We had a lovely time in Wales. All of us would like to return one day if the Lord permits. We stayed with a precious couple, Morgan and Vashi, who bent over backwards in serving us and meeting our needs. We are so grateful to the Lord in providing such wonderful hosts families for us during this trip. Morgan and Vashi live in Aberfan which is about a one hour drive from Moriah Chapel where the conference was held. Vashi had a friend visiting her from Bristol for the conference, Nicola, a lovely Christian sister in the Lord. We enjoyed sweet times of fellowship with these three saints and hope to see them again one day, Lord willing.
There were a few unexpected occurrences that made this week slightly more interesting that it would have been otherwise. Two of the three vehicles owned by Morgan and Vashi broke down. There was definite spiritual warfare going on in opposition of the conference. They rented another vehicle so that would be adequate transportation for all of us in traveling back and forth to Loughor (where the conference was).
Jon and Taylor drove over to Wales from Ireland with brother Steve Evans along with Ryan and Sean. They had the exciting experience of crossing the Irish Seas on the ferry. Dad, Jenny and I flew over to Cardiff on the day that the conference started. When we arrived we went to Aberfan, the small village where Morgan and Vashi live. After freshening up and eating a delicious Welsh meal we started off for Loughor and enjoyed an hour of sweet fellowship in the car en route to Moriah Chapel. One positive benefit of having an hour drive back and forth to the conference was the opportunity to fellowship and talk of the Lord as we traveled.
Upon arrival at Moriah Chapel in the small town of Loughor we found the task of registration waiting for us. It was a busy afternoon as we welcomed people to the conference from all over Great Britain, Europe, America, etc. Moriah Chapel is the location of where the great Welsh revival started in 1904 under the preaching of Evan Roberts, a young man of the age of 26 who was greatly used of the Lord in that revival. All of us were involved with serving in one way or another at this conference. Dad assisted with the moderator, Jon was the photographer, Taylor helped with the videography, Jenny helped with registration and some with the sound booth, and I attempted to work the computer and projector for the worship time (that was very interesting, none of knew how to run the program, but we did successfully use it during a few of the worship sessions). Jon, Jenny, and Taylor also had the opportunity to do a few special songs on the piano and violin (Evan Robert’s violin).
The church was packed on the first night when brother Paul Washer spoke. There is a great hunger, especially amongst young people, for the uncompromised Gospel of Jesus Christ that he faithfully preaches. The Lord greatly helped him in exalting Jesus Christ and the work of Christ in drinking of the wrath of God on our behalf. At the end of the sermon he offered to talk with any who were troubled about their souls and one man cried out from the audience asking for brother Paul to talk with him first.
On the second day of the conference brother David Legge delivered a good message on faith. I was greatly encouraged and blessed by this message.
“Faith is the key to every door in the house of grace….Faith is faith in God. Faith will look after itself when we focus on God and especially on His power. If you look at yourself you will despair, if you look at others you will be disappointed. You must look to God. Hebrews 11:6 – You must believe that God is active. God is working in the midst of everything. Faith in its strength comes from God. If we do not have a word from God on a matter we cannot ask confidently. Faith is the title deed. Faith is our handle on the things we cannot see. Faith is the title deed; I need to present it before God that I do possess it. Faith is the proof that God is going to come through!”
Brother Yorrie Richards preached a powerful message Wednesday night on Isaiah 6. The previous night after hearing brother Paul Washer’s message I was on my face before the Lord with that very passage before me. It was a blessing hearing this older man pour out his heart as he preached about the holy presence of the Lord.
On Thursday I was greatly blessed by a testimony shared by a brother from Ohio. It is really neat to see the Lord do a work of transformation over the time period of a few days. This brother truly did meet with the Lord and left the conference with a radiant countenance and a fire in his bones to seek the Lord. It was encouraging meeting some brothers, both from America, Ireland and the UK who are ablaze for Christ and burdened for their countries. May the Lord raise up a generation of men who have the fear of God in their lives and boldly proclaim the true Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Most of Thursday was spent on my part seeking the Lord and rejoicing in the sweetness of His presence. I spent time walking up and down the street in front of Moriah Chapel, sitting on a park bench, and just praising and worshipping Jesus Christ. It was a really blessed day. Later I listened to the message by brother Alan Bartley and was encouraged at the burden of the Lord that was upon him while he preached his message. I recommend listening to his message.
Brother David Legge gave the last message of the conference. It was a powerful, anointed, word from the Lord on God’s new thing. I highly recommend that message also. Both brother David Legge and brother Alan Bartley are from Northern Ireland and have a burden for the Lord to bring revival to their island. I praise God for His mercy in bringing those two brothers to preach at this revival conference. At the end of the conference I was overwhelmed at the mercy of God towards His children at this conference. Truly, He is the God of mercy and lovingkindness.
Notes from God’s New Thing:
“Isaiah 43:16-21. Are you willing for God to do a new thing? If you aren’t willing you might miss it.
God is the God of the original. Vs. 18 – We can learn from the past but we must not be bound to the past. You can miss it. The children of Israel could have missed it because they were focused on the past.
If we have a pre-conceived idea of how He must work, we might miss it.
The Pharisees knew the Scriptures but they did not know their God. It is not the Biblically illiterate that struggle in this area of confining God to their understanding.
The poison of legalism is that it confines God to work in a manner that I am comfortable with.
Joel 2, Acts 2 – The reaction was utter confusion, utter amazement, they were all ill at ease.
Peter was the key to the Gentiles receiving the kingdom of heaven, yet he himself stumbled at God’s new thing.
Jonathan Edwards said that God never does a work of revival without stumbling blocks.
Our convictions should never become restrictions of what God does.
Some of the resistance to revival is based on our ideas of proper order.
How do you distinguish between a genuine prophet and a false prophet:
- Is the preaching in the movement Christ-centered?
- Does it oppose sin?
- Does it affirm respect for the Scriptures?
- Does it bring an awareness of the shortness of life and eternity?
- Does it encourage genuine love to God and your neighbor?
- Does it produce genuine conversions that bring forth good fruit?
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We visited two or three different churches that were of historical significance that sadly I cannot remember. We went to a very old priory that dated back to the 1100’s that was a really neat place for photography. One of our last stops was a canal which we couldn’t really see since it was already dark, but maybe one day we will be able to return and see it in the daylight.
