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Version 2.0 of our new bible reading groups website is now online.  Check it out at www.biblereadinggroups.com.  Thank you Ryan and Scott for all your hard work!

At church last night we had a ton of visitors. Our largest service ever. It was the first time we have ever run out of chairs and needed to use the balcony.  I digress…

Sometimes, after working with the church week after week, year after year, I start to take a few things for granted. But last night, one of our visitors, a gray-haired really old man made a comment that reminded me of how unique our situation is.

He said, “I haven’t seen this many young men in Scotland excited about their faith since a tent meeting in the 50’s”

A simple comment packed with encouragement.

I was laughing on the inside yesterday. First of all, it was mothers day here in Scotland. Secondly, we had many visitors at church because we were doing some baptisms. Thirdly, our passage for the week was God destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. You try tying baptism and mothers day into a message on Sodom and Gomorrah and see if it doesn’t send you laughing on the inside. (if you want to hear the message click HERE.)

Even though it seems like a terrible idea, God moved.

My favorite part was baptizing 6 people (three in the morning and three in the evening.) I always find it so powerful when we baptize people. I look each one in the eyes and ask them if they have dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ. I look them in the eyes and ask them if they are going to follow Jesus NO MATTER WHAT all the days of their lives. Each of them answered unswervingly, “Yes.”

It is powerful to see changed lives. It is amazing to hear what God is doing in their lives. And it is an honour to be apart of what God is doing in them. May God continue this good work that he has begun in them and carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

What a great day!

I have never experienced such incredible days of ministry as I have these last 28 days. In the 5 years we have been in Glasgow, there have been seasons of “wins” as well as disheartening seasons of “setbacks.” Recently our church has experienced far more “wins” than I would have dared to imagine.

(photo by Megan)

The first incredible and unexpected “win” has been our shocking and rapid growth. Because of this incredible surge of new people our church grew by over 140% (from Sept. 2007 – Sept. 2008) I still find myself stunned at how many more people are in the room for the services than there were even 28 days ago. It is quite incredible. I have also enjoyed seeing more age diversity in those regularly attending. Very exciting!

(Photo by Stephen Irwin)

Just a week ago, many of us drove to Loch Lomond to baptize Dan who is relatively new to our church and chosen to run after God with all his heart. It is amazing to be apart of expanding God’s Kingdom in Scotland.

The second “win” was our BBQ outreach to the new students at the University of Glasgow. We (as a church working with other local ministries) served almost 2000 burgers over 4 days to hundreds of incoming students in Jesus’ name. Although the weather was miserable, it was quite amazing to be apart of this event. Stephen Irwin was a warrior - there everyday in all weather serving and making it happen. Wade Thompson coordinated this outreach and led with BBQ-ing passion.

The third “win” is the opportunities I have been given to speak at three of the Universities on the subject of prayer and the good news of Jesus. It has been helpful and insightful for me to see first hand the Christian situation on each of these campuses. I am again stunned at how almost completely absent Christians are in this university generation. I was struck again at how enormous the task before us is to see a significant Reawakening come to Scotland. And so we pray on!

The fourth “win” has been 2 years in the making. After overcoming previous setbacks we finally launched a Kid’s puppet ministry for our Sunday morning service on the 12th. The kids loved it, and were already chatting about how their friends at school might also like to see it. In order to pull this off we had to build a massive partition in our large room downstairs, as well as build a quality puppet set. So many have been hard at work on this project including Mark Jones, Leah, Mike, Wade, Jeff and Tim B. We are hopeful for the future and the families that may start attending our church in the upcoming months as a result of this effort.

(Photo by Stephen Irwin)

Finally, the fifth “win” took place at our Feast last night. It was our largest Feast by far with around 230 people who came for good food, good music, and to get to know people. At the table I was at 6 out of 8 of the adults didn’t attend any church. It was great to see this missional Feast drawing in the people we were praying for. Wade was head chef and cooked up enough food for all, Lesley and Anna made the room look stunning, and Aimee and Tim B. coordinated the entertainment. Everyone worked so hard and there was so much joy at the end of the night as we tidied and recycled.

It has been an incredible month. Continue to intercede with us about the expanding of God’s Kingdom in Scotland, and the Reawakening of a nation to return to Jesus Christ. God is answering our prayers!

Revival is a word I am attempting to stay away from these days. It has become tainted.

Conversion is a word I am attempting to stay away from these days. It, too, carries a loaded connotation.

Every part of me wants to see a reviving. Every part of me wants to see people dedicate their lives to Jesus Christ. The word I am using these days is “Awakening.” The awakening of people far from God to come to Christ and the awakening of people who gave their lives to Jesus but have lost the fire they once had.

As I have been thinking about these concepts I was pointed to a fantastic post by a pentecostal named Chuck Fisher discussing REAL Revival… what REAL awakenings look like.

It is well worth a quick read HERE.

Near the end of his brief article he quotes an 1906 “prophecy” made at the Azusa St. Revival.

IN THE LAST DAY THREE THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN THE GREAT PENTECOSTAL MOVEMENT:

1) THERE WILL BE AN OVEREMPHASIS ON POWER, RATHER THAN ON RIGHTEOUSNESS;
2) THERE WILL BE AN OVEREMPHASIS ON PRAISE, TO A GOD THEY NO LONGER PRAY TO;
3) THERE WILL BE AN OVEREMPHASIS ON THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT, RATHER THAN ON THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST.

I have been chewing on the reality of these lines for weeks now. Who can read these words and not instantly evaluate their own life, ministry, or church’s emphasis? It is so easy to destroy good things by making great things the main things.

I want to pray and work to see a reawakening in Scotland, I am sure you want to see the same where you are. Lets just quickly remind ourselves to keep the main things the main things.

If you live anywhere in or near Scotland, join us in Glasgow on the 20th and 21st of February for the ReAwakening Conference and help begin to put into place core foundations with the hope of someday seeing a ReAwakening in our land.

“Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.” (Ex 23:14) The first is the “Feast of Unleavened Bread,” the Third is the “Feast of Ingathering.” This Sunday begins the middle celebration, which our English Bibles call, “The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot).”

One of the central features of the ‘Feast of Weeks’ is the remembering of the receiving of the 10 Commandments, which is expanded in celebration to including the receiving of the Torah (first five books of the bible.)

Christians remember this holiday by its Greek name, Pentecost, when the believers of Jesus received the Holy Spirit, which was for them and all whom the Lord will call (Acts 2:39.)

Part of the ‘Feast of Weeks’ is a reaffirming of our commitment to the received words of God. And so, this week we have set aside, as a church, to read through the entire bible, cover to cover, in one hour shifts. This morning I began with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And sometime Friday evening we will end with the words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all God’s people. Amen.”

I find myself earnestly praying that the Holy Spirit will unveil (2 Cor 13) hearts and minds so that this generation can respond to the words of God and the great news about Jesus Christ.

Father, I thank you for the Bible and I thank your for Your Spirit. Make us a people of Your Word. Fill us with Your Spirit. Make us a generation who love you. Revive! Reawaken! Our eyes are on you, our only hope is in your Sprits working. Reveal and intervene, rescue and redeem because of your great love and for the sake of your great name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

These are some of the things I have been praying about these days.

• Thankful. After 5 years living in Scotland and praying over the University of Glasgow I was finally invited to speak at the Christian Union. It was a great honour to be asked to speak and God seems to really have blessed the time.
• Thankful. On Sunday our church had a feast. This time we also had an “open mic” for musicians and singers to play. Wade cooked up some fantastic food. Leah, Aimee, and Lesley pulled it off amazingly. (Stephen’s Blog Post)



• Fruit. God seems to have used the feast to intrigue people about Church and about Jesus. I am praying that God continues and nurtures this “interest” so that these people give their lives to him.



• Thankful. It has almost been 1 year since we have been back in our building. We do not own it yet, but in the mean time God has been so good to us. We perpetually live with the understanding we could be kicked out with the shortest of notice and yet one year later God still allows us to meet here. I do pray that we will be able to buy the building soon, but I am also thankful for this time of cheep rent.
• Re:Awakening. Next February begins the Re:Awakening conference; a conference targeting the Student population in Scotland. I have been invited to speak at it which completely lines up with my heart but I have been asking God, “Do You want me to speak?” and if so, “Will You powerfully move?” www.re-awakening.org.uk (site not completely ready yet)



• Revival and Awakening. One consistent message from our time in London two weeks ago was how Scotland is decades behind spiritually.  D.L. Moody in the late 1800’s was preaching and seeing a massive revival 1/4 of a mile from our church. For a while Scotland burned bright for God, but then generations grew up who knew nothing about what God did in the revival and who chose to reject God. I am praying for something I have never seen; a real reviving and awakening of the emerging generations here in Scotland. I invite you to join with me in praying for this until it happens.

God still hears prayers. God is still moving. I am so thankful for all of you who join with me in interceding for us and for Scotland.

Almost 50 people, including children, converged in two shifts for a time of remembering Jesus’ fulfillment of the Jewish Passover at our home last evening. A powerful evening. Leah did a brilliant job both coordinating the meal as well as massively rewriting our Seder service. Here are a few pictures of a fun and full evening.

“Blessed are you O Lord our God, King of the Universe…”

These past few weeks of ‘silence’ have been some of the most challenging and personally enlightening days of Re:Hope. Times of tragedy and challenge can be profound in revealing what we are actually made of.

2 weeks ago, 25-year-old Chris Gaston died suddenly in his sleep without warning instantly stunning his family, our church, and all who knew him. The family invited me to travel to Northern Ireland to preach about Jesus to what turned out to be just under 600 people- half of whom didn’t believe in Jesus. (the memorial service in Northern Ireland can be listened to in it’s entirety HERE- I start talking around the 16:30 mark.)

Two days later, our church did a combination memorial service and church service for Chris hosting many from the Glasgow School of Art who came to remember Chris (the message can be listened to HERE.)

This season has revealed that we are a church who cares, who really do love one another. This season has revealed hidden pastoral gifts amongst the people of our church as they choose to pursue one another and listen and cry and sit with one another. This season has revealed our urgency as messengers of essential and good news.

As a church we grieve with Tony (Chris’ brother) and his family. In life Chris was loved and gracious… Not a day goes by I am not thinking about Chris and his family…

May our father of compassion, the one who is close to the broken-hearted be close to you.

I care…

Two or three years ago Mike Strunk, of Christ’s Church Federal Way, Washington, gave me a simple book penned by John Piper entitled, “The Passion of Jesus Christ.” A more precise title would be, “50 Ways Jesus is Good News.” Each ‘chapter’ is a brief 2-page reflection on a specific verse that identifies a significant aspect of what was accomplished on the cross and why Jesus had to die.

We know some of the more ‘normal’ ones:

To save us from our sins.
To make peace between us and God.
To rescue us from slavery to sin and death.
To redeem us.
To Forgive our sins.
To make for himself a people of his own possession zealous for good works.

Some less common ones would be:

To redeem us from the futile way of life passed down by our ancestors.
To no longer live egocentric lives but to live for him.
To show that the worst evil is meant by God for good.
To free us from bondage to the fear of death.

As I preach, I want every message to come back to at least one gospel truth—one reason to celebrate Jesus. I find in Pipers tiny book, an amazing resource for going a bit deeper in the many faceted great truths about Jesus. Thanks Mike.