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Evangelistic Rally — Day 2 — Video
November 11, 2009
Christ Must Be Constrained — Evangelistic Rally — Day 2
November 11, 2009
Evangelistic Rally — Day 2
This was the second night of the Evangelistic Rallies held in the Greenock Town Hall. Chris Jewell, with the Inverclyde Christian Initiative, opened the service saying “God is here.” Greg Thomas asked the people to stand and give a round of applause for Christ.
A bruised reed he will not break
After a few worship songs, A choir member gave his testimony of drug addiction. So many times he could and should have died. Then he had an encounter with God and the Lord showed him where his life was going if he continued as he was and he surrendered his life, a little at a time, to God. He got involved in ministry and he worked hard to please God. He pastored two churches and he would do anything nobody else wanted to do because he thought this would make him a better Christian. Sooner or later, the pressure got to him and he snapped. He cheated on his wife and she left him with the kids. He tried to hang himself by standing on a chair and putting a belt around his neck. Then he shut himself in a closet for two days with a shotgun in his mouth, but he couldn’t go through with it. He wanted to save his marriage, win back his wife. She asked him, “isn’t there something in you that wants to serve God anymore?” And he said “yes, just a little bit,” but he thought he’d gone too far. Then God spoke to him through the scripture that says “A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.” He was like smoking flax, barely there, but God could still use him.
God really loved her
A second choir member gave her testimony about being raped four times when she was 6, 10, 17 and 29 years old. The last time she was raped at gunpoint. While the gun was pointed at her temple, she cried out to the Lord, “Jesus!” And the gun clicked. She cried out two more times and the gun clicked two more times but she was raped anyway. She felt like rubbish and acted like rubbish. She was bitter, angry, hard, cold, suicidal. A few months later she had an abortion. She was sent to a Christian home and there she finally learned that God really, really loved her.
Christ Must Be Constrained
Pastor Carter’s message tonight was based on Luke 24, the scripture about the two disciples who encounter Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Jesus had just been crucified. The disciples were on the road feeling hopelessness and despair. When Jesus joins them unbeknownst to them and asked them why they are sad, they reply “Are you a stranger?” “Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard that God once walked among us with such mighty words and deeds. And he Himself bore witness to the truth among the people?” Pastor Carter turned to the crowd gathered and asked, “Do any of you know here tonight that God has walked in Scotland in a powerful way?” “What happened to it all? How did we lose it?”
“I believe that Scotland, and in particular Greenock, is in for one of the greatest touches of God if you can realize it, in any and all generations.” “Sometimes hope has to be lost to be appreciated…Jesus opened up the redemptive plan of God. If there had not been a death there would be no resurrection.”
“Christ must be constrained. If you and I are not willing to embrace the heart of God he will not force Himself on us. It’s not enough just to go to church anymore.” He then addressed the church in Greenock. “Greenock will not come to Christ just because you have the right doctrine.” “Everything that was lost in Scotland can be gained in one hour!”
Pastor Carter remarked how our teams going into the high schools have encountered a hunger in the kids to know God. “There’s no resitance to the Gospel!…Somebody has to go!…Don’t look for somebody else to do something…It does not matter the theological perspective. It’s Christ in you that is the hope of glory!”
As he closed he added, “I believe God can change nations. I believe I will hear a report that the glory of God will come back to Greenock again.”
Filled
November 11, 2009The Healing Room is open on Wednesdays. People came in for prayer the minute we opened the door. One man shared with us about how he felt marginalized during his life. He never learned to read properly and it made him shy and unwilling to be involved in church. The team began to speak words of encouragement to him. His shyness made him a good listener.
A member of the prayer circle had a word for him from God. She said that he would be used to work with the young people because they need someone that will listen. And that he would be able to sympathize with them since he once felt like an outcast. During the prayer he was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with new heavenly language. He could hardly believe it and asks the group if he had been given a heavenly language and they said “Yes!”
Divine Intersections
November 11, 2009The day began for the business team sharing about seeds being deposited in our new friends’ lives and likewise seeds being deposited in our lives; and this is what continues to happen each day that we are here.
Relationships that began on Monday at the Businessmen’s Fellowship Dinner continued to flourish and develop depth while new friendships were also made. Once again, it is the one-on-one conversations that define the most special moments. Hearing our Scottish friends’ transparent hearts humbles us as we learn that we are the same in spite of being an ocean apart amidst different cultures and accents. (We decidedly prefer the Scots’ accent!) We all find ourselves somewhere in the same cross-sections: believers who are struggling in need of encouragement; people discovering or rediscovering their faith; seeking to conduct their professional lives with purpose, integrity and humility. The divine intersections are developing something in them and in us as we speak into each other’s lives and most important, listen to each other’s stories. The more we listen to them, the more we hear God’s voice: “I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees you.” (Job 42: 5)
Out of the Mouth of Babes
November 11, 2009Today the drama, music and sports team participated on Assembly Day. We performed the “Set Me Free” drama from Casting Crowns. This is a story about a man trapped in his sin, wanting to remain in his sin as well as wanting to get free from it. His escape was only possible through Christ. The children really enjoyed the drama. They were singing and clapping when the music team sang.
Afterward, we had three drama lessons. The subject was denial—it was about a man who denied his drug addiction when confronted by his friends. We then asked the students if they knew what denial was and some of our team members shared their testimonies on the subject.
As we explained the transformation that God has done in our lives, the children grew really excited. The drama teacher told one of our team members that her testimony touched her. We know that Christ is drawing her and has a plan for her life.
Salvation for Greenock, Scotland’s Teenagers
November 9, 2009We arrived in Greenock, Scotland on Saturday. After lunch we were given flyers announcing the crusade, conference and rally. We left for the local park at nighttime. Crowds of people would be gathered there for their Memorial Day. The park was packed with adults, children, and teenagers. It was very dark even with the street lights on, and the weather was wet, and cold.
Right away you notice the teenage mothers pushing strollers, with plastic covers, and infants inside. My eyes were drawn to the teenagers. Young teenage boys walked in small groups in the street close to the curb. The beautiful fireworks banged, cracked, and popped across the sky, accompanied by military music. The flyers were handed out to teenagers and adults. We must pray for those teenagers to give their lives to Jesus Christ. The wayward life is a wasted life. Jesus gives new life and eternal life
That same night the Business Team leader talked to four teenage girls while the media team video taped them. He told them to get their parents to bring them to the Friday night youth rally at Town Hall. They stood close together and leaned on the park brick wall and giggled and laughed and said, “we will come.” At that moment I thought about the Gate at Times Square Church and the Christian teenagers, and how every Friday night they would bring their friends who do not know the Lord.
The next night we went to a worship service at Mt. Kirk Methodist Church. After the service the assistant pastor shared with us about why the young people no longer come to the church. The older adults are set in their ways, and see no need to make changes for the young. I told him, about the aimless looking teenagers we saw in the local park and standing by the train station, while we waited on Saturday night returning back to our hotel. He told us that there was nothing they could do. The female teenagers were having babies, so that they could get their own flat. He said, “The teenage boys usually leaves the baby and mother.”
Pray Times Square Church for the people in Greenock, Scotland, and especially for the teenagers and the local churches. Jesus, let those four girls go to the rally!!!
And They’re Off!
November 11, 2009A special religious assembly was held at Port Glasgow High School today for about 250 students. Three teams: Youth Music, Drama, and Youth Sports combined to worship God in song, action, and testimony. Our team had the privilege of teaching four additional classes on communication and perseverance. We did relay races, played volleyball and basketball with the kids. Two team members gave up their lunch break to play basketball with one kid who just wanted to learn more about the game. We were a bit restricted as to what we could and could not share in Port Glasgow High School. Actions had to speak louder than words. The kids were ecstatic and had a great time with all of us.
Evangelistic Rally - Day 1
November 10, 2009Got Milk?
November 10, 2009The kids enjoyed a beautiful day at The Haven farm. The Haven is a Christian drug rehabilitation center that offers housing, counseling and life skills to its tenants. The kids sang some songs for the director of the Haven and were then taken to the farm. This was the first time some of the children had ever seen live animals up close. There was no fear in these kids as the cows moved close to the fence to allow the kids to pet them. Some of the kids asked, “Which one is the mommy and which one is the daddy?
Afterwards, the kids had naps, dinner and then it was time for them to get ready for the first night at the Greenock Town Hall meeting. On the way to the meeting, one of the children was looking very serious with an intense expression on her face and when asked what she was thinking about, she stated “My mommy.” During praise and worship, one of the kids looked around the balcony where we were sitting and said in astonishment, “I see people from Times Square Church all over the place!”
Again, on the way back to the hotel, another child was quiet and withdrawn. When asked what she was thinking about, she stated “My mommy.” This is part of the work and ministry these children are involved in. Sacrificing time away from their parents so that they can serve and minister to the people of Greenock.
Do princesses live here?
November 9, 2009The kids in the daycare team studied about castles in their class prior to coming to Scotland, and what little girl doesn’t know about Cinderella and the beautiful castle she lives in with Prince Charming? So naturally, when we told them that we were visiting “a castle” there was some excitement. They were told not to expect a princess to greet us at the door, but you know little ones, sometimes their memories are a little short!
We visited Newark Castle in Greenock, which was built in 1420. Before we got out of the car, questions about who lives here were being asked. This was not the image of a castle the children had, but we tried to explain to them that real people once lived there. Then one of them replied, “That’s nothing special.”
At dinner that night one of the other team members was asking the kids what they were going to do in Scotland. When the team member was told that we would be visiting a nursing home later in the week, she asked if she could come along. One of the kids stated, “Only if you’re going to praise the Lord.” Even at their young ages, these children know why they are here.
