Sunday, May 10, 2009, was a powerful day at Munakata Bethel Christian Center here in Japan. We celebrated our 2nd Annual Praise Festival in the afternoon with people from eight or nine different churches around Fukuoka Prefecture. Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth were represented by people from USA, New Zealand, Gurkistan, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia and Korea.
Powerful, room-shaking praise was offered to the Lamb of God Who sits on the Throne using all the instruments listed in Psalm 150, the most powerful being everyone’s combined voices. The room was wall-to-wall people, the entryway to the church being so full that people spilled out onto the porch. Living praise offered to the Living God! Man, we wish all of you who read this could have been there.
Of the 104 still photos that were taken yesterday, the one below is perhaps the best expression of the entire afternoon. Makino-san is one of the men in our church who is suffering from cancer (pancreatic). One would never know it. We are praying constantly and believing for his healing. We all sense that he will soon accept the Lord as his personal Savior ⎯ he already believes, no question about it, but we await his confession of that faith. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Again, what a powerful, awesome day it was! What we experienced yesterday was just a drop in the bucket of what God is about to pour out on the entire world ⎯ that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh . . .”
What you see here is the love, joy, peace and power of praising God!
Hallelujah, A-men!