Dear Friends,

This has been the driest summer in Wales since 1976, with the least rainfall in the month of July since written records were first kept in 1836. Although at first glance there seems to be plenty of water here, a closer look shows that the water level is several feet below where it normally is. And when the Teifi River has flooded here in recent years, the water is up to the top of the arch to the left and running through the "eyes" in the main supporting columns, which were built in to help relieve pressure against the structure. This view just upstream across from the old Teifi Mill reveals just how low the river actually is.

These deep channels are usually rushing with water and making a lovely soft roar that fills the air with coolness and refreshment. In the heat of the intense August sunshine, it was sorely missed by the many people like ourselves making the trek up the river pathway. But in spite of the very dry weather, this has been the best summer we've had in many years, and we are grateful.

We have prayed alongside our many farming friends for rain, which is sorely needed for crops and livestock. And at the same time, it has also provided us with a good model for praying for a spiritual rain as well. Just as the dryness of the land affects so many things, the spiritual drought in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world is also painfully evident. 

In our modern "enlightened" world, the word "sin" has become offensive, a bad word, scoffed at as outdated, etc. But the result of it surrounds and bombards us daily. Solomon said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." We see the truth expressed in innumerable ways throughout the Scriptures. John Wesley said in one of his sermons in the 1700s, "the greater part have neither the fear of God before their eyes, nor the love of God in their heart."

In Biblical times and up through the present, when revivals have broken out, they have been accompanied by a powerful sense of God's holiness, a strong conviction of sin, and a decision to change. One clear example is in Acts 2:37-38, "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers what shall we do?' Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.'"

Thankfully, we are seeing lots activity thoughout the body of Christ around the world today. People are having encounters with Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit in many places and encouraging numbers. This picture of a baptism taking place in a public Square in Holland a few weeks back is wonderful to see! There are events in stadiums, university campuses, public beaches and squares, and on and on. In Muslim countries, the churches are growing in record numbers in spite of hardship and oppression.

There is a parallel between the natural and the spiritual. We have now started getting some welcome rain, and the fields are beginning to turn green again after being parched yellow for months. And we know that God is faithful to perform his work of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation, whatever the circumstances might be. Some people have found faith out of uncertainty and tribulation; others are trying to find valid meaning and purpose in life in the midst of variable and transitory social trends. The bottom line is just as it says in Jeremiah 29:13, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for me with all of your heart."

The term "soul-searching" comes to mind. Dealing with the big questions about life itself and how we live, it can't be swept under the carpet forever. Again, all through the scriptures, we can see many examples of people pretending that God isn't watching what they're doing, etc. I recently stumbled across a quote by W.B. Sprague in his Lectures on Revivals. He summarizes the church's responsibility to new converts as being threefold: "to save from self-deception, to build up the faith, and equip in holiness." Self-deception, that's a big one. 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Jesus lays out the groundword for our lasting foundation for both this life and the next. in Matthew 7:24 he says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practices like a wise man who built his house on the rock." May this become a greater reality for us all day by day, and help prepare us to share the hope within us with those around us.

Sincerely,

Dick & Gladys