I don’t know if I’ve ever been part of a more exciting and worshipful Revival.  God really blessed High Peak Baptist Church and probably around 10-15 decisions for Christ were made with 6 of them being salvations or public professions of previous private commitments.  We are going to have a Baptism Service this Sunday Night.

Now, let’s keep it going.  I’ll be expecting great things this Sunday!!

This was pretty cool.  Someone took the classic Ben E. King song Stand By Me and had people all over the world record various parts of it.  Included are homeless musicians from the US, people from Europe and Africa.  The result is a beautiful version.  One blogger called it the best version he’d/she’d ever heard. I might agree.  Watch it and tell me what you think.

When I watched it I thought of how the church around the world is made up of many and diverse parts but orchestrated by one creative God who is in perfect control of the tempo of life.

If you are here looking for the Prayer Survey, then look here.

The speech will be on May 17th.  Not sure about the time!

Newsweek magazine says so.  Because the number of people who call themselves Christian fell 10 points in the last 2 decades, that means it’s over.  But that conclusion ignores that 76 percent still say they are.  The real issue is that too few who are self proclaimed Christians really are.  But if you want to get some encouragement in this discouraging time then listen to some other people like Rick Warren who was on Hugh Hewitt’s radio program recently.

It may feel like our faith is receding in the world.  But here is an interview that seems to say the opposite.  This will take you to a page of links.  Find the one that says, “H3: Rick Warren”.

It is not all good news for America.  We are seeing the number of people who call themselves atheists rising.  The number of people who call themselves Christians is falling here.  And the number of people who don’t know is also growing.  But that also means that we have a great opportunity.  If the marketing world had our potential customer base, they’d be excited about the chances.  They would also be working hard to change the method of getting their word out.  Maybe our message is just as relevant, but our methods have been failing.  Time to get back to the good old friend talking to friend about Jesus.

Christ and Lynne Strange are New Tribes Missionaries in the Philippines among the Banwaon people in Mindanao.  I met them while I was Pastor of Long Creek Memorial Baptist Church in Dallas, NC.  I just received their prayer update email last week and they shared a touching story.

A young woman was brought five kilometers down a mountain the village they live in because after giving birth to her fifth child, she was not passing the afterbirth.  She was in serious condition and they needed help.  Unfortunately, what she really needed was a hospital, which was 44 kilometers away.  That is 27.5 miles.  There was no way to get her there except by either motorbike, which would be too much of a strain on her frail body, or by carrying her.  So that is what the men in the village chose to do.  They got a stretcher together and split into groups of four.  Each group would carry her a certain distance and trade off.  After the first 11 kilometers they approached a neighboring village and the Christians of that village did the same.  They finally were out of the jungle but still not near a hospital.  The men accompanied her another 40 kilometers in a jeepney to a hospital.  When she finally arrived she was treated and was able to pass the afterbirth.  The struggle and sacrifice of those men of God saved this woman’s life.

As I thought of that, I was taken back to the gospels and the friends who took their friend to a house where Jesus was teaching.  Unable to get through the crowd, they climbed up on the roof, dug a hole, and lowered him down in front of Jesus, who then healed the man.  Their faith and sacrifice made it possible for that man to be saved both physically and from his sins.  These men of God from the Philippians made it possible for this young woman to be saved physically.  I wonder what they are willing to do when the stakes are eternal and not just physical?  What are we willing to do?

My prayer is that I would be more considerate of the people around me who need Jesus Christ.  Simple things like praying for a waitress at a restaurant may open the door for a witness.  Simple things like holding a door for a stranger might open a spiritual door for the Gospel.  You never know what God might use.  Pray for opportunities and look for chances to open proverbial doors through your kindness.  And be read to walk through those doors.

And click the link at the beginning of this post to learn more about how you can pray for Chris and Lynne Strange.