The following post is not new, but one from a year or so ago, maybe longer. But here are the basics…
- It’s been around 5 years since I went to Africa (August, 2016) and I’ve still not gotten over it.
- I was supposed to go to Jamaica this time last year, but then you-know-what happened. Nobody went anywhere.
- We are now praying for revival. The Church of God, the Body of Christ, but particularly we Southern Baptists here in Georgia, need a fresh outpouring of the Spirit, a move of God among our congregations!
- Sometimes we need to go to other places, like Zimbabwe or Pakistan, to be reminded how big our God is and how powerfully He wants to work in our lives if we’d just let Him.
- Having a fired-up preacher serve as your interpreter can rock your world! And shake the Devil’s!!
So, the following post is about my trip to Zimbabwe, but the best part is the audio of the final sermon preached. I am amazed that the Lord could even use someone like me, especially back then when I (capitalized) was the one in need of revival (that’s really why I went on this trip in the first place). But if you want a real blessing, scroll down and click on the link to the sermon.
Be sure to listen to the sermon at the end!
Revival
It has been [five] years since I went to Zimbabwe. I went there to preach in a series of revival services in two different Baptist churches, both of which were started along with several others by Chinhoyi Baptist in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. Of course, preaching wasn’t all I did; I went with different pastors into various villages, visiting and praying with Christians, evangelizing those who’d never heard the gospel.
The other reason I went to Zimbabwe was to get revived myself. I needed this trip! And, praise be to God, it was life-changing!
Here are some photos from different services.
People starting to show up for church. River of Life met in a tent in a member’s front yard.
Worshiping Sunday morning at Dolomite Baptist.
Lively and energetic African worship at Chinhoyi Baptist.
Being introduced at Chinhoyi Baptist.
The Final Service
The final service in which I preached was at Chinhoyi Baptist Church. It was a celebratory farewell service where all of the churches which had hosted our team of three (Dr. Eddy Rushing, Marshall Kellett, and myself) came together as one. And man, was it a service!
The honor was mine to be selected to preach the final service, and what an honor it was. Dr. Rushing and Bro. Kellett were responsible for personally leading scores of people to Christ during this trip, so who was I to be the one to preach? Nevertheless, they asked me, and I jumped at it!
The beginning of the service was full of extremely lively music and dancing – not something the average Baptist in America is used to 😉 When all of that was over, the music shifted to hymns. Dr. Rushing and Bro. Kellett both gave stirring testimonies before the final hymn “Higher Ground” (sung in the native language of Shona) set the tone for the sermon to follow.
Oh, Rev. Luckmann Chiasaru was my interpreter for this service, and man was he good! He even sang with me! Awesome!
Chinhoyi Baptist Church in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. This congregation hopes to plant a total of 50 new churches in 10 years. They’re well on their way!
The following was recorded on an iPhone 6s, then edited on Audacity. I wish it could have been a better recording, but it was all I had. I pray it is a blessing 🙂
Seriously, I will be going to Jamaica next month to preach in revival services and minister in the community of Morant Bay. (I wonder if my friend David Welford has been there? Probably)
Good question. And yes, I was. I just really didn’t think I’d get a response…at least not that quickly.
The Recovering Legalist 