The Lord gave many good opportunities today as I went into Edinburgh. It seems everyone was in a good mood because of the fair weather.  It was a really nice day. It is almost hard to remember each person I chatted with because the opportunities to chat were abundant.  I gave a flyer to the most pierced lady in the world.  I was glad to speak with her briefly and let her know that I had prayed that I'd get a chance to talk with her.  Her face is covered with piercings. Please pray that God will work in her heart and that I'll have a future follow up opportunity.

I chatted with a mother and two daughters from Maryland.  We talked for 20 minutes. I spoke with Mark next (after a brief chat with a man from Germany).  Mark is born again but not currently attending a church. He lives in a village about 20 miles from Loanhead.  He could come to our church if he wanted to.  Please pray that God will work in his heart.

Neil (22) and Robin (17) were sitting on a park bench a little ways from there. Neither of them had ever though much about eternity or God. We had a fun chat and I hope the Gospel will take root in their hearts.

David (16) is open and thinking.  He chatted with me for about 20 minutes and allowed me to show him some passages of Scripture.  I took him to Psalm 22 and showed him what the Bible said about the crucifixion 1000 years before it happened.

There were other opportunities that God gave.  I spoke to atheists, agnostics, catholics, evolutionists, theistic evolutionists, etc.  Please pray that God will guard the seed that was sown in these hearts. 

After 3 days of rain and clouds, you get pretty excited to see the sun shining.  Now if it would just get up into the 60's we'd really be smiling!

I finished putting out flyers in Rosslyn this morning.  It took about 2 hours to complete and I didn't have a good witnessing opportunity until close to the end.  Bobby lives in Loanhead but was sitting in his work vehicle in Rosslyn. He knows Alec and told me to greet him.  Please pray that God will put a spiritual thirst in Bobby's heart.  Like many here, he just doesn't think about spiritual things.

The very next house I approached after talking with Bobbie was my next opportunity. Alistair was working on his door frame.  He stopped and chatted for about 20 minutes.  I'm glad to have had those opportunities.  I sensed the Lord leading in my morning but every person I tried to talk to was a closed door (until I met these two men.)  God's good.  Please pray that we will continue to plow in hope.

Nobody other than our family attended last night but the Lord gave us a good service as we studied God's faithfulness.

Katie and I have now been married for a dozen years.  Wow!  It just keeps getting better and better.  I'm very thankful for the wife that God has given me.

The Vogelpohl's watched ALL of our children yesterday while we went on a date. We enjoyed lunch overlooking Edinburgh's Famous Forth Rail Bridge and toured Hopetoun House which is a 300 year old mansion. It was a great day despite the weather. (We've had a particularly rough start to the summer.)

We had Mark and 4 kids, Adele, and Alec in church this morning. I preached from Romans12:1-2 on, "A Man for the Lord." The sacrifice we are to give the Lord is our "self, soul, sinlessness, satisfaction (His) and service." I was reminded how much our understanding of God's will for our lives is dependent upon our surrender. "Present your bodies....that ye may know what is that good and acceptable and perfect (complete) will of God."

Yesterday I put out about 250 more flyers in Roslynn.  One more time there and that area will be finished.  I had a few good witnessing opportunities.  I prayed before I started that I would take whatever time needed on any opportunity.  I talked with a Jehovah's Witness couple for half an hour.  I don't believe it was wasted and the Lord reminded me of that prayer.

I've shared this before, but want to share it again because I believe it is effective.  I always ask them if they believe the ten commandments.  One of the ten is a command not to bow down to false gods.  I then ask them why people worshipped Jesus?  (Wise men, those who were healed, Mary after the resurrection, disciples at the ascension, and in Revelation.  In Hebrews God commands the angels to worship Jesus.) I also point out that men who were worshipped in Scripture always said that they were just men. Jesus never did. I also showed her John 1 and  Colossians 1 where it clearly says that Jesus created every single thing and pointed out that in the beginning God created.

Please pray for this couple.  I don't doubt their sincerity. The Lord guided in our conversation and I'm thankful that He gave me that opportunity.

It was our family and Skye last night at church.  The community centre was very busy with lawn bowlers last night.  I know that some of them heard us singing and trust that God pricked their hearts. We are doing what the Lord wants us to do. He will build His church.  Keep praying.  God is working.

Well, we had a once in a lifetime experience this morning as the Olympic Flame Relay passed within 100 feet of our home. London is hosting the 2012 Olympics and the flame has travelled throughout the United Kingdom.  We enjoyed seeing it. I'll put some pictures below.

The Lord gave us a divine appointment yesterday as we had a picnic on Calton Hill in Edinburgh.  Sanjo (sp.) is from Japan. He is 22 years old and will be completing his last year of studies in Glasgow next year.  His family worships idols that have "spirits" in them.  I don't think anyone has ever explained Christianity to him before.  We talked for close to 20 minutes. I took a picture of him with my kids on his camera.  Hopefully, he will email me and we will be able to keep in touch.  

Enjoy the flame pics.  We have an Olympic flag that we are going to use with our HBT (Holiday Bible Time.)  Thankfully it arrived in time for today.

(You can see the torch bearer in white just in front of the car.)

(There he is!)

We saw the flame that will burn at the olympics!

Today I went to Rosslyn and put out flyers for a couple hours.  Rosslyn is less than 2 miles from Loanhead. Rosslyn Chapel is the supposed location *according to the Davinci Code - where the Holy Grail is located. (....or so I have been told.)

I enjoyed listening to Pastor Tony Slutz on my ipod as I walked.  I witnessed briefly to a man named Alec. I didn't feel like I did that great of a job in expressing the Gospel but he was a good listener.  And I'm reminded that God can use simple things to awaken men's hearts.

Michael texted me. It was good to hear from him.  Please pray that God would meet the needs in his heart. Lord willing, we will see him back with us soon.

The Lord gave us an encouraging day today.  We had the Hikins and Adele with us in Sunday School. Timothy and Alec joined us for the morning service.  I preached on, "When God Fills Your Net" from Luke 5:1-11.  One point that stands out to me is that "When you see God as He is - you see yourself as you are."  The disciples were confronted with the glorious power of God and Peter cried out, "Depart from me for I am a sinful man."

Tonight it was the Shore family.  We looked at what the Bible teaches about faith. Timothy's mum peaked in just before the service and invited us over after church.  Her cat just had a litter of kittens and she knew the kids would enjoy seeing them.  She was right!  We had a good time with their family.  Please pray for Timothy's younger brother.  He is having both hips replaced next Monday.  Obviously it is a major surgery and he is a bit scared. We have let him know that we are praying for him and trust that God will show him His grace through the surgery.

Onward...forward!  Thanks for your prayers.

The Lord gave me two good opportunities while knocking on doors this morning.  David (82) is part of the church of Scotland.  (I would have guessed him to be in his early 70's.) He allowed me to share with him by memory several passages from the Word of God. We talked for about fifteen minutes before encouraging me to keep on going to convert others. :)

Iain was my best opportunity.  He had questions and I was able to show him several passages from God's Word.  He was interested and allowed me to take some of his time although he was heading to an appointment.  Please pray that God would work in His heart about the authority of His Word. He has a successful business in our community.  It was good to meet him this morning.

Yesterday after going to the museum in Edinburgh with my family.  I met Travis Snode, who is a missionary in Northern Ireland, and a tour group from the States.  A few of the members of that group are preparing to come as missionaries to the UK.  I enjoyed showing them some of our city even though the weather was cold, rainy and windy.  *(No illusions for them about the fair weather of Scotland.)

Thanks for keeping up with us and God's work in Scotland.  Appreciate your prayers.

I finished putting flyers out in the village of Bilston today. Bilston is a small village about a mile from the place where we meet for church. 

I witnessed to Angie.  She has just become a Buddhist.  Buddhism is somewhat common here.  There are statues of Buddha in many gardens (yards). Please pray that she will get her Bible out and read it.

I spoke briefly to two young men who were doing a delivery.  The one said that he was a Catholic and that he was going to Heaven because he was a good person.  I turned to the other man and said, "Have you ever heard him swear?"  The catholic said, "Oh I swear like a sailor." I said, "And you think that is what a 'good' person does?" The other man was walking away as I said, "Nobody is a good person.  If good people went to heaven then why did Jesus die?" (His death is pointless if we can go to heaven by being good." God can use short conversation.  I hope he doesn't forget that He can't go to Heaven without Jesus.

I had another similar conversation with two older men. I asked the man who said he believed in God, "Are you scared to meet God?"  He said, "No, I enjoy meeting people."  I asked, "Do you think He'll let you into Heaven?"  He pointed to his goodness and said, "I don't (do this that and the other) but I do tell a lie now and again."  I told him, "Revelation 21:8 says at the end that '...all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone."  I hope he was sobered by our brief chat and that he will get a Bible out and start learning about Jesus.

Thanks for your prayers.  Tonight is our Kids Club and Bible study.

PS.  We are making preparations for our Holiday Bible Time (VBS) 23-27 July.  I'll put our flyer below.  We've already printed it and it turned out really nice.  It is a small postcard.

I'm sure you are aware that Queen Elizabeth is celebrating 60 years as Queen. So, today and tomorrow are holidays.  Most people I saw today were hurrying to some destination.  But, I did have two opportunities to briefly witness as I put out flyers in Billston for a couple hours.

Parker and Nelson are much better today.  Thanks again for your prayers for our health.