It’s Not About Us

November 9, 2009

Day 2, setting up the Information Center was definitely a busy one, but thank God the Healing Room team was there working with us. There was a lot going on, multiple runs (literally, my teammate and I were jogging the streets of Greenock to find a screwdriver!) to Home Base and Tesco, spackling, painting, scrubbing, building and arranging furniture. We joked that we must be on an episode of Extreme Home Makeover! But we did it with joy and excellence knowing that God has blessed us with this space in the mall for free. Everything that Jesus touched was transformed into a far better condition than it originally was, and that is our desire as a testimony of His goodness. 

Meanwhile, two of our team members went to join Victory Christian Center in Alexandria to go door to door inviting people to the conference. They were pleasantly surprised at the warmth and friendliness of those they met, whether or not they were interested. One woman explained that she couldn’t come due to a council meeting. A moment later, her neighbor (who had also just received an invitation) said, “Forget the council meeting, go to church!” This is yet another picture that is not about us. God’s going to use all kinds of ways to encourage and compel people to come in.

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Undone

November 9, 2009

Today, our team went to the Church of the Mall. We ministered some songs, and did whatever the Lord lead us to do.  One special song we had prepared was called “Free.”  The chorus goes like this:  “Free, free from my past, free from my pain, free from the guilt that would cause me to be ashamed. Once, once I was blind, but now I see clearly the debt that I owed Jesus paid for me.  No more chains are binding me.  I’m totally free.”  While singing this song, we held up our testimonies that were written on a cardboard. The testimonies were condensed into five words and fewer on the cardboard.  On one side it tells of what we were before Christ, and on the other side it tells of what we are today as Christians.  It was not a big turn out at the church.  There were only 9 to 11 people present, and most of them were from that church.

Among them was a man named Greg.  Two of us met with him, and learned that he is a previous drug addict, who is currently in the Teen Challenge program.  This was truly a divine appointment.  We felt that we were there to encourage him.  As we were sitting on the bench together and talking, his nephew came over to us.  We were able to invite him to Friday’s Youth Night service and told him to bring his friends.  He said he would. 

Then, a Teen Challenge worker came over to us, and we had the chance to talk to her and encourage her as well.  Then, one of the brothers on our team came over to talk to Greg, brought him a coffee, and began to encourage him.  Greg asked for us to pray for his legs.  He had been experiencing a lot of pain.  We anointed him with oil, and prayed for Jesus to heal his legs.  During the cardboard testimony presentation, we saw the emotion in his face.  He looked at each cardboard testimony with such intent eyes, and we could tell that he was deeply moved.  He said that he would be coming to the service on Tuesday night.  Some of our team members prayed for him again this evening at our hotel.  We trust and believe that the Lord has plans to use Greg mightily as an intercessor. 

This is a testament of God’s faithfulness to the promises He gave to Pastor David Wilkerson, when he obeyed the Lord to serve the helpless and hopeless.  To God be all the glory!

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God Speed Greenock

November 9, 2009

That is the motto on the city shield of Greenock displayed high above the platform of the Town Hall where the Combined Churches Prayer Gathering was held tonight, to kick off the four days of meetings at which Pastor Carter will speak. “God speed Greenock.” It seems almost prophetic.

The prayer gathering opened with a Times Square Church choir ensemble singing “Welcome into this Place.” David Black, steering committee member and director of the Haven Ministry to drug addicts, gave us “a Greenock welcome” saying there has never been as many ups and downs in the weather as this week. “God gave you good weather!” We clapped knowing many of us prayed long and hard for good weather during our stay.

“We are all operating under the banner “the truth will make you free,” he said. “Look for the beauty of the Lord to be displayed in the people that have come,” who have “put their hands in their pockets” and paid their own way to come to Greenock and be a blessing to the church and the community.

Chris Jewell, another member of the steering committee who has been an important liaison for the Time Square Church team, introduced Michael McCormick, the Provost of Greenock, who exclaimed he was “totally blown away by the music” and noting that the visit by the large team from New York has generated business in the community. The hotels are filled and the university is feeding 180 team members every evening.

David Black took the podium once more to introduce Pastor Carter by describing his previous visit to speak at the revival conference in 2008, and his burden to return to Greenock with a team. “He comes to Greenock to share with us the experience of God and of life, and to give us a message of hope.”

God has determined to do something profound

Pastor Carter thanked the local churches who have worked together to organize the meetings and outreaches noting their burden to see God transform their society. “You’ve lived through a hard season. He is going to encourage you.” “God has determined to do something profound. We are just here to tell that God is going to do this.” He likened it to a relay race we run together. “We pass the baton and encourage you to keep on running. We do not come here to teach you anything. We come here with a towel and a bowl of water. Would you allow us to wash your feet?”

He ended with prayer to dedicate the four nights of meetings–that God would break the despondency and despair of the people, and that after we have gone, there would be a fragrance of Christ.

“Let Greenock never be the same again.”

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There is Life Beyond the Fog

November 9, 2009

The time was 8:45 A.M. Our driver, Donnie, had just picked us up and rushed us off to the loading dock where the local Greenock ferry takes its customers to and fro. Our destination; Dunoon Grammar school in Dunoon Scotland. There we would conduct a series of religious education classes for the students. From the moment we stepped off the boat and walked into the school we were excited. We had no way of knowing what we had actually planned would work.

The first class, second class, and third class went well. The students loved the singing and the testimonies seemed to be hitting home. It is amazing to see what God will do with a yielded vessel. It’s like what Paul wrote, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

The highlight of the day came at the very end of the day with the last class getting ready to leave. Our youth music team leader ended the class with a testimony about how God had given him peace through his storm. He expressed his gratitude for God’s love in spite of his present physical condition. We then saw a little hand pop up. She was a petite little girl, just shy of becoming a teenager and you could tell she had something to say. “I used to not be able to sleep a couple of months ago, she said.” I would toss and turn but could never get any sleep. One day I prayed and asked God to give me some sleep, and you know what, I slept.”  With a smile on our faces we left to get back on the ferry to make it to the nightly meeting. Mission accomplished!

 

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Friends You Haven’t Yet Met

November 8, 2009

When choir team B showed up at church today, they nearly doubled the small congregation. The elder who led the service introduced the choir as their “friends from New York”, saying that “strangers are just friends you haven’t yet met.” A truer word was never spoken. The 20 or so believers who make up this lovely church share the same heart that has sustained Times Square Church from the beginning. They open their doors to the addicted, the helpless and the hurting, they feed the poor, and they trust God to fill the empty seats as they direct the lost to Jesus.

Several choir members met a young man after church who came for the free meal they provided. He is homeless and addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. He showed one choir member his needle marks. He thanked the team leader for stopping to talk with him, saying “most people just brush by because of the way I am”—in addition to the signs of drug use, his severe speech impediment makes his accent even harder to understand. But he’s trying to get into a Teen Challenge program said he’s tried everything else. He asked when the town hall events would take place because he cannot read the flyer. He was concerned that he couldn’t give an offering because he hasn’t a cent to his name. He is why we do this event for free and take no offering! Each choir member, when they looked at him, just knew in their heart of hearts, that the addiction that has plagued his life is broken. With eyes of faith they saw him as God does—whole, restored, a precious jewel.

Not long ago, this church had only six members. But as they pray and reach out to their community, they are growing. We are trusting with them that they will soon be overflowing, and that this new friend, and others like him will be sharing their testimonies of God’s goodness and power. 

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Mountains Can Be Moved

November 8, 2009

We shot up like sprouts as soon as the fire alarm at 7:22am. It is now after 12am and we had just returned from a full day of spending time with two churches. We spent our morning with Fire Christian Fellowship and evening with Ambassador Hall.

We were greeted warmly at both churches. It was a joy to know that across the Atlantic there is a group of people we can call “family” due to our unity under God the Father.

Today, we saw the undeniable hunger for the truth, the love, and the fulfillment that can only be found in Jesus. We gave our testimonies today not knowing the struggles these people were facing only to find that our struggles with depression, sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, violence, family problems, financial struggles, pain, anger, and being unloved were able to relate to them.

“You can pray for anything, and if you have faith you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:22)

We can do nothing in our own strength except stand alongside with them in prayer, believing that Jesus will meet their need. Today we basically encouraged them that if Jesus took us out from all the issues we had, He can do it for them too – His love is great.  

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Pre-Event Prep at Greenock Town Hall

November 9, 2009
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Primary Schools Visits The Cedars School in Greenock

November 9, 2009
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To God be all the glory as this story unfolds

November 9, 2009

Pastor Teresa writes her first blogI am writing my very first blog ever - as I believe this is a trip worth writing about.  We have come to Scotland  to join our Scottish brethren in believing God for a true move of His Spirit during the next few days. 

We had a taste of this Holy Ghost visitation in England last weekend. On Saturday we had a women’s conference in Newscastle and the Lord gave us a breakthrough. It was a deeply stirring visitation - with life changing results. I say this because people were gripped as the  Word was spoken and I knew it was ‘not me’ speaking many times throughout that day. The change I could see in people’s faces and the courage and hope that seemed to fill their hearts was truly stirring.

A sense of  refreshing and transformation is the earmark of Holy Spirit at work. It is not measured by the loudness of our singing voices or the quietness of our opening prayers. It is God with us and no one at that moment needs convincing.

 We believe this week in Scotland will mean significant life change for hundreds in Greenock, Scotland. I am honoured and excited to be able to write about it over the next few days.  To God be all the Glory as this story unfolds.

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Here In Sunny Scotland

November 8, 2009

Was it really only 16 hours ago that the fire alarms rattled us from bed? So much has happened since that “wake up call,” months could have passed. Today, Armistice Day, our team attended Remembrance Day service with the Greenock East End Parrish congregation. Service was held in a local community center complete with basketball hoops and wonderful fellowship. Later, after dinner, our team walked home through the streets of Greenock and talked about the day.

“…I was moved and encouraged by the older folks at the church…see how God has kept them in the walk for so long,” said Cedric. Gaby exclaimed, “I was overwhelmed during service by how amazing God is. Here I am a girl from Queens and God sent me to Scotland to be part of His plan.” Louie was “really touched by how friendly the people were and how excited they were to have us here.” Doc remarked, “I’m in awe that God chose me to be a part of what he is doing all the way over in Greenock, Scotland.” 

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