God blessed us with a good morning although several were not able to be with us this morning. We've enjoyed good attendance the past two Sundays despite around 10 regular people not being able to be there. Please pray that we can see everyone out to church. Our Midweek and Sunday evening attendance has also been growing and we thank the Lord for His work in our ministry.

I preached on John 15 this morning a message I almost entitled, "Love and Hate." It's an interesting text. I chose, "Battle Ready" as a title instead. Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure and teaching them to love those on their team. He is also teaching them to expect and withstand the hate of the oppositiion. Please pray for our church to be a church that unashamedly stands with Jesus and stands no matter the opposition. There was a good spirit in our services today and we are thankful for your prayers and God's blessing.

This has been a great week. Brother Craig Ledbetter was here on Monday and then stopped back by today for an Edinburgh tour. My boys and I enjoyed some good fellowship with him as we toured Edinburgh. I will put a couple pics below.

The day of prayer on Tuesday was excellent. It always is. I'm thankful for some men that have a heart to pray. (pic below)

God has put another property in front of us to pray about. Please pray for wisdom as we hope to make a bid on it. It's been on my radar for 7 or 8 years. It was recently vacated and we were able to get in touch with the owner. They are seeking to let it (rent it) but will consider an unsolicited offer on the property. It would be a desires of your heart opportunity if God would see fit to put us in it. 

Our midweek service was a blessing and Tommy and I enjoyed street evangelism on Thursday. (Video on sermon audio and facebook.)

Thanks for praying. We are seeing God's hand at work in answer to your prayers.

This is a fun week. A good friend from Ireland, Brother Craig Ledbetter is going to be stopping by this morning for some fellowship. Tomorrow, 4 other men and myself will be meeting for a day of prayer up in Blair Atholl. Then on Saturday my family is going to visit a church up north for their Harvest Banquet. Please pray for God's blessing on these fellowship and prayer times. 

God gave us a really good Sunday. Many of our people could not make it, and yet we had good attendance. The seven visitors (counting children) which I've recently mentioned, continue to come. Praise the Lord. Please pray that God will just increase the love of our body for one another and that we will be united in what God has given us to do in His harvest field. There is a good spirit in our church.

I preached yesterday on two verses which contain all three persons of the Godhead in them. Ephesians 3:20-21 "Now unto Him (the Father) that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power (the Holy Ghost) that worketh in us. Unto Him (the Father) be glory in the church by Christ Jesus (The Son) throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" My message was, "Our God, Our Refuge" and we considered who God is to remind us of the strength of our abode in the storms of life.

I will update you regarding the prayer request mentioned in our most recent update, once I am aware of God's leading. Thank you for your continued prayers.

God's good. We are confident of His blessing and His leading.

God blessed us with a good week. On Tuesday I put a couple hundred flyers out in an area near our current church location. The weather has been very dodgy (rain, wind and rainbows) for much of the week. Katie and I had good weather for door to door this morning. We also had a great visit with a young family who are excited to be visiting our church. That gave us some much needed encouragement. :)

Our guests from Ukraine are moving out today. God has provided another home for them to live in while they seek to learn the language and find employment. Please pray for God's provision for them. They aren't moving far away, but it will help them have a bit more space and be closer for Mark's schooling. We've enjoyed getting to know their family... and seeing their English skills grow. They are making good progress and we look forward to having some great chats in English in the future.

Also, I heard back last night from the planning department regarding the land of interest. Please pray for wisdom as we digest what they have said. It looks possible, however, there would be many obstacles which we would have to overcome. If God is in it, we know He will show the way forward. If He wants to close to the door, we only want His will. Thanks for praying with us. We love our support team!

God gave us a great Sunday and a good start to our work week on Monday as well. Yesterday was a blessing on a couple specific levels. We had 3 first time visitors to church yesterday. Two girls who came to our HBC have started attending on Sunday night and plan on coming on Wednesday night as well. This is a specific answer to prayer as we are praying for God to populate those services. Also, a man whom we have been praying for attended with his wife. What a blessing to have them present at all our services yesterday.

The other blessing yesterday was some very good chuch fellowship time. We had a fellowship meal after the morning service. And because we had plenty left over, we had a fellowship time after the evening service. We also were blessed in our time together around the Lord's table in our Sunday PM. I enjoyed sharing Psalm 22 a precious Psalm which details the crucifixion 1,000 years before it took place.

My message yesterday morning was also from the Psalms. I preached on, "Divine Intervention Needed" from Psalm 79. God blessed each one of our services and gave us a really good day.

Due to heavy rain forecast on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, Tommy and I went into Edinburgh this morning. I preached in front of McEwan Hall where hundreds of University Students are passing through. Several people stopped to listen at different times this morning. We also had some good one on one conversations on our way in and out. Thank you for praying for all of the above. We covet your prayers.

One thing that has stood out to me as we have openly shared God's Word through the open letter is that, when you call evil good, you call good evil. We have been mocked on social media this week and I received this email today. Anyone who reads the spirit of my open letter will know that ALL I am doing is letting God's view be known on difficult topics. There are many people who are not religious who agree with what the Bible says on these controvercies. They are afraid to say so because of the hate they will receive from those who despise their views.

Her email:

"Your views are disgusting and I think you need to start living in the modern day! How dare you project your vile prejudices on other human beings. No one wants you spouting your rubbish here. Take yourself a away to  the middle of nowhere and spout your absolute ____ between yourselves. 

Can’t believe in 2022 people like you exist!

God forbid you or any of your crew have children that you are forcing to hear this _______!

Awful awful people if you can even call you that. Just disgusting !!"

My response:

Thank you for your email. I’m sorry that you have taken offence to the open letter. I’m not ashamed of what God says and know that those who killed Jesus didn’t do it because they appreciated what He said. Jesus said, "The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” John 7:7. He wasn’t testifying to them out of hate. He loved them too much to let them go to Hell and would do everything in His power (including dying for them) to save them from their sin.

Sin is punishable and will not be overlooked by a Holy God. Only those who are willing to repent of their sin can receive God’s gift of everlasting life. Sin is also a burden and bondage. No matter how much men try to justify their sin, it can’t take away the burden or the punishment of sin. Only the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus has the power to take away man’s sin. 

I hope that someday you may thank me for being willing to be treated as you have treated me for openly sharing the truth of God’s Word.

I sincerely hope that you have a good day,

Pastor Ben

Yesterday was a busier day as we had a youth activity last night at our home. God gave us a good time together. I preached on being unashamed of Jesus and looked at Peter's denial. I was able to get out a little while yesterday to put out flyers in Auchendinny.

Today, my street preaching helper, Tommy, was ill. Thankfully our son, Logan, (16) was able to join me this morning. I enjoyed preaching on the Royal Mile near St. Giles Cathedral (Facebook Link). Those of you who are not from Edinburgh may remember that the Queen was lying in state at St. Giles recently. 

Afterwards Logan and I went down to Princess St. by the National Gallery (Sermonaudio link) and preached a couple of more times. Thank you for praying for this ministry. I'm reminded of Paul's Words, "Who is sufficient for these things?" I appreciate your prayers very much as we enter into this ministry on a weekly basis. Logan was able to hand out many Gospel flyers.

2 Corinthians 2: 14  Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

PS - we just completed a verse by verse study on Sunday PM's through the book of Proverbs. Here is a photo of my notes. :)

God blessed Saturday with two really good divine appointments while knocking on doors. I anticipate one young lady being in attendance at church in the near future. There is another woman from the same area who we met 2 weeks earlier that said she will come. She's had covid this past weekend, but said maybe this next week.

Sunday was encouraging with regard to door to door. About 6 months ago we had an amazing day knocking on doors. 3 entities said very definitely that they wanted to come visit the church. Nobody came....until 3 weeks later Mali came with her 2 children to HBC and then church. She and her husband were added to our church about 2 months later. Yesterday, another one of those entities from that day, a young family with 2 small children, came out for church. What a blessing to have them there!

There are several right now whom we anticipate visiting the church. Please pray that nothing will keep them from coming and that God will use us to meet the spiritual needs in their life through His Word.

Another blessing yesterday was Tommy speaking for a 5 minute challenge in our evening service. I've challenged our men to take opportunity to do this once a month. He bravely took me up on it. Please pray for others to follow suit.

I preached in our AM service a message on church planting while looking at the example of the church at Troas. My main point was that everyone needs to get more involved in church planting. (Churches plant churches)

Today, Tommy and I put the Open Letter out on the South Side of Edinburgh. Please continue to pray for the power of God to open men's eyes to His truth. A young girl (7) recently said as my wife taught that God made male and female, "There should be 3 genders. Boys and girls and those who don't identify." These kids are being taught lies in our schools. We MUST help them to know truth or they will not only perish but they will not understand why their life is so messed up. God help us and God help you to get truth out where people can read it, hear it, and see it.

Here is a link to sermon audio if you are interested in seeing some of the street preaching yesterday. I preached three times, this was the second opportunity. What you can't see is all the young people in front of me waiting to get their bus. There were up to 40 of them and beyond them there were many young people within ear shot. Several were seated around the area and at times people stood to hear the preaching. Please pray for God to do a great work in these hearts and that the Word of God would go forth with power. 

1 Thesallonians 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Tommy and I went into Edinburgh this morning and I preached in front of McEwan Hall. To tie it to yesterday's update, Eric Liddel graduated in that hall. This building is part of the University of Edinburgh. Obviously there were college age young people all around us. It was a very good location with a lot of people within ear shot. The bus stop was right in front of us and the kids had to wait there for their bus. 

Two young men and a woman said they would visit our church. Please pray for them to do so. We spoke with the young men for close to half an hour (with open Bible) after I finished preaching. They had been by when we started and were coming back by as I finished. They are sincere and I do hope we can help them find Christ as their Saviour. Thanks for praying for this ministry.

God gave us a good service tonight at church as well. We're studying 1 Peter and were looking at why we ought to fear God. I haven't had time to upload any preaching, but should have some of our ministry from today up tomorrow.