It's cold... but we can't complain because the USA is in a deeeeep freeeeze. Our temps are just below freezing but with high humidity. Yesterday I put out flyers in Bilston which is a village very near our church location. The area I was in is less than a mile from our meeting place. Today Pastor Dillman and I drove West to three little Villages. Two of them are in the Scottish Borders (county) and the other is closer back towards our home area. Would you believe that as we finished one of these wee villages about 8 JW's arrived to knock on doors? It was convicting to see the enemy of righteousness dressed as an angel of light doing more than God's church. 

God gave us 2 divine appointments. Please pray for Owen and Drew. Both are older men who spoke openly and with interest of spiritual things. As always it was a great time of fellowship. Please continue to pray for the Dillmans as they serve God in Livingston.

Special prayer request: Merle Ventrello whom we just honoured for 50 years of ministry in Scotland is very ill and in hospital. His kidneys are failing and they have other concerns. Please pray for his wife Barbara as well as Merle. I'll seek to update when possible.

It is one of those windy Scottish days. We have a sign with water inside that blew over a couple times this morning. The rushing mighty wind was physically present this morning. Pray that the Wind of the Spirit would be with us spiritually. We did have a blessed morning.

I enjoyed preaching on "filthy lucre" this moring as I preached a message on our stewardship of money from Luke 16:1-14, Making Money Count for Eternity.

God gave us some good witnessing opportunities during our door to door yesterday. It was our first time have 3 groups. Jack and Benson were a team. Callum and I were a team. And Katie and Logan were a team. Please pray for those to whom we spake. Each team had one good or very good witnessing opportunity.

I enjoyed going over to help Almond Valley Baptist Church in Livingston today. Pastor Dillman and I put out literature near their church this morning. It was our coldest night of the year so far and the coldest day with temperatures in the upper 20's. The frost is so thick still (afternoon) that it looks like we had some snow. That didn't stop the golfers on the course near where we put out literature. God gave us one short opportunity to speak with a man who was not open. Please pray for God to continue blessing Almond Valley Baptist and for the Word of God that was sown in Livingston today. Please also pray for the Dillmans as they serve the Lord in that ministry.

The title of this post is probably too exciting. However, I'm thankful that we were able to easily find the leak in our "baptistry." (Thank you for your prayers.) Lord willing, when the patch kit arrives it will take care of our problem. I'm still very thankful that it did not hinder the great day God gave us yesterday. It works so very well to baptize at our home. Our church really enjoyed some good fellowship time yesterday. 

By the way, the leak was found a bit more quickly because I told my younger boys, "The one who finds it gets a pound." It took about 3 seconds to find it. (I did give the other boys who did not find it a consolation prize.)

The Lord gave us a wonderful morning. There are many things to be thankful for. First, I'd say I'm thankful that God gave us grace to have a baptism despite air leaking from our baptistry. (There is apparently a leak in our portable hot tub.) Thankfully we realized it last night and were able to fill it up a few times and keep it filled with water. It was fine for the baptism but I'll need to get this sorted before next time. (Prayer for wisdom is appreciated. :))

God also gave us a good weather day. We had good attendance at church and at the baptism. There is a very sweet spirit in our church just now and excitement about what God is doing. I preached this moring on Joseph of Armathea, "Stewards of the Body of Christ." We used all the Gospel texts. It's interesting to think that only Nicodemus and Joseph had a stewardship of our Lord's earthly body. They took it up when He could no longer do so. We also have a unique stewardship of His spiritual body. 

I preached at the Baptism as well as I shared the story of the healing of the Leper. He had to go to the priests and offer  a sacrifice that would give great glory to God. It was a unique testimony of the fact that Jesus was the Messiah.  We likewise saw a unique testimony through the waters of baptism from someone who had trusted in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and been cleansed. Karen and and her son, Benjamin were baptized. Her 17 year old boy and gran came. God is doing great things in this family. Please pray that it will continue.

God is very, very, good! We are rejoicing in Him. Thank you very much for working together with us in prayer.

Over the past couple of years, I've enjoyed writing about half a dozen small collumns for our local county (Midlothian) newspaper. I have an article coming out this week or next about certainty for uncertain days. I'm only allowed 300 words and I usually use all of them. I'll put the text of the article below. We're finding that people are hungry for something "true." We know that there is nothing so true as our Lord and His Word. Thanks for praying for this evangelistic opportunity.

"People Need Certainty"

We have entered 2019 with much uncertainty. There is uncertainty about government and democracy. People are asking, "Will Brexit really happen?" There is uncertainty about the economy. "Is the pound going to strengthen or decline?" Among many other things, there is also uncertainty about world powers. "What about Russia, China, Iran, and Syria?"

These questions without answers have brought much anxiety and fear into our society. People need truth that is certain and unmoving.

That rock solid truth is found in Jesus, "The Truth." (John 14:6) and His Word. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

Perhaps you have put God and His Word in your list of uncertainties and question why you should believe otherwise. You may wonder if there is a way for you to know the certainty of Jesus and His Word.

The best way to know the truth of something is to experience it. Someone may tell you that something tastes good, but you can only confirm their testimony by trying it for yourself. God's Word says, "O taste and see that the LORD is good: happy is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalm 34:8)

"Tasting" is trusting in Jesus and His Word which gives you the happy experience of the certainty of His truth. You can come to faith in Jesus by the evidence and proofs of the Bible. What other person has eye witness accounts of him raising people from the dead, healing the blind, the lame and the mute? What other person has risen from the dead and then spoken to over 500 witnesses?

The Bible, if sincerely taken up, will bring you to certainty in the message it contains. Praise God, we can have certainty in uncertain days.

Well, God gave us a wonderful time of fellowship and a great opportunity to honour the Ventrello's. Barbara has been here 55 years and Merle has been here for 50. We presented them with a laser cut out picture of Scotland with a plaid background engraved with the dates of their ministry here. The fellowship also gave them a generous love offering. 

It was a blessing to hear Missionary Dennis Snelson challenge us from God's Word on faithfulness in the first session. In the second session the Ventrello's gave us the same challenge through their testimonies. Please click on this link to listen in. God was very much honoured in the ministries of today.

Thank you for praying for our day. It was a great blessing!

This is the day the Lord hath made - and we are enjoying it! Thanks for praying with us for our church. We had a good morning. If you have been  praying for me to get over the cold, I have my voice almost back to normal after 5 weeks. I even enjoyed singing a solo before I preached this morning. Please pray for others in our church still struggling with it that they would get well.

I preached this morning on Exodus 15:26 on "Spiritually Healthy Living." God gave a wonderful conditional promise to Israel immediatley after bringing them out of Egypt and through the waters of the Red Sea. It speaks of healing and freedom from plagues. My cold gave me extra motivation for preaching this message. :) Praise God there is a very real blessing for those who are not under the chastening of the Lord. 

Please continue to pray for our fellowship meeting this Tuesday. Please especially pray for the preacher, Pastor Snelson and for the Ventrello's. We are honouring the Ventrello's as they are finishing their course in Scotland after over half a century. I'm looking forward to hearing some of their experiences as they share testimonies on Tuesday.

Liberton is the part of Edinburgh that is just on the other side of the city bypass from Loanhead. This housing area is less than a mile from our church location. It is a new build housing scheme of around 200 residences. I had 3 opportunities to hand flyers to individuals. And I ran out of flyers at the very last house which was right by my car. The Lord reminded me that I had some flyers in my car door and I was able to get the last house done. 

I like it when God shows His hand on my day by something as simple as having the exact amount of flyers I needed. I almost didn't do outreach this morning because I was running short on flyers and need some for evangelism with Don Dillman tomorrow. I had found this stack of flyers in my garage and used all of them.

I spoke with one woman who said about Scotland getting a spiritual awakening, "May it be so." I said, "It starts with one person going back to church." She said, "Like me....?"  Please pray that God would really work in her heart. I think there are many defeated believers (whether saved or not) sitting at home thinking one more person in church doesn't really make a difference.

Thank you for your prayers for our church outreach.

I enjoyed this morning even though my cold lingers on. :) God gave us a good first Sunday morning of 2019. God gave grace and strength and I enjoyed setting before our church the vision of what we want to see God do. It was a topical message on having vision (praying) and active faith (participation) in what God wants to do.

God gave us a first time visitor this morning who said that she will be back. So, we praise the Lord for that extra blessing.

Thank you for your faithful interest in and prayers for what God is doing at Free Baptist Church. I know that many of you have already laid up great treasure in Heaven in what you are doing by following along, praying and giving. May God richly bless you for your impact in our church.