Dear Friends:
On our way south through Pembrokeshire to the Welsh Prayer
Breakfast early last Saturday morning, this brilliant rainbow
highlighted our drive. The supposed "pot of gold" was actually the
wealth of fellowship at the event itself. I was reminded of it
again by this morning's reading in Exodus 18:12. "Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt
offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came
with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’
father-in-law before God."
When we sit down with other believers to share physical bread and
spiritual bread there is always something special and joyous about
it. Acts 2:46-47 tells this story of glory. "So
continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking
bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were
being saved." Although we might not yet be seeing people
be added daily, that is where we're headed as revival draws
closer, and that comprises an important dimension of how we should
be praying.
We see this other amazing scene which takes place a little later
in chapter 28 of Exodus story. God calls Moses to come up with
Aaron and his sons and seventy of the elders of Israel. Then in
verses 10-11 we read, "and they saw the God
of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work
of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its
clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not
lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank."
Wow, talk about stories of glory!
After breakfast was served, we enjoyed a wonderful spirit-led
time of worship by our friends from the Sound of Wales. It very
much set the stage for the message following, encouraging us to
press in for "more" we're looking for. And then afterward, there
was another and very creative segment of worship, stories, and
poetry.
Something we especially
enjoy is meeting new people, trying our best with what Welsh we
can manage, and discovering other parts of the Lord's church. It
was a particular privilege to meet some who had only recently
discovered the rich history of powerful revivals that have touched
Wales over the last three centuries. It is not called "The Land of
Revivals" for nothing! There is a short and powerful overview of
Welsh Revival history on our Revival History page.
The following day we visited a congregation in a town about 20
miles to the north and there met several people who have felt a
definite call to here for what they feel the Lord is preparing to
do Over the years we have met countless people who have been
called by God to places all over Wales and they are praying and
simply making themselves available to share His love with those
around them.
After what has been one of
the wettest winters in about a decade, we are beginning to see a
very welcome change. We've had some glorious sunny days and the
wind is helping to dry out a very waterlogged countryside at last.
This clear view of the distant snow-capped Brecon Beacons to the
southeast was a heartwarming sight with the abundance of early
spring flowers and trees and hedges putting out their first leaves
to declare that spring is in the air!
As the freshness of change into this new season lifts of spirits,
it seems to clearly demonstrate the longing for that something far
greater that we pray for. Romans 8:19 says, "For
the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the
revealing of the sons of God."
Together we join our hearts to the cry of Isaiah 64:1-2. "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You
would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your
presence... To make Your name known to Your adversaries, that
the nations may tremble at Your presence!"
Dick & Gladys
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Dear Friends,
Last week we went for an afternoon and evening of prayer at
Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales. For me, Gladys, this experience
was fruit that God had prepared for us. When we got to the venue
just before noon, it was a very old building with advertisements
for a cinema outside but the original stone title across the front
said, "County Police Buildings".
We climbed some old steep wooden steps and when I opened the door
I greeted a girl with a Welsh "Sut Mae" which means, "How's it
going? Instantly it was like turning on the water tap and I was
delightfully surprised by the Welsh language. On previous visits
to the north in years gone by, people had made fun of my greeting
because "Sut mae" is pronounced totally differently in the south,
and here a different Welsh is spoken. But this time it was
different because there were people from all over Wales with a
single purpose!
I felt very honored to be able to speak a few words in Cymraeg,
"Welsh", since I can only manage a few phrases to break the ice...
When I entered the large meeting room it was a great surprise and
delight for me—it was like hearing little bells when I heard that
everyone was speaking mosty Welsh!
It felt like arriving at my own home in an atmosphere of family
and love!
It was wonderful to greet whoever could between hugs and cries of
amazement and love for old friends we prayed with over 10 years
ago when we saw each other again. And how great a contrast to see
that the majority were young people and families. Here in South
and West Wales where we live the meetings are predominantly older
adults and more senior citizens.
We were very surprised that from the beginning of the meetings,
they were all led by young people. The building we were in had
sofas in the front and there were chairs in the back section. The
middle was left open and there were many people and couples with
children and babies sitting on rugs on the floor. Everything was
very comfortable and pleasant, and they encouraged us at the
beginning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and if God were to
give us something for the gathering we should share it in the
times provided. And that was the case ... especially when they
asked us that those of us who wanted to could call out the Names
of God. Of course, I was not going to stay silent and I said,
"Alpha and Omega", and "El Principio y El Fin."
Another one of the surprises that God had prepared for me was a
Welsh couple that I met here in our own Cilfowyr Chapel nearly
five years ago. Tina had learned Spanish at university, with
Tina we hugged and kissed like two sisters who had not seen
since we met and started chatting away in Spanish, "guiri,
guiri", as we say in my country, Guatemala!
With Tina next to me I was able to ask the words of the hymns
and their meaning in Spanish of the songs we were singing in
Welsh. All the songs were on the screen in both Welsh and
English. In some songs like Great is Your Faithfulness I sang
the Spanish words of this song into Tina's ear. Since she had
never heard them in Spanish, she was amazed by the new sounds
and the meaning they brought to her ears, and we ended up
hugging each other with the joy of sharing something so simple
but very true and powerful.
At the evening meeting, I noticed a difference
when I entered because the open space in the center was now
filled with chairs. The whole place was filled with people both
young and old people, and the praises were only sung in Welsh
with the translation below for those of us who didn't know Welsh
that well.
In the middle of one of the worship songs, I was singing with
my hands raised when I had a vision...
"Suspended from the sky I could see a white mantle and suddenly
it was being sliced open from top to bottom in several places,
and where the whiteness was split open, I could see the darkness
in the background through the openings."
I kept thinking about what might be its
interpretation... and in my mind, I heard the word,
"Breakthrough". A breakthrough is here.
Now at home again, I feel very encouraged when I remember being
at this meeting. It brings tears of gratitude for having been
able to be there "For such a time as this" …and seeing the
greatness of my God among the young people who are especially
thirsty for Him and praising Him with everything.
Knowing that for years so many of us have prayed for Blaenau
Ffestiniog, it was truly glorious to see these lives surrendered
to the Holy Spirit and His guidance. And now we begin to enjoy
the fruits of the harvest that God has prepared for us and will
continue to prepare for us.
What a mighty God we serve!
Gladys & Dick
------------------------------
Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:
"Point your heart toward the sky!" We hear this phrase regularly at our gym class during warm-up and cool-down times. But what a great reminder it makes for our daily lives too. In fact, if we don't make a conscientious effort the do this regularly, we can easily find ourselves caught up in things we would most likely never choose! Thus the exhortation in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Will Durant, an American historian and philosopher, put it another way in his Ten Wise Rules, "...your mind is formed by what it takes in. Don't be a wastebasket." I used to hear that as a kid from my parents and it didn't impress me at the time. But after I met Jesus I began to realize how true that is. Throughout the scriptures, this principle is highlighted over and over. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." This "keeping" is an ongoing process throughout each and every day. We continually make choices of what we engage our minds with, so we need to keep pointing our hearts toward the sky!
David says in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse of heaven shows the work of His hands." We've had some extraordinary sunrises and sunsets lately which help keep us looking the right way. En route to the chapel the other morning I chose a detour to stop and watch this one unfold—not a difficult choice. I could have decided just to keep getting glimpses of it on the way through the ups and downs of the road, but giving it my undivided attention was far more rewarding.
"Multi-tasking" has become a buzzword in recent decades—associated with productivity and success. But it just doesn't cut it when it comes to spending time with God in the Word, in worship, or in prayer. Psalm 86:11-12 makes it very clear. "Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forevermore." If the Psalmist needed help back in times when life was simpler, how much more do we God's help to stay on point in today's world? I know I sure do!
In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he encourages them with these words in chapter 3:1-2, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." Here we see yet again that our spiritual well-being depends on the choices we make throughout each day of our lives. This is not only for our own benefit but also for the sake of those around us who may be in need of the treasure we carry within us. Jesus told the disciples in Luke 6:45, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."
We had our first snow about two weeks ago, and it was a refreshing change in what had been a very wet and grey winter so far. Seeing everything painted white for a few days was a beautiful sight and the crisp cold mornings made a welcome change for starting our days. But rain or shine, cold or hot, we are blessed and very thankful to know the constant love and new mercies of God that surround us.
At the same time, our hearts ache for the vast multitudes whose lives are engulfed in unthinkable hardships and loss, turbulence, and uncertainty. This is the result of the evil treasures of the hearts of sinful men in a fallen world, with the exception of natural disasters. Our prayer is that even in such circumstances, people would come to learn of the love of God and experience the forgiveness of their sins through the precious blood of Jesus shed for them; that they would "Repent therefore and be converted, that their sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)
We also pray with and for you and all believers as Paul did in Philippians 4:6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Dick & Gladys
------------------------------
Dear Praying Friends,
One of the greatest gifts that we have every year is the freedom
to make a new start with a renewed heart. That renewal comes
through the word of God, and it has been a tremendous source of
strength and inspiration for Gladys and myself throughout our
lives.
For over 20 years I have been following a one-year reading
schedule which was created by Scottish minister Robert
Murray M'Cheyne in the 19th century to be used for both family and
personal devotions. Each day has four readings with two from the
Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from the Psalms
or Gospels.
Through the course of one year,
you'll read through the Old Testament once and the Psalms and New
Testament twice. I've been amazed at how the daily readings
dovetail together with such precision many a time! This link takes you
to a .pdf file of the plan which you can copy and print. Or better
yet you can download either of these handy free apps to see and
mark your daily readings and stay on track: "The M'Cheyne Plan" on
Apple App Store, or "Bible Reading Plan - M'Cheyne" on Google Play
Store. I use the Olive Tree Bible App which incorporates the plan
and is super handy. BibleGateway(.)com also has it online, and a
web search will find you lots of options.
We
went for a walk the day after Christmas after the weather cleared
up on a logging road on Llanllwni Mountain near Lampeter in West
Wales. We always are looking for opportunities to share the Lord
with folks but this was literally in the middle of nowhere! ( FYI
https://maps.app.goo.gl/eyRsMCgQUUU85tzq7)
A young Welsh-speaking family caught up with us on the road,
trying to keep up with their 9-year old son on his bike! Local
folks are always curious to meet obvious foreigners who speak a
bit of Welsh. It inevitably leads to the question, “So, what
brings you here?” Such an open door to talk about the Gospel!
We talked for a long time, lots of questions and some hesitation.
And by the time we got back to the cars, all our time
together was very warm and friendly. I had been telling the dad
how Jesus has been blessing him and calling him, and is actively
pursuing him. His wife told us how she takes their two children to
church from time to time, and how the son even played drums in
their Christmas service! When we got back to the cars, the dad and
his son went across the road to have a look around. When they came
back, the boy had this in his hand that he’d spied in the brush!
(You can order many version of these coins for free at this link!)
They were astonished as you might well imagine, and we just had
to laugh at the Lord’s amazing ways. I told them in no uncertain
words, "The Lord is SO after you guys!!" We blessed them and
wished them a great 2024 and headed home for some hot drinks to
warm up. We couldn't get over what a set-up the Lord had waiting
for that family. Please join us in remembering them in your
prayers.
So be encouraged! Our life and work in the Lord is never, ever,
in vain. There is a great reminder for the year ahead in
Colossians 4:5-6, "Conduct yourself with
wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make
the most of each opportunity [treating it as something
precious]. Let your speech at all times be gracious and
pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to
answer each one [who questions you]." (Amplified Version)
May you have a very blessed and Christ-filled New Year,
Dick & Gladys
------------------------------
Dear Friends:
One of the greatest gifts besides Jesus Himself—our redeemer and
giver of eternal life—is His intercession. It has been said that
His very life was an intercession for us all. Not only for us His
children, but for all those who will be coming into His family.
Hebrews 7:25 says, "Therefore He is also able to save to the
uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives
to make intercession for them." Romans 8:26 elaborates further,
"...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we
ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans." And then we see in Revelation
Reading Revelations 11 one morning at the chapel, I came to where
the New King James Version says in verse 15, "Then the seventh
angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The
kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of
His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
It dawned on me that this was part of Handel's Messiah, and so I
looked for the complete lyrics. I was led to this article by
Charles Morris written in November 2023, on the HavenToday(.org)
website, and I was blown away by what I read. I think you'll find
it fascinating.
"Back in 2015, I visited Handel’s home in London to
see the rooms where he composed. While I was there I spoke with
Dr. Ruth Smith, a Cambridge scholar on Handel. She explained that
the lyrics (the libretto) were not written by Handel himself, but
that they were simply Scripture texts arranged by Handel’s friend,
Charles Jennens.
"In a time of rising secularism and humanism in England, Jennens
was a member of the “Society for the Propagation of the Gospel”
and a passionate evangelical believer. He believed that putting
the gospel to music would communicate its truth, not just
intellectually, but at a deep heart level.
"This libretto was made up entirely of Old and New Testament
texts combined to present the entire Christian message in a single
piece. When it was finished he took it to his friend, the great
composer, George Handel.
"For 18 months the libretto sat on Handel’s shelf gathering dust
until one day he took it down, dusted it off, and in three intense
weeks, shut up in his flat on Brook Street, composed the oratorio
that made the words come alive. He barely ate or slept; he was
completely engulfed in the creation of this music—and he wasn’t
alone. When he got to the Hallelujah chorus, his assistant found
him in tears, saying, “I think I did see heaven open, and the very
face of God.”"
As I read these words, I was immediately
transported back to a remarkable experience I had in 2007 at the
first Celebration For The Nations that took place in Llanelli,
South Wales. At a particular point during one of the prolonged
worship sessions, I was over to one side of the huge tent kneeling
with my face to the ground between two rows of empty chairs. The
presence of God was tangibly thick and I was weeping profusely.
Suddenly I found myself in front of an enormous, thick curtain
but my position was the same. I was aware of a golden light coming
through the crack at the very bottom of the curtain, and as I
shifted my position ever so slightly I was able to gaze upon two
glowing feet, like coals of fire. I knew that this was the Lord
himself as John described in Revelations 1.
I wept even more deeply, so hard it felt like my heart was going
to come out of my mouth, because of the glory of His love, and the
majesty and purity of His presence.Together with the great sobs
that wrenched my whole being was a profound longing for all the
world to see the glory and the love of God, who came into our
world and gave His life for us. Our glorious Savior is seated on
the throne in the heaven of heavens, loving and longing, calling
His children home.
Even describing this experience here now takes me
back to that very same place. "Oh, the glory! Oh, Lord Jesus, have
mercy on this world, rend the heavens, and come down. Amen."
Here are the scriptures for the final portion of Part Two,
famously known as the Hallelujah Chorus.
44. Chorus – “Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”
(Revelation 19, v.6); “The kingdom of this world is become the
kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for
ever and ever.” (Revelation 11, v.15); “King of Kings, and Lord of
Lords.” (Revelation 19, v.16) “Hallelujah!”
You can watch a brilliant rendition by 600 singers from the
Sydney Philharmonia Choirs with the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra
to perform Handel's jubilant "Hallelujah!" chorus at this link. Here
are the scripture references for the complete libretto.
During this festive season, we can keep our prayers centered on
why Jesus came into the world—to save sinners. Let's cry out to
the Lord of the harvest that multitudes will come wholeheartedly
to join in the heavenly worship to our "King
of kings and Lord of lords." May we all be quickened and
empowered to talk of His saving grace to as many as we can with
love and joy!
God bless you and your loved ones,
Dick & Gladys
------------------------------
Dear Friends:
Saturday morning brought me great joy and tears of gratitude to
be sitting inside our winter "prayer tabernacle" on the balcony of
Cilfowyr Chapel again. After a few days of pushing through my
physical limitations, I was able to install it well enough to be
functional once again.
After not being here for what seems a very long time, it was
wonderful just to feel like I was "home" again. This is the place
where our hearts have been since we first settled here in 2005,
and even before then during our many visits to pray here before
actually moving.
I had just been reading in John 6 when Jesus has just fed the
multitude of five thousand. Verse 12 reads, "So
when they were filled, He said to His disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let
nothing be wasted.'" Jesus' words just jumped into my
spirit because we have had His words, God's words of eternal life,
with us for thousands of years. And yet they have tragically been
wasted. We live in a world falling apart because His words have
not only been ignored but are being methodically and viciously
attacked and expunged from our cultures
by the forces of darkness. The Christmas celebration still exists
in its ridiculous commercialized form—the love of money—even in
places where the name or the true story of Jesus is not even
known. And sadder still, that is the case in our own
once-Christian nations.
However, the wonderful part of John's story is that the
disciples picked up more fragments than they had at the beginning!
The amazing fact is that what seems to have been drained out of
Jesus' nativity and wasted has actually brought eternal life to
MILLIONS OF SOULS down through the centuries! His disciples and
followers have taken his words to heart and "Let nothing be wasted."
This is our responsibility and privilege today, especially in
this Christmas and holiday season. Just as Simon Peter responded
to Jesus when He asked the disciples if they wanted to leave also
because of His hard words, he said in John 6:68-69, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are
the Holy One of God." And so it is with us as we redeem
the time. I recorded a 4-minute video Saturday morning explaining
these thoughts in a little more detail. You're welcome to watch it
here now or at this link.
One of the
greatest treasures that God has given us is His word. Jesus IS the
Word made flesh, and dwells among us whom He made. So another
glorious privilege we have is described by David in Psalm 27:4, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will
I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to
enquire in his temple."
When John describes the
glory of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:22 he
says, "But I saw no temple in
it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
So when we, through the Holy Spirit, enquire in the Temple, we are
immersing ourselves in Him. Does it get any better than this?
So we would like to encourage you to make all the inquiries you
can at every moment possible, not just during this busy time of
year but always! And finally, may you and your loved ones have a
very blessed and Presence-filled Christmas and a blessed and
glory-filled New Year,
Dick & Gladys
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