Archives for February 10, 2014

House in Kells where Prayer Called down 1859 Revival

On Thursday I took a long walk with Mary to a neighboring village called Kells.
Four men began to pray for revival in the mid-1850s in a house in this village. Revival broke out in 1859 in the neighboring village of Connor and spilled over into Kells, which required the building of the Kells Presbyterian Church.

With Pastor Ted and Lorna Donnelly, and Pastor Ian and Joan Hamilton

After touring Kells, Mary and I had some famous Irish fish-and-chips on a cold park bench. We then went to visit our special friends, Pastor Ted and Lorna Donnelly, and had the serendipitous experience of meeting Pastor Ian and Joan Hamilton—also dear friends—at the Donnelly home. Pastor Donnelly is suffering from prostate cancer, abdominal pain, and occasional brain seizures. He has amazingly recovered from encephalitis. We were delighted with how well he looked and how engaging he was in conversation in every way. We had a wonderful time of fellowship and prayer together.

Interior of Kellswater Reformed Presbyterian Church

In the evening I preached on Simeon’s Spirit-worked hope at the Kellswater Reformed Presbyterian Church, the oldest Reformed Presbyterian church in No. Ireland, where Rev. John Coates now serves as a young, dedicated pastor. The church was organized in 1760, and the present immaculate church building replaced the original meeting house in 1806. Pastor Coates showed me some of the old pictures of ministers and assemblies in the consistory room, including the old cups and plates dating from 1806 that are still being used today in serving Communion. The adjacent graveyard was nearly as impressive as the building. Some of the former ministers, who served the church for decades, are buried here.

Mary and I had a good overnight trip to Northern Ireland on February 3. I was able to edit Paul Washer’s third volume that Reformation Heritage Books is publishing—the final volume in his series on the gospel. This volume is on gospel assurance and gospel warnings—and it may well be the best of the three. I really appreciate his emphasis on the assuring marks of grace as expounded by the apostle John in his first epistle.

By Tuesday noon we were settled into the beautiful country home of Pastor Paul and Rebekah Dowling in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. What a delight this homeschooling family is! We enjoyed our time also with their children: Samuel (12), Hannah (11), Bethany (9), and Cherith (8).

Tuesday evening I spoke on “Practical Ways for Overcoming Worldliness Every Day” to a variety of people from several church backgrounds. The meeting was held at the Bangor Free Methodist Church, pastored by Jeremy Forsyth, who, together with some of his people, have taken a keen interest in Puritan writings.

On Wednesday we slept in, making up for a lost night on the plane, and then worked for several hours to prepare for my messages and catch up on e-mail. In the afternoon, I had a great visit with Rev. John Greer, moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Northern Ireland, and pastor of the denomination’s largest church. We resonate well on every issue we discuss; this dear brother is as thoroughly Reformed, conservative, and experiential as our ministers and churches are. He is a great gift to the FP churches of Northern Ireland.

In the evening, I preached on Gethsemane’s King-Lamb for the Loughbrickland Reformed Presbyterian Church, which has been pastored faithfully by Rev. David Silversides for the last 25 years. Brother Silversides is another Northern Ireland pastor whose friendship I have grown to appreciate in recent years. He is one of a rare breed of ministers in our day who truly magnifies the ministerial office as one of divine dignity.

With David Silversides