sunday.
Keeping Up With the Roberts Family
Each month Cliff and Denise Roberts write home to their high desert family at New Life Fellowship to share all the happenings in their lives and their new church community. We look forward to posting their spiritual insights as they continue walking with the Lord in Lakeland, Tennessee.
FEBRUARY: GOD’S FAITHFULNESS TO HIS WORD IS OUR ASSURANCE
Okay, as a thinly-veiled attempt to excuse the tardiness of this monthly update, I’d like to walk y’all through the past few weeks at our house. The winter storm that swept through our neck of the woods dropped six inches of snow and hung around for a good week. That would have been more enjoyable had our kids been healthy enough to play outside all day, but between a round of sickness in our home and a severe lack of proper winter apparel, we pretty much just hunkered down, ate lots of soup, and meandered our leisurely way through homeschool duties. That put a pause on Justice’s 14th birthday celebration, and with Wisdom’s out-of-town birthday trip to a used bookstore in Nashville (how many times have any of you celebrated your birthday in like fashion?), we had to postpone Justice’s party by leapfrogging over Wisdom’s 17th birthday celebration and waiting until February. But never fear, she did indeed turn 14, celebrated ALL DAY LONG with a house full of friends, and enjoyed hanging out way past her bedtime as we worshiped, prayed, and sang along with half of our family facilitating a mini church service in our hearth room. Quite the birthday bash, but so so so rewarding. There, am I excused now?

I was praying today about this newsletter and asking the Lord what would be encouraging to share with others, and He reminded me of how He’s answered prayers for me both recently and throughout much of my life. I’ve heard others talk about dry seasons and extended times of God’s silence that are isolating but also character-building. And to be honest, I’ve always had difficulty relating to that personally because in my experience, God never seems to stop talking! That’s not meant to be some show of spiritual maturity, but more transparently a confession that the reason I don’t hear Him as often is because I don’t always take the time to listen. He regularly interrupts my requests mid-sentence with His answer, providing direction before I can finish explaining to Him what it is that I think I need. Denise and I experience this together often as we’re talking through family or marriage situations and finish our conversation in prayer. The Lord often begins speaking and responding to us before we’re even done asking Him for the answers!

And while I know this is how the Lord most often does things in my life, He routinely surprises me with the things He says and does. I’ve been praying recently and asking the Lord for direction, and in the middle of a Sunday morning service, unrelated to anything else going on other than my prayerful confession to the Lord that I wanted to fully surrender myself to Him - He answered! I don’t fully understand everything He has planned for me, and I’m sure there will be plenty of “unexpected’s” along the way, but I’m confident that He is leading and directing my heart toward those who are on His. My partnership with Tom has granted so many sweet opportunities for ministry among leaders in Washington, D.C., gubernatorial offices across the country and with “random” encounters that none of us were expecting. The Lord has given me a passion to see these men and women impacted by the presence of God and led by His Spirit and His Word as they lead in their various capacities. Psalm 119:46 says, “I will speak of Your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame.” This isn’t just about speaking boldly and with conviction, but it also reveals that when God’s Word is the foundation of our counsel, our ministry, our encouragement and our prayers before even the most powerful leaders on earth, we can speak without shame. God’s faithfulness to His Word is our assurance. His perfect track record of never once breaking a promise gives us unparalleled confidence. We cannot be ashamed of His Word…because it always works! His Word is always true, never fails and never leads us astray. We may not understand its mystery entirely, but we can and must trust its authority and wisdom. God has indeed spoken, as He always does, and He has graciously recorded His words for us in Scripture. When I pray with congressional leaders, governors, pastors and others, the Holy Spirit usually reminds me of His Word and then that becomes my prayer.

Going forward, I know the Lord will continue to give me both audience and opportunity to speak of His statutes before kings without shame, and I am fully committed to doing exactly that. Along the way, it’s such a comfort to know that He’ll continue answering before I can finish asking Him the question, interrupting my thoughts with His own, and applying His Word and His words in dramatic ways for me personally and throughout His body corporately. We serve a very communicative God, and it is His great pleasure to reveal Himself to us by His Spirit and through His Word. My prayer for you is that you would also find Him to never be silent, but always ready, eager to speak, to answer, to guide, to encourage, to counsel, to warn, to exhort and to teach. What a humbling thing it is to know that He’ll even use people like us to do the very same thing!

In all honesty and with full transparency, these monthly newsletters are typically written for our family in Barstow. Twenty years among such sweet folks and dear friends continues to be a treasure for our entire family. I’m so grateful for the help we receive from Sherry, Christine, Amber, Jesse, Pastors Joe and Lynn and others to stay connected even while living many miles apart. For those receiving this update via email (and for anyone reading online), New Life Fellowship in Barstow, CA remains our flow-through for resources and financial support here in Lakeland, TN. Please direct your partnership with us through our partnership with them. You can send support to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and simply designate it as “Missions: The Roberts Family” or something similar. The prayerwalking trail awaits, and I’m anxious to get back on the road and excited for what the Lord is going to be doing and speaking as we walk and pray across the nation. God is certainly moving, in a variety of ways among His vastly diverse Church, and yeah, it’s pretty sweet to watch it all happening in real time. We love y’all tons!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Yup, snow.

Boba…I guess that’s a thing now? Well, my 17-year-old daughter is convinced that it’s not only a thing, but that it’s an amazing thing. Meh, I’m underwhelmed.

Yes! Justice was FINALLY able to celebrate with her friends!
Granted, this is only a small sampling of the deluge of folks who descended onto our home for a belated extravaganza, but they all had tons of fun!
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ABOUT
New Life Fellowship Church
134 West Main Street
P.O. Box 519
Barstow, California 92311
Office: 760.256.6076
Fax: 760.256.6800

As I write this, the Christmas decorations are still up and will likely remain so well into the new year. Our outside lights, laser lights, indoor lights, icicle lights and all the other lights are still on their timers and shining brightly. Our now extra-crispy Christmas tree is still straining a bit in the living room under the weight of its many ornaments, but I’ve noticed there are fewer candy canes hanging on it…weird. I wasn’t able to have the fire roaring once the stockings were loaded with meltable candies, but it’s raging now because all that sugar has been ravenously consumed. And yes, my Christmas playlist is still my default when driving around town. What can I say? I love Christmas!

If you were to sit down with me and read through my last few months of SOAPs, you’d likely find a recurring theme: justice. As God has been teaching me more about imprecatory prayers, and as I’ve been floundering my best to incorporate them into my prayer life, I’m thankful for His patience and His grace. As I continue to grow in this area of my life, I’m happy to say that I am also growing more and more in love with the justice of the Lord. Shoot, we even named one of our daughters Justice because that reflects such an important aspect of God’s character. It’s often easy to equate “justice” with “judgment”, but then we limit our understanding of it to a simple punishment of sin by a holy God. Yes, He is holy and He alone judges mankind, but there is real beauty to His justice, and a heart of compassion revealed when He administers it. There is also great comfort in knowing that our God is perfectly just, always just, faithfully just and entirely trustworthy as Judge.

I’ll do my best not to “sermonize” here, but our culture is suffering from a severe lack of genuine justice. We’re reeling from our own efforts to escape consequences, and that behavior reflects an attitude that is virulently anti-God. Justice honors the Lord; it demonstrates His character and reinforces the truth of His Word. It reminds us of His nature because it is a reflection of Who He is, and when we are deprived of justice, when we are awash in a lack of consequences, He is dishonored and we become disillusioned. I would challenge you to take any cultural, social, political, educational, financial or institutional issue and see if the lack of justice is anywhere near the root of that particular problem. Our own escapism reviles against actual consequences for our actions, and our continual efforts to avoid them only distances us further from a just, loving, merciful and holy God.

Our modern culture is witnessing what life is like when consequences are no longer priorities, but are things to be avoided and delayed at all costs. When promises are broken, lies are exposed, laws are violated and evil is celebrated, all without consequence reflective of the Lord’s justice, then His justice no longer acts as a deterrent against continued disobedience. David cries out in Psalm 7, “Arise, O Lord, in Your anger; lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You; for their sakes, therefore, return on high.” And again in Psalm 64: “All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider His doing.” David calls for God’s justice with the express purpose that people would witness it, acknowledge it as God’s divine activity, and humbly repent in response to it. His justice is intended not only to punish the wicked, but to elicit their praise! Not only does it honor Him and bring Him glory, but it impacts hearts and minds, and our humble response to Him is His ultimate aim for each of us.

How do I respond to the justice of the Lord? How well do I demonstrate His justice to those around me? What are tangible ways I can model the justice of God in my own life, with my own family, with my neighbors and friends? It seems like everyone senses that things are drastically wrong all around us, but without any real understanding of why or how to fix it. And while I certainly don’t have all of the answers, I know that holding myself accountable, embracing rather than running from consequences, speaking the truth about justice and speaking out against injustice - all of that is essential to my witness as a Christian. I want my life to reflect His character, and His justice is one attribute that my country needs to experience and understand. For whatever part I’m called to play in all of that, even on a limited and local scale, I want to be obedient.

Our family at New Life Fellowship remains a treasure to us and we are continually grateful for the love and support we receive from y’all on a regular basis. God provides miraculously for our family and you are an integral part of His blessing, so THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. For those reading this and wanting to join in the giving, please send checks to New Life Fellowship, 134 W. Main St., Barstow, CA, 92311 and simply mark it as “Missions: The Roberts Family” (or something like that). Every year spent following the Lord is filled with new adventures, and I’m certain 2024 will be no different in that regard. We’re going to witness some incredible things this year, and I believe God will work in unexpected ways (yes…again), and our faith is going to stretch and grow even more. But serving Him and being His disciple is truly the joy of my life, and I’m determined to spend myself in pursuit of the One I love most. Have a great start to the year and WE LOVE YOU from Tennessee!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

And in the blink of an eye…it’s Christmas! Wow, we did remember to celebrate Thanksgiving, right? It was great having our house was filled with family and friends for most of the day, and while the food was bountiful, it really was the people we were with who made the day so special. We have much to be thankful for, and the Christmas season is one of my favorites for exactly that reason. I’m so glad Jesus came. Where would we be without Him? Since I did this once before (no, literally ONCE before), it has now become a hallowed and rich tradition to do a “family update thingy” in December. So without further ado…
Life is seven years old - can you believe it? It’s still weird to think that Tennessee is home for him more than California, but he’s loving it here and manages to fill his day with boundless pursuits. Most of those consist of pursuing Honor all over the house as a human shadow, but he blazes through his schoolwork, his household chores, as many Dude Perfect videos as others will watch with him, as well as all of his now-too-short pairs of pants. (He’s gonna stop growing eventually, right?) What he may lack in age and experience, he more than makes up for in energy and zest. He’s an aptly named, precocious boy who routinely refuses to engage the world around him at anything less than full throttle. His imagination fires on all cylinders and he’ll gladly engage you in a conversation about what it would be like to be a miniature human climbing up the straw of a smoothie only to slide back down inside…once he warms up to ya.
When Honor is not providing direction and focus for all of Life’s engagement and energy, he’s usually involved in some sort of game: board game, video game, video game version of a board game, pretend game, etc. He’s got my drive in that regard, finding a new game (or rediscovering an old one) and playing it lots, repeatedly, again, just one more time, trying different strategies, working through various expansions or with other characters, playing solo at the full player count. Yeah, all the stuff I’ve done LOTS of during years of board game playing. And when he discovers a new video game? Prepare to hear about every detail, interaction and strategy, which gun does what amount of damage and how much it costs and why he’s saving up for something else even though this other power-up is really cool because he’s trying to level up this particular character in order to unlock this area that he’s never been to before because he thinks it probably has…(yeah, are you feeling me now?) I’m sure glad I was never like that as a kid. Ha! And here’s some cool news: he’s growing plenty, WITHOUT MEDICINE!, for which we’re routinely thankful. The initial advice from doctors when we first discovered his underdeveloped pituitary gland was to give him hormone treatments to make sure he was able to grow as much as possible, especially during his teen years. Well, he’s twelve now and the medicine supply chain crisis impacting the entire nation forced us to look for a different brand for his treatment. That medicine transition took longer than expected…and he kept growing…even months later without any treatment. So, the latest physician recommendation was to just let him keep growing on his own and to expect a boost of growth during his upcoming teenage years. We’re thanking the Lord regularly and continuing to ask for supernatural and explosive growth for our son. When the medicine was unavailable, I was praying and felt very strongly that the Lord wanted to answer Honor’s prayers directly. So, we’ve been encouraging Honor to ask the Lord on his own for healing because that’s how God wants to do it: He wants to answer Honor’s prayers, not just those of his parents. So, he praying and he’s growing. Thank you everyone for continuing to believe alongside Honor that the Lord will work miraculously in his physical body to perfect His plans for Honor’s full development and growth.
And speaking of teenage years…Justice has been 13 years old for over 300 days! She’s now a seasoned veteran at fashion, Fortnite, friends and fun. We’ve jokingly said that she should just carry a backpack filled with clothes wherever she goes because she’ll probably end up crashing at a friend’s house at some point. It’s actually kinda funny to watch how stir-crazy she can get if she hasn’t hung out with friends recently. She’ll spend all day at a friend’s house, finally get dropped off back at home, and within 5 minutes is asking to go up the street to play with another friend until dinner. She absolutely thrives on social interaction, and for all the right reasons. Her heart of compassion and genuine love for others is a joy to witness. She is so thoughtful, often going to great lengths to make sure that those around her know how special they are. And the coolest part is that none of it is forced; it just comes naturally. Part of her nature is also to be completely tenacious about stuff. We watched her battle daily in the NICU after being born 10 weeks early. We saw her up and decide one day that she was going to master the art of walking and that’s all there was to it - and she did! Most recently, she’s been working/saving/budgeting her way toward a brand new VR gaming system (“virtual reality” for all us old folks), and she’s going to get it! I’m not sure how she’s going to find a way to integrate virtual reality with loving ministry toward others, but if there’s anyone who can do it, Justice is definitely that person.
Truth continues to grow both physically and spiritually. He’s maturing into one of the kindest, gentlest and most thoughtful young men I’ve ever had the privilege to disciple. Granted, that doesn’t keep him from wrestling with his brothers, acting like a complete goofball at the dinner table or humoring the rest of us with constant comments, echoes, and witty banter. He’s all boy, but he loves the Lord and loves people. That’s a pretty sweet combination and a foundation for success in whatever he chooses to pursue, because his first pursuit is his relationship with God. We’re immensely proud of him, and whether he becomes an author, Chick-fil-A manager, professional blogger or the next breakout EDM artist, he’s going to doing exceedingly well. My current favorite story to tell is about him and Wisdom taking their online tests to receive their driving learner’s permits. Wisdom methodically reviewed each question and skipped past the ones she was unsure of in order to return to them later. I watched as she slowly inched her way closer and closer to a passing score…and she passed! When Truth sat down to take his test, he blasted through questions in a matter of seconds, confidently giving his best answer to each one and I watched as he RACED closer and closer to failing…which he did not! Their approaches to the same test were radically different, but I’m proud of Truth for his courage and confidence, his willingness to face head-on that which may be uncomfortable or unfamiliar. It’s the same in his walk with the Lord, and as God has continued to faithfully lead him even in difficult times, Truth’s faith has grown and is rapidly becoming unshakable. It’s pretty awesome to witness.
Wisdom continues to thrive and grow in all the right ways. She is studious and responsible, doing well in school and proving herself to be a reliable young lady in a variety of environments. She still loves serving in our church nursery and is a go-to babysitter for several of our friends. When she isn’t drawing, sewing, crafting or reading, she’s likely on her phone, in her room, with her best friend, Purity. I still don’t know what they could possibly be talking about for countless hours every day, but they manage to do it regularly…faithfully…every-waking-moment-ish…like they enjoy it or something…it’s weird. She’s learning violin and is joyfully unafraid to try her hand at whatever piques her interest. That spirit of adventure is often at odds with her desire to be comfortable, but to her credit, she is learning more and more about yielding to the Lord and learning to trust Him. I’m thankful that He’s so faithful, and Wisdom models that same faithful quality with grace and compassion. She is fiercely loyal to her family, even if being surrounded by obnoxious, smelly, rambunctious boys gets multiple daily eye-rolls from her. As she looks ahead to finishing her junior year and whatever awaits her after high school, I know that she’ll follow the Lord with confident independence, yet with a strong connection to her family and the support we give her. God has great things in store for our Wisdom.
Purity has been thoroughly enjoying NOT being in school. I’m not certain that is accompanied by an increased enjoyment at her greater availability for Denise, but she chauffeurs her siblings well, helps out at home with a good attitude, and continues to draw, read, paint and be imaginative…when she’s not busy playing some ridiculous cat game on her phone. (Yes, I make sure to routinely harass her about kitten games…apparently to no avail.) Purity has gotten past some of the pressure to always know what she wants to do next, to have a plan or a goal to shoot for, to have direction plotted out ahead, and is learning to be content and to find purpose right where she is. I’d like to say that she gets that from her dad, but I’m very much continually learning the same lessons, so I’ll attribute that work to her Father in heaven instead. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” Purity is learning that and walking in that more each day. She continues to grow in her faith and her devotion to the Lord, and as He fashions more and more of His character into her own, His peace, gentleness, love and goodness abound in greater measure in Purity’s words, her actions, her attitude and her heart. She’s a joy to be around and a wonderful model for her younger siblings to follow.
And managing all of these amazing kids is my phenomenal wife, Denise. When I think of “managing”, I’m amazed at the way she cooks, teaches, parents, leads and handles the numerous details required simply to maintain a functioning group of people who all live in the same house together. But then she goes so far beyond those daily responsibilities to really have her finger on the pulse of each one of our kids. Her conversations with them about the Lord are purposeful and transformational. She helps them to guard their hearts well and she stewards each of them as the treasures they are from the Lord. She prays faithfully every morning, nestled in her prayer room with the heater cranked, blanket swaddled and beanie atop her head to stay extra warm. I get to have coffee with Jesus in front of the fire, but she’s already been awake and in conversation with the Lord before anyone else is up. The fruit of that time spent with Him is evident in my wife’s life in so many ways. She pours effortlessly into people’s lives with timely words from the Lord, spiritual insight and understanding that can only come from Him, and a boldness that accompanies His prompting, prodding and encouragement to be exactly whom He’s uniquely gifted and called her to be. I’m immensely proud of her, humbled to count her as my closest friend, and so expectant of the things God will continue to do in her life, in our family, and through her obedience to Him. She’s the best…but y’all knew that already, didn’t ya?
Ok, now it’s my turn, right? Honestly, life is good even if it feels somewhat bifurcated. At times it’s difficult to engage/re-engage repeatedly when I’m away from home prayerwalking, then back home again catching up with family activities. I love the hours spent walking and praying across the country, and the Lord is faithful to lead me as I pray. Walking 20 miles daily gives me a lot of uninterrupted one-one-one time with the Holy Spirit, and it’s so sweet to listen as He prompts me to pray, shares His desires with me and reminds me of His Word. It’s a weighty burden at times with so much going on across the nation and around the world, but nothing escapes His notice, and He’s well able to lead each of us to pray, speak, act and engage if we’re willing to follow. My time at home often involves catching up on board games, chores, homeschool stuff and time with the fam. It often feels like there’s little room for anything else, but all of it fills my tank and prepares me for whatever is next. The most immediate “next” is finishing up Christmas shopping, shuttling kids around, dinner, taking care of my wife who’s feeling a bit less than 100%, more decorating and maybe a board game squeezed in there with Life and Honor. But first…coffee!
As always, we are so thankful for such supportive friends and family. Following the Lord is quite an adventure, but He is a faithful Provider and we’re humbled to know that those closest to us are His instruments of blessing both in finances and relationships. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. Your prayers, gifts, text messages, phone calls and emails are truly a JOY for us to receive. We pray that y’all have an amazing Christmas and an incredible start to 2024!
Merry Christmas from Tennessee!
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

And in the blink of an eye…it’s Christmas! Wow, we did remember to celebrate Thanksgiving, right? It was great having our house was filled with family and friends for most of the day, and while the food was bountiful, it really was the people we were with who made the day so special. We have much to be thankful for, and the Christmas season is one of my favorites for exactly that reason. I’m so glad Jesus came. Where would we be without Him? Since I did this once before (no, literally ONCE before), it has now become a hallowed and rich tradition to do a “family update thingy” in December. So without further ado…
Life is seven years old - can you believe it? It’s still weird to think that Tennessee is home for him more than California, but he’s loving it here and manages to fill his day with boundless pursuits. Most of those consist of pursuing Honor all over the house as a human shadow, but he blazes through his schoolwork, his household chores, as many Dude Perfect videos as others will watch with him, as well as all of his now-too-short pairs of pants. (He’s gonna stop growing eventually, right?) What he may lack in age and experience, he more than makes up for in energy and zest. He’s an aptly named, precocious boy who routinely refuses to engage the world around him at anything less than full throttle. His imagination fires on all cylinders and he’ll gladly engage you in a conversation about what it would be like to be a miniature human climbing up the straw of a smoothie only to slide back down inside…once he warms up to ya.
When Honor is not providing direction and focus for all of Life’s engagement and energy, he’s usually involved in some sort of game: board game, video game, video game version of a board game, pretend game, etc. He’s got my drive in that regard, finding a new game (or rediscovering an old one) and playing it lots, repeatedly, again, just one more time, trying different strategies, working through various expansions or with other characters, playing solo at the full player count. Yeah, all the stuff I’ve done LOTS of during years of board game playing. And when he discovers a new video game? Prepare to hear about every detail, interaction and strategy, which gun does what amount of damage and how much it costs and why he’s saving up for something else even though this other power-up is really cool because he’s trying to level up this particular character in order to unlock this area that he’s never been to before because he thinks it probably has…(yeah, are you feeling me now?) I’m sure glad I was never like that as a kid. Ha! And here’s some cool news: he’s growing plenty, WITHOUT MEDICINE!, for which we’re routinely thankful. The initial advice from doctors when we first discovered his underdeveloped pituitary gland was to give him hormone treatments to make sure he was able to grow as much as possible, especially during his teen years. Well, he’s twelve now and the medicine supply chain crisis impacting the entire nation forced us to look for a different brand for his treatment. That medicine transition took longer than expected…and he kept growing…even months later without any treatment. So, the latest physician recommendation was to just let him keep growing on his own and to expect a boost of growth during his upcoming teenage years. We’re thanking the Lord regularly and continuing to ask for supernatural and explosive growth for our son. When the medicine was unavailable, I was praying and felt very strongly that the Lord wanted to answer Honor’s prayers directly. So, we’ve been encouraging Honor to ask the Lord on his own for healing because that’s how God wants to do it: He wants to answer Honor’s prayers, not just those of his parents. So, he praying and he’s growing. Thank you everyone for continuing to believe alongside Honor that the Lord will work miraculously in his physical body to perfect His plans for Honor’s full development and growth.
And speaking of teenage years…Justice has been 13 years old for over 300 days! She’s now a seasoned veteran at fashion, Fortnite, friends and fun. We’ve jokingly said that she should just carry a backpack filled with clothes wherever she goes because she’ll probably end up crashing at a friend’s house at some point. It’s actually kinda funny to watch how stir-crazy she can get if she hasn’t hung out with friends recently. She’ll spend all day at a friend’s house, finally get dropped off back at home, and within 5 minutes is asking to go up the street to play with another friend until dinner. She absolutely thrives on social interaction, and for all the right reasons. Her heart of compassion and genuine love for others is a joy to witness. She is so thoughtful, often going to great lengths to make sure that those around her know how special they are. And the coolest part is that none of it is forced; it just comes naturally. Part of her nature is also to be completely tenacious about stuff. We watched her battle daily in the NICU after being born 10 weeks early. We saw her up and decide one day that she was going to master the art of walking and that’s all there was to it - and she did! Most recently, she’s been working/saving/budgeting her way toward a brand new VR gaming system (“virtual reality” for all us old folks), and she’s going to get it! I’m not sure how she’s going to find a way to integrate virtual reality with loving ministry toward others, but if there’s anyone who can do it, Justice is definitely that person.
Truth continues to grow both physically and spiritually. He’s maturing into one of the kindest, gentlest and most thoughtful young men I’ve ever had the privilege to disciple. Granted, that doesn’t keep him from wrestling with his brothers, acting like a complete goofball at the dinner table or humoring the rest of us with constant comments, echoes, and witty banter. He’s all boy, but he loves the Lord and loves people. That’s a pretty sweet combination and a foundation for success in whatever he chooses to pursue, because his first pursuit is his relationship with God. We’re immensely proud of him, and whether he becomes an author, Chick-fil-A manager, professional blogger or the next breakout EDM artist, he’s going to doing exceedingly well. My current favorite story to tell is about him and Wisdom taking their online tests to receive their driving learner’s permits. Wisdom methodically reviewed each question and skipped past the ones she was unsure of in order to return to them later. I watched as she slowly inched her way closer and closer to a passing score…and she passed! When Truth sat down to take his test, he blasted through questions in a matter of seconds, confidently giving his best answer to each one and I watched as he RACED closer and closer to failing…which he did not! Their approaches to the same test were radically different, but I’m proud of Truth for his courage and confidence, his willingness to face head-on that which may be uncomfortable or unfamiliar. It’s the same in his walk with the Lord, and as God has continued to faithfully lead him even in difficult times, Truth’s faith has grown and is rapidly becoming unshakable. It’s pretty awesome to witness.
Wisdom continues to thrive and grow in all the right ways. She is studious and responsible, doing well in school and proving herself to be a reliable young lady in a variety of environments. She still loves serving in our church nursery and is a go-to babysitter for several of our friends. When she isn’t drawing, sewing, crafting or reading, she’s likely on her phone, in her room, with her best friend, Purity. I still don’t know what they could possibly be talking about for countless hours every day, but they manage to do it regularly…faithfully…every-waking-moment-ish…like they enjoy it or something…it’s weird. She’s learning violin and is joyfully unafraid to try her hand at whatever piques her interest. That spirit of adventure is often at odds with her desire to be comfortable, but to her credit, she is learning more and more about yielding to the Lord and learning to trust Him. I’m thankful that He’s so faithful, and Wisdom models that same faithful quality with grace and compassion. She is fiercely loyal to her family, even if being surrounded by obnoxious, smelly, rambunctious boys gets multiple daily eye-rolls from her. As she looks ahead to finishing her junior year and whatever awaits her after high school, I know that she’ll follow the Lord with confident independence, yet with a strong connection to her family and the support we give her. God has great things in store for our Wisdom.
Purity has been thoroughly enjoying NOT being in school. I’m not certain that is accompanied by an increased enjoyment at her greater availability for Denise, but she chauffeurs her siblings well, helps out at home with a good attitude, and continues to draw, read, paint and be imaginative…when she’s not busy playing some ridiculous cat game on her phone. (Yes, I make sure to routinely harass her about kitten games…apparently to no avail.) Purity has gotten past some of the pressure to always know what she wants to do next, to have a plan or a goal to shoot for, to have direction plotted out ahead, and is learning to be content and to find purpose right where she is. I’d like to say that she gets that from her dad, but I’m very much continually learning the same lessons, so I’ll attribute that work to her Father in heaven instead. 1 Timothy 6:6 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain.” Purity is learning that and walking in that more each day. She continues to grow in her faith and her devotion to the Lord, and as He fashions more and more of His character into her own, His peace, gentleness, love and goodness abound in greater measure in Purity’s words, her actions, her attitude and her heart. She’s a joy to be around and a wonderful model for her younger siblings to follow.
And managing all of these amazing kids is my phenomenal wife, Denise. When I think of “managing”, I’m amazed at the way she cooks, teaches, parents, leads and handles the numerous details required simply to maintain a functioning group of people who all live in the same house together. But then she goes so far beyond those daily responsibilities to really have her finger on the pulse of each one of our kids. Her conversations with them about the Lord are purposeful and transformational. She helps them to guard their hearts well and she stewards each of them as the treasures they are from the Lord. She prays faithfully every morning, nestled in her prayer room with the heater cranked, blanket swaddled and beanie atop her head to stay extra warm. I get to have coffee with Jesus in front of the fire, but she’s already been awake and in conversation with the Lord before anyone else is up. The fruit of that time spent with Him is evident in my wife’s life in so many ways. She pours effortlessly into people’s lives with timely words from the Lord, spiritual insight and understanding that can only come from Him, and a boldness that accompanies His prompting, prodding and encouragement to be exactly whom He’s uniquely gifted and called her to be. I’m immensely proud of her, humbled to count her as my closest friend, and so expectant of the things God will continue to do in her life, in our family, and through her obedience to Him. She’s the best…but y’all knew that already, didn’t ya?
Ok, now it’s my turn, right? Honestly, life is good even if it feels somewhat bifurcated. At times it’s difficult to engage/re-engage repeatedly when I’m away from home prayerwalking, then back home again catching up with family activities. I love the hours spent walking and praying across the country, and the Lord is faithful to lead me as I pray. Walking 20 miles daily gives me a lot of uninterrupted one-one-one time with the Holy Spirit, and it’s so sweet to listen as He prompts me to pray, shares His desires with me and reminds me of His Word. It’s a weighty burden at times with so much going on across the nation and around the world, but nothing escapes His notice, and He’s well able to lead each of us to pray, speak, act and engage if we’re willing to follow. My time at home often involves catching up on board games, chores, homeschool stuff and time with the fam. It often feels like there’s little room for anything else, but all of it fills my tank and prepares me for whatever is next. The most immediate “next” is finishing up Christmas shopping, shuttling kids around, dinner, taking care of my wife who’s feeling a bit less than 100%, more decorating and maybe a board game squeezed in there with Life and Honor. But first…coffee!
As always, we are so thankful for such supportive friends and family. Following the Lord is quite an adventure, but He is a faithful Provider and we’re humbled to know that those closest to us are His instruments of blessing both in finances and relationships. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. Your prayers, gifts, text messages, phone calls and emails are truly a JOY for us to receive. We pray that y’all have an amazing Christmas and an incredible start to 2024!
Merry Christmas from Tennessee!
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Hello to everyone from Springerville, AZ! (Don’t worry, I didn’t know where that was either until we drove into town the other day.) We’re nearing the end of the “western half” of our 20,000-mile prayerwalk connecting every state capitol, and we’re doing our best to finish up before the winter weather strikes! Just for reference, we hit the walking trail this morning while the temperature was still in the 30’s. But it’s been great spending time with the Lord, hearing His heart regarding so many things, and partnering with Him in prayer as we walk across the country.

Most recently, the Holy Spirit has really been teaching me a lot about imprecatory prayers. You know, those prayers where David asks God to smite his enemies, destroy the wicked, silence the lying lips (permanently) and all the other requests he makes of God inviting His judgment and wrath to be poured out upon the Lord’s enemies? Yeah, those prayers. I’ve gotta admit, I’m not entirely comfortable with them beyond a sort of historical context that was fine for David and his OT God of wrath, but doesn’t fit in well with the NT Jesus Who teaches us to love our enemies. And yet, the Holy Spirit saw fit to include these prayers in Scripture, to inspire them in song, to use them as part of His worship hymnal for His people. Either He forgot that He put those imprecatory prayers in the Bible, or I’m missing something. I think the latter is more likely the case. So, I’m learning lots, stretching my prayer life in unexpected directions, and reminded every day how thankful I am that I have such a wise and patient Teacher.

While I’d love to walk y’all through the multitude of things I’m currently learning about imprecatory prayers, I want to instead share with you an email I recently received from a friend of mine - his name is Tom. Lol! Yes, the same “Tom” who’s leading this prayerwalk we’re currently on. Some of you may have already read his email, but that’s okay; it’s actually worth a second, third, fourth, etc. time through. As our team walks across the nation, we’re often burdened by the Lord not just for local situations, local leaders, businesses, churches and schools, but are often led to pray nationally for the leaders and policies which impact those local elements. It has truly been one of our most unexpected (and most joyous) privileges to pray with various government leaders, their staff and their families. Did you know that even the most public faces have private lives too? Yes, our leaders actually do need our prayers, and God has commissioned each of us to pray faithfully for them. I believe Tom’s email will encourage you to do exactly that. Here’s the link:
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/My-friend--Mike-Johnson.html?soid=1101890603611&aid=IgEP94KdBeA

As far as the Roberts Family goes, we’re plugging away at homeschool and plenty of extracurricular activities, doing our best to make sure we’re enjoying each other and plenty of our friends along the way. I’ll update you on the crew next month, but until then, please be encouraged by Tom’s email and please remember to pray. We so appreciate the financial support, prayers, phone calls and text engagements. New Life Fellowship continues to serve as our pass-through for giving, so anything you would send to us can go directly to New Life in Barstow and it’s always gets passed along to us. It’s such a blessing to have family all across the United States supporting our journey of following the Lord on the adventure He has planned ahead of us. For those interested in some short day-to-day snippets of life on the prayerwalking road, you can follow me on GETTR @godurmyall. That channel is only used for prayerwalking times though, so if you wanna interact more consistently or in real-time…give us a call!

Lots of love from Tennessee!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

                            Early morning in Grants, NM

From the menu at The House in Show Low, NM: “White Mountain Donut Burger - 8oz. fresh beef patty, cheddar cheese, bacon, grilled onions & a fried egg with chipotle aioli, all between 2 glazed donuts” (Yes, I ate the whole thing!).
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Well, it’s a new season (hooray for fall colors! and not-hooray for raking leaves!) and I’m writing this from the road as we’re continuing our prayerwalk through Colorado and toward New Mexico. The Rocky Mountains are absolutely gorgeous, and they continue to remind me of the magnificence and greatness of our Creator. I still find it hard to believe that He put stuff like this on this planet and populated it with people just so we could marvel at His wonders and glorify Him for it all - but He did, and I’m thankful.

Tom, Kevin and I have trekked thousands of miles across America, and we’ve noticed a few “universals” that tend to be true no matter where we are. Our recent walk into and through the Denver area was yet another example of the contrast between rural and urban dynamics. Kevin found us a great walking trail that wove its way through the suburbs around Denver and into the heart of the city, and Tom and I were able to walk some 20 miles along this paved trail filled with bikers, joggers, dog-walkers and high school cross country teams. As I approached the downtown area, I continued to pass more and more homeless people until I emerged right in the downtown area filled with homeless camps, tents lining the curbs, open drug use on the street and plenty of poverty. Unfortunately, that is an all-too-common scene in most major cities across the United States.

I’ve walked through so many rural American communities during this prayerwalking journey, and they’re often filled with patriotic displays, American flags and signs celebrating independence and personal liberty. Those red-white-and-blue displays are often replaced with rainbow flags and BLM banners in most major cities I’ve walked through, and the spiritual climates are as distinct as what I see visually. But I remarked to Tom and Kevin just the other day that Colorado was unique in that the rural and rugged communities were completely devoid of any sort of patriotic displays, Trump signs, American flags or expressions of freedom. The communities still “felt” like many others (rugged individualism, American pride and salt-of-the-earth type of people), but none of that was publicly displayed in any fashion. It was as if the underlying spirit of American patriotism was there, just muted, inconspicuous and reserved. Given that Colorado was one of the the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana and the first state to elect an openly homosexual governor, I began to think about the direction that Colorado has taken in the last decade and was moved to pray for boldness among righteous people who pray for and interact with leadership within this state.

I studied Political Science when I attended Santa Clara University, and while not overly active politically, I’ve maintained a decent amount of awareness throughout my adult life. So I remember watching Colorado trend more liberal over the course of several years until the “rugged Rocky Mountain man” stereotype was replaced with nature-loving weed-smokers. Colorado is solidly liberal rather than conservative, and its current leadership and statewide policies reflect a sharp turn away from solid biblical morality and ethics. I believe a large part of HOW and WHY that happened is exactly what I witnessed while walking through the rural parts of this state: people who think and believe differently than that more liberal trend have been silent rather than outspoken, disinterested rather than engaged, and have largely contented themselves with just minding their own business without involving themselves in the business of others. That shrinking back has left a vacuum that ungodly influences are eager and willing to fill with every kind of perversion and evil imaginable.

Jesus spoke about the man who had been freed from demonic possession, only to be repossessed by even more demons who arrived to find his life all tidied up, but still vacant. (Mt. 12:43-45) That same reality is reflected across the state here in Colorado. For whatever reasons, there is not a large, pervasive, statewide engagement with these evil influences; and whether it is apathy, hopelessness, selfishness, laziness, indifference or something more sinister or even more benign, that lack of engagement has invited unrighteousness to reign in places where righteous leadership belongs instead. Okay, are you ready for the next point of application? Consider our nation.

American culture does not exist in a vacuum, nor is it unaffected by the kingdom of God. Indeed, we’re called as God’s people to impact culture, shaping it, shifting it and fashioning it to reflect His kingdom come and His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus often said when He taught, “You’ve heard that it is said…, but I say to you…”. He was moving culture as He communicated the truth, God’s heart revealed in His Word, the things people were missing as they busied themselves with traditions, routines and business as usual. Jesus brought a NEW culture, His KINGDOM culture, into direct conflict with the culture all around Him. He calls us to do the same: to preach the gospel and to make disciples, thus changing culture by the expansion of His kingdom. So let me ask you a somewhat provocative question: Do we bear any responsibility for the culture we lament in America? Are we not the recipients of what we ourselves have allowed? Has our reactionary approach to American culture created an empty space for evil to thrive in even more abundantly? If the Lord has told us to pray for culture to change and to work faithfully toward that same end, and if He is faithful to His Word and just as powerful today as He has ever been, are we not responsible for the culture we have inherited - strike that, “created”?

Perhaps it is time for us to openly engage in the “culture wars” that so many deem “inappropriate” for Christian activity. While all sorts of inappropriate things are foisted upon our children, welcomed into the national conversation, legislatively protected and proudly celebrated, is our place on the sidelines or on the frontlines? What is our battle if not to combat those elements openly and impact culture with intentionality? This is not a social issue, but a spiritual one, and our lack of engagement undermines that truth because it communicates the opposite: that our place as Christians is “beyond the fray”, only concerned with “spiritual matters”, focused on the gospel and the gospel alone. But my response to the gospel does not simply secure my eternity - it radically shapes my present. It causes me to see differently, feel differently, think differently, respond differently, act differently, speak differently, and engage every aspect of public interaction differently. The gospel requires me to change culture because He has changed me. I cannot sit back and simply react or respond - that does not reflect the heart of the Father Who pursued me, chased me, sent His Son for me, and relentlessly continues to perfect His work in me. My life is not my own any longer because He’s purchased it for Himself. I belong to Him, am a servant in His kingdom, and have been given a mission by my King to bring His kingdom to bear on every cultural issue and demonic force seeking to wage war in that arena.

Do not shrink back, Church. Do not leave any room for even a sliver of daylight between the myriad of “hot button” issues and your engagement with them both publicly and privately. Let us pray, and speak, and act with boldness and with love, bringing His kingdom culture into direct conflict with the culture that would defy Him and exalt something else or someone else in His place. I happen to be bringing that culture into conversations and prayers as I walk across the country. I’m asking for His wisdom to do the same as I raise my kids to be faithful witnesses and disciples. I’m actively looking for ways to communicate His heart with my neighbors across a vast array of topics and situations. My personal political ideology or philosophical opinions are powerless to change lives, but the gospel can do what I cannot, and His kingdom has the power to overcome every obstacle erected against it. Let us not sit back as wickedness seeks to increase its influence throughout our culture. Let us not content ourselves with only responding to people while the Holy Spirit is prompting us to initiate uncomfortable interactions. I believe the Lord is calling us to be accountable NOW, so let us acknowledge where we have allowed sin to run rampant in our culture and recommit ourselves to living lives of meaningful impact and purpose for His glory and His kingdom.

Well, that’s a snapshot of what hours walking and praying across the nation often stirs up in my heart. The Lord loves America, and I’m so humbled to know that He’s chosen me to pray for leaders all over the country as He gives direction both to my feet and to my heart. I’m doing my best to provide daily updates on GETTR while I’m on the walking trail. So if you want to follow me, download the app and find me: @GodURmyall. The content there is just brief 3-minute blurbs of what the Lord is putting on my heart as I’m walking and praying (and sometimes includes some cool scenery too). Thank you everyone for your continued support. The finances and prayers and conversations are so encouraging and humbling for our entire family. We love you lots.

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Hi y’all! I’m back on the prayerwalking route across Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, but wanted to pop in briefly to let you know that I’m doing my best to update daily on GETTR when I’m on the road. You can follow me there @GodURmyall if you want to hear some of my everyday experiences. But now, without further ado, here’s Denise with an update for September! - Cliff

Hey, ya’ll! I get the privilege and honor of writing this month’s newsletter! Yay! Well, the feel of Autumn is in the morning air already and honestly, I’m looking forward to the change of season. Every season has its own personality and isn’t it just like our Creator to make every one unique and different? Our Father is the author of creativity! He has created everything by the word of His mouth and He is still creating by His words as He speaks them through us to the people and places He sends us too! Think about that for a minute, we were created to worship and love God and through this love relationship, speak His life and love to others! In Matthew’s Gospel the tenth chapter and verse eight we find Jesus instructing His disciples before He sends them out and He tells them, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.” He was talking about releasing what He had given them, the power of the Kingdom, wherever they went. Jesus says in verse seven of this same chapter, “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of heaven has come near’… we hear the instructions of Jesus still speaking to us today as His disciples. We all know we are to go, we all know we have the power of the Holy Spirit inside us to release the Kingdom, why do so many of us find ourselves lacking in power? Why do we find ourselves reluctant to truly give sacrificially and go in obedience without reservation to serve others?
In Matthew 22:36-40, a religious teacher, who was an expert in the law, had asked Jesus this question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In here our answer is found, Love. Love is the motivating force behind the power, without love we are powerless! But there is a divine way and order in which love finds its way out and releases the Kingdom of Heaven right here on the earth. We are in that very season! We are in a Matthew 25 season!  God is calling us and inviting us to come near and receive fresh oil in this place of intimacy with Him! Loving Him is first and always will be in our life as His disciples and as sons and daughters. Our first ministry is to minister to the Lord and in this place is where we learn to give love and receive it in return. This is the oil of intimacy! We are changed in His very Presence and then we are empowered  to go out and release what we have been given! LOVE! We cannot give to others what we do not have or do not take the time to cultivate with the Lord. He is calling us to the place of deeper intimacy with Himself in this season and those who have ears to hear let them hear and those who have eyes to see let them see what the Lord is up too! In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus says this about the Kingdom of Heaven, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were fooIish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord, ‘ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
 The Lord is preparing His Bride for His return and  He is calling her back to Himself in this hour! There is only one place and with one whom we become pure and spotless. It's in this place of love and intimacy with Jesus by the Holy Spirit! Do you hear Him? His perfect love casts out all fear! This is Good News! We must be fearless in the days ahead! Love is the only way forward in such darkness! For some of us, it may seem like sitting with The Lord and  ministering to Him and learning the ways of love is a waste of time. You may be thinking… we should be going…but may I encourage you that one day with Him is better than a thousand elsewhere. He is aware of the work and the need to go and He also knows the way!! Let’s set our hearts on pilgrimage and make a place near His altar as David so beautifully wrote in Psalm 84. Everything we do must flow from this place of intimacy with Jesus! If it doesn’t, we will not go, nor will we lay down our lives for others. Let’s follow the divine order, Love God first with all of us and then let the love we receive overflow with power into our homes, cities, and nation! We will see with our eyes what our hearts know by faith and many will come into the Kingdom!

We love you and are thankful for all your prayers! God is doing great things in Memphis, Tennessee and across our nation!

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life :)

Okay, since the entire world seems to be growing increasingly demonic, why don’t we pause just a moment and consider a particular interaction Jesus had with Satan one fine day at the end of a 40-day fast? Luke records that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit and then led by the Spirit into the wilderness. He was tempted for 40 days and at the end of the ordeal, He was hungry. Sounds pretty normal, right? Satan tempts Him several times, but the Lord really highlighted this particular one to me recently, and I wanted to share it with y’all as well.

Luke 4:6 - And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.”

To a gathered crowd, Jesus once said this: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” (Jn. 12:31) During His final meal with the disciples, Jesus told them, “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.” (Jn. 14:30) In the book of Revelation, John writes, “Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority…It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” (Rev. 13:2,7)

As uncomfortable as it may be to admit, Satan rules this world only because God allows it. The devil did not create this earth, but was cast out of heaven and operates here as he pleases. His authority extends over every people group, across every language and culture, over every kingdom and nation on earth. He rules here in this domain, one in which we are but strangers, transients, aliens and temporary residents. (Jn. 15:19, 1 Jn. 5:19) However, the REAL power and authority resides always and forever with the Lord. God is sovereign over all of Satan’s writhing, fomenting, blaspheming, scheming, destroying and manipulating. In fact, his power is actually BROKEN because of the cross. In Romans 5, Paul sorta “weighs the scales” by comparing Adam’s sin (his failure when tempted) to Christ’s perfect work. The magnitude of what Christ has accomplished not only tips the scales in His favor, but it upends the entire table the scales are sitting on - there is simply NO COMPARISON! (Rom. 5: 15,17,20,16 - “…how much more…how much more…all the more…Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin…”) Jesus said through His death and resurrection, He would drive out the devil, evict him and render him powerless with NO authority (Jn. 12:31). Satan was powerless to stop Jesus then and remains powerless over God’s activity, having no part in Him at all (Jn. 14:30). So his influence in the world, while real and tangible and used to terrible effect, is shattered forever because of the cross.

As the Lord continues to answer our prayers that darkness be exposed, people are becoming more aware of the demonic and spiritual nature of the forces at work behind the world’s elites, the “rulers of this age” (1 Cor. 2:6-8). We must not be intimidated by their power. Satan has simply delegated to them his own authority, and he only has that authority because God allows it. He rules here not because he wrested the earth away from God’s sovereign control, but because he has stolen it from mankind whom the Lord intended to rule over the earth. (Gen. 1:28-31) The cross re-establishes the proper authority structure, breaking Satan’s power and delegating it back to us. (Mt. 28:18-20) He may rule this world with an iron fist, but the moment someone is saved, his fist clenched around them is completely shattered and he remains helpless to do anything about it. THAT is the power of the gospel.

And that is also why the devil fights so hard against the Church. We are his doom, his unstoppable opponent, the ones who always win and always defeat him every single time. He’s on a permanent and infinite losing streak against us because of Christ. The only victories he ever experiences against us are the ones where we let him win. You know, like having a tug-of-war with an infant and “falling over” to let the baby win - it’s literally THAT lopsided in our favor. Satan is the infant, and we’re holding the other end of the rope. The governments and leaders of the world, the elites and their vast wealth and influence, these power centers of the ruling class - they can seem kinda overwhelming. It would be easier to just hide our heads, keep a low profile, and stay focused on our own little lives without stirring up any kind of trouble. The whole “our four and no more” mentality is a strong pull when considering how insignificant our own existence appears in light of such global agendas, Satanic structures, pure evil abominations, godless abuses of power and massive consolidations of authority. They’re able to do as they please, and can target Christians at any time, (and they do!) and we can’t stop that from happening.

But while that may be true, and while the ruler of this world may very well use his power against us, we are actually unstoppable. He can tempt us, but with the Holy Spirit in us, we’re able to resist him and cause him to FLEE! (James 4:7) Because we are in Christ, he has NO PART in us, none whatsoever, and we have no part in him (Eph. 5:11). He can even fulfill prophecy as dark and destructive as is described in Revelation, but he can’t avoid the final outcome no matter what he does (Rev. 20:10). From that position of authority, rule and strength, we must pray with power, speak with boldness, serve fearlessly and walk confidently. As the world witnesses more and more of the spiritual, the demonic, the wicked forces at work in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2), we have more and more opportunity to evidence an even greater power at work within us. As others see Satan’s power manipulating, controlling, deceiving and destroying lives, what appears to them as unstoppable is exposed to be truly powerless against God’s might, the truth of His Word, the presence of His Spirit, the work of the cross and the message of the gospel. We must stand separate, look different, sound uniquely strange, live an otherworldly life and serve a King and Lord Whose authority infinitely exceeds anything others may experience on this earth. THAT is the witness He calls us to live.

What God has given us in salvation, both His power and His presence resident within us through the Holy Spirit, is infinitely greater than any authority delegated to the ruler of this world or those he controls and influences. Church, let us expose him for the fraud he is, and in so doing extend hope to people who feel helpless and powerless against a relentless system controlled by evil spirits. We too were once subject to those same spiritual forces, until we chose to believe His Word and in faith repent. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” (Eph. 5:8-11) THAT is the humble, powerful, penitent faith He is calling His people to live with, to model to the world, and to proclaim through the gospel.

Proclaim it through my own life, God, all for Your glory.

<><
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Advance warning: this update is going to be brief! Please wait for the shock and disappointment to wear off before you continue reading. HA! As many of you may already know, I’m back on the prayerwalking trail with Tom and Kevin. I’m trying to stay daily with GETTR posts, so you can follow me @GodURmyall on GETTR. (That’s an app. Ask a teenager if you need help sorting it out - they’re awesome at that kind of stuff!)

We’re really hitting the trail in earnest this summer, doing our best to take advantage of good weather to traverse the Rockies and some of the winter-unfriendly portions of our 20,000-mile route connecting every state capitol. We weren’t able to connect directly with Governor Newsom, but he and Tom text regularly and I’m certain we’ll have opportunity to pray with him personally at some point in the future. We walked and prayed from Sacramento to Carson City, NV and are headed to Boise now. I didn’t realize there was another High Desert in the U.S., but there is! And it’s hot! And there’s no shade! But God is so good to lead us in prayer, to reveal His heart for local places and national issues. It’s been a sweet time on the road with little distraction (easy to pray when there’s no traffic to dodge!).

After pausing in Reno, NV at the end of June, we all headed home for our various Independence Day celebrations. Our family spent the weekend at a friend’s cabin and had a blast fishing, playing pool, watching movies and hanging out relaxing together. (THANK YOU to John Abington for his loving and gracious generosity!) Unfortunately, the storm that swept through Memphis hit all around Lakeland and knocked out power for everybody. My parents had power restored within a day or two, but ours was out for 5 days. So, Denise packed up the freezer and fridge foods and all the kids and camped out at our friends’ house for the week. (THANK YOU Reynolds family - we LOVE you so much!) I arrived home from the airport to an empty house with no power, spent a night in the dark and then joined the rest of the family as we camped out one more night with friends. Fortunately, we’d already planned for our vacation weekend away from home, so we transitioned directly into vacay time at the cabin and enjoyed the time together there. We arrived back home (power restored!) in time to buy lots of fireworks and celebrate our nation’s freedom, and then I got the front jungle mowed the next day (a 5-hour project, even with the boys helping me) before leaving to pick up our prayerwalking route again in Reno.

So, that’s my lengthy excuse for why this update is so belated. As to its brevity, I’m furiously typing this before heading out the door to start walking today, while I have a spare moment, while I have internet signal, while I’m coherent and not physically exhausted, and while I’m not currently tasked with multiple other things to do. But rather than just leave y’all with a “here’s how I’m doing and what I’ve been up to” letter, I do want to encourage you with some of what has been stirring in my heart recently. (Okay, so maybe this update won’t be as “brief” as I at first envisioned.)

I don’t have a clear understanding of where we are in our nation’s history at this moment, but I am convinced that the Lord is calling His people to PARTICIPATE in His plans. This is not a spectator moment, a business-as-usual moment, or even a comfortable moment for any of us. What the Lord requires of us only “feels” hard because it’s different, unfamiliar, uncomfortable. But when He says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light, He really does mean that. He’s already promised to carry the weight for us, accomplish the miraculous through us, move mountains in response to our faith, and build His kingdom with our participation. Our victory is already assured . . . but there is still a yoke and burden to bear. It is now up to us to take Him at His word, to trust Him with the uncomfortable burden He’s laying upon us, and to yield ourselves to His yoke as He offers to carry the weight of it for us.

“What’s my response?” you might ask yourself. And my encouragement is this: ask the Holy Spirit for His direction with the uncomfortable. Then step out in faith to say uncomfortable things, do uncomfortable things, engage in uncomfortable arenas, interact in uncomfortable situations and encounter uncomfortable people. Rather than sitting back and waiting for the Lord to bring us something new, let’s step out INTO something new and trust that He’s not only going to meet us there, but is leading us in that step to begin with. He’s already invited our participation, so let us not hesitate to respond. Moving to Lakeland, TN was hardly the final step in this journey into the uncomfortable unknown, but He has been faithful to our family the entire way and continues to surprise us with more opportunities to stretch our faith and trust Him in even greater ways. Our family is so grateful for your partnership in that journey. Your financial support, continued prayers, texts and phone calls, even your visits to TN! - all of that means the world to us and is a constant reminder that the body of Christ is far more than just a local gathering of like-minded people on Sunday mornings. We are eternally connected as family, and our bonds in Christ extend across every distance and every border. Jesus prayed that His disciples would be ONE, just as He and the Father are one, and it’s a joy to experience that with all of you.

Lots of love from Tennessee!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Okay, this is now my THIRD attempt to write a monthly update, and while my recent deep dive into the book of Ephesians has been super fun and a joy to study, none of that is what I feel is on the Lord’s heart for me to communicate. So, you’ll have to talk with me about all of that later. I asked the Lord simply, “What do You want to say?”, and He replied back with 2 Chronicles 7:14: “…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

“Seriously, Lord? I’ve prayed through that verse so many times, taught on it, heard sermons about it, read it, studied it, talked about it and THAT is where You want my attention? Well, okay then.”

The teacher’s heart within me wants to carefully put 2 Chronicles 7:14 in its full context which is so often overlooked, but although studying the Word of God truly is one of my greatest joys, that’s not what I sense Him asking of me. He simply wants me to pray…that’s it, just pray. So, without a script, and without any plans to edit anything that’s about to come outta my heart, through my fingers and into this “update”, here we go…

Wow, God. I confess that I didn’t see this one coming. I tend to overthink things and often end up missing what’s right in front of me, the plain truth, because I’m so focused on understanding everything before committing myself fully. You know that my heart is to always give You my best, and to refrain from giving You something less, but that can cause unnecessary delays in my obedience - and we simply don’t have any more time left for delays.

Our nation is dying, God. We are being ravaged from within by our own sin and godlessness. Like a cancer, our own wickedness is eating away at our resolve, our convictions, our hope and our will. We’re becoming apathetic, as a church, as a country, as an electorate, as individuals. Our tendency (certainly MY tendency) is to pray and petition and plead and repent and confess and everything else when moments of crisis are upon us. But I feel like our culture is in a constant state of crisis and the urgency to pray is unrelenting. I’ll admit, Lord, it’s overwhelming.

Solomon’s prayer of dedication after Your temple had been constructed was lengthy, detailed and eloquent. Yet Your response is sobering. You basically tell him, “I heard Your prayer and have chosen the temple you’ve built. When I stop the rain, and command the locusts, and send a plague…THEN, in the midst of that calamity, if My people…” (and all the rest of that verse). You heard his prayer and then immediately promised retribution. Sure, You gave a sweet promise of forgiveness and land-healing, but that was kinda abrupt.

Is that where we are, Lord? Are you stopping the rain, commanding the locusts and sending your punishment against our nation? It sure feels that way, and 2 Chronicles 7:14 seems more timely than ever. You’ve called us, Your bride, Your disciples, Your children and set us apart not by anything we can credit ourselves with, but only by Your infinite love and grace, and only through the cross and the forgiveness made available to us by Your sacrifice, Jesus. Where we have failed to humble ourselves, Lord, humble us. Humiliate us if need be, but bring us low before You and make us desperate for Your presence, for Your power, for Your Word. We have elevated so many other pursuits, satisfied ourselves with so many other projects, excused our lack of humility by offering up an abundance of activity. And yet, You require our humble prayers, our patient waiting, our sorrowful repentance, our turning away from those good intentions and toward the hard and difficult path of selfless obedience.

Paul said as much in Philippians 2, and he said You’re our example, Jesus. Yet our prayer life as Your people looks far less like Your Own and far more like those whom You chastised for their many words, their public prayers, their lack of true “prayer closets” and their shallow faith. Forgive us, Lord. In our seeking, we often fail to find, even though You’ve promised it to us. Why is that? Maybe we’re not really seeking with all our heart as Jeremiah prophesied. Maybe we are busy with much and mindful of little. As You call us back to the little, please Holy Spirit, turn our face away from everything that distracts us, all the noble pursuits that You’ve never required of us, the traditions and tendencies that we’re unaware of yet know in our hearts are out-of-step with what You’re bringing our way. You require our turning, our changing course, and our actual R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E as we recommit ourselves to following You wholeheartedly.

Man, Lord, that’s hardly an encouraging prayer, but it burns so deeply in my heart for Your church and for the moment in history which You’ve given us right now. In a world full of storms, winds, turbulent waters, crashing waves and looming disaster, You have established Your church to be a house immovable, firmly planted on the rock and able to endure everything thrown against her. She is a place of safety and refuge for all who would seek shelter, but the only way that house is built is by hearing You and DOING WHAT YOU SAY. So teach me to listen, Holy Spirit, and to listen carefully. And when You speak, I promise to act, to respond in faith and obedience, with humility and courage, and a confidence in You and in Your Word that compels every action, word, thought and breath, until the life You have for me is no mere promise in Scripture, but a daily reality and living experience every moment. For Your glory, God. Amen.

Well, there you have it. And I’m glad this “update” is finally complete! For those wanting to know more about Purity’s graduation from high school, my busy summer prayerwalking route, happenings around Lakeland and with the rest of our family . . . you’ll just have to shoot us a text, give us a call, or come for a visit! We love y’all tons and are continuously blessed by your partnership in this missional adventure to Tennessee. God is certainly moving, and following Him continues to be an exciting adventure. We’re so glad to do it WITH you, even if we’re miles and miles away. Hey, that’s what the body of Christ actually looks like thought, right?

Again and again, we love you.

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

As I sit down to write, I am reminded of Psalm 45:1, "My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer”.

This reminds me that I always have something to write about because it is simply an overflow of God within me!
I had this picture this morning and it was me trying to put a puzzle together. I do not like puzzles!
In this season of my life it has been like one big puzzle and I am finding that God likes puzzles! He finds great joy in helping us to discover where each piece of our lives fit into the bigger picture of what He is doing! Then I heard Him say, “Go buy a puzzle!” I know, so spiritual! Holy Spirit has a great sense of humor! So, today I am off to buy a puzzle and I am sure I am in for the time of my life….because God is always teaching us, speaking to us and stretching us beyond our comfort zones! Yes, my friends, puzzles are beyond my comfort zone! I find it kinda funny because I am completely wired for puzzles, yet I don’t like them! Why? Because they take way too long!! I am wired by God to run, yet I am finding the value in slowing down and enjoying the journey!
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul talks about Unity and Diversity in the Body of Christ. In verse 12, Paul writes, 'Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body-whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but many. In verse 18, Paul goes on to say, ‘But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.’ I hear the Lord say, “Every piece fits!” He created each one of us and knows us intimately and every piece fits, we fit into the beautiful story of God’s heart! The Lord encouraged me this morning with this simple picture and so I encourage you! Puzzles come with all the pieces in the box, we just find where they fit! I am navigating not only a new season, but a new place with the Lord where I have never been before. He is always moving us from Glory to Glory! We need not be anxious! God desires us to embrace the journey and the adventure of knowing Him as we discover His heart for ourselves, our families and the world around us! Being a part of the family of God and the body of Christ is a gift from God to us! Let our hearts be filled with gratitude!

On another note we celebrated Life’s birthday on Saturday! He turned 7! He requested breakfast in bed and the Children’s museum! It's the simple things! He loved every minute of it! Purity is getting ready to graduate High School in a few weeks! Not sure if that has quite sunk in yet! We are so proud of her! We are in the last weeks of our school year. This is the time of year where we are all ready for summer! I become a motivational coach and give the ‘Rocky' speeches everyday that the victory and the win of another year is in sight and to keep going! Speaking also to myself, of course!! Homeschooling our kids is the best! It is not always easy, but it is worth every minute!
We are continuing to partner with God in praying and walking the land in our nation and our beautiful city of Memphis, Tennessee! What an honor to serve our King! We are thankful for you!

We pray this over you today…

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light.”


We love you!
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

When 2023 began, I asked the Lord about where He would direct my attention during my daily time spent in His Word, and He placed the book of Psalms on my heart. So, I’ve been slowly studying, meditating, reading and remembering my way through the book for several months. Contrary to the opinion of some, Psalms is actually not simply a book of worship songs, sentimental poetry and flowery language. Psalms is filled with foundational theology, perhaps more poetically stated than Paul’s letter to the Romans, but no less revelatory of God’s character, His heart for His creation, and His desired response from us to Him and to His Word.

It is that devotion to the Word of God that I find most compelling out of all that the book of Psalms instructs. Sure, it covers the gamut of human emotion and experience, but what Psalms has to say about the priority and magnitude of God’s Word can be transformational when directly applied to our daily time spent with the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures He has written. Psalm 119 stands apart in all of God’s Word as perhaps the strongest declaration of the preeminence of Scripture above all other resources, inputs, counsel and guidance in our lives. I’ve been slowly working my way through this incredible chapter of Scripture, and what I read just today spurred me to prayer, to action, to consideration not only for my own life, but for the church as a whole.
 
Psalm 119:81-88
My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your word.
My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying, “When will You comfort me?”
For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes.
How many are the days of Your servant? When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?
The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law.
All Your commandments are faithful; they persecute me wrongfully; help me!
They almost made an end of me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts.
Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.

I’ve read Psalms countless times, and I often smile when reading David’s petitions for God to smite his foes, knock the teeth out of the mouths of his enemies, silence his accusers and destroy those who oppose the Lord. “Man, no wonder God told David that he wasn’t the right guy to build a temple. He really did have quite a bit of blood on his hands…and in his words…and in his thoughts…and written in his songs.” And so, I allow for David’s sentiment without really applying it to my own life and my own particular situations which seem so tame by comparison. Even here in Psalm 119, the desperation and heartfelt need sound like they could easily apply to “somebody else”, but surely not to me, right? But we are living in unprecedented times, and though that word seems overused, each day it still describes more and more of what I witness in the world around me. In a word, Psalm 119:81-88 is actually: applicable.

Faint, failing, cracked, persecuted, trapped, spent, exhausted - those words don’t necessarily describe my current condition or how I may feel personally, but they accurately reflect the present struggle that every Christian is relentlessly engaged in whether we acknowledge it, recognize it, admit it or not. If Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy, then the aftermath of his efforts very much resembles what the psalmist is dealing with in Psalm 119:81-88. And that attack is happening across our country, throughout our society, within our own culture, led by powerful people, inspired by demonic activity, and enforced by submitted participants. The goal is to cause God’s people, and the nation we are called to be a part of, to faint, to fail, to crack, to suffer persecution, to become trapped, spent and exhausted. Satan wants to defeat the church, and despite Jesus’ words clearly stating that impossibility (Mt. 16:18), he never ceases his efforts.

And here is what I love about Psalm 119 (and plenty of other passages in Scripture): the answer to this entire situation is the Word of God. Our hope is in His Word. Our comfort is in His Word. Our remembrance is His Word. Our justice is His Word. Our humility is His Word. Our faithfulness is His Word. Our guidance is His Word. Our obedience is His Word. Our resource, our reminder and our response is all found within His Word. Scripture teaches us to look solely to His Word to sustain us, and now more than ever that is a lifeline we must be strengthening and not ignoring. Gone are the days when we can “do our daily devotions” to mark off our discipleship checkbox. Our regular time in His Word cannot be our spiritual “clocking in” each day in order to stay on track with God. Our response to fainting, failing, cracking, persecution, snares, exhaustion and everything else our enemy would throw at us MUST BE THE WORD OF GOD!

I am so blessed to have been a part of local church families throughout my life who have faithfully adhered themselves to God’s Word. I haven’t always agreed with every point in every sermon from every pastor I’ve ever had, but their devotion to the Word as of supreme importance and authority helped to instill within me a love for Scripture that still governs my heart. The days we live in are not for the timid, and that is quickly becoming more and more apparent for the people of God with each passing day. Each news cycle brings more examples of how much Satan hates people. Each new political season exposes more and more of the demonic influence attempting to exert more control over our nation. Each new tragedy reinforces our brokenness and need for Him, while the response to those tragedies often attacks the very humility and repentance that He requires of us. If we do not cling tenaciously to His Word, we will easily be swept away. Scripture is filled with examples of exactly that.

But Psalms also teaches a profound truth at the very beginning of the entire book that is perhaps the strongest case in all of Scripture for our increased devotion to the Word of God.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. - Psalm 1:1-3
O church, my love for God’s Word has grown and grown and grown and continues to grow. His Word has become more and more dear to my heart than ever before. Let me strongly exhort you to prioritize His Word in your life, to study it, memorize it, meditate upon it and immerse yourself in it. Not only do we need it ourselves, as our defense and aid, but the world around us is desperately in need of God’s people who are diligent students of, believers in, and preachers of His Word. We cannot fulfill the Great Commission without His Word, without the gospel, without the readiness in season and out of season. Paul’s instructions in Timothy 4 ring especially true today.

I know, I know, this month’s “update” wasn’t filled with a whole lotta news. Scotland was awesome, and we promptly spread sickness to the entire couch-ridden family upon our return, and now we’re crawling our way back to normal again with lingering coughs and allergies added into the mix. But, there are WAY more reasons to be thankful than there are inconveniences to complain about. Prayerwalking across the nation is indeed still happening, is still a bit erratic as a schedule and doesn’t always translate smoothly onto a nice map route, but the Lord continues to provide direction, favor and purpose to the prayers of our feet, so we are joyfully following Him no matter what the circumstances may look like. As always, our hearts are filled to overflowing with gratitude to the Lord for your financial support, your prayers and your continued partnership with us through all of the surprises and adventures that following Him includes. You are deeply and dearly loved.

The Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

I’ve got a suitcase opened on the bed right now, and it’s waiting for me to pack it full for an international trip to Scotland that Denise and I are embarking on tomorrow. But I’ve got to do laundry first. And I also need to write this update. And I need to run a couple of errands before we leave. And I think I’ve got a couple of math lessons to give today. And the pile of papers on my desk needs to disappear. And . . . yeah, we’re all there, right? So, whenever you happen to end up reading this, know that at this moment, right now, when I could be focused on everything else that needs to be done, YOU are the priority. Feeling warm and fuzzy now? Good!

I want to jump right into something I felt the Lord put on my heart to share with y’all, and it comes from some of my devotional time with Him earlier this week. I was reading Psalm 80, and Asaph there repeats a refrain multiple times: “Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (v.3); “Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (v.7); “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (v.19). You can feel Asaph petitioning more and more earnestly throughout this psalm, and his cry grows and swells in desperate need for God’s intervention.
 
Verse 18 caught my attention in particular, because it places some (at least to me) unexpected emphasis on God’s initiation and involvement in Israel’s response of faith and faithfulness. “Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.” Wait a second, I thought the pattern was supposed to be: we repent, THEN God responds and saves. But Asaph here calls upon God to revive His people, so that they are even able to call upon His name. I’ve gotta admit, it’s messing with my theology just a little bit here. Add to that the burden I feel to pray for America, that we would repent and turn to God so that He would show us His mercy. Or the burden I feel to repent as the people of God, both for our own mistakes as well as on behalf of our nation, that we would lead the way by example in humility, penitence, and contrition. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is the verse we hear often: “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” That seems to be a pretty clear “if/then” statement, doesn’t it? So what is Asaph thinking?

I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 2:4, that God’s kindness leads us to repentance. I’m reminded of how God’s Word divides soul and spirit, joint and marrow, and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12). I’m reminded of David’s words in Psalm 139 which humbly acknowledge that the Lord wrote down every day of his life in His book before a single one ever happened. Paul tells the Ephesians that God chose us before He even formed the very planet we inhabit! (Eph. 1:4) You see, there is an element of our turning to the Lord, acknowledging Him, even yielding and repenting that requires His involvement. We simply cannot restore fellowship with Him by ourselves. As one commentator I read put it: “At the point of supreme peril…[this] community, because of this faith, do not give themselves up for lost, but reach out the more determinedly for the saving hand of God which despite all appearances to the contrary stretches out towards them from the darkness.”

God is reaching out, beckoning people and drawing them to Himself. He is actively engaged in the process, so much so that at the moment a person even dips a toe into the swiftly moving river of His redemption, they are immediately swept away by the overwhelming grace and love of God. Like Asaph, I will cry out to the Lord: “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Cause Your face to shine on us again. For when You do, when we turn to You and see Your face shining back on us, we will be saved!” God most assuredly moves in response to the cries of His children, and He is already moving in response to His own desire to restore relationship with His creation. Partnering with Him in that process is a glorious calling, even in times of desperation. Let’s be desperate for Him, church, so that even in weakness and need we can reveal to the world that we are never alone, nor left to ourselves.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He Who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:18-31)
“Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!” (Ps. 80:3)

Loving, serving and praying along with y’all…

The Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

I’ve “dunked” countless numbers of people in my many years of ministry . . . and it NEVER gets old! Praise God for new life!

I’ll give you THREE guesses to try and figure out what Life’s favorite animal is!
(…and yes, that is indeed a stuffed animal version of an In-N-Out french fry)

Well, it’s 28 degrees outside as I write this, and we have ice covering everything with more rain/snow/sleet/something predicted to start falling as the temperature is set to stay below 30 for the next 24 hours. We’re not in Barstow anymore, Toto! But the cold is coming just in time - AFTER Wisdom’s 16th birthday party. Justice joined the teenage crew in our home in January as well, so now 4 of our 6 kids are teenagers…and we love it! Being a youth pastor for so many years, I’m reminded again of how much I enjoy teens. They really are awesome and I’m so glad we have a house filled with them.

The prayerwalking will be starting up again this month, and we’ll likely cover portions of our route around the WARMER parts of the country, but the schedule and routine is still a work in progress. The blessing of favor the Lord has given us with leaders in D.C. also brings the added burden of trying to manage a walking schedule all over the nation with regular trips to the Capitol to meet with leaders there. Yes, please pray for wisdom as we pursue all that God is calling us to do on this prayerwalking mission.

And while I’m asking for prayer, y’all can pray for Denise too. The Lord has been leading her to discover more of what His call upon her life looks like, and that process of discovery has opened up some incredible doors of opportunity for her to pursue Him and His many gifts given to her. Part of that includes attending training classes both online and abroad. Yeah, like in SCOTLAND abroad! So, we’re continuing to trust the Lord for provision, direction, (maybe some explanation too?) as we humbly follow Him wherever He leads.

I know, I know, we’re all over the country, all over the world, all over Memphis, but hey, we’ve yet to see God fail to show up wherever He’s leading and we don’t expect that anytime soon either. Isn’t it amazing how everywhere that Jesus walked upon this earth, the Father always seemed to show up right there with Him? Jesus regularly talked as if the Father was always present and listening. The Holy Spirit seemed to reveal Himself regularly in Jesus’ life, always moving in power through Him and never leaving Jesus hanging out to dry. He never prayed a prayer that didn’t get answered, spoke a word that didn’t cut directly to the heart, perform miracles that weren’t absolutely impossible for anyone but God. God was always present with Jesus.

“Yeah, but Jesus IS God,” many would reply. Yet by His Own admission, Jesus Himself said that He could do nothing without the Father (John 5:19,30). His absolute devotion to the Father and dependence upon the Spirit displays a unity we should all strive for. And that unity is both Who He is and what He desires for us (John 17:21). It’s a mystery I will never understand on this side of eternity, yet it resides within my heart and bears witness in my spirit that the life He has called us to is one of perfect oneness with Him such that His thoughts become ours, His words and actions as well. The beauty of following Him is that as we do so personally, then corporately His body, His Church, displays that same oneness and intimacy in all that we do. It’s a high and lofty aim, but that is why we must remain focused on Him, the One “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him Who fills everything in every way.” (Eph. 1:21-23)

Lord, fix my eyes and my heart solely upon You. Draw my gaze far above the circumstances surrounding my life and let me follow You wherever You go, doing whatever You do, speaking whatever You say, glorifying You and You alone. When America looks at Your church, may she see people wholly devoted to You, willing to do anything for the One Who gave everything.

I know, kinda “rambly” this month, but my heart is stirred to follow Him even when it seems like He’s leading all over the place: Scotland, America, D.C., Memphis, Lakeland. I don’t have to understand the plan (even though I really really want to!), because I trust the One laying it out in front of me step by prayerful step. Follow Him, church.

Okay, it flurried for a minute and now its all sleet falling everywhere on top of icy trees, trash cans, fences, cars, and everything else. I’m gonna get some more coffee and warm up again. We love y’all lots!


The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Justice (our newest teenager) and her friends at WHATABURGER for her birthday! (It’s the TN version of In-n-Out…sorta…not really.)

This is the aftermath of some 60 people Wisdom had over for her 16th birthday party. Our house was FULL, and it was a blast. And who’s left over at the end? Yup, young adults and youth hanging out and playing board games. Who’d-a-thunk, right? 

Okay, I just HAD to include this. Wisdom has a good friend who’s mom made this incredible Lord of the Rings cake for her birthday. You can see Bilbo, the Fellowship on Caradhras, the Moria doors and the tower of Barad-Dûr. On the back side are the 4 hobbits hiding from the Nazgul under a large tree root and Gollum creeping along as well. I know, I know, I didn’t want to cut it up either and destroy such an amazing work of art. But, there was ice cream too, and so we ate the cake, my precious, we ates it!

Off to an…interesting start?

I majored in Political Science when I attended Santa Clara University, so I find politics interesting…when they’re not frustrating. But the past couple of years have opened my eyes to a whole side of politics that I’ve not really encountered beyond news cycles and elections: PEOPLE! The soundbites and tweets and tv interviews seem otherworldly until you meet some of those people in person, and then there’s some context there that wasn’t present before. I’m writing this update as the House of Representatives has voted SIX TIMES for a new Speaker of the House. There’s a pause in the action for a few hours, although I use the word “action” pretty loosely because listening to 434 names being called individually and recording their responses is hardly “action-packed”. I’ve been fasting and praying during these proceedings because the PEOPLE involved are deciding who the PERSON will be to lead this body of legislators - and PEOPLE matter to the Lord.

Jesus came to save people, to be among people, to minister to people, to become Himself a human being, a flesh-and-blood person. America is special in large part because of its prioritization of WE THE PEOPLE. The preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins with the words “We the People…”. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal”. Governments and leaders throughout history have prioritized their own nations, kingdoms and empires above the very people living in their domain. But here in America, We the People hold the authority, the power, the responsibility and the rights, given to us by God, delegated to bodies of leaders tasked with representing our varied interests, causes, concerns, priorities and passions. On our behalf, they debate, legislate, enforce, judge and promote those things which we hold most dear. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The question then becomes, “What do we value?”, because that determines where our hearts will be.

What does it say about America that the divide and debate within the halls of government focuses more often on platforms, positions, parties, procedures and politics than it does on character, righteousness, humility, and a Christ-like recognition that we are here to serve PEOPLE and not ourselves? Some would argue that the entire problem stems from elected officials no longer serving those who elected them, but instead serving those powers that can keep them in office despite even the wishes of the people they’re supposed to be representing. I won’t debate that assessment, but will only point out that personal self-interest is actually a pretty accurate reflection of vast swathes of the American people. Many have traded We the People for I the Individual - and we are being well represented in that regard by many in leadership. That’s why the answer isn’t new leadership, but new hearts. I can’t change hearts, and I’ve never been able to change my own. Jesus remains the only answer to that problem, and the gospel remains our only hope as a nation. ME living for ME, plus YOU living for YOU, does not equal WE living for WE. It just makes a large group of people all living for themselves.

To those elected officials, those individual people working even as I write this to decide upon the next Speaker of the House, I would say to them what Paul said to the church in Philippi: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:5-8) That is the sacrificial leadership America desperately needs, that which Jesus perfectly modeled and taught: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) When our leaders lay down their lives for those whom they represent, our nation will benefit from that selfless love. I don’t immediately fault leaders for acting in the same ways that I instinctively gravitate to myself when failing to live as “dead to sin but alive to God” (Rom. 6:11). And so, that is why we pray.

Repentance is never easy. The humility, willingness, transparency and vulnerability required are difficult but necessary. But the grace and forgiveness freely given to us in response to our repentance and faith is always “how much more…” and “all the more…” and “not like…” (Rom. 6:15-21) the sin that necessitates it in our lives. Honestly, this is where we are today: in desperate need of genuine repentance. My prayer during these proceedings which Congress is currently slogging through is that there will be a change in hearts and not just in votes or opinions. Our only way forward is truly on our knees before God.

I’ll admit, it’s kinda weird writing at length about the House of Representatives voting on who will be the next Speaker. This is typically only a matter of procedure for our elected officials, but I believe the Lord desires to be more directly engaged within these proceedings and much of our governmental activity. So I’m praying that He will move upon the hearts of our leaders, bring them to a place of humility and repentance, and that from their collective position of reverence and honor before the Lord, they will find a common purpose and cause to unite themselves around. It’s more than settling on a common person, an acceptable solution or an agreeable nominee for Speaker. It’s about recognizing that without humility before God, the same kind of humility accompanying our repentance and faith, we cannot hope to lead ourselves. We need Him, and we need leaders who will openly confess the same. Fasting and praying through multiple roll call votes for Speaker of the House may not be exciting, but it’s connected to many individual PEOPLE, people who matter to the Lord, people whom He has called to lead our nation, some of whom I’ve had the honor of meeting with and praying with during the past 2 years or so. And now, I’m praying for them by name, listening and watching as they wrestle through the process of selecting the next Speaker. Maybe all of that’s a good thing, huh?

Thank you for praying for our own family by name, and for continuing to support us financially and in so many other unspoken ways as well. Your friendship and encouragement is very deeply appreciated. We’re continuing to follow the Lord into unknown and often unexpected territory. Happy 2023!


Love, The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Here we are all “collared up” with Congresswoman Cathy Rodgers and Congressman Bill Johnson on Capitol Hill.

Congresswoman Val Demings served in the 117th Congress and remains a friend to our team.

Can you believe it’s December already?

Well, unless you’re a high school student who’s already memorized every school holiday on the academic calendar, or a kid who can’t stop thinking about Christmas, or a child who’s version of “future” doesn’t really extend anywhere beyond the next 5 minutes, you’re probably wondering where the rest of 2022 went, right? Well, I don’t know where y’alls disappeared to, but here’s a snapshot of our crew headed into this final month of the year:

Purity is 17 now and in her last year of high school! She is SO…done…with school. She’s enjoying her senior year: British Literature, Art and Physics among her favorite classes. Yeah, I don’t get how those all go together either, or how they mesh with Japanese anime, but roll all of that stuff up into a sweet personality, a gentle spirit and a tenderness toward others, and there you have our oldest. She has warmed slightly to the notion of maybe potentially considering the possibility of additional schooling after high school, but likely only if it involves art, drawing, painting, or something creative like that. She’s not eager to further her education, begin a career, travel abroad, or venture out on her own. She’s perfectly content and confident in her own skin just the way God made her - and we’re immensely proud of her for all of that.

Wisdom loves her older best-friend-sister tremendously, but the two of them could hardly be more different. She’s only a sophomore, but has repeatedly asked us if she can start learning Japanese, learning the violin, learning how to drive and if we can find her more books to read. Don’t get me wrong, she also loves her some anime, Fortnite, all things Star Wars and pictures of cute puppies. She is extremely dependable, very responsible, and trustworthy to such a degree that it’s hard for people to remember she’s still a normal teenager. The babies and toddlers in our church nursery adore her as much as she loves them, and she’s a popular babysitter for very good reason. College? Yeah, probably. Far away from home? Nope, probably not. And yes, that sounds great to her parents.

Truth continues to shoulder more and more responsibility as the young man around the house when I’m away on prayerwalking legs, and he actually manages to keep a good attitude about it too! I love coming home after being away for a couple of weeks and hearing Denise go on and on about how helpful he’s been, how much he’s working and assisting her with his younger siblings, and lending his muscles to her whenever needed. Yet it is his gentleness and sensitive qualities that are truly most admirable. He’s an amazing older brother to both Honor and Life, and watches out for them diligently. He has a profound sense of justice, integrity, character and virtue, and feels passionate about both maintaining those himself and seeing them shared by others. His freshman year has required a lot of adjustment for him, but he’s getting settled into some good habits and routines that will pay huge dividends in the future.

Justice is going to marry a farmer/rancher/cowhand/something-like-that, drive a pickup truck and keep a Ford Mustang in the garage, manage the entire family farm and run a small business on the side while writing novels in her spare time . . . oh yeah, and she’ll do all of that surrounded by only her 2,000 closest friends and family members and her 10 adopted children. When she’s not over at a friend’s house, or hosting a friend at our house, she’s busy plotting with her co-conspirators how to arrange a kid-swap/playdate after service on Sunday, or after Young Adults on Friday night, or maybe just for the entire weekend instead, or just for the next 5 minutes before it’s time to eat dinner and maybe her friend up the street has 5 minutes before she eats dinner so the two of us could just play for a little bit and then I’ll come home and eat, ‘kay? Can you say, “social butterfly”? I’m excited to have another teenager in the family when she turns 13 in January, but I’m curious how the preceding paragraph about her is going to amp up when she really hits her stride as a full-blown teen. Well, buckle up, y’all!

Honor would spend all day playing video games, board games, LEGO’s, superheroes or whatever other action-packed adventures Life finds to do with him. At 11, he’s 3 years younger than Truth and 5 years older than Life - so yeah, the “middle child” of his brothers. But there is certainly no fear of being left out or neglected. He thrives on fun, has an actively engaged strategic mind for games, and is easily inspired when it comes to bursts of creativity. He continues to grow physically, and we’re witnessing the miracle of what God is doing in his body, but keep praying for a healed pituitary gland that no longer requires hormone treatments for continued development. Yes, feel free to agree with us for God’s provision, His healing, His miraculous intervention and His continued faithfulness. Honor is already quite the testimony, and that testimony only continues to grow…literally!

Life is 6, but don’t tell him that. After all, he lives in a house filled with older siblings whom he admires and would rather do ANYTHING with them rather than “age appropriate” activities by himself. He’s always been more eager to play games beyond his age level rather than settle for anything he could teach his grandparents himself how to play. And now he’s learning to read?! Sheesh, he’s gonna be pulling down my deeply involved strategic boardgames and demanding that I play those with him next! (I won’t lie, I’m totally looking forward to that) But don’t let all of his enthusiasm fool you, because if he can convince you to play LEGO’s, or wrestle, or work with him in Justice’s pretend grocery-restaurant-pets-amusement-park-megacenter thing they’ve spent all morning setting up in the playroom, he’ll do that for hours just as easily. He’s full of life in every imaginable way, what a joy!

Denise continues to be the incredible and amazing superwoman you all know her to be. I still don’t know how she keeps life going at our house when I’m out prayerwalking, but she feeds them all, maintains the home, keeps them educated and knows their hearts better than they’re even aware of themselves at times. As she continues to lead prayer ministry on Sundays at Memphis Tabernacle, some of our older kids are developing a taste for those sweet moments in the Lord’s presence that exude from Denise’s life on a regular basis. Her first hours every day are alone in her prayer room, and from that regular reservoir, she pours into our kids’ lives, into ministry, into family and beyond. The world around her is blessed because of her deep passion for the Lord, and the world-at-large is going to be changed as God uses her in mighty ways. I’m humbled and proud and extremely grateful for such an incredible partner to do ALL of life with for all of my life. I love her lots!

And then there’s me. I gotta be honest, this whole “family update” thing is totally not my style. After all, the whole world is on fire right now, and I’m taking this time to talk to y’all about our family? But, the Lord’s been gently reminding me (repeatedly it seems, so I guess I’ve still got plenty to learn) that my first “Application” in my daily SOAP, or my first step of obedience, or my first “Yes” to Him, isn’t somewhere out there, but right where I’m at. I may be all over the country praying or meeting with various leaders, and my attention may be focused on national or international issues, and my devotional times may be flooded with input from Him about culture-wide influences and societal conditions, but none of that is my first priority. “Follow me as I follow Christ” must be communicated first to my own family before anyone else. Making disciples who make disciples who make disciples happens first with my own 6 disciples living in my home. My first witness is the witness to my family, and it only extends from there. Culture is changed from within because people are changed from within. Therein lies our eternal hope, because all of us are walking, living, breathing testimonies that God can save absolutely anyone!

Be salt. Be light. Make a difference. THAT is what discipleship should look like.

Happy December everyone!

Love, The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

It’s easy to get buried when your leaf pile is 5 feet tall!

Our oldest two helping to decorate the kids hallway of the church building.
Yay for Christmas lights!

It’s a great day to be thankful!

I’m with Tom and Kevin as I write this, albeit a few days later than I would have liked. We’re nearing the end of our 40-day sprint through nearly 100 battleground races across the country. Wow, this has been an inspiring and amazing trip. The quality of candidates aspiring for political office throughout our country, both statewide and in national races is truly encouraging. Many of these people are so honoring, so selfless, so genuine, so desiring to be used by the Lord, and so grateful for the support and prayers we’ve offered as we come alongside them not to ask anything OF them, but only to pray FOR them. It’s pretty sweet.

As I mentioned last month, this really is a pivotal moment for America. God’s mercy is the staying of His judgment in response to our sin, and that is the moment we’re witnessing now. Many of America’s worst sins are being made apparent, even to those who may not consider themselves to be Christians, and much of what has been done in secret is now being revealed. The hidden places are being exposed, and people who would normally remain uninvolved and disinterested are taking notice and DOING something about it. The month of November gives us all the opportunity to do something about it by casting our ballots for righteous leaders and continuing to pray that our nation would turn her gaze to Him during this season of mercy.

I could write more about the current state of America, or about the many candidates we’ve encountered, or about the sweet moments on the road as we’ve traveled over 20,000 miles to encourage and pray with some really neat people. But if you want more of those kinds of details, I will direct you to Tom’s latest email update, You can find it on the Pentecost Walk Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pentecostwalk/

We’ve met so many new friends that I honestly can’t remember which one of them I was talking with about being filled with hope. But I shared with them that in the midst of all this seemingly increasing wickedness, as evil become more overt, more exposed, more celebrated and more prevalent, the opportunity for the Church to shine the gospel more brightly has never been greater. If there was ever a time for Paul’s words to the Philippians to ring loud and true, this would be the time. “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.” (Phil. 2:14-16)

It’s nice to want to shine brightly, and Jesus encourages us to do exactly that in Matthew 5:16, but what is that supposed to look like? Well, Paul doesn’t give 5 quick steps to becoming shinier, but he does start with something simple: humility. After all, it’s kinda hard to grumble and argue with others when we regard their needs as more important than our own, isn’t it? This really is our moment to shine, Church, and it’s not simply about an election, or about Christians taking all the correct positions on a host of cultural issues. With humility, we simply hold firmly to the word of life, to the gospel, to the saving message of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the hope that He brings. As we do that, we shine. If I could encourage you with one thing, it would be this: humbly present the gospel. He will cause you to shine, and He will make you stand out and He will receive all the glory.

It’s a great day to serve the Lord, no matter what our culture looks like or who is serving in elected office. God is moving within the halls of government here in America. People are rising up not simply in defiance of wickedness, but in dependence upon the Lord. As He causes us to shine like stars, His hope will be more clearly seen in us, will draw people to Him, and will bring many into His kingdom. What an honor to be used by God in this moment of history!

Maybe next month, we’ll do a bit more of a Roberts Family update and share what’s happening with each of us, but for now, know that we love you, are so thankful for you, are blessed by your giving and your prayers, and are humbled to serve the Lord together with such dear friends and family. Y’all rock!

Love,

The Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

P.S. Tom used all the best pics in his latest email, and I’m on the road now and don’t have any others to share with you. But if you head to https://www.facebook.com/pentecostwalk/ and check things out there, you’ll probably find a familiar face or two!

Happy Fall Y’all!

Well, another month has begun and another adventure has started! On Friday, September 30th, a group of leaders in Congress began a season of 40 days set aside to pray and fast before the midterm elections. Governor Bill Lee from Tennessee also set aside that Friday as a day of prayer and fasting for our state. Honestly, it was pretty cool to see these answered prayers that so many of us have been asking the Lord to do in the hearts of His people. His people are responding to Him and humbling themselves before Him, seeking His face, repenting and calling out to Him for His mercy, His wisdom, His favor, His grace, His guidance and a sovereign move of His Spirit among His people and throughout our nation. God hears our prayers, Church! Let’s not grow weary but continue to pursue Him in everything!

In what we believe is a divinely coordinated effort, Tom, Kevin and I have taken a brief “pause” from our Unbroken prayerwalk connecting every state capital and have embarked on a 40-day, 80+ people, boots-on-the-battlegrounds mission to walk and pray in a multitude of key battleground races prior to the upcoming elections. In each place, we’re asking the Lord to raise up godly leaders who will stand for righteousness and boldly direct the hearts and minds of those around them to the Lord. Jesus remains our only hope, and this truly feels like a once-in-a-lifetime season for God to shift the nation’s focus and attention on Him and Him alone. So, we are traveling LOTS, praying with a multitude of candidates in close battleground races for both statewide and nationwide offices.

We’ve already had significant conversations and times of prayer and ministry with multiple people during this journey, and it is encouraging to see righteous men and women who are answering the Lord’s call upon their lives to serve Him by serving others, and to do so in ways that bring Him all of the glory. Contrary to popular opinion, there actually ARE amazing people running for various political offices all across America! What a joy it is to meet some of them, encourage them and exhort them to stand boldly for the Lord during such a divisive time in our nation’s history.

I want to share with you something the Holy Spirit has working in my heart both personally and for His Church body. Hebrews 11 is famously known as the “Heroes of the Faith” chapter in Scripture, and rightly so. The men and women listed there are incredible examples not only of personal courage, faith and commitment to the Lord in the face of fierce opposition, but also of God’s grace in using the least and lowest among us to be the greatest leaders at the most important times. Man, it is so encouraging! (Yes, you should totally read it…again.) Directly following this list of heroes are these words: “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.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV84)

There is SO MUCH packed within those 2 verses, and plenty of amazing stuff immediately following, but here is what the Lord has been highlighting in my heart: “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”. I believe those two things are key to our effectively following as His disciples. Identifying sin is one thing, and thankfully, the Holy Spirit is faithful to convict and to lead us by His kindness to repentance. But what about the weights and burdens that hinder us? The author here doesn’t bother to elaborate as to what those are specifically, but that’s also kinda the point. ANYTHING that weighs us down and distracts us from running a race that is already difficult, longer than we think, and requires steady perseverance - we need to throw them ALL off!

I think our obedience in that regard is made more difficult not because of a multitude of sins, but a heavy burden of well-intentioned distractions, assumptions and efforts that the Lord isn’t requiring of us. Those things may not be sin, and they may be really good in-and-of themselves, but if they aren’t what the Lord is saying for us to do . . . then why are we doing them? And can we serve Him effectively, with perseverance, while simultaneously shouldering all of these extra weights? It will require sacrifice, and letting go of things we value, and great risk, and a willingness to be uncomfortable, but that’s why we’re to fix our eyes on Jesus! He is to remain our constant focus, our only pursuit and our greatest joy.

I’m walking through much of this myself during this incredible season of responding to His direction and prompting. This 40-day mission to nearly 90 battleground locations across the country has certainly caused me to let go of much and to refine my focus onto some key specific details. I want to do ONLY AND ALWAYS what He says - nothing more and nothing less. I want to run with endurance the race marked out for me, to fight every battle and glory in His victory. I can’t do that while dragging along old habits that He wants to change, prior strategies that worked great once but not-so-much today, mindsets that He’s been trying to free me from for years, or efforts made in my own strength and wisdom. I want to run unencumbered and unentangled. For all those praying for us, encouraging us, supporting us, and participating with us: THANK YOU! You are helping in more ways than you know, and our family is extremely grateful. Be encouraged that God is indeed moving among His people, throughout our leaders and across our country. Let’s keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Love ya lots!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Hey Everyone!

I know this is about a week late, but that was actually on purpose (honest!). I know that some may feel it’s a totally lame and lazy excuse, but I’m gonna link a video in this month’s blurb instead of providing a full-blown written update.

There’s not much preface needed here, so follow this link for our service on Sunday morning, September 4, 2022.

You’ll hear a bit about Pentecost Walk and what the Lord is doing there, and you’ll hear a bit of the Lord’s heart for His people as I was able to communicate with our local church family. It’s an incredible time we’re living in as a nation, but also an incredible moment for the Church as well. I’ve been reminded frequently that God is and always will be the same; He is perfect in all His attributes, including His faithfulness. Serve Him faithfully, family, and witness His faithfulness in every single circumstance you face. He is forever FOR us!

Tons and tons and tons of love from all of us,

<><
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Hello Friends and Family!

It was Friday, June 24th, and Kevin, Tom and I were driving back to our prayerwalking route to pick up where we’d left off a few weeks prior. Tom and I were talking casually when Kevin said that he thought Roe v. Wade had just been overturned. We both immediately got out our phones and started scouring various news sites for more information, possible confirmation that something we’d all prayed about for many years had actually just occurred. Sure enough, the news was true, and the rejoicing began! Thank You, Lord!!!

I was born on May 4, 1973, so I have always lived under the shadow of Roe upon our nation, but in answer to countless prayers and by God’s merciful hand, that shadow was removed just two short months ago. We all now live in a post-Roe America, and while I certainly don’t want to emphasize the culture of death that accompanied one tragic Supreme Court decision nearly 50 years ago, I will triumphantly boast in the greatness and glory of God, the victory of life over death, and the championing of the weak among a nation called to protect them. I cannot say enough about it, and we should never shrink into silence or stop rejoicing in it. Rather, we must move forward in love to face the challenges of a continual demonic assault against God’s favorite creation: people, who are each one uniquely created and fashioned to display the image of the God of all life.

That Friday was a glorious day, one filled with rejoicing and celebration, a day of hope for our nation and for the most helpless among us. Joy continues to fill my heart every time I pause to reflect upon the significance of Friday, June 24th, 2022. That next day, as the three of us set out on our prayerwalking route, I couldn’t stop praising God for what had happened and quite literally felt more “light on my feet” than usual. For those who know me, I’m not a “feely” guy about many things, but I’m telling y’all, it felt different. My typical 8-mile leg ended up being a 10-mile leg, and I had to repeatedly remind myself to SLOW DOWN…I was just so excited! The issues surrounding abortion have not disappeared, but whatever curse accompanied that Roe v. Wade decision has been lifted and removed. It’s tangible, and it’s time for the Church to stand up, speak out, and step into a cultural shift in America.

Many have been praying for evil to be exposed in our nation, for what has been done in secret to be brought into the light, for that which is hidden to be made known and for truth to shine in the darkness. That has been my prayer for a long time, and the picture I have when I think about this physical walk across the nation, connecting every state capital in an unbroken line of repentance, is the picture of God rolling back a wicked cloud which blankets our nation and obfuscates the ungodliness under its surface. In response to one single judicial decision, sin has reared its ugly head and revealed itself for what it is: hateful towards God and His creation. Only the most vile agenda would seek to deface the image of God by murdering unborn children. The rhetoric advocating such a strategy seems to have unchained itself from civility and embraced vitriol as appropriate and reasonable engagement. (And we thought it was nasty BEFORE this Supreme Court decision!)

Have you ever pinned the head of a snake with a shovel blade and seen it writhing and thrashing about before it expires? Yeah, the behavior of many who promote abortion seems kinda like that. If that imagery is too graphic, or if it seems insensitive toward people, know that it’s not my intention to “hurt anyone’s feelings” …because our feelings aren’t really the issue we’re dealing with - SIN is the issue we’re dealing with. Many Christians have often repeated the maxim, “Love the sinner; hate the sin”, but how does that hatred look or sound? I don’t have all the answers, but YES, with everything I have, I hate the sin of abortion. Deception dies in the light of truth, and the truth behind this deceptive demonic practice is being revealed throughout America. Caleb spoke these words in Numbers 14:9 when his fellow Israelites were despairing and threatening a return to Egypt: “(D)o not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”

I heard someone say that Roe v. Wade being overturned was simply David chopping off the head of Goliath. Now, it’s time to go after all the Philistines. This battle isn’t over, and if we celebrate without engaging, we will have failed in the task God has given us. We must lead the way in humbling ourselves, lead the way in praying, lead the way in seeking His face, lead the way in turning from our sin (2 Chron. 7:14). As sin is exposed and wickedness revealed, REPENTANCE must be simultaneously heralded by the people of God as our only recourse for hope. It doesn’t matter what the sin is, repentance is always the only answer. God has not tasked His people with simply remaining aware of that fundamental reality; He has called us to LEAD our nation in addressing it.

The Lord said this to Moses about Caleb: “But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” (Nu. 14:24) I want to live with a different spirit in me, one that is willing to put myself in uncomfortable situations, one that is more beholden to the Lord than anyone else, one that engages culture by engaging people in real-time, in real-life, in the “real world”. Whatever that takes and wherever that leads, I want to follow Him fully. Let the world see a people in whom there is a radically different spirit than anything they’ve ever encountered before, now more than ever, and may we be marked by a single-minded devotion to our Savior that takes up our cross daily to follow Him. May our love for our neighbor be tangible, relational, skin-on-skin in demonstrable expressions of faith in action. And may our love for one another distinguish us not only when we gather corporately, but in the way our lives intersect and interact with each other apart from just those weekly gatherings. Let us pursue deeper relationships with one another intentionally because He’s made us one.

I know, there’s a lot packed in there, and it’s likely more rough and raw than some are accustomed to hearing from me. Then again, maybe not. Like my extra miles of walking and having to remind myself to slow down, what’s stirring in my heart LEAPS at every opportunity to deposit in others what He is depositing in me. Let’s make disciples, Church, and let’s make lots of them! Let’s get our hands and our feet dirty in Kingdom work that takes full advantage of the royal beatdown God is delivering to His enemies. His Church cannot be overcome by the gates of hell, and the Lord’s enemies are our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; DO………. NOT………. FEAR.

Okay-yay-hugs-and-kisses from the Roberts Family! *heart emoji * smiley winky-face emoji *thumb up

Hahahaha! Love y’all!

<><
Cliff (along with Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Yeah, this smiley bunch is a pretty cool group.

Granted, this super serious crew may be significantly cooler.

Then again...

Happy Summer!

Ohmygoodness, our family is so excited to spend our vacation in Barstow in early July! People wonder, “Why in the world would ANYONE want to vacation in Barstow…in California?” I’ve got a simple, one-word answer: family.

Living and ministering in Barstow, CA was truly a labor of love for me and Denise. It was her childhood home and although she may not have been overly excited to hear God call her back to the desert after finishing Bible college, I for one am extremely glad that He did! I was so honored to serve at New Life Fellowship for 20 years of ministry, and many of the friendships there are lifelong and continue to grow in richness and depth. So yeah, we’re super excited to be with family again this summer!

In fact, Denise is preaching at New Life Fellowship on July 3rd, and I’ll be giving a brief update then, as well. Soooooo…..if you’re at church that Sunday, you can watch it again online. And if you aren’t at church that Sunday, you can watch it online. Head over to  newlifebarstow.com for more info. (Editor’s note: Scroll down below “Recent Sermon” and click on the “Browse Sermon” button. This will take you to the New Life Fellowship YouTube channel where you’ll find Denise’s message and all previous lessons and worship services.)

I know, I know, that’s totally cheesy of me, right? Honestly, what Denise shares that morning is definitely deserving of more eyes and more ears. Go check it out! And yes, since I’m short on words this time around, I’ll include extra pics (‘cause they’re like 1,000 words each, right?)

We love you all tons!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Father’s Day included an AIR SHOW!
Several of the kiddos joined me and my Dad, and here are two of them in a helicopter.

Yep, Truth and I “practice-packed” the van before I left for the next prayerwalking leg.
This is what it looks like when we travel…and we have a full roof box too.

Well, you see a lot of different signs, flags, banners, homemade yard “stuff” and things as you walk and pray across America. Hadn’t seen this one before, so I snapped a pic.
Can you guess whether I was in a big city or a small rural community here? Lol!

Quickie Update!

Full disclosure here: I’m squeezing in a brief “Hello!” while hosting a family here at our house, prepping for the next leg of our prayerwalking mission across the U.S., and tying up loose ends for vacation plans for the family while I’m at home for a few days. But you are not forgotten! (Hey, that’ll preach, huh?) Lol.

I was reading this morning in John 21, and he ends his gospel with these words: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” (v.25) John witnessed, experienced, knew about and remembered MUCH more than he communicated in his gospel. And honestly, I’d love extra details about Jesus’ time on earth, His ministry and teaching, His handling of various daily situations and even more of His miracles. But the Holy Spirit chose not to include those extra details, as helpful or beneficial as I might think they would be. He inspired John to record just a portion of those details, just as He did for Matthew, Mark and Luke. And praise God that John and many others submitted themselves to the Holy Spirit’s specific directions rather than trying to record every moment of Jesus’ life and ministry for the sake of posterity.

Paul writes to Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16) Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word is not only written by the Holy Spirit, but it also does the work of the Holy Spirit to refine us, teach us, direct us and equip us. That is what the Word of God does and my response is not only to believe in the Bible, but to submit myself to its authority and judgment in all things. John limited the words of his gospel to those which the Holy Spirit inspired and left the rest of the details out even though he could have recorded more. So too, my life must be limited to the Spirit’s leadership rather than everything else that could easily occupy my time, thoughts and efforts.

There’s much that I could do, but only some things that I must do. With the Holy Spirit’s help, I want to better recognize the difference (sometimes only a subtle one), and respond with focused obedience. His grace covers all the rest and I needn’t worry about whether Matthew, Mark and Luke are gonna pick up my slack. If I’m walking in obedience, there ISN’T any slack!

Much of our prayerwalking journey across the country is by necessity planned, routed, coordinated, scheduled, calendared, mapped and prepared for. But Tom, Kevin and I all wholeheartedly agree that the sweetest moments are not the completion of our obedience to walk and to pray, but the opportunities that “happen out of nowhere” and are obviously coordinated on someone else’s calendar even if we remain unaware of many details connected to His schedule. We walked to Dover, Delaware on a day when only a small handful of officials were present at the State Capitol. Yet despite what seemed like unfortunate timing or an unsuccessful mission, we spent a significant portion of our day ministering to and praying with some of the state police who were serving that day. Testimonies, tears, conversations, encouragements, blessings, hugs and true brotherhood - we hadn’t planned for any of those things, yet in our obedience to do exactly as the Holy Spirit has directed us, we found ourselves right where He wanted us to be at the exact moment He wanted us to be there. We walked into Breezewood, PA and after a simple act of kindness to return a luggage cart for a couple, we ended up at dinner together with them, both encouraging them and being encouraged ourselves. We couldn’t have coordinated all of those details, but the Lord didn’t ask us to. He requires humble obedience and then graces our devotion to Him with opportunities to step into unexpected rather than planned ministry.

That should be a daily experience for each of us, to “…be ready in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2), to “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…” (Mt. 6:33), to always be ready “…to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…” (1 Pet. 3:15). As He gives us specific commands to obey, we must humble ourselves and do what He says. As He opens opportunities before us, we must be prepared to step in, to speak, to stand, to GO. Focused obedience opens the door to unexpected reward. Jesus taught the same principle multiple times in His parables about the stewards given sums of money and what they did with their portions. Our experience as a family through the years has proven that true as well. We didn’t have details for homeschooling, moving Tennessee, Memphis Tabernacle, Pentecost Walk, or a host of other major life decisions. But we continue to give God our very best obedience with what He clearly tells us to do . . . and we continue to experience His reward and blessing in unexpected and amazing ways. Your prayers and financial support are such a BIG part of that and we are truly grateful. We are learning more and more to rely upon God’s grace for provision, direction, preparation and ministry. It’s quite the adventure, but one we wouldn’t trade for anything. Thank you everyone for being a part of that with us. We love you lots!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Our view of Washington, D.C. - yup, that’ll get ya praying!

Our view from the hills of Pennsylvania - yup, that’ll get ya praying too!

Happy May Everyone!

Yeah, this is a big month for our family: my parents’ anniversary, my birthday, Mother’s Day, my sister’s birthday, our own anniversary, and the end of the school year! And that’s not even counting friends’ birthdays, Memorial Day, Star Wars Day and National Hairstylist Mental Health Awareness Day! (I confess, I had to look that one up.) It’s a busy month, filled with lots of calendar events for our family, milestones and special remembrances, and as summer draws closer every day, May tends to fly past us more than any other month of the year. So this update is a refreshing PAUSE for me, a chance to break from all the other activities and planning and spend some time with the Lord. As He continues to impress upon my heart the things He is faithfully reminding me of, I want to share some of those things with you as a means of encouragement and hope.

I’ve been reading through the NASB this year for my morning devotions, and when I came across Luke 4:1, I had to pause and take notice. The New American is one of the few modern translations to include the word “around” in this verse; most others do not. “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.”  Full confession here: being “led” by the Spirit sounds nice to me, but being “led around” by Him sounds more like a wild goose chase. Granted, that’s likely a product of modern vernacular more than historical context, but it’s what got me thinking and conversing with the Lord around this verse in particular.

I like being led and being directed and being given something specific to do, but part of what I like about it is the assurance I have that if I will do what He says, then I can trust Him with the outcome. However, the Holy Spirit is challenging me not to put my faith or confidence in those clear directions while losing sight of the One directing me. He’s had to rein me in more than once after I’ve run too far ahead of His instructions. Before He finishes the first sentence I’m already “helping” Him write the rest of the chapter! And all the while as I’m “forging ahead for Jesus”, my faith ends up being more in the plan than in the Planner. So when the plan changes (or at least when that’s how it appears), it can be a real struggle to adjust my faith because it’s too closely tied to my expectations, and my expectations are often based on the results, the work, the progress and the process. If my expectations are instead focused on the Director, the Planner, the Sovereign Organizer and Omniscient Leader, then I can more easily trust that “…He Who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

I have often been tenacious with the Lord about details, pressing Him for specifics and He’s been faithful to provide those. Moving to Lakeland was one such instance of hearing direction from Him and pursuing Him intently for months to better discern exactly what He was saying. And upon arriving in Tennessee, that process continued as His plans unfolded in unexpected ways for our entire family.       He continues to lead in the same way, and this past year He has directed my partnership with Pentecost Walk so that now I’m prayerwalking all over the nation! But, lest I forget that HE is the source of my faith and not simply His instructions, He’s interrupted things again. Tom has been give both divine opportunity and overwhelming favor with leaders in Congress, and the moment is very much right now for the mission of Pentecost Walk to focus on leaders in Washington, D.C. This divine “interruption” has again afforded me the opportunity to put my faith and trust not in the plans and specific directions (walking and praying across America), but in the God Who leads me around, often in surprising ways.

My own prayerwalking is paused for this current season as Tom and Kevin begin extended ministry with national leaders. I’m walking and praying at home, and partnering with them differently until we pick up the walking route later in the year. I almost have to laugh when I read Luke 7:19 - “Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” Ha! I totally get that! “Umm, no offense here, Lord, but I kinda thought things were gonna look like THIS, but instead they look more like THIS. Are we still good here?” And the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that my faith, my eyes, my ears, my heart, my prayers, my efforts, my thoughts and my hope are best placed solely and squarely on Him and Him alone . . . not on the firm foundation of following directions. I may feel at times like I’m being “led around” by Him more than simply being “led”, but that isn’t really the point. The point is: WHO is leading? And if it’s Him, then I really don’t need to concern myself with the how or why - I only need to follow.

My prayer for you and my encouragement during this season is that you will find comfort and peace not simply in DOING the work of God, but in the PERSON of Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit directs your steps, even “leads you around” a bit in ways that seem willy-nilly and perhaps even contrary to your expectations, may your confidence always rest in His character. His ways and thoughts remain higher than our own, and like Jesus’ disciples did many times when they failed to grasp what was really going on, it’s always okay to ask Him questions. He welcomes our inquiry every time because each instance brings us back to the only One Who has all the answers. And He LOVES revealing answers to His kids! As our own family continues to follow Him through plenty of changes and unexpected activity, we’re thankful for His faithfulness and the faithfulness of those who are partnering with us in financial support, in prayer, in encouragement and friendship. You are a blessing to us all and we love you lots. Have a very merry month of May!

Love,

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Easter Sunday means free MEMPOPS! Yes, Life totally double-barreled his popsicle consumption.
And yes, Dad was totally responsible for his kids’ sugar coma afterwards.

Hello Family!

Sometimes, I approach these monthly blurbs wondering if I should give a personal update for each of our family members for the past month, but with eight of us Roberts, even a few sentences about each of us feels like it would fill several pages! And honestly, if the purpose was to inform folks about how each of us is doing, a phone call or text message would suffice. I really do look at these monthly communications as opportunities to not only share what God is doing in my heart and with our crew, but also encouragement for the rest of our family (Barstow, extended relations, friends across the nation and perhaps even the Church at large).

My prayerwalking journey across America with Tom and Kevin is up and walking again. We’re making our way through Texas and into New Mexico on our way to Phoenix…and beyond! Rather than summarizing here, I’ll just take the opportunity to shamelessly plug my ultra-hip GETTR profile in an attempt to solicit more followers and become an uber-influencer whose every waking moment will be followed by millions of highly interested and super-cool people…or something like that. Anyway, I’m kinda done with Facebook, don’t really use Twitter or Instagram, and have found GETTR to be a great tool for exactly what I want to do: post video updates and pics from this prayerwalk! Come and find me there and say “Hi!” Not sure what to do? Here are 3 easy steps:

1.Download the app: GETTR.
2.Find me: GodURmyall.
3.Follow!

Okay, enough about me, right? Over the past several days, the Lord has directed my attention repeatedly to the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4. It’s a unique story within the Bible, because much of it is written by a Babylonian king and told from his own personal perspective. In it, he recounts how the Lord had given him a troublesome dream, and Daniel alone was able to convey its meaning. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant vision of things to come, but of the Lord’s punishment which He would bring against Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel offered this counsel to the king: “Therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you: break away now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity.” (Dan. 4:27)

However, a year later, Nebuchadnezzar failed to heed this warning, and in the midst of arrogantly boasting about his own greatness, the Lord suddenly humiliated this once proud king just as He said He would do. “…and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.” (Dan. 4:33) Eventually, his reason returned to him, and the king humbled himself before the Lord, acknowledged His dominion, and was eventually restored to his own throne over the kingdom of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar then records the following words in response: “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” (Dan. 4:37)

Wow, what an amazing statement from the most unlikely of folks! I’ve been talking a lot with the Lord about this story, marveling at the uncanny similarities to our own country as a whole and to many of our nation’s leaders. I believe the Lord has been clear regarding the consequences of our arrogance, our refusal to acknowledge Him, and for our obsession with self-indulgence and self-gratification. We have not heeded His Word in that regard, and we are now humiliated as a result, much like Nebuchadnezzar. On both the national and international stages, our weakness as a nation is readily apparent despite our best efforts to cover it up, divert attention elsewhere, straight lie about it, or shout down those who would point it out. I feel as if America is behaving much like Nebuchadnezzar in his animalistic state: insane, non-sensical, beastly and grossly unaware of our own condition. Our only hope lies in the same posture of humility and repentance. We too must praise, exalt, and honor God. We must adhere to His truth and His justice above any man-made substitutes. We must acknowledge our pride, as well as His sovereign hand which has brought us low and exposed our arrogance.

There are numerous issues that we can pray about, causes we can rally around, laws that we can praise or protest, people we can elect and social issues we can take various stands for or against. But our nation’s ONLY way forward is on our knees. Nebuchadnezzar was humbled to such a degree that he was incapable of doing ANYTHING to improve his situation. Honestly, the guy couldn’t even function properly as a human being! But when his reason returned, he did the only thing that could change his circumstances: he looked to the Lord.

O God, may our reason return to us, and may we in turn look to You and away from ourselves as our hope and answer. May we repent for all we have done to reject You. May we embrace Your love, Your mercy, Your Word and Your conviction, Holy Spirit. May Your CHURCH live out those very same things in tangible ways and with a humility that truly sets us apart as Your children.

That’s the heart behind much of what I’m praying about while walking across the country, and I pray that others will echo the same. Thank you for joining with me, for partnering with and supporting our family, for praying for us, for believing with us, for following Jesus alongside us, and for being FAMILY with us through all of our adventures in serving Him. And if you want all those extra details about each Roberts family member…feel free to shoot me a text. ;-)

Love y’all lots!

The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

                              Kevin, me, and Tom starting out from San Antonio, TX on our way toward San Diego!

Praying with the amazing Border Patrol folks in El Paso, TX

Okay, now that’s it’s already March 5th, I should probably update folks with a March newsletter, right? Yes, I am not exactly “right on time”, but I’m going to pull a Gandalf here and simply say that the newsletter is never late - it arrives precisely when it means to. Lol! I’ve been walking and praying and getting my physical and spiritual muscles prepared for the next leg of our UNBROKEN walk across the U.S., and I’ve had multiple conversations with the Lord about the topic of “community”, especially within the context of His Church. So, in sitting down to write this update, I went back through some of my SOAPs from the past few weeks and here’s a bit of those conversations with the Lord loosely assembled into a semi-coherent newsletter format. Ha!

In Luke 5, Jesus calls Matthew to become one of His disciples with the usual, “Follow Me” instruction. And as did many whom He called, Matthew leaves everything and follows Him. As the Lord is feasting with Matthew at his home, surrounded by those notorious “tax collectors and sinners” the Pharisees were always so disdaining of, these same judgmental Pharisees question Him about His behavior. They point out that John’s disciples, like their own, fasted and prayed often, but Jesus’ disciples did not fast. (Am I the only one who finds it odd how the Pharisees refused to listen to John the Baptist when he challenged them, but were eager to identify with him when they could use his example to justify their practices? Hmm, kinda pharisaical, isn’t it?) Anyway, Jesus responds to them with these words in Luke 5:34, “You cannot make the attendants of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you?”

Jesus spoke about the Pharisees’ fasting in Matthew 6:16 and condemned them for their public displays of piety meant to mask their impure motives. Fasting wasn’t exclusive to the Pharisees, and it was a cultural practice many were familiar with, but it had become for them something more symbolic and ritualistic than purely devotional or obedient. Coupled with His words here in Luke 5, it seems apparent that “forcing” others to fast, or pressuring them, or causing them to feel less spiritual if they didn’t, or whatever other sort of approach would have been taken, Jesus was exposing all of that for the empty and hollow tradition that it truly was. Clinging to tradition was what kept many from recognizing and following Jesus as the Messiah. In this example, the tradition of religious fasting was completely inappropriate when the bridegroom was in their very midst! This was a time for celebration and rejoicing…if they would but receive it. The difficult part was that it required a drastic break from tradition and in a manner the Pharisees did not fully understand. They could understand tradition and even discern the benefits of fasting, but many struggled to grasp the NEW that was right in front of them. All of that tradition was about the be fulfilled instead by Christ’s work on the cross. Now was not a time for holding tightly to tradition, but for embracing something entirely new and rejoicing that the new had come!

While I’d love to sit back and point my fingers at those silly Pharisees, my first thought is toward my own heart and how I respond to the Lord’s work of undoing my traditions and bringing something new instead. My current life situation is far from traditional. “Ministry” looks very different for me than the 20 years I spent in Barstow. My “job” is unlike anything I’ve ever known. My regular schedule and routine is far from normal (in fact, it’s far from “scheduled” or “routine” in the fist place!). I’m involved with activities that hardly seem to fit my profile (walking and praying rather than all the leadership/discipleship/training/preaching/teaching stuff I’ve worked on for years?). I’m trying to adjust, to remain comfortable rather than bothered, to embrace all of this NEW, but I continue to wrestle with the lack of familiarity. “When will ‘new’ become ‘normal’, Lord?” And in response, I hear His encouragement not to miss the celebration. It’s not about quickly getting the NEW normalized, but welcoming and embracing all the NEW He is bringing. My focus needs to shift.

It’s a hard habit to break, and it’s a difficult place for me to walk in at times because it remains unfamiliar…and will likely be that way for a while! But I still want to rejoice in it, to celebrate the NEW more than focusing on my own adjustments and understanding of it. Jesus’ disciples didn’t follow Him because they understood everything He was doing; they followed Him by faith and their understanding grew along the way. I want to do the same.

Okay, back to that idea of “community” that I’ve yet to connect to any of this. I believe with all of my heart that the Lord is stirring His Church to redefine how we approach community. Acts 2 describes the Christian community like this: “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47)

Our concept of “Christian community” must extend beyond the limits of calendared church events, organized discipleship groupings, scheduled fellowship times and coordinated ministry activities together. Does it include all of those things? Absolutely! That’s all contained in these verses from Acts 2, but like Jesus’ words to the Pharisees about fasting, God is bringing His Church something NEW, and it’s more than the traditions we’ve known or become familiar with. As long as we view “community” as something the local church organizes, promotes, oversees and provides, then our concept of community will be limited to whatever our local church can organize, promote, oversee and provide. If I was to rely upon my secretary (we’ll call her “Siri”) to upload regular “dinner fellowships” with other Christians onto my busy monthly calendar, would I be experiencing everything the Lord has for me regarding genuine community? Might that experience become more significant if I invested myself into making those times a priority without Siri’s prompting and organizing? Would your friendship with me grow as a result of us both attending the same small group Bible study? Yes, I imagine that it would. Would it deepen to an even greater degree as a result of my inviting you over to my house for dinner and some board games? The Lord is likely present in both of them, and one can easily lead to the other, but I believe He’s moving His people beyond the limitations of what has become familiar, routine and tradition for many of us.

I humbly apologize that I don’t have any answers or clear direction from the Lord about what’s next. I know He’s not destroying the Church in order to remake her differently, nor is He summarily invalidating our persistent efforts to create “community” within our local churches. But I believe He’s calling us to more, and to different, and to NEW; and I believe He’s calling His leaders to LEAD in response. That means all of us organizers, motivators, shepherds, administrators, professionals and leaders need to DO it and BE it…and stop limiting ourselves to simply coordinating it. Is Siri coordinating my community for me, or am I finding community, investing in community, developing community and pursuing community on my own, in my own life, for me personally, not merely leading by example but by necessity, by a full embrace of NEW apart from what I’ve known before and been comfortable with up to this point? (Yeah, there’s a lot packed in there. Feel free to parse and digest it in more bite-sized chunks.) As unfamiliar as it may be, let’s CELEBRATE and REJOICE in what the Lord is doing among His people. He is moving us beyond our traditions, outside of our comfort zones and away from our own complacency. What awaits us is rich, vibrant, life-giving, miraculous, generous and abundant COMMUNITY! That characterized the early Church in Acts 2, and it’s what will characterize us today as we respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction with humility and faith.

It’s a bit daunting to condense devotional times with the Lord, conversations with Him while walking, things Denise and I have shared with each other, and topics that friends have echoed into a single thought, even one developed a bit more fully here in this newsletter. But it seems as if so many things the Lord is saying and doing are all pointing in this one direction, and so even if the details aren’t perfectly clear (Lakeland, TN? Whaaaaat?!), I am going to follow Him and do whatever He says. Let’s step up, y’all, and let’s embrace all of His “new” together - oooooh, now THAT would be a pretty sweet community! We love you tons and we are with you, even when we’re apart. Thank you for all the ways you continue to be with us.

Love, the Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Speaking of COMMUNITY, here’s some of ours! Amazing friends with hearts that beat in sync with our own. Love these people!

So, we’re a month into this new year . . . and I’m still at home. Our planned start for the next leg of Unbroken (pentecostwalk.org/unbroken) was rescheduled, and rerouted, and reworked. Trying to map out 20,000 miles of prayerwalking across the country, connecting every state capitol, accounting for weather, seasons, holidays and important events can be a bit of a complex situation. But Tom, Kevin and I feel a great deal of peace in this routine we’ll be establishing next month. Without getting bogged down in too many details: more traveling to/from our start/end points each leg, more frequent visits home to be with our families, more miles walking and praying each day while we’re on the road. So yeah, there are a lot of “more’s” in there, but I also believe God has some “more” of His Own surprises and plans as we continue to quite literally WALK by faith.

Needless to say, trying to start off the year with 3 weeks of prayer and fasting, all while trying to prepare myself physically for walking 20 miles a day, was a bit difficult. But I wanted to be obedient, and I was eager to hear what God would say and how He would direct me, so I just asked Him how to go about doing it. His response was typically direct: “Pray while you’re walking.” And in that moment, I knew exactly what He meant: no music, no phone calls, no texts, no distractions, just walking and praying. THAT was to be my participation in these 3 weeks of fasting and prayer. So, no breakfast for those days, and just walking and praying instead, then refueling with lunch and dinner and preparing for the next day. And boy, were those sweet times with the Lord.

I can’t speak for anyone else and how God interacts with them, but I can share with you my own experience. Sunday afternoons are typically straight home after service for our family to make sandwiches and eat lunch at a reasonable hour. One of the kids will invariably lament that Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays, and then another one will ask if we can go out to eat, and the answer is usually, “No, we’re going home.” But sometimes, it’s fun to plan for a meal out without them knowing about it . . . and then wait for the kids to ask. It brings me joy to be able to respond with “YES!” when I’ve already planned it unbeknownst to them. They needn’t beg me for something or pester me until I cave in, because that’s not how the Lord is with me. He has answers already prepared: “No”, “Not yet”, “Soon”, “Yes”; and my experience with Him is that He usually responds immediately when I ask Him. Yeah, almost like He’s the One waiting for me.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13) Our God LOVES to answer our prayers, LOVES to respond to us, LOVES to give and LOVES to bless. I have never found in any experience with the Lord that I can remember, a conversation in which I ask Him, “Hey Dad,…” and He just remains silent as if He’s ignoring me. He’s my Father, and He thinks about me constantly (Ps. 139:17-18).

Okay, back to my prayerwalk-fasting, fastingwalk-prayer, fastprayer-walking (yeah, that doesn’t sound quite right to me either). My usual experience is that before I can even leave my neighborhood, the Lord and I are having conversations about whatever’s on my heart, or I’m hearing His heart, or the Holy Spirit is reminding me of what He said the day before, or whatever, but He’s faithfully speaking. I feel like I’m getting better at listening too, so those two things should go pretty well together, right?

I have a good friend who loves to ask me, “So, what’s the Lord saying?”, and while it might be nice to answer regularly with big headlines and deeply spiritual insights, my response is usually just a general sense of what the Lord is doing in my heart, or what keeps showing up in my SOAPs each day. But Denise really put into words recently what my response would be to that question: “preparation and rest”. In her prayers for me, that’s what she sensed the Lord saying, and that pairs nicely with the overall picture of what I see the Holy Spirit doing in my heart. This next month is very much a preparation for a season of prayerwalking that I believe will be instrumental in whatever the Lord has in store for our nation. And as I prepare both physically and spiritually, He continues to call me to rest in Him, to let go of burdens, pressures, expectations and speculations, and just . . . rest.

So, that’s the heart of my conversations with the Lord recently. He continues to prepare me for only-He-knows-what and I’m focusing my attention on being at rest during the process. I hope that these monthly updates give y’all a better picture of what the Holy Spirit is doing in my heart and how that is impacting our family’s commitment to follow Him in whatever He says. Your support along the way is such a treasure to our whole crew here in Lakeland, TN. Making disciples and growing His kingdom and preaching His Word all looks so varied, and different, and unique, and at times unorthodox . . . as His Body is, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness even if it’s a sometimes awkwardly uncomfortable or unfamiliar journey personally. Thank you for partnering in that journey with us!

Love, the Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Yeah, we’re not exactly in frigid snow country or anything, but if anything ever sticks to the ground around here, snowmen seem to appear in every yard!

Hello everyone and welcome to 2022! We celebrated Christmas by catching COVID shortly thereafter and quarantining through the New Year and back into our first week of school. What did y’all do for funsies? Sheesh, having sick kiddos is no fun, and feeling ill for a couple days myself didn’t help, but when Denise went down too? Yeah, let’s just say that I’m glad we have the Holy Spirit.

I’m not big on January 1st resolutions (never really have been), and I’m not making any resolutions this year either. But there are things stirring in my heart about which I want to remain fixed and very resolved (so there, is that a New Year’s resolution?). The Lord continues to reinforce much of what He’s been speaking and leading in my spirit over the past several months, and those things have not changed with the calendar page. So, I’m going to “resolve” to keep listening and to follow Him as closely as I can.

Ezra 3 describes the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem as the exiles were allowed to return to their homeland under King Cyrus of Persia. Ezra records those involved and the work they did, detailing the sacrifices offered and the donations given for the temple’s construction. After the foundation had been laid, the priests led the people in worship: “and all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” (Ezra 3:11b) “But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ house, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid…” (Ezra 3:12) Why did they lament? Because they compared the meager construction project that had just begun to the grandeur and glory of the previous temple. But here’s what the Holy Spirit stirred in my heart as I read Ezra’s account:

While that magnificent temple was still standing, prior to its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army, it was filled with idolatry, pagan worship, cult practices and all sorts of unimaginable abominations. The spiritual leaders not only failed to lead God’s people to worship and serve Him, but they led people to worship and serve other gods! The temple had been utterly defiled multiple times for many generations. It had been cleansed out and proper worship had been restored in numerous attempts to direct the people’s heart back to the Lord, but they quickly forsook Him again and again and returned to vile pagan worship within the walls of this very same house. The temple wasn’t actually as wonderful a thing as these old men had remembered; it was more of a symbol than a reality. And that point struck a chord in my heart and my heart for the Church here in America.

God has not called His people to remember the glory days when pews were packed and altars were crowded with respondents. He has not called us to lament that people seem less interested in the gospel than they may have been decades ago. He has not called us to look back in an effort to figure out what went wrong or who’s to blame. He’s called us to GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES! Sure, there are lessons to learn, and experiences that will shape our efforts, but if we’re going to “look back”, then let’s go all the way to Jesus and let Him be our first example. He poured His life, His wisdom, His patience, His love, His encouragement and His instruction into a handful of followers. And when He was done, He told them to do the same. No more looking back, no more comparing, no more lamenting - only forward in His kingdom. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1) Paul seems to have gotten the point, and so must we.

Denise and I have 6 young disciples living in our home, and that’s where this all begins for us. Beyond that, we have family and friends, relationships with which the Lord has enriched our lives, and there are countless opportunities to teach, rebuke, correct and train (2 Tim. 3:16) as we grow together in unity and in following Him. And there are neighbors living all around us witnessing from a distance, and sometimes drawing closer in moments of divine opportunity, as we continue to live publicly all that we cherish privately. Those soon-to-be disciples are going to change everything, because transformed hearts transform words, actions, thoughts, desires, goals and dreams. That inward change manifests outwardly, and things we thought would never happen . . . suddenly . . . do.

For our family at New Life Fellowship, y’all know exactly what I’m talking about. Your lives are filled with this exact kind of testimony, and you are living examples, proof that once the Lord has your heart, you are enslaved in love to Him and it changes the whole world around you. GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES! Ask the Lord, and do whatever He says. Don’t wait, don’t look back, don’t reminisce. Step out in faith and BE one who disciples others. It’s our prayer, as the Roberts family, that our lives would model for others the wonderfully humbling glory of answering His call. For us, that involved moving to Lakeland, TN, helping with a new church plant, prayerwalking across the country and trusting the Lord for provision and direction at every step along the way. Thank you for joining with us, for supporting and encouraging us - you bless us lots.

Love, the Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Picture time! Okay, so I rarely ever take any pictures on my phone, and even fewer videos. But this was a quick clip from our newly-established New Year’s tradition: SUSHI! (No, the Christmas plates are not part of that hallowed tradition, just the sushi.) (And yes, Purity really does love sushi even if she looks like a bored teenager who doesn’t enjoy Dad taking pictures of the family gathered around the dinner table.) (And yes, Life really does smile almost every time the camera is pointed at his face.) (And yes, this was a brief moment right before Truth started being silly…again.

Truly, truly, there really is no place like home! Man, it is so good to be back in Lakeland, TN for an extended time during all of the holidays. Our prayerwalking journey has covered roughly 3,000 miles so far along this 20,000-mile journey. We’re connecting every state capitol in an unbroken line, walking and praying each step as we humbly follow the Lord and His amazing call on our lives. If you’ve not yet met Tom and Kevin, check out pentecostwalk.org and you’ll find out much more about my two dear friends and what the Lord is doing in our lives together. But for now . . . rest.

I was reading in Ezekiel 37 today, and in that chapter the Lord asks His prophet about a valley filled with dry bones. God says to Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones live?”, and Ezekiel’s response grabbed my attention. Yes, the Lord would have him soon speak to those same dry bones which He would then fill with breath until a vast army stood where there had only been skeletons moments before. But that’s not what God spoke first to Ezekiel: His first words formed a simple question: “Can these bones live?” Was He testing His prophet? Was this rhetorical? Was this one of those famous “teaching moments”? Was it trivial chit-chat?

We can only guess at the Lord’s intention, but Ezekiel’s words ring out plainly and simply in response: “O Lord God, You know.” Yeah, I’m thinking the same thing you’re thinking right now…”Duh!” From what we read of Ezekiel’s life in Scripture, he doesn’t strike me as a timid fellow. I don’t believe he was timid here either, hedging his answer for fear that he might displease God with a stupid response. Ezekiel was also not prone to running ahead of the Lord, chomping at the bit to share the next word and striving to be God’s most eager, most over-achieving prophet ever. He didn’t answer with bold declarations of faith, praising God’s infinite power and declaring life over death, light over darkness, victory over defeat or destiny over destruction. Rather, you can almost picture a gentle yet joyful and knowing smile inching across the prophet’s face as he slowly lowers his head and begins to nod, sensing what is coming.

“O Lord God,” Ezekiel says, “You know.” There is such reverence in Ezekiel’s words. El De’ot (God of Knowledge) knows everything, and His humble prophet proclaims this same profound but simple truth in response. He is a God of miracles, a God of power, a God of redemption, a God of life, a God of holiness, a God of perfection, and a God of love. And this same God asks His prophet if the bones that he sees can live. Ezekiel does not answer with any conditions attached: “Yes, they can live…if You make them live.” Ezekiel does not answer with another question: “Is it Your will for them to live, Lord?” Ezekiel does not even include himself in his answer: “I don’t know, Lord.” Ezekiel simply and humbly speaks the truth about God.

I want to be the Lord’s servant and humbly speak the truth, not about society and our brokenness, not about wrongs and sins and offenses and injustices, not about myself or those around me, but about Him. Christmas is a season of great hope, a season to celebrate the King Who came to a world helpless and lost without Him. That same helpless, lifeless, pile-of-bones world is all around us today, and as the Holy Spirit stirs hope within my heart and whispers to me, “Hey son, can these bones live?”, I pray that I respond as Ezekiel did. In that moment, God wasn’t asking His prophet to DO anything, or GO anywhere, or PROCLAIM any words; He just asked him a simple question. As the Lord’s servant responded back in humble confidence, his faith is evident and God’s glory is seen: “O Lord God, You know.” I want to rest in that same place in my walk with Him.

It means the world to Denise, myself and our kiddos that we have support from family and friends whom we don’t even get to see regularly or be with more than once or twice a year. (Well, unless we arrive unannounced while just “coincidentally” driving a van back to Tennessee!) Your prayers, calls, emails, texts, gifts and various expressions of love are treasures to us all. Thank you for being FAMILY, we’re blessed by y’all tremendously.

Love, the Roberts
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Greetings from Klamath Falls, Oregon! Yes, I’m writing this while “on the road” during our current prayerwalking leg across America. We crossed into California today and I took a moment to ask the Lord about His heart for this state. I believe that some of what He shared with me is true not just for California, but for our entire nation and for His church here in America. So, here’s a snapshot of my conversation with Him this afternoon.

I believe that California is meant to be a place of HOPE. I also believe that there are very sincere people who want California to be a lighthouse that draws people to come and experience whatever hope they’re looking for: the hope of acceptance, opportunity, security, peace, freedom, etc. That sounds like a noble goal and it looks great on a bumper sticker, but the very simple, very plain, very basic and very fundamental truth is that our ONLY hope is Jesus.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3, ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13, ESV)

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrew 6:19-20, ESV)

The only sure promise of hope that we have is found solely in Jesus. Every other promised hope which remains unconnected to the One Who IS our hope, is destined to fail. We cannot manufacture hope, or hype it into existence, or fabricate it on our own, or create a virtual version as a substitute for the real thing. Every effort to do so is a complete waste of time…but that still doesn’t stop people from trying! As I was considering this, the Lord reminded me of His words from the book of Isaiah:

An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. (Isaiah 40:19-20, ESV)

The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, “It is good”; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. (Isaiah 41:7, ESV)

The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:12–20, ESV)

Here is the point of connection which the Holy Spirit laid upon my heart today as I was praying specifically for California: all of these humanistic efforts to offer hope are nothing more than the work of idol-fashioning craftsmen. The Idol of Hope that is worshiped and lauded as a “virtue” of this state, or any state, or city, or country, is powerless to fulfill its promises. Yet the argument is constantly being made that more effort, more money, more work, more allegiance, more words, more homage, more SOMETHING will make the idol do its thing and we’ll all have the hope we’re looking for. Unfortunately, all of that is simply a futile effort to keep the idol of false hope from toppling over. Because if the idol falls over, then the craftsmen lose customers.

If this all seems pretty hopeless (no pun intended), do not despair! Remember these words from Romans 5:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3–5, NASB)

God’s Word remains true and His promises are always fulfilled. Church, THAT is where our efforts must be spent: directing people to the God of all HOPE, the God of all COMFORT, the God of all PEACE, the God of all GRACE and MERCY and FORGIVENESS, the God of all . . . PURITY, WISDOM, TRUTH, JUSTICE, HONOR and LIFE (yep, see what I just did there?). Church, there IS hope, and it DOES NOT DISAPPOINT. In our tribulations, in our concerns, in our uncertainties and in our struggles, we still have HOPE! We are surrounded by a world desperate for that very same hope, and the false idols all around us are falling over like a line of dominos. One after the other, each place where people have long put their confidence is being revealed for what it really is: a false idol of hope. It’s time for the church to rise up, declare the HOPE of the gospel, and direct people into a kingdom of eternal and infinite hope. That’s our mission as Christians now more than ever.

Well, I’m gonna wrap up this update and get some rest before our gravel/dirt road walk past Mt. Shasta tomorrow. As always, thank you SO MUCH for the prayers, the financial support, the encouragement, the info and prayer requests, the reaching out and the virtual hugs. Our Lakeland, TN family loves y’all lots!

<><
Cliff Roberts and the Awesome Seven!
(Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)

Here’s a pic from the walk…

Happy Fall y’all!! That’s how we say it here in Tennessee! The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are continuing to fall off the trees in massive numbers. The leaves that don’t fall off are beautiful hues of orange, yellows and reds and a little touch of brown. The South is so beautiful in the Fall! Actually, I am enjoying every season here in Memphis! Living in the desert most of my life, there was not much change of the seasons, don’t get me wrong, the seasons did change, but the scenery stay pretty much the same with the exception of the extreme temperature changes!
Sometimes waiting for the season to change in our lives can seem like forever, especially if its been a particularly hard season. There have been hard seasons and our world looks quite different than it did just 2 years ago! Some of us have lost loved ones, some of us have had to fight for our lives through sickness and disease, and some of us have struggled with depression and even thoughts of hopelessness. Not one of us has not been touched or affected by the evil that is in the air. But God owns the airways! He remains faithful through it all. He never changes and He is always Good! I can hear the still small voice of the Spirit whispering, “Be still and know that I AM God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” In the Passion translation it says it this way, “Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I AM God. I AM God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth.” IT IS A NEW SEASON!!

Be encouraged that we serve a God who is not far off, but who is intimately involved in every detail of our lives. He is with us in our suffering and with us in our rejoicing. God does not change with our circumstances, He is the One who remains the same through every season! There is JOY to be had, it lives in us! My friend and my Pastor shared with us this last week that JOY is a choice! In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 it says, ‘Let JOY be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. (TPT) In Nehemiah 8:10 it says, ‘For the JOY of the Lord is your strength’. This is wherein our strength lies, in God alone and who He is. He is our great reward, so we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith and we keep going, through every season, praying, rejoicing and giving thanks! God has said in Isaiah 43: 1-2, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.”
Keep pressing on my friends! Step into this new season with confidence and find rest and peace in our Good Shepherd. IT IS A NEW SEASON!! Our God is with us!

I leave you with these words of Paul the Apostle, “I am convinced that any suffering we endure is less than nothing compared to the magnitude of glory that is about to be unveiled within us. The entire universe is standing on tiptoe, yearning to see the unveiling of God’s glorious sons and daughters!” Romans 8:18-19 (TPT)

IT IS A NEW SEASON!!

Look who is at our house! I know God is surely with us! :)
We love you!

The Roberts Family
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and LIfe

                                         This is a beautiful tree in our neighborhood! It’s not finished changing colors yet! Enjoy!

Welcome to (the middle of) September! Yes, a delayed update…again. Some would call that a habit in the thing. But nope, it’s just me not doing this in a timely manner. I’ll be on the road much of September, so October’s update may be delayed, abbreviated, or something else. But it WILL happen!

My daily SOAP reading usually includes chapters from both the Old and New Testaments, and the recurring themes the Holy Spirit regularly brings to light are especially pertinent when considered in light of our current time in history. As I read through stories from 1 and 2 Kings, I see so much that applies to America. It may be in large part to my literal WALKING across our nation and PRAYING, but my heart aches for our country. She is hurting, and struggling, and still trying to solve all of her problems without the Lord. We are undone without Him and the only hope we have is repentance. I’m at a bit of a loss for words, yet His Word resounds with truth that I believe best speaks for itself without any need for my assistance. So, with that, I’d like to share with you the Scriptures I’ve been reading for the past several weeks. Me, Holy Spirit, coffee, and Scripture - sweet, sweet times.

2 Chronicles 20:33 - “The high places, however, were not taken away; the people had not yet set their hearts upon the God of their fathers.”
Isaiah 1:7 - “Your country lies desolate; your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence foreigners devour your land; it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.”
Hosea 10:7 - “The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him, for all this.”
Hosea 8:12 - “Were I to write for him My laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing.”

Proverbs 25:4-5 - “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel; take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne will be established in righteousness.”
Proverbs 29:26 - “Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.”
1 King 8:30 - “And listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.”
Psalm 130:7 - “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption.”
2 Chronicles 16:9a - “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him…”
Psalm 69:33 - “For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise His Own people who are prisoners.”

1 John 3:24 - “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit Whom He has given us.”
1 John 4:4 - “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
Mark 11:24 - “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

We are a nation in desperate need of the Lord’s help. We have rebelled against Him in so many ways, but He remains faithful and eager to forgive. Church, we must lead the way. I was going to quote all of Isaiah 55, but I think I’m just going to leave this with y’all: read it, let the Holy Spirit touch your heart with it, and then respond IN PRAYER.

We are witnessing many tumultuous events in our world today, but God is stirring His church and calling us to humility, holiness and prayer. Thank you for joining us, supporting us and following us on this incredible pursuit after Him. It is truly the adventure of a lifetime, and we’re blessed to have such a wonderful family encouraging our own. We love you tons.
- The Roberts
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

P.S. I’m not a fan of Facebook, and I’ve chosen to use GETTR as my preferred social media outlet. If you want to follow this prayerwalking journey I’m on, find me on GETTR (@GodURmyall). Then you’ll get to see cool stuff like this…

Yes, and when you see signs like this, it’s extra important to stay ON the road and not wander off. Hey, that’ll preach!

Yes, this is delayed in coming. And for that, I can only blame myself. I could offer up some really nice excuses in my defense if that would cause you to think better of me, but it probably wouldn’t, so I’ll just apologize. Sorry everyone, I’ll continue to try and do better.

Now, with that sordid mess firmly behind us, we’re on to news! School kicked off for us this week with a 3am bedtime the night before Day 1. It felt a bit like that Christmas Eve when I decided to assemble bikes, playsets and such for a more fun and streamlined Christmas morning experience, only to be so drowsy in the morning that I just wanted kids to open their presents so I could go back to bed. Yeah, getting ready for school was a bit like that . . . without the presents. It’s going to be another interesting school year in the Roberts family. We have TWO high schoolers now, and they’re both taking an English class at a local homeschool tutorial. I’m having to re-learn high school Geometry (yay. fun.) and I’m now doing math lessons for 5/6 of my kids. Normally, that’d keep me busy, but would still be easily managed. This year however, I’m going to be prayerwalking around the country throughout half of the school year. I’m still praying about how best to do that, but lugging textbooks around as reference materials during a 5-mile leg on a busy freeway while giving an over-the-phone geometry lesson probably isn’t an ideal learning environment from which to teach my children.

When the Lord first gave the green light for this prayerwalking journey with Pentecost Walk, my first thought was about the many details and potential obstacles during this extended season of many trips away from home. Some of those details are becoming NOW details rather than remaining in the distant future. But the Lord has proven Himself faithful repeatedly, giving me both grace and wisdom to prepare for all the changes this next season will bring. Proverbs 3:5-6 is true for major course changes in our lives, and for small temporary adjustments as well. That’s the beauty of His wisdom, that it isn’t situational, but infinite. He has ample supply of it, for everything we face, and He loves to lavish His wisdom on His kids (James 1:5).

So, kids are helping with grading, and some are grading and correcting their own work, and what would be longer teaching sessions are being broken up while I’m away and combined when I’m at home. We’re using different resources, new textbooks and a new rhythm for our school week. But it’s not about changing things up for the sake of variety. Rather, it’s the Lord leading us through what He already sees and knows about even before we’re aware of it. We simply need to follow. When He calls you to join a 20,000-mile prayerwalking journey throughout the United States, you follow! When He calls you to move your entire family from Barstow, CA to Lakeland, TN, you follow! When He tells you to homeschool your kids (even though you’ve never done it before), you follow!

The Lord has my heart, and I’m fully committed to following Him in anything He says. I don’t do it perfectly, and not as consistently as I’d like, but He knows that I love Him and that I’m going to lose all of our arguments anyway. So, He’s patient with me. It’s not usually an issue of Him leading and me refusing to follow Him. Rather, it’s usually me not bothering to ask Him, to take the time to seek His face, hear His voice and know His heart. After all, if I did that kind of stuff . . . He might want me to do something uncomfortable! So, it’s tempting to play it safe and keep on “loving Jesus” with my obedience (if you can even call it that), but avoid asking Him about anything He wants to do differently. Can you serve God that way? Sure, and He might eventually open up a donkey’s mouth in order to give you something new, but is that really His best plan for our lives? Wouldn’t a moment-by-moment desire for His direction lead us more effectively? It might cause more course corrections, and it might interrupt our routines more consistently, but it also might ignite in us a deeper desire to follow Him with every breath, and in the time between each of those breaths. Moment-by-moment, always seeking and always aware of His presence - now THAT is how I want to follow Jesus.

As I write this, I’m preparing for another leg of this prayerwalking journey: Rapid City, SD to Bozeman, MT. I’ll do my best to keep updated on Facebook and Gettr, and I’m always happy to receive calls and texts during the journey. The prayers and encouragement are greatly appreciated, and the financial support we receive humbles us all the time. Being a part of God’s family is so incredibly amazing, and the way He uses normal folks like us to be such tremendous blessings in the lives of others continues to astound me. Thank you for the blessing y’all are to our family, and for your expressions of love sent our way. We really do treasure them. And for those of you reading this in Barstow: It was great to see you this summer!

- The Roberts Family

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

This month the Cliff shares his message in a video made during the Roberts' recent visit to Barstow.

Yes, you can actually take a selfie and capture all 8 of us at once, but it ain’t easy! Thank you Honda!

First of all, I want to say a big “THANK YOU!” to everyone who’s been praying for us. You may think it nothing more than a simple: “I was thinking about Cliff, Denise and the kids today, so I just asked God to bless them and continue leading their family.” You have no idea how much those prayers mean to us. I shared last month about wanting to follow the Lord, at all costs, and how He’s teaching me to do that without any “extras” that I might try to bring along for the ride. Even with the noblest of intentions, my plans and helpful suggestions only taint His perfection. So, I must limit myself to only His will, done only His way and only according to His timing. I hope I’m getting better at it, and the Lord knows I’m really trying, and thankfully, He’s really patient! During our most recent season of waiting, praying and expecting, Denise and I both sensed that clarity was coming sooner rather than later.

Many of you know my friend, Pastor Tom Demaree. For those who don’t, pentecostwalk.org can introduce you, and I’m happy to share more with anyone who wants to know more about my fellow TN brother (Tom and Deanna live just 3 hours away). I’ve joined Tom on several prayerwalks across different parts of the country, and have gone with him to meet various leaders, politicians, pastors and friends. So when Tom called me toward the end of April and outlined both the heart and vision for the next extended leg of his walking, praying and ministering journey (likely a 4-year mission), Denise and I both sensed that the Lord had opened the door for me to join him and that He wanted me to go.

So here we are…again, following Him into the unexpected and unknown, yet fully convinced that He has every detail handled and has plans far bigger than what we see ourselves doing in ministry, with our family, in our community and with the church. I asked the Lord for more details, and He put Joshua 1:11 on my heart, so let me write it out here:

Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, “Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.” (ESV)

As with much of this adventure of following the Lord into unfamiliar territory, He keeps blowing up my box, and I feel like He’s never going to stop until I give up carrying boxes around to put Him in. Jesus said to “Go and make disciples” - yeah, try and put  a box around that! Do you teach a discipleship class? Do street evangelism? Engage in online conversations about faith? Start a business? Create a blog? The short answer to all of those things is: “Yes! Whatever the Lord says to do, do it!” Well, the 6 most important disciples in my life are going to watch me follow Jesus all over the country as I walk, pray, preach and minister. My kids are going to see that being a disciple is as simple as following Jesus wherever He leads, and if they’ll do the same, I couldn’t ask for more as a dad. But enough about me and my family, here’s a chunk of my heart…

We live in a polarizing time full of fear, uncertainty and disillusionment. People routinely fail to even simply get along, and although “unity” sounds nice, we seem to witness very little of it in everyday life. I only know of one perfect union (and as much as I love Denise, it ain’t us); it’s the Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. His perfect unity is what America needs today more than ever, and in His infinite and sovereign wisdom, He has chosen us, His CHURCH, to be the reflection of His character to the world. When our common unity outshines our many differences, His people will become a beacon for the lost unlike anything we have ever seen. When we need Jesus so badly that we’re willing to give everything for Him (Mark 8:34), and when our radical commitment to the cross is our most prominent feature as His followers, and when that is true THROUGHOUT His body…yeah, a kingdom-sized move of God is going to blow up a whole lotta boxes.

That’s what I’m quite literally “walking” into during this next extended season of following Jesus. I don’t know everything about my part in all of that, or what it will look like or how it may change or what the Lord may choose to do with it in the future. I only know that I’m following Him, and that He continues to stretch my faith along the way as my trust keeps growing. My encouragement to you is to follow Him with total abandon. Pursue Him with everything you have and make disciples of those who witness you do it. Thank you again for all of your prayers, all of your support, all of your love and all of your partnership with our family. We are truly in this together, for the glory fo God above all else.

- The Roberts Family
  Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Easter popsicles with church family (MemPops rocks!)

Here’s Truth! (I keep telling him that the more he grows, the closer he is to doing ALL the yardwork.)

Soccer stars! (They enjoy it, and we enjoy watching them. It’s a win-win

Wisdom loves babies (She’d rather serve in the nursery than anywhere else…and does it for free!)

Life is now 5 years old! (Hard to believe that he’s lived longer in TN than CA, but it’s true!)

Okay, I’m gonna dive right in here…

I was praying the other day and the Lord gave me the picture of a runner. When God says, “Go!” or “Run your race!” or “Follow Me!” or whatever else He requires of me, it’s far too natural to begin grabbing my cell phone…oh, and an arm-band to keep it from bouncing around in my pocket while I’m jogging…oh, and a water bottle…no, wait…lemme buy one of those fancy CamelBak hydration backpacks instead, that’s even better!…oh, and some sunscreen…and I’m gonna GPS my best route for this race…and I need a hat to wear…and a reflective shirt for safety when running with traffic…and I need a wrist-strap for my house key…and it’s gonna be a long race, so I should bring a snack…maybe a fanny-pack to hold my extra supply things?…and I’ll tie a windbreaker around my waist in case the weather gets crazy…oh, and I remember getting caught in the rain before, so I’ll bring an extra pair of shoes, socks, underwear, another shirt and pair of shorts…maybe I’ll put that in a backpack and wear it OVER my CamelBak!…and if I encounter anyone while running, I don’t want to offend, so I’ll throw some deodorant in there too…okay, I think that’s it. Now, let’s GO!

With the very best of intentions (“This is all for God!”), a desire to go the distance (“I’m gonna run with perseverance!”), to prepare for anything God may bring my way (“Expecting the unexpected!”), to make the most of this opportunity (“Don’t waste a single moment of my life!”), to honor Him with my very best and not just a minimal effort (“He died for me; I’ll live for Him!”), I quickly manage to add on an extra 20 pounds of “essentials”, and delay my start while I’m busy preparing, and needlessly burden myself with much more than the simple and humble, “Yes, Lord,” that He requires of me. He didn’t tell me to load myself up like a pack mule, but only to follow Him. I wonder how much of my life, my ministry activity, my homeschool lessons, my studies and my devotional time is spent pursuing my own best efforts and ideas in addition to (or is that actually “instead of”?) what He honestly intends for me to do.

God didn’t say, “Great Commission!”, and then I up and headed to Lakeland, TN because I thought that would be a good place to win souls for Jesus. No, He led each step, gave specific instructions when needed, handled details that I didn’t need to be burdened with, and revealed favor upon favor as we followed Him, sometimes blindly, but always convinced that He was continuing to lead. Why do I still feel the need to “help” Him with extra effort beyond what He’s actually saying? Does He really need my good ideas? Does my busyness somehow “prove” my passion for serving Him? Does He truly reward all of my efforts? Or is the blessing I experience simply His grace in action, covering over my silly-yet-genuine attempts to exceed His expectations?

I want to follow Jesus, and I want it so desperately that I’m willing to let go of everything else to do it. As I expressed that very heart to the Lord recently, He challenged me to truly pursue Him with open hands, hands unencumbered by “extras” (extra responsibilities, extra efforts, extra ideas, extra desires), and He asked me to trust Him to fill my heart with purpose, fulfillment, calling and fruitfulness. Yes, even at the expense of my really good ideas, my genuine efforts to honor Him, my noblest of intentions and purest of goals. If His breath is not in it, my own attempts to revive a corpse are wasted time and bothersome distractions. I don’t want to waste my time “for Jesus”, doing a bunch of activity simply because it’s all “good stuff”.

Like Jesus’ disciples as they walked with Him, I want to leave everything behind and walk by faith when He says to do so. And I want to take along an extra cloak and supplies when He tells me to. I want to go on ahead when He sends me across the lake. And I want to wait for Him expectantly when He promises to come. I may leave behind a mound of great running gear, nifty gadgets, helpful tools and wonderful plans, and that may appear to be wasteful, lazy, inefficient or neglectful. But anything that slows me down and delays my pursuit of Him NEEDS to fall by the wayside like an old-but-familiar fishing net. He’s calling me to something new, and it’s going to be amazing.

Yeah, that might read like a weird “update”, but it’s where I’m at and what the Lord is doing in my heart. Thankfully, I’m not alone, and Denise is sensing much of the same in her own life as well. We’re entering into a new and exciting season, and we’re dropping off old things as quickly as we can in an effort to embrace all the new opportunities, relationships, activities and schedule that He is calling us to run with. It’s a bit unnerving, and really uncomfortable, but liberating at the same time and we remain full of faith and expectation. Thanks for supporting us on this incredible journey of following Him. We so deeply appreciate all of the prayers, encouragement, notes, gifts, texts, chats and videos. Keep pursuing Him, y’all!

- The Roberts Family

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Justice smiling over Denise’s “birthday flowers”. (My wife is 25 again, in case y’all are wondering.)

Family and friends gathered to celebrate Denise’s birthday in March. (Yep, still 25 again.)

The giraffe was not practicing social distancing. (Anybody else all done with COVID?)

My goodness, what a month we had in February! When we first moved here, we heard lots and lots about the weather. Yes, we know we are now in “the South”, and we know about this thing called h-u-m-i-d-i-t-y, and we have seen one or two . . . THOUSAND mosquitos, but when folks told us the weather was completely unpredictable, I was a bit unsure about that. I mean, c’mon, I lived in Barstow for 20 years and it was pretty predictable for a good week or two at a time. If Siri said it was gonna hit triple digits in the next week, guess what happened? It hit triple digits! Yeah, but not in Memphis. In the course of a single day, I saw my weather updates go from snow, to rain, to cloudy, back to snow, while the temperature kept shifting up and down 5 degrees or more. AND IT’S LIKE THAT EVERY DAY! Honestly, we check the weather hourly around here, because it’s wildly unpredictable and our 4-year-old is just as qualified as any local weatherman when it comes to giving an accurate forecast.

February brought us our first ice storm since moving to Tennessee. The trees looked beautiful, but I couldn’t even open my van door! And then when I did finally get it, the handle froze stuck, and I had to exit the passenger side instead! Some hot water and 20 minutes of ice-scraping later, and I had to salt the driveway because the water I’d used to melt the ice quickly refroze into a skating rink underneath my vehicle. The 8-10” of snow came a day or two later, and since Memphis doesn’t really have a snow-removal program, we hunkered down for the next week, played in the snow outside every day, and ate through half of our pantry because getting to the store was a bit dicey. Then, as the snow was finally beginning to thaw, the water company informed us that all of Memphis had been put on a boil advisory because the freeze had broken some main pipes and caused them to lose pressure. Every store then quickly sold out of bottled water within a few hours, and we proceeded to burn through most of our reserves in the liquid department as well. So, why all this news about our 1st-world adaptation to 3rd-world conditions? (Trust me, I’ve been on missions trips, and we’ve never been anywhere near 3rd-world conditions.)

Last summer, God told Denise something very simple. He told her, “When you go to the store, buy more than you need.” That was it, and there was no further explanation. We didn’t know if that was a COVID thing, a national crisis thing, a crazy end-times weather thing, or what. We simply knew He’d given us instructions, figured He probably wanted us to be well-supplied in order to bless others, and so we obeyed: extra pantry shelves, a full freezer, doubled-up water and essentials, and we’ve kept things that way ever since. So, when this winter storm barreled through and we weren’t able to make our normal grocery store trips, we not only had more than enough, we had plenty to share. Oh, did I mention that during this crazy winter storm we were also hosting a friend at our house who got to be “stuck in the snow” with us? Yeah, we were able to bless others beyond ourselves because our Father in heaven looks carefully after His kids. He gave us a heads-up, we obeyed, and He blessed. No, we’re not done obeying, and we don’t feel like the preparations He’s had us make are complete, but He really can be trusted even in the little things . . . like extra groceries.

I’m reminded of a SOAP I did yesterday in Exodus 9:13. God told Moses something very simple: to get up early one morning. Yeah, there was a bunch of stuff to say to Pharaoh, but that simple timing was really, really, really important. You see, God had planned a hailstorm, and it was going to happen at a particular time, and it would be so specific and so targeted that all of Egypt would know God’s power and fear His name. But Moses needed to meet Pharaoh at a specific time because the Lord’s message to Pharaoh included WHEN this would all happen. God was giving Pharaoh one day and told him that about the same time that next day, the hail would come, and he needed to be prepared. God had a much bigger plan in mind, one that included delivering His people, revealing Himself to Pharaoh, displaying His power and His faithfulness so that generations upon generations would learn to trust Him in all things. Moses had a profound role to play in all of that, but his part also included a very simple act of getting up early one morning.

God routinely directs my attention away from the bigger-picture questions that I have, the national issues occupying my thoughts, the plans for future preparations and unfamiliar endeavors, and whatever else I want to know more details about. It’s not that He ignores my questions or is offended or annoyed by them, but most of the time He answers me with little things, minor course adjustments, shifts in my routine, creating more space for Him, prompting me to listen more and speak less, directing my questions onto more personal topics centered around my own heart and my love for Him.

Our Father in heaven loves us immensely, passionately, infinitely. We are never an afterthought to Him, but relentlessly occupy the first place in every intention that He has. He knows everything, sees everything, is sovereign over everything, and He tells us not to worry. He tells us to trust Him, to obey Him, to abide in Him and He promises abundant life as we do. For all who have been praying for our family, giving financial support, encouraging us in conversation, chatting and texting and video-ing back and forth - THANK YOU! Those little steps of following the Holy Spirit’s prompting encourage us tremendously as we pursue Him here in Lakeland, TN. And as we follow Him, He leads us even at the grocery store, and others beyond our own family share the benefits and blessing of God’s people serving Him wholeheartedly. We love y’all so much and are thankful for all the support you give us. Let me encourage you to listen closely to His Word, and to His words, because if He tells you to get up early in the morning . . . there might actually be a bigger reason for it. ;-)


Love from the entire Roberts crew,

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

One month in and 2021 is rolling right along, isn’t it? You’d think the year would slow down a bit, let us all catch our breath and maybe even relax a little, but no. Homeschool is in full swing around here finally, and yes, I do mean FINALLY. We celebrated two birthdays in January as Justice turned 11 and Wisdom began her second year of teenager-hood? teenager-dom? teenagery? The two days couldn’t have looked more different: Justice went shopping for new clothes and dragged her sisters along with her, while Wisdom spent the entire day reading books by herself. Okay, she wasn’t entirely alone, but she reads faster than we can feed her new material to devour and she was fully engrossed in whatever series she was into at the time. We took each of those days off from school, and also had a 2-day break between units (finished studying Europe, started studying Oceans). Honestly, with those 4 days off in January, it’s February that feels more like the beginning of a new semester. Our kids would disagree, but I’m just going to CANCEL their dissenting opinion, because that’s what we do now, right? Lol!

Oh my, that was too funny. Okay, I’m all finished now.

I was reading in Acts this week about Saul’s behavior prior to his conversion, and the message the Holy Spirit stirred in my heart was so appropriate for today. Acts 9:1-2 says, “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.”

Saul’s letters were specifically to the synagogues at Damascus. He was in effect, purging Judaism of this heretical threat both in Jerusalem and beyond. At least, that’s how he saw it. The synagogue was not just a religious gathering place, but was also closely associated with Jewish national identity: a Jewish assembly for those of Jewish faith wherever Jewish people lived. This was the heart of Jewish community in all places where Jews lived. Thus, it was in Saul’s mind, central in priority for ridding this Christian infection that threatened to corrupt all of Jewish society in every place where Jews might gather. If he didn’t purge this evil, then not just the Jewish faith, but Jewish national identity itself was in danger of being destroyed from within.

It is interesting to note that for early Jewish Christians, one of the greatest threats to their faith came from “within” their own people - from a fellow Jew. I see parallels to the church in America, which is threatened most not by foreign nations and entities, but by fellow American citizens. There are government leaders, legislative groups and judicial entities who actively seek to control, limit, diminish and essentially persecute Christians through “official” and “legal” means. This is not a national struggle against foreign powers, but an internal civil war within America that would seek to purge God, His presence and His influence from American society. Satan wants America to become a godless nation, and he needs to destroy the church in order to do so. We will likely not be invaded, overrun or defeated by some foreign national power, but will be destroyed from within: through civil unrest, racial divide, political corruption, governmental overreach and an increasingly progressive and secular society.

“So, what do I do, Lord?” That was my question as I prayed and talked with Him through this passage. I believe Ananias is my best example (besides Jesus, of course). Ananias was obedient, sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and yet cautious as well. He did not isolate himself, exclude himself or keep his distance, but was instead willing to risk himself in obedience to see others saved. I need to live the same way, not actively seeking persecution, but aware of it, cautious yet unafraid, and surrendered to Him wholeheartedly.

I’m about to get my preach on, so I’ll stop here and ask you to read Hebrews 12 in light of much of what we’re currently seeing and hearing around us. As you do, as you “consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself”, my prayer is that “you may not grow weary or fainthearted”. Go ahead, read verse 3 and let that sink in. And if you’re feeling a bit weary, I’d suggest more considering Him, listening to Him, talking with Him. Much of this may be new to us as the church in America, but He’s been here before, as has His church. And now, just as before, He’s going to work through His people to bring multitudes into His kingdom. It’s time for every Ananias to answer His call, in faith, humility and obedience. The Lord wants to remove the scales from the eyes of people who are blinded by their ideology and hatred, and He wants to fill them with His Spirit. His heart for the lost has not changed, and NOW is the time we’ve been given to share that heart with the world. So, whether you’re in Tennessee, Barstow, Oklahoma or beyond - He’s got this, so let’s move forward!

Lovin’ y’all tons!

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Here’s Justice’s day (well, she shopped one day, had a friend over the next day, and celebrated again later with another friend). Having fun being 11!

And here’s Wisdom, the new 14-year-old! Yes, Purity has blue hair. No, we couldn’t convince Wisdom to do anything like that to her own. She is most definitely her OWN person!

Well hello there! I know, I know, this is way too late in coming and I’m starting off the new year horribly by being tardy with our family’s monthly updates. I’ve decided to just blame the coronavirus because that seems to be “the thing” now, right? Ha ha ha…sheesh. Like others I’ve talked with, I’m so tired of hearing the word “unprecedented” to describe the days in which we live. However, I don’t know a more appropriate substitute, so I’ll stick with that one and try to maintain a focus on things that continue to be far more important than all the other “unprecedented” stuff. (Yes, more important things do actually exist.)

In Luke 1:45, Elizabeth spoke these words about Mary, the mother of Jesus: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Mary’s response to her angelic messenger was a faith-filled humility that accepted even what she could not understand. I was challenged to live with the same faith, focused not so much on the, “Yeah-yeah-yeah, Lord, but HOW is it gonna happen?” and more on the simple moving forward in humble faith without needing to know how His plans will come about. In my zeal to pursue Him, pressing Him for details can easily become an unnecessary distraction when He’s simply wanting me to take Him at His word . . . and follow. That was my first SOAP of the new year, on January 1, 2021, and I’m being given ample opportunity to walk out my “A” from that one. (For anyone reading this who’s unfamiliar with the S.O.A.P. acronym, contact me and I’ll happily walk you through a simple and effective Bible study tool for daily time in God’s Word.)

Ok, so fast-forward to January 4th as my devotions for the day centered around Noah and his actions in Genesis 8. Noah experienced much, witnessed much, and did much, but he NEVER LEFT THE ARK until God said to do so. It’s easy to read Noah’s story and condense it into 40 days of rain, a few weeks of drying off, the dove doesn’t return, then the rainbow! But Noah’s obedience and strict adherence to the voice of the Lord kept him in the ark for over a year! It was only at God’s specific word to him that he exited the boat and walked on dry land again. Go ahead, read Genesis 8 for yourself and pay attention to the calendar details - Noah wasn’t just a man of great faith, but also of principled and patient obedience. In response to this story, I asked God for His specific direction, His unique words directly to me and His clear communication for my life in particular. His response was both encouraging and challenging as He said, “Continued faithfulness.”

I’m glad to know that He considers me faithful, that He didn’t tell me to START being faithful but rather to simply CONTINUE being faithful. But as is often the case with my best friend, Holy Spirit usually leaves out the details that I think are really important and He is often way more vague than I would like Him to be. Oh wait, didn’t I SOAP on something like that a few days ago?

And so, I find myself here today, wrapping up my morning’s devotions in Luke 6:22 with Jesus’ words to His disciples, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!” In today’s…umm…unprecedented?…times, His instructions seem all the more timely and appropriate, and although I feel like I live in the buckle of the Bible belt here in Tennessee, I’m keenly aware of a world surrounding me that is growing increasingly hostile toward Christ and His church. But here is my encouragement, and forgive me for taking so long to get to the point…

Jesus gave very specific instructions to His disciples after telling them that the persecution they would suffer was a blessing rather than a burden. Hear His words from the very next verse in Luke 6:22 - “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.” In response to inevitable and widespread persecution, Jesus’ followers are to consider themselves blessed and REJOICE, in fact, we are to LEAP FOR JOY! This is not some manufactured and self-maintained positivity meant to prop up our faith in front of others who need to see how happy Christians are, but it is a genuine response to the promise of God. And His promise is this: “Your reward is GREAT in heaven”. Now THAT is a focus worth keeping and a truth worth celebrating, no matter what we might endure in this life. In fact, our faithfulness in the face of persecution is esteemed so highly by the Lord that He numbers us with renowned OT prophets, men and women like those listed in Hebrews 11. He is immensely PROUD of us. Isn’t that even more reason for us to rejoice?

Church, we have a GREAT reward promised to us from a faithful God Who has never, ever, in all of history, ever failed in any single promise…ever. He is faithful when we are faithless, unable to deny His own character, perfectly consistent and infinitely absolute in His promises. It doesn’t matter how “unprecedented” our times become or our experiences seem to us. God’s Word remains true and His love never fails. Let us move forward with humble faith that is focused not on the HOW of His plans and purposes, but only on the YES of our response. Let us dedicate ourselves to strict adherence to His Word and His words to us, unmoved by circumstances, experiences or anything we see even with our own eyes. Our focus must always remain on the great reward He has promised us in heaven. It is that reward that encourages us to tell the world of His love, to bring as many people with us into eternity with Him as we can, to live each day more in love with Him and more dedicated to Him than ever before.

We love you, church family, all the way from Lakeland, TN to wherever you call home. We are so blessed to be connected across states, to receive support and encouragement from y’all and to be used by the Lord to do the same in return. What a wonderful time to belong to the body of Christ, and what an amazing opportunity we have to shine brightly before the world as light in the midst of darkness, a city on a hill and a lamp on its stand. (Read Matthew 5:11-16 for some incredible context!) And so, we choose joy, not just out of obedience to the Lord, but also in response to His character: He is good, and His mercies endure…(yeah, way longer than any of these “unprecedented” things could ever hope to achieve). Love y’all tons!

The Roberts Family

Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life

Here’s our crew at Christmas, making cookies for friends. We went through our bout with COVID back in September, and almost all of our church leadership was quarantined and recovering over the holidays, so we got to run errands for folks, babysit kiddos and do some grocery shopping too. It was such a blast being given so many opportunities to love on our church family. Praise God for healthy bodies!

More fun with friends! Sitting on the right is Chris Parsons (an amazing young adult and part of our Memphis Tabernacle family) and his fiancée, Maranatha Covert (yes, we heartily approve!).

Yeah, we all stayed up a little too late on New Year’s Eve, so my parents and I are busy playing board games in the other room while the rest of the fam basically crashes in the living room in front of some LEGO cartoons. Enjoying the vacay while it lasts!

Merry Christmas Y’all! I’ve witnessed the first Christmas miracle of the season: Denise agreed to write this month’s update. Yay for Baby Jesus! Okay, but seriously, I’m glad she did. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, people everywhere and nowhere, the one, the only, the love of my life and bestest bestie one could ever hope for, please welcome the now fully embarrassed and blushing behind her frowny face eyes that are staring daggers into the back of my head . . . Denise Roberts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Merry Christmas, Friends and Family!

It’s December already, can you believe it? This year has been a very different year indeed! The year 2020 will forever be etched in our minds and hearts. I am reminded of the Words of Isaiah and I echo them now in our day, “ I see The Lord high and exalted, and seated on a Throne; and the train of His robe fills the temple. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His Glory”. Our Faithful God is still on the Throne and He governs the affairs of men! This my friends, is Good News!

Our family has officially started the Christmas season by taking our Christmas Pajama family photo. Yes, all of my teenagers are over the top excited about this! They couldn’t dream of doing anything else! :) We have decorated a few areas in our house so far and Christmas music can be heard! Don’t you just love this time of year? The Lord has been reminding me about simplicity. The simplicity of the Gospel, The Good News! How often we can find ourselves striving in life in our own strength.This season has a way of turning our hearts back or simply turning our gaze back upon The ONE who deserves all our worship! The ONE who is so crazy in LOVE with us that He gave Himself for us! In Matthew 22:36 - 40, an expert in the law asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus replied: “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” It’s that simple…. Love The Lord with absolute abandon and from this place of love let it overflow to others! This is how I want to live my life and the rest of my days here on this earth, in SIMPLE LOVE! May this be the heart of His people!

Our family has been here for almost 3 years and I am discovering each day the NEW and what The Lord means when He says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a NEW thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’ When God calls us to new places, that is exactly what He means, NEW, roads we have never traveled before and so many new places to discover and become in Him! This is the beauty of the Lord! So thankful for His leadership!
 
So, as we pull out all the decorations and everything else that is part of this wonderful season, may we take time to reflect and remember what really matters. We actually have the honor of buying presents for a single Grandma raising her 3 year old grandson! One of her sons passed away in 2018 of a drug overdose and her youngest just passed away from the same thing. God brought the opportunity to love right to us! Best Gift ever!! May we take time for the simple things like calling a friend, encouraging a neighbor or helping someone in need. For our family, all the hours of Christmas movies, game playing, and cookie baking too! May the Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you and your families! We love you!

The Roberts Family
Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life
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Isn’t she awesome? Love that girl. And now, as promised, here are a couple of Christmas pictures, to which I will add a few thoughtful additional thoughts of added thoughtfulness…

So, this is what happens when everyone is talking (NOT complaining, just “talking”...about how long this picture is taking) and then Dad says, “Ok, everyone just have fun!” Click! Yeah, that’s sorta what lots of life looks like: some of it a bit blurry, some of it not all that focused on the camera, some of it enjoying this moment WAY too much, and the hidden-but-not-hidden that is holding everything together. (Yes, Denise really is in this picture.)

And then there’s this next family gem:

It’s more of a personal reminder that there’s a reason my phone’s camera has a TEN-SECOND timer in addition to the 3-second-great-idea-dad timer. It’s also a reminder that I’m not as fast as I used to be, but I am WAY more careful about not sliding into the piano in my socks across the hardwood floor while racing to get my silly face into a family photo. And it’s also a reminder that “perfect” ain’t happening until Jesus returns.

And finally, here is NOT our family picture:

“Why not?” you ask. Well, because 8 uncomfortable, disgruntled fake smiles in Christmas Convict pj’s
 is NOT the look we’re going for. HA!

REJOICE! God is in control, Jesus is alive, and Holy Spirit is working. 1 Timothy 1:15-17 gives us all the reason in the world to celebrate Christmas with overflowing joy: “Here is a trustworthy saving that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display His immense patience as an example for those who would believe in Him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

We love you all tons and are praying faithfully for our Barstow family, extended family and friends, for Memphis and beyond. God is doing good stuff, and now’s a great time to celebrate His active engagement with those whom He loves: people. Merry Christmas everybody!

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Cliff

Well, I’ve prayed and I’ve voted, and now I’m continuing to pray. I’m thankful that my King advances His kingdom no matter who is in charge, because all authority belongs to Him in the first place.

I won’t give a big update this month, but perhaps I can convince my wife to share an update for December and that can be a nice little Christmas Surprise to make up for this month’s brevity. I simply wanted to thank the Lord for the work He’s doing here at Memphis Tabernacle.

Pastor Joe and I talked extensively about the nature of what I felt the Lord wanted this new season of ministry to look like in Tennessee, but nothing I’d read, or heard, or discussed quite conveyed exactly the right thing. It’s like I had a sense of things, but nothing concrete. I did know that it was all about relationship, that our home would be central to our ministry, and that our entire family would be a part of whatever God was going to do. In looking back, I can see how the lack of details actually HELPED our transition here as the Holy Spirit had much more in store for us that would be unexpected, unplanned, unfamiliar and unknown. I feel like it’s been a few years now of learning to be okay with not knowing all (or even ANY) of the details.

I’d like to improve the Lord’s slow-cooker methods by upgrading His kitchen with an Instant Pot, but He loves His crockpot, and He gets way better results without my “helpful upgrades”. It takes longer than I’d prefer, but He does really good work, and He manages to receive all the glory for it as well, so that’s another plus for doing things according to His timetable. October was our first month of House2House ministry nights at Memphis Tabernacle. They happen a couple of Wednesdays each month, and it’s been such a sweet time of fellowship, learning about one another, and being encouraged in the Lord as we encourage each other.

Yeah, it’s different than what I’d imagined, and it’s not as full-blown everything-it’s-supposed-to-be like I think it should be, but it’s His work. He’s bringing people together and showing us how to invest in each other’s lives. He’s giving us more opportunities for relationship beyond just Sunday mornings and the fruit of that is only going to continue growing. We have 3 groups now, 20 or so in each one, and plans for more as the Lord brings more to be involved. It’s exciting being here on the ground floor of what He’s doing, and I’m so very grateful that He called us here to Memphis to be a part of it.

I’m also extremely grateful for y’all. (Yes, I’m doing my best to acclimate around here!) You have been a part of this work from the very beginning, and I’m honored by your support and your love for the Lord. Thank you for investing in us, in our family, in God’s work here in Memphis, and in the lives of so many who will find their way through the doors of our home as we reach people with His love. I’m still not sure what the finished product will look like, but I know the One Who is doing it all, and He’s an excellent cook. Lots of love from our neck of the woods!
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Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life Roberts
P.S. Instead of pictures, how about I try and get Denise to organize some Christmas Pajama pictures for December’s update? Lol!

Yes, it’s “Happy Fall Y’all!” season around here again. Our yard hasn’t covered itself in leaves yet, and I keep telling myself that I’m gonna stay on top of them this year, but life has a way of interrupting our best intentions with this annoying thing called “reality”. I saw a neighbor who already had 10 bags of leaves collected and sitting on the curb, and to my credit, I wasn’t jealous…but boy that would sure be nice if those were the leaves from my yard! Okay, I need to focus on finishing this update or I’ll never get around to raking those leaves.

Many of you may already know this, but if not, here’s a bit of family background for us. Our son Honor turned 9 years old at the end of August, and his life journey has been pretty unique. He was born 3 months premature, and along with all of those associated complications, we also found out a few years ago that his pituitary gland never fully developed. So the growth hormone causing him to gain height and weight wasn’t functioning properly. He’s been receiving hormone therapy via shots each night, and we’re seeing God do quite a work with doctors’ help as Honor continues to grow and develop, even if he’s still on the short side. But we’re believing for something greater, and I’d like to ask y’all to believe with us for the miraculous.

Doctors have told us that Honor’s pituitary gland isn’t something that will eventually catch up or function to make up for lost ground. He was born with it underdeveloped, and now it’s all done developing. So, it remains in a permanent underdeveloped state that limits his growth. We’re believing for something greater than a medical diagnosis, however, and we’re going to see it happen right before our eyes. When Honor was first born and in the NICU for several months, Denise had a dream where God’s hands rested on Honor and covered him completely, healing everything inside of him and making him whole. He’d had multiple infections, blood transfusions and other complications, but the Lord made it clear that Honor would be healed. Before he was born, I had a dream of him in striped footy-pajamas laying on the couch with Denise. So when the doctor told me at his birth that there was only a 50% chance of survival, I wasn’t moved. I already knew Honor survived because the Lord already showed me.

That’s what healing is like. God has already provided it, already given it to us, already said “I’m willing. Be healed!” before we even ask Him to do anything. Faith is that place between the asking/believing/praying and seeing/experiencing/feeling. And that’s where we are now: CONFIDENT that Honor is healed because of what Christ has done at the cross, what Scripture says is true of God’s power, and what He has promised us specifically, and also WAITING for the physical to catch up with the spiritual as we see Honor grow without the use of medication, with a fully-functioning pituitary gland, catching up on height, weight and every other aspect of his physical development.

When you pray for our family, please pray for Honor. There have been times in the past when his physical healing has been emphasized in my own personal prayer life, and I believe the Lord wants to extend that beyond myself in this season and have others agree with us for the miraculous. Thank you so much for your outpouring of love toward our family. Your texts, emails, phone calls, Zoom chats, financial support, encouraging words and fun videos have blessed us tremendously. We continue to follow Him, confident that as we do so faithfully, He will continue to show us His faithfulness in miraculous and powerful ways. We love y’all tons!

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Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life Roberts

Hello from Lakeland, Tennessee! We just wrapped up a vacation week with Jesse and Della Haefele (and their kiddos), and it was so great to reconnect with church family from Barstow. Love y’all! I put Jesse to work in 100-degree heat and like 90% humidity while he was here, because that’s how we all want to spend our vacation time, right? Actually, he was helping with something that I wanted to share with y’all.

Denise introduced many of you to Jarvis when she wrote one of our monthly updates last year. He’d been homeless, but we watched as God transformed his life and brought him into our church family and even alongside me helping in the parking lot on Sunday mornings. Jarvis had stayed off-and-on with an uncle named Steve, who lives about 5 minutes away from the building (that place where the church gathers on Sunday mornings). A month ago or so, as a friend and I were helping Jarvis gather some bus passes for transportation, we stopped by his uncle’s house and I saw this…

Yeah, a recent storm had collapsed an entire HUGE tree onto Steve’s house, knocking his chimney over, blocking the entire side of the house, and causing leaks in his roof. I immediately sensed in my spirit the Lord prompting me to do something. Well, I don’t know anything about removing trees from housetops…but I know a guy. So I called my arborist friend and he and I worked half a day in 99-degree heat, sweating buckets and hauling an enormous pile of limbs and branches to the curb. A week later, and Jesse was here to help us remove another massive pile of tree parts from the house. Now that it was cleared, it was quite obvious that the roof needed some serious repair. Well, I don’t know anything about roofing…but I know a guy. I contacted a contractor whom I’d met a couple weeks back and he came over to take a look. By the end of the day, the roof was cleared of debris and Steve’s leaks had some giant tarps helping to keep out the rain.

This project started with a simple prompt, something the Lord laid on my heart to DO, even if I didn’t know where to begin. I simply knew that He wanted me to help, and He wanted Steve to know that God sees him, loves him and is watching out for him right where he’s at. We now have several thousand dollars worth of materials and labor costs that are being donated to get a solid roof over Steve’s head, and he calls me multiple times a week to thank me, to bless me, to tell me that he loves me . . . and this is a guy I’d never met before up until about a month ago! I remind him every time I talk with him that God loves him, and that everything I’m doing and coordinating for him is all because the Lord wants Steve to know how special he is to Him. My prayer is that Steve would encounter the love of God not just in the actions and generosity of “church folks” around him, but personally as the Holy Spirit transforms his heart just like we’re transforming his roof.

God wants to save Memphis, to transform a city into a beacon of righteousness that will bring glory to Him and reveal His love to a world hopelessly lost without Him. I can’t re-roof every damaged home in Memphis, but I can say “Yes” when He calls me to respond. I can trust when He calls me to follow Him. I can open my heart in love when He prompts me to step into something I’m unfamiliar with and have never done before. Yeah, whether it’s moving my family across the country to plant a new church, or getting a roof over a guy’s head who happens to be the uncle of this other friend I’ve made since coming here. God is awesome in all the myriad ways He works in our lives. Thanks y’all for being a part of His work in mine.

Lots of love from Tennessee!

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Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life Roberts

“But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
you descendants of Abraham my friend,”
•Isaiah 41:8

Our journey to Lakeland, TN was a spiritual journey for us even more than it was a physical journey. For quite a while, the Lord had been steadily working in my heart to view ministry differently than I had been and to prioritize relationships above other activities and calendar items that occupied so much of my time, planning, efforts and schedule. I began viewing things like monthly leadership meetings as opportunities to invest in relationships more than opportunities to cover calendar items and offer leadership training. My relationships with leaders were deep friendships more than ministry partnerships, and those relationships became far more important to me than the sermons I preached, events I coordinated, curriculum I ordered or departments I oversaw. As I invested in those relationships, I was convinced that they would bear fruit that lasted far beyond me, and that through those relationships, ministry to people and discipleship-making would extend much further than I could possibly do on my own. And so, “relationship discipleship” became more than just a method or a model - it was the very heart of what God had called me to do and who He’d called me to be.

So, we arrived in Tennessee two years ago with that view of ministry burning in our hearts, expectant of what the Lord would do with it and eager to follow Him as He birthed His new work essentially out of our living room. We didn’t have a church, so our house would be ground zero for the relationships we would discover and the disciples we would join with in making more disciples, who would make more disciples, who would make more disciples… Along the way, we really sensed the Lord directing us to Memphis Tabernacle, to THAT new church plant as the work He’d called us to be a part of here in Memphis. During the past two years He has surrounded us with church family, moved all of my immediate family here as well, and has enabled us to befriend our neighbors who all know we’re pastors and that we moved from California with 6 kids (all of whom we homeschool) in order to plant a new church in a city with 3,000+ churches. Yes, some of our neighbors don’t quite understand that, but it’s who we are, and now we get to live out our faith right in front of them.

With this virus pandemic, we’ve all had to reconsider what “church” looks like, and it’s been a helpful reminder for me that church = “people”, not “building”. I even asked our kids to hold me accountable and to correct me whenever I say something like, “I’m going down to the church…” Then they tell me, “You mean you’re going to the church BUILDING, right?” Yes, the building, because “the church” means “the people” and “the building” is the place where the church gathers to worship. I know we all know that, but how many of us still talk that way? (C’mon, raise your hand and admit it.) Now, try changing your language and see how awkward it sounds. There, now you’re as uncomfortable as me! Anyway, as we prayed about how to proceed, our entire church leadership team felt like the Acts 2 model of people gathering both “in the temple” and “house to house” was something the Holy Spirit was calling us to follow. So, although it has been a 2-year journey here in Tennessee, we’re going to be having regular meetings in our home, and the Lord is going to do something amazing as we follow Him. Okay, now for the Isaiah 41:8 stuff…

My experience in ministry typically followed this pattern: I’m serving in X ministry (youth, young adults, kids, etc.) and I need to be gathering leaders to minister alongside me, people I can train and disciple. So, I choose leaders, invest in their lives, help them to grow in the Lord and then commission them to make even more disciples. Along the way, I discover that these fellow servants are now my friends, people I enjoy spending time with even outside of ministry activity. Do you see the progression? Servant, then chosen, then friend - just like Isaiah 41:8, right? And yet, everything the Lord has been working in my heart for the past many years seemed to convey the opposite: friend, then chosen, then servant. Rather than serving in ministry and then discovering and developing deep friendships, I sensed Him calling me to invest in deep friendships, and then out of those discovering the nature of whatever ministry He wanted us to do together.

During a planning meeting for our church’s soon-to-be-started House2House ministry, the Lord drew my attention to this verse again. “I’ve already read this one, Lord.” (you know, because God doesn’t realize details all the time while He’s busy running the universe) But the Holy Spirit drew my attention specifically to the chronological order within this verse. Abraham was born first (the one whom God called His “friend”). His grandson was named Jacob (the one called “chosen” in Isaiah 41:8), but the Lord changed Jacob’s name in Genesis 32:28 and 35:9-10. Jacob would now be known as Israel (the Lord’s “servant” in Isaiah’s verse). First, there was a friend. Then there was one who was chosen. And finally there was one called as a servant. Yeah, that order of names wasn’t lost on me this time around, and I really feel that it’s the shift the Holy Spirit wants many of us, particularly us “reverend-ized” folks, to grab ahold of.

We’re now headed into a House2House dimension of church life, ministry, weekly/monthly routine and “pandemic-avoiding alternative gathering format” (try and say THAT three times quickly!). As we do, my focus is not set on how we reproduce these gatherings, or how we grow this kind of ministry, or how we get the entire church body to buy in and participate. It’s all about relationship, about developing genuine friendships with others in our home, the kind of friendships that can only grow through time, investment and intentionality. As we do that in houses on a regular basis, then just like in Acts 6, the Holy Spirit will lead us to choose various leaders so that the church can continue to thrive and grow. As that happens, there will only be increased opportunities to serve, and John 13:35 will be in full effect, not because of all our busy church activity, but because of our genuine love for one another - for our friends, who have now become our partners in a lifestyle of ministry.

Well, there’s a snapshot of my heart. I hope that helps to convey some of what is bubbling around inside of me. I’ll keep y’all posted as we move forward. Lots of baby faith steps along this journey, but we’re thankful that He continues to lead us (even if we don’t know where we’re going). Ha! Thank you again for the love, support, prayers and encouragement. I’ve chatted with some of our Barstow church family and have enjoyed each conversation. We love y’all lots!

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Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life Roberts

Well, there’s nothing like a global pandemic to throw a wrench in your monthly update letters, right? I know, I know, lame excuse. Amidst all the “new normals” being tossed around (a phrase I’m growing increasingly numb to), I will do my very best NOT to take another hiatus from our regular monthly updates. So, even though it’s been a while, I’ll try to briefly cover the past few months:

APRIL: Honestly, homeschooling didn’t look much different during the height of our self-isolating quarantine. We simply didn’t take any field trips for school and continued to knock out our lessons, studies and bookwork while steadily moving toward the end of the school year. I did most of the grocery shopping myself, as infrequently as we could manage, and even with Denise’s helpful list, it took me THREE TIMES as long at the store because I had to travel all over the place looking for organic tortillas, skipped the aisle with the peanut butter because it was down further on the list than the cheese, and got a bit sidetracked seeing a whole lotta worried faces while doing my best to smile and say “Hi.” Yeah, very different experience during the month of April. And church? Well, I became dangerously inept at Zoom and then proceeded to lead others in hosting Small Groups and post-service “virtual lobbies” (blind leading the blind on that one). Watching church at home felt much like it did when we first moved here and had Sunday mornings in our living room. But it was nice to share that experience with an entire church family, and lots of us got very comfortable on Zoom and eagerly connected online as much as we could.

MAY: School wrapped up with more of a whimper than a bang as the need to finish every assignment and read every chapter diminished and education sorta just…”relaxed” a bit for us. It was nice. Church continued the growing pains of learning how to host online, but Small Groups became more of a normal thing and our newly-formed tech team continued to learn and grow. And we finally got to gather again in person! Sparse crowds, but happy faces, more joy than uncertainty, and greetings ranging from knuckles, to elbows, to hugs, to waves. It was just good to be together again!

JUNE: The overall concern about this virus lessened, and things began to open up more. And then more confirmed cases led to more mask requirements as city leaders struggled to keep the economy OPEN while keeping people SAFE. Church meetings have mainly been folks who are serving in ministry plus a few others. We’ve had visitors, which is way cool, and have scaled back some areas (no more donuts…for now) while expanding others (a growing tech/lighting/sound team…which has to adjust for online services too). Sunday mornings have been great, but not bursting with numbers as many still choose to watch online and others are still struggling to stay connected. Time for the church to step up!

NOW: As leadership prayed through this entire pandemic experience, it became clear to us that the Holy Spirit wanted to do something NEW and DIFFERENT, having us cast nets on the other side of the boat and expecting the miraculous. At the same time, the Acts 2 model of meeting in the temple and also in homes became more than just a nice idea. We actually started doing it! We’ve not yet implemented House2House gatherings church-wide, but it’s coming. And as we do, I am confident that we will develop deep, loving, genuine relationships among fellow disciples, the John 13:35 kind of stuff that has been burning in my heart for so long. It’s the Lord’s heart for His people, and that will flourish, grow and multiply as He leads His church forward. It’s going to be amazing, and radically different, but supernaturally led and therefore perfect in its planning and direction. My job is to follow, to humbly allow the Lord to lead the way and to throw myself into following Him with everything I have. There’s lots of vision, heart, direction and desire stirring inside of me, but that would entail another page of words, so I’ll save it for the next update. I’ll just end with a final note: in the middle of all this craziness - we got a puppy! (No, I have no idea how that happened or what we were thinking, but there’s another “new normal” for our family. MAN, I’m getting sick of that phrase.)

As a parting thought, I simply want to say that many folks struggle with feeling “forgotten” now that things look so different. Many are isolated at home, separated when in public, and are encouraged everywhere to basically “stay away”, “keep your 6 feet of safe space” and “stay home if you’re not feeling well”. Most precautions are common sense, but the bombardment everywhere, from everyone, all the time - it can really add to the sense of isolation and solitude. The lone sheep searched out by the shepherd and brought back into the fold? Yeah, that whole parable rings extra true right now, and it continues to motivate me in reaching out to others, extending myself in relationship, prioritizing people over programs and searching to keep folks connected with me and with each other. It’s the heart of ministry seen all the more clearly in light of our present circumstances, so I’m grateful for His perspective through the many changes we’re facing. And THANK YOU for your prayers and support to keep us “connected” with church family across the country. I’ve seen a few Barstow folks on Zoom, have talked with some on the phone and have emailed with others. Thank you for being reminders that we are never alone, but are part of a family so much larger than we realize. Love y’all!

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Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life Roberts

P.S. As I finish writing this, I’m keenly aware that it’s a lot of information about what’s happening AROUND me, without a lot of insight into what’s happening WITHIN me. I want to walk with y’all through everything the Lord is speaking, doing, working and showing, and that requires more transparency from me. That’s honestly my desire, and all the info feels more like a formality, but a necessary one especially since I’ve delayed so long in providing it. I’ll update again in 2 weeks and focus more on the spiritual work the Lord is doing in me, in our family, and throughout our church. (And yes, that is a promise. Feel free to hold me to it! Okay, now for pics…)

Hey y’all! Yep, time for another update from Lakeland, TN. Wow, so much going on here with family moving to join us in Tennessee, a 600-mile prayerwalk with Tom from Charleston, SC to Washington, D.C., spring break for the kids and ongoing church activity. But enough about all of that - y’all can call/text/email us if you wanna talk details. Instead, for this month’s update, I’d like to give you a snapshot of what the Lord’s been doing in my heart. Here are highlights from my recent SOAPs:

(Jan. 8) Luke 8:18 - Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them. - I need to consider carefully how I listen, not how I “do”, “respond” or “act” - but LISTEN and listening requires waiting.
(Jan. 12) Luke 12:1 - Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to His disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” - Jesus could have been BUSY doing lots of ministry, but chose to speak to His disciples first, and I also need to not prioritize busyness over more important things He’s called me to do.
(Jan. 14) Job 17:11-12 - My days have passed; my plans are shattered. Yet the desires of my heart turn night into day; in the face of the darkness light is near. - Like Job, much that I had “planned” looks very different now, yet the Holy Spirit gives me regular reassurance that my heart is pure before Him, my faith continues to grow, and my end goal is not everything I’m going to accomplish for the Kingdom, but the reflection of Jesus that He’s perfecting in me.
(Feb. 1) Acts 8:29 - The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” - Just as the Holy Spirit led Philip throughout this entire encounter, He leads me, and I need to be still and at rest in order to hear Him, taking time to stop “doing” and focus on “listening”.
(Feb. 4) Acts 11:23 - When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. - God’s grace, not man’s efforts, birthed a church and established a major work, and I must function in that same capacity, relying on His grace more than my own efforts, even if that runs the risk of being “abnormal”, “different” and “unexpected”, much like these disciples’ outreach efforts to the Gentiles.
(Feb. 5) Acts 12:6 - The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. - Just as Peter was literally “resting” in the face of enormous obstacles, I too must rest and be at peace in the Lord even as the magnitude of God’s plans for me here in Memphis continue to unfold as bigger, greater, more unfamiliar and more unprepared-for than I can comprehend.
(Feb. 10) Acts 17:25 - And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. - When I offer to God my busyness and constant activity, as if He needs such things from me, it’s nothing more than idolatry that fails to acknowledge that HIS GRACE is what gets HIS JOB done, and if I’m not doing life by His grace, then I’m doing it wrong.
(Feb. 18) Exodus 2:4 - His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. - Although watching and waiting hardly seem like plans moving forward, God was at work directing Moses’ life and setting in motion His work to save all of Israel - and whether I feel like a helpless baby in a basket or a passive onlooker standing on the shore, my waiting is not delaying His plans, but it at the very heart of them instead.
(Feb. 21) Acts 28:31 - He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! - Paul went from world-travelling missionary to house-arrested letter-writer, but the kingdom of God was advancing right in the heart of the Roman Empire, and although my activity level feels “reduced” like Paul’s, I know God is at work right here in my own home to do a work in my heart and in the heart of Memphis that will change the world.
(Feb. 24) Exodus 14:14 - The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. - I feel like Israel walking between two walls of water, but my walls are full of busyness and activity, and while it’s all “good busyness” and “God-focused activity”, my way forward is a walk of peaceful trust, quiet stillness and humble obedience to Him as He fights my battles while I focus more on His words to me than on the circumstances all clamoring for my attention.

Wow, that’s a mouthful! But here’s the nutshell: I’ve asked God specifically to stretch my faith, and the way He’s stretching it now is unexpected. Him, I trust; me, not so much. But everything He’s saying is all about stillness, rest and peace, so I need to get past my own hangups and concerns about me missing it or doing it wrong or idling into laziness, and just obey Him already! Despite how it feels to me or may sound to others, I’m learning to grit my teeth and say “no” to stuff as I focus more on resting as He’s inviting me to do. And yes, it’s an invitation…not a command. Just seeing it that way is different for me, but I’m choosing to respond to that invitation and choosing to rest as tenaciously as any other part of my walk with God. It’s weird, new and different, but hey, following Jesus is still the best adventure EVAR!

Thanks for reading this, and please be praying for us. Your support and encouragement mean the world to our family and sustain us in more ways than you know as we continue discovering His plans for us here in Tennessee. We love our extended church family and consider ourselves so blessed to have brothers and sisters in multiple states partnering with the Lord to see His kingdom come and His will done here on earth as it is in heaven.

Lots of love! <>< Cliff and the rest of the Roberts family!