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April 2008 |
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As
our plane climbs out of Miami, we feel great gratitude at all that has
happened over the last month in Central America and the USA. Just a few
hours ago, I had the privilege of speaking in the People's Cathedral which
has been at the forefront of putting missions on the agenda of the Latino
church. It was a joy to have a number stand to make a public commitment to
missions. One highlight earlier was a one day visit to Honduras to
minister to a group of pastors. As we left El Salvador, our car started
climbing higher and higher until we entered the clouds. Descending to a
town, I was asked to speak on 'More Effective Leadership'. One pastor was
so excited that he could not wait to get back to his church and implement
what he had heard. Perhaps the icing on the cake has been the initial
response to AMEN's appeal for Grace and Light International from
individuals and churches. June is our project month (www.a-m-e-n.org)
In a few days we cross the Atlantic again to join the Logos 2 in the
Caribbean where Gareth will be teaching a series on the book of
Ecclesiastes. Gareth ><> Malou
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Easter 2008 |
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The
atmosphere was palpable and I found myself caught up in it too and could only
stand there and worship and thank God for what He was doing before our eyes.
It was not the speaker or the quality of the message which resulted in such a
response but rather the touch of the Spirit of God on people's lives. |
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March 2008 |
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A few days ago, as I was coming to the final part of my series of lectures on 'Isaiah' at Belgrade Bible School, a discussion developed on the subject of time and the fact that in Eternity, time as we know it will cease to exist. I held up my watch and pointed out that it would then be of no more use. As I looked at it, I was amazed to see that at that very moment, the battery had died and the watch face was completely blank. The point was not lost on the students.
Gareth and Malou |
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February 2008 |
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He
believed
everyone
should
be
able
to
read
the
Bible
in
their
own
language
and
that
it
alone
was
the
final
authority
for
faith
and
life.
Sadly,
the
descendants
of
that
church
today
preach
a
largely
liberal
and
social
gospel.
Indeed,
the
church
in
Northern
Italy
is
small
with
many
villages
still
without
a
Biblical
witness.
While
there
is
an
indifference
to
the
gospel,
occultism
is
widespread
with
an
estimated
100,000
full
time
consulting
magicians,
nearly
three
times
the
number
of
Catholic
priests.
Satanism
is
strong
in
the
north
with
Turin
being
one
of
the
global
centres
of
its
activities.
The
pre-Christian
pagan
powers
have
never
been
fully
routed
in
2000
years.
Pray
for
Italy!
(*
Operation
World,
21st
Century
Edition)
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January 2008 |
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November 27th 2007 I
have
probably
visited
India
40-50
times
over
the
last
25+
years
and
cannot
remember
one
occasion
when
I
have
returned
home
anything
other
than
encouraged
in
my
own
faith.
The
last
visit
was
no
exception.
Teaching
more
than
50
pastors
and
leaders
from
the
Bible
over
5
days
with
so
much
positive
feedback
made
all
the
hard
work
very
rewarding.
A
number
were
formerly
quite
violently
anti-Christian
yet
the
dramatic
testimonies
of
salvation
we
heard
seem
to
have
been
lifted
straight
from
the
pages
of
the
New
Testament.
Malou
and
I
then
travelled
south
by
train
and
spent
a
day
with
the
leaders
of
three
of
the
projects
AMEN
supports
in
India.
Not
only
were
we
all
encouraged
by
the
stories
of
the
others,
but
the
feedback
received
so
far
declares
that
while
it
was
a
great
day,
it
needs
to
be
longer
next
time! God
bless
you
all,
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November 3rd 2007 Tonight,
we
leave
for
India
arriving
in
Bangalore
on
Sunday
night.
From
Monday
to
Friday,
Nov
5-9,
I
will
be
speaking
to
about
175
at
a
pastors'
conference
in
Bangalore
on
1
Corinthians
plus
various
Old
Testament October 27th 2007 We have just returned from a week's open air evangelism. Thanks to all those who wrote showing real interest and pledging prayer support. One 'Christian' approached us in the street and said he did not approve of our attitude, declaring that we were 'putting people off'. One of the evangelists then asked him to look around at the many conversations that were being held at that moment following the preaching. He went on to say that he himself expected to give out about 100 tracts, 3 gospels of John and have at least half a dozen good conversations before the end of the day. He then asked the man how many people he had put off that day - the man promptly walked off!
"I
listened
to
your
preaching
about
Islam
from
your
web.
It
helped
me
understand
more
about
this
subject".
PB,
Czech
Republic
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Early October 2007
"It
is
no
marvel
that
the
devil
does
not
love
field
preaching;
neither
do
I!
I
love
a
commodious
room,
a
soft
cushion
and
a
handsome
pulpit.
But
where
is
my
zeal
if
I
do
not
trample
all
these
underfoot
in
order
to
save
one
more
soul?"
JOHN
WESLEY
So
for
one
week,
it's
back
to
the
challenge
of
sleeping
bags
on
church
hall
floors,
preaching
daily
in
the
open
air
in
Slough,
Oxford,
Bracknell
and
Reading,
living
in
community
and
taking
a
shower
as,
when
(and
if)
a
member's
house
is
made
available
to
us.
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August 2007
As I was out jogging this morning in a remote part of Dorset, I came across a field of sunflowers - spectacular at the best of times, these were truly stunning as they reflected the light of the rising sun. I noticed that virtually all of them had turned to face the sun; those that had turned away had their heads hanging down and seemed to be dead.
The
lesson
seemed
all
too
obvious!
'The
Lord
bless
you
and
keep
you;
the
Lord
make
his
face
shine
upon
you
and
be
gracious
to
you;
the
Lord
turn
his
face
toward
you
and
give
you
peace'.
Numbers
6:24-26
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July 2007
It
happened
again
recently
-
someone
told
us
that
they
pray
for
us
every
day.
I
can't
think
of
a
greater
privilege
than
to
be
on
someone's
else's
prayer
list!
God's
blessing
in
our
ministry
is
due,
in
large
measure,
to
the
faithful
intercession
of
others.
I
received
an
email
just
a
few
hours
ago
from
a
friend.
He
wrote,
'I
met
a
guy
who
has
come
out
of
The
Tabernacle
and
started
his
own
church.
He
said
that
it
came
about
as
a
result
of
your
preaching
at
The
Tabernacle's
family
camp!'
I
would
have
to
say
it
also
came
about
because
many
of
the
1500
or
so
people
receiving
this
update
pray
for
us.
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May 2007
According
to
the
Bible,
the
apostle
Paul
came
this
way.*
A
few
hundred
metres
from
our
berth
is
the
best
example
of
a
Roman
amphitheatre
in
the
Balkans.
Not
only
would
gladiators
have
done
battle
there
but
it
is
almost
certainly
the
place
where
some
Christians
died.
In
100AD,
St
Istia,
the
second
bishop
of
Durres
was
martyred
nearby
at
the
command
of
Agricola,
the
Roman
governor
of
this
province.
In
1967,
the
Albanian
dictator,
Enver
Hoxha,
boasted
that
he
would
eliminate
all
religion*
and
even
built
Radio
Tirana
to
propagate
atheism.
Today,
TWR
broadcasts
80
hours
a
week
from
Radio
Tirana
throughout
Eastern
Europe.
I
even
learned
yesterday
that
a
church
now
meets
in
one
of
the
dictator's
former
houses!
'He
has
brought
down
rulers
from
their
thrones
but
has
lifted
up
the
humble.'
Luke
1:52 |
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April 2007
From being a Buddhist backwater 125 years ago, today South Korea is a nation of spiritual superlatives. Not only is the capital, Seoul, host to 10 of the 11 largest (mega) churches in the world, but it also currently sends out more cross cultural missionaries than any other nation except the USA*.
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February 2007
The
stage was set at the Cebu Coliseum. The lighting and sound systems at our
disposal were of the highest professional quality. Then, as we gathered to
rehearse, I was amazed to see a SWAT team complete with sniffer dogs move
along each of the hundreds of rows. Why all this careful preparation?
Because Gloria Arroyo, the President of the Philippines was arriving the
following day for a political rally. Firstly however, there was to be a
meeting that evening with the Kings of Kings when almost 5000 gathered to
watch the Doulos International night. At the appeal, many made their way
forward to be met by counsellors, to be prayed with and to receive helpful
literature. Later that evening a former Doulos deck officer told me that
he and his wife have been praying for years for their aunt who had been
very resistant to the gospel. That night, she too professed faith in
Christ. |
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January 2007 Review
Once again we can look back with hearts full of gratitude to God for another year of safe travel, good health, and divine appointments;
together and separately we visited a total of 26 countries with Gareth
speaking over 220 times. All that despite our own failures and
limitations. We ended the year with a financial deficit which we trust
and pray will be resolved by this time next year.
Philippines
Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Somerset and N Ireland
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Christmas 2006 with Doulos in Philippines Dear
Friends,
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December 2006 Dear friends
I
cannot recall one single news item recently in the UK that said anything
positive about Nigeria; come to think of it, I can't remember the media
saying much that is positive about any country! But when we boarded our
plane for Nigeria last week, our experience was somewhat different. My
first sight was of a man reading a Philip Yancey book. A few rows behind
him was a lady reading a Bible and once the flight had begun, I heard a
man behind us discussing the New Testament with his fellow passenger.
Christmas
blessings to you all, |
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November 2006 Dear friends
NIGERIA
Grace and Light International with their strap line 'moving faster than
AIDS' is a growing church based charity with which AMEN partners. I
(Gareth) have been invited to give four messages at their national
conference in Jos. While there, we are also going to make a professional
DVD of their ministry which we plan to distribute widely to better
inform people of this unique approach to HIV/AIDS ministry. Nigeria is
Africa's most populated nation (1:5 Africans is from Nigeria!) with
approximately 5% being HIV positive . |
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October 2006 Dear friends I
am not surprised that some have been asking us where the Faroe islands
are since they are completely omitted from some maps or are inserted in
the margin. Located midway between Norway and Iceland, these 18 islands
have a total population of less than 50,000 - sheep are said to
outnumber people 2:1. If someone isn't related to another person, they
will probably know them any way. One lady told us she had 101 cousins!
Their friendly and hospitable character welcomes visitors as does the
spectacular scenery. |
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September 2006 Dear
Friends, One minister wrote this: 'What we see as triumphant or successful Christian living is really no more than the calm between inevitable storms'; I think he got it about right. If you are not in a storm, you are either just emerging from one or just about to enter one! Of course, the Bible got there first.
After
a concerted but failed attempt on his life, Paul reminded the disciples,
'we must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom
of God'. Together with others, some of us are at present trying to sort
out a serious pastoral issue in another culture, the outcome of which
has widespread implications. I have discovered that in times of stress,
uncertainty and disappointment, it's amazing how alive and relevant
daily Bible readings become and how much more intense and burdened are
personal prayer times. God Bless
Gareth ><> Malou Bolton |
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June 2006 Dear
Friends, I
recently returned from 10 days in Central Asia where I had
been ministering to a Christian team that
has been going through some tough times. Threats, false
charges, trials and intimidation have been their experience
when all they have been trying to do is improve
the lot of the people through some successful employment
creation schemes, medical help and personal friendships; now they
all face a very uncertain future. I soon found
myself in a situation of trying to bring encouragement to
those who, in a difficult time of transition, are trying to
discern Gods will. Tears flowed often but I saw that
the power of the external
pressure was more than matched by
the strength of their internal unity. From the
moment I started the process of getting a visa for the country, I felt
the spiritual heaviness around me and during the visit
itself experienced some unusual
health challenges. How encouraging then to later receive a
note from one of the team which said, 'Thank you
for sharing the truth of Gods Word with us. The message was
spot on for such a time of this.'
Thank you and God Bless
Gareth ><> Malou Bolton |
