Great is Thy Faithfulness

This past Sunday, I was leading music at Brown Blvd, and we sang the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness. One of the gentlemen visiting the church that day was from Kenya. His home had been burned recently with all of the turmoil there. Two of the people I serve with week by week have parents serving in South Africa as missionaries. I began to think of Kim and Cindy and their team, and how people were being won to Christ in some of the darkest regions of the world. Great is Thy Faithfulness was such an appropriate song to sing as I began to think about how vast His church is, and the varied circumstances it faces!

I told the congregation this story about my time in Cuba. We were in Cuba, visiting a church on a Thursday night. It was my first trip there, so I didn't know what to expect, and quite honestly, I was afraid. The church was packed out--people standing outside, leaning into the windows so they could hear. ON a THURSDAY NIGHT! We had done some praise team sessions earlier. I was the only one with the group who had worked with praise teams, so even though I wasn't planning on it when I went, I was quickly recruited to teach those classes.

That night, we followed up with a time of worship and an orchestra concert. I was asked to give my testimony at church that night for two reasons: 1. Because I was appropriately dressed (I was wearing a skirt--this is a big deal in Cuban churches) and 2. because I was playing a solo on my violin later in the service, and they wanted them to hear my testimony. Well, I don't remember ever giving my testimony in public like that before. And, I legally wasn't supposed to. I wasn't there on a religious visa at the time. But, God convicted me, reminding me that He was faithful, and I gave my testimony. And I had a wonderful translator who was a passionate, growing Christian and translated so passionately.

We had been singing the song "Come, Now is the Time to Worship" earlier in the worship time, and had taught it in Spanish to the praise teams I had worked with earlier in the day. I followed that song with my testimony. I just re-told those words, "One day, EVERY tongue WILL confess You are God. One day, EVERY knee WILL bow. But the greatest TREASURE remains for those of you who choose Him now! You can know true joy by choosing Christ Jesus right now!" As I said that, all of the lights in that packed church went out. Every last light in the village went out. It was pitch black. I was scared.

But then, I heard the strong, but quiet voice of Camp Kirkland standing behind me say, "Keep going, they're listening". I continued with my testimony, and though there were no mics due to there being no electrical power, the Power of the Spirit was there, and people were quiet, and they heard the Gospel.

When I finished my testimony, there were still no lights and no power. We couldn't continue the concert. But one of the praise teams I had worked with earlier in the day got up and began singing in Spanish "Great is Thy Faithfulness". They sang all 3 verses. Then, they sang "Shout to the Lord". The entire congregation joined in. I will never forget that time of worship in the dark. There was a peace and a sweetness as you heard that dark room filled with the light of hope in the voices that rang out songs of praise.

After awhile, lights came back on, and we continued with the concert. At the end of the concert, we had our first profession of faith on the trip. It was a young girl (probably 18) who had been in the praise team workshop that day. She had come because she just wanted to learn music. She had no idea she'd receive the gift of salvation and the joy of a life knowing Christ. We gave her a Bible, and told her to start with the Gospel of John. The next morning at 8 a.m., she came back and found us and said, "I've finished John, now where do I go?" Throughout the course of the week, she brought back her mother and her grandmother and her aunt. All accepted Christ that week. All in all, this little group of instrumentalists and church musicians embraced 60 people as they came into the Kingdom family that week. We had little to offer in and of ourselves, but God was FAITHFUL. He took what we had, and He used it in a mighty way to change lives FOREVER!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

Lord, no power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck us from Your hand. Thank you for your faithfulness. Even when we are weak or afraid, You are fearless, strong and FAITHFUL!