Blog
Catching up....
15/11/2022 09:05God gave us good outreach on Saturday. It seemed like everyone was home as Katie and I knocked on doors. We spoke with about a dozen different home owners.
Sunday was a good day with great weather and fair attendance. We had a young girl who has been missing for about a month back in church Sunday night. That was a blessing. I preached Sunday morning on, "Great Open Doors" from 1 Corinthians 16:9. Paul saw an open door for the Gospel in Ephesus and would remain there despite the opposition. We looked at what he was facing in Ephesus at that time. (Acts 18-19)
On Monday morning, Tommy and I went into Edinburgh to do some evangelism. God gave me a great divine appointment with an 18 year old young lady. I spoke with her for half an hour. Please pray for God to awaken her heart. She said, "I believe the Bible is out of date in some areas." I said to her, "Wouldn't it be more honest to say that you disagree with the Bible?" Please pray that she will repent and agree with God's Word against her sin. She has a lot of trouble in her life and Jesus is the ultimate answer and only real answer to her needs.
After that I preached for an hour on Princess Street near the statue of the Duke of Wellington. Thank you for praying for God's enablement and guidance in that ministry. God gave us a good outing and our hope is that the Word of God would be like barbs in the hearts of those who are passing by. It's hard to stop preaching when you realise that thousands of people are still going to be passing by that location.
fellowship meeting and outreach
09/11/2022 11:34The Lord blessed us with a wonderful fellowship meeting in Blair Athol yesterday. This location is also where we meet for our bi-monthly days for prayer. We had a really great time together. We enjoyed the hike despite the occasional rain shower and the colours were incredible. The river was also running high which made the waterfalls that much more spectacular.
The preaching, singing and prayer times were refreshing as was our fellowship time at lunch. Thank you praying. God gave us a special day.
The Lord gave me a great opportunity this morning to share the Gospel with Nathan. He's a joiner (builder) from up in Aberdeen. I told him about my friends church there, and encouraged him to attend. Nathan's a young man (19) and he seemed very positive about visiting. He said, "I'm not doing anything else on Sundays." Please pray that he follows through. He let me type the details into a notes page on his phone.
I put out several hundred open letter flyers this morning. There continues to be some small opposition to this flyer. However, God has also recently given us positive feedback from a man who appreciated what was being put out. I said, "Thanks for telling us. Many people agree with us but are afraid to say so because of all the hate speech rhetoric." He agreed. Please continue to pray for the power of God upon this flyer.
No response yet on the property of interest. I'm sure I'll post something here soon after we have feedback from them.
Offer with management....
07/11/2022 11:21We had confirmation this morning from the company who own the property of interest and they have forwarded the offer up to the managing director. Please pray for favour in the eyes of the seller and that God would help us to negotiate the right price for this property. We are hopeful of an open door, but are content to let God be God and do as He sees best.
Meanwhile, it's been raining a lot. I was able to get out this morning (in the rain) and put out about 150 + flyers. Please pray that God will use His truth to point people to THE TRUTH of Jesus Christ. I didn't speak with anyone but enjoyed listening to some Scripture as I walked.
Tomorrow is an exciting day of ministry. We are hosting a Pastor's Fellowship and Brother Jim Wright will be speaking. If the weather will cooperate, we hope to go hill walking afterwards. Pleaser pray for the 7 missionary entities that have made plans to be in attendance. We need God to strengthen our hands. Thanks for praying.
PS. Bonfire night is when you get to see fireworks and a LARGE bonfire in Scotland. Our family and some church families enjoyed going to Peebles, a nearby villagem on Bonfire Night for a spectacular bonfire and fireworks display.
Upon the first day of the week....
06/11/2022 13:11God gave us a blessed morning. We enjoyed good attendance and a sweet spirit. God has encouraged our hearts with some visitors who are really making our church their home. We're glad to have them with us.
Our Sunday School lesson in the life of David had great application to our current adventures as a congregation. We're looking at how David trusted in God's providence while fulfilling His responsabilities. He did his part - hiding from Saul. But, he didn't take matters into his own hand, killing Saul in the cave. He committed Himself to God's care, but also spoke up to defend himself before the king. It's been an interesting study.
I also preached on Psalm 46, "Be still and know that He is God and that He will triumph." We took those three headings from vs. 10 and examined the Psalm in light of those truths. I hope it was a blessing to our church family. I know that it has encouraged my heart to rest in God.
We continue to wait to hear back about our offer on the "church property". Our contact person with the property did not receive the offer until late Friday as the original offer, we suspect, ended up in his spam. As with the above on David, we know that God is providentially over all. His timing is best, and we thank Him for His wisdom in delaying the offer. Meanwhile, we continue to wait on His leading for our location in the near future. Thank you for praying with us.
property inspection
01/11/2022 19:05Thank you for praying for wisdom about the property of interest. The inspection went well. There is nothing of major concern and we are preparing to make an offer. Please pray that we will negotiate just the right price and that the seller will be wiling to work with us to a point of agreement. It's exciting but is a faith step as well. Please pray for God's continued clear guidance.
Yesterday Tommy and I went to Edinburgh University and I did some street preaching. Thank you for praying for this ministry. God's hand was evident. I had a good chat with a young philosophy student as we were packing up to head home.
Busy, but enjoying ministry.
30/10/2022 13:39We enjoyed a special outing yesterday as our family and one of our church members visited Open Door Baptist in Aberdeen. The Damastus family are doing a good work there in starting a church. It was a joy to see their church facility and to get to meet their people. They hosted a harvest festival with some fun kids activies, good food, and fellowship.
Several church members were absent this morning, but God still gave us good attendance. In Sunday School we looked at God's providence over everything and yet man's responsability to do our part. We were looking at David running from King Saul and saw God's protection and David's diligence.
This morning I preached on, "Death to Life" on man's condition and God's intervention from Ephesians 2. We long to see constant examples of this power of God. Please pray for the power of God and for divine appoitments. God gave one last night as a man phoned me to thank us for puttiig out the Open Letter. I was able to share the Gospel with him. Please pray for God's intervention in His life.
We are excited about the building possibility, but continue to wait on the Lord. We hope to know more after the inspection on Tuesday. Thanks for praying.
Property update
27/10/2022 12:02There is a lot of potential in the property which we viewed today. However, having seen it, we realised that we need to have the property inspected before making an offer. Please pray that we get just the right person to help us with that inspection. Lord willing, that will take place next Tuesday morning.
The layout would work very well and has great potential for a beautiful church property. However, there would be a lot of renovations needed. Thank you so much for your prayers as we seek the Lord's clear leading.
Outreach and property search update
24/10/2022 11:42God blessed us with a beautiful morning to put out flyers in a nearby village. We continue to put out the open letter. The Lord encouraged my heart this morning with Scripture from a message I preached on deputation (14 years ago). It's three things God said to Gideon before he pulled down his father's idols and before he went to battle with his 300 men against the Midianites. As God called him to an impossible task, God said, "Go in this thy might." "Have not I sent the." "I will be with thee."
I can feel like Gideon at times as he had to have God's encouragement to overcome his doubts (fleece) and fears (going up at night/ going down to the camp of Midian to hear the dream).
Please pray with us for the sword of the Lord to be as effective in Scotland as it was against the Midianites. We had a couple good conversations this morning that God can use to bear fruit. We put out 2-3 hundred flyers.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to having a youth activity. Please pray for God's blessing upon that.
We also want you to pray with us about a property of interest which we are viewing later this week. We hope to put an offer in soon after that. I will let you know if God helps us to secure it.
I was meditating on the verse below last night. We certainly hope that this is the end result of EVERYTHING we do.
Psalm 21:13 Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.
Sunday
23/10/2022 14:01Our attendance dipped today, but the Lord gave us a good time together and in His Word. Hopefully everyone will be back in their place soon. Several have been ill recently and that has taken a toll on our attendance.
I enjoyed preaching this morning on what to do in unprecedented days. There are many unusual things going on in our world economically, politically, socially, etc. My message was from Isaiah 41:10-13 and my points were, "Don't fear, don't doubt, don't worry and don't quit." If no one else needed the message, I know I did. A short summary of the sermon is that GOD IS WITH YOU. As long as we keep our hands in his and follow those points, we are going to overcome by HIs grace.
Lord wiling, we will view the property of interesting this week. Please pray for God's very clear leading. Thank you for praying with us for God's provision.
Autumn is a beautiful time of year. Here is a sunrise pic from this past week. God makes His creation beautiful.
Preaching in Edinburgh
18/10/2022 14:13God blessed us with a beautiful morning to open the door to preach in the heart of Edinburgh on Princess Steet. Tommy and I are striving to do this once a week and so far we have been able to find a weather window that we could take each and every week. The weather this week has been more stable than the last couple of weeks and this morning was gorgeous (50's, sunny and calm.)
I preached two messages. The first was on the Judgment Seat of Christ and Heaven from Revelation 20-21. The second was on God as a refuge from Psalm 90. The first is on Facebook and the second is on Sermon Audio. Please pray for God's enablement and leading in this ministry.
This evening Jim and Myra Wright are coming over for some fellowship at our house. They are currently doing furlough replacement for the Dillmans. We're looking forward to spending some time with them and thank God for friends in ministry.
We continue to seek God's leading regarding temporary and permanent church locations. There are some possibilities. I will update here once we have some definite plans. Thank you for praying and keeping up with what God is doing in our ministry.