A Powerful and Impactive Night

St. Michaels Presbyterian Church, Blantyre

Words can't express clearly what took place last night (Sunday). On Thursday afternoon Amy and I were asked by Joy if we would like to attend the youth service at St Michaels Presbyterian Church. We thought it was a great idea and give us further opportunity to reach out to the students from the local area but especially those who attend from HHI Secondary School (which is just across the road from where we are staying). In true African style, we were assumed that we would lead the whole service 6:30-8:30 which would consist of leading in a time of praise and worship, prayer, bible reading, a message and testimony. Amy and I were not fully confident in leading the WHOLE service as we had never been before, so we told Joy that we would go away to think about it and spend time in prayer.

God impressed on my heart to consider and pray about doing the message for the night, with some time spent in prayer I felt very convicted to start preparing. After speaking with Joy about the issues and struggles teen and young adults have in the culture of Malawi, I very quickly picked up that this message wasn't going to be a message that would be received to well. Joy shared with Amy and I that the biggest issues facing teens were drunkenness, sexual immorality, impurity and they hide their struggles so they are never truly address. I didn't at all feel I could teach on such confronting issues, however God strongly impressed upon my heart to trust Him completely, so after pouring over passages of scripture I was lead to start preparing on Colossians 3v1-17, entitled “Can you Handle the Truth” focusing on Living a holy and pure life, as Amy was lead to prepare to share her testimony. 

In the lead up to the service, I felt the weight of giving out a passage, I was feeling physically drained. I was going to addressing sin for what it is, and the warning for those who choose not to repent and the consequences of refusing to live a holy, pure life however the promise of forgiveness to those who repent giving their lives over to Christ. I knew God was going to use it, He gave me all I needed to pull a message together in just 3 days. It was going to be confronting, impactive and require action and change. What I didn't realise what just how impactive.10 minutes before we were to be at the service I finished pulling together the message, I felt confident with the words God had for me to speak and I knew all I had to do now was trust Him to deliver it with grace yet conviction. 

The Praise Group

On arrival to the church David, Amy, Sarah, Steve and I meet our first obstacle, around the entrance of the church where mounds of turned over bricks which they are in the process of pulling up, we didn't see the path way so we made our way across the bricks. We were greeted by Joy and his beautiful wife Grace before being lead into the church were the youth were singing praise songs. We took our seats and at this stage not many youth had arrived maybe 20 at the most, David introduced the team while slowly more youth arrived and now half the church was full. More songs were sung including one David lead called “I am Redeemed”, then Amy and I lead a song which we had been teaching all week at the schools, “Jesus got heaps of lambs”, but omitting the first verse dew to lack of cultural understanding. David noted the good re-pour Amy and I have with the students, and that is all of God, He is using us to have a big impact in the school and in the lives of the students.

With the bible reading read, I was invited to get up to deliver the message from Colossians 3, I stood up on this high platform, wasn't a fan, however I was able to see everyone from the front of the church to the very back. By this stage the church was completely full... with a prayer and deep breath I began to give out what God had given me to speak. All was quiet until I read from verse 5, here comes the second obstacle sexual immorality, impurity and lust addressing sex and what God says in regards to it, this is where we see God begin to work in the hearts of the teen, where we start to see a spiritual battle starting. As I continued to speak Gods word, He empowered me to speak with boldness, conviction, and truth...half way through God was convicting hearts of the hearers, although I was mostly unaware of what was taking place among the youth in the back of the church I did hear some of it, mocking, fake coughing, laughing, snickering , banging on the wooden chairs. This only gave me more confidence and boldness to speak, God gave me the ability to have such strength and power in my voice that I've never had before. Although all those in the church could hear loudly what was taking place in the back, I wasn't distracted by anything. Amy and Sarah, the whole time I was up there, were praying for me, that my voice would be heard clearly over all the distractions, they were praying for the disruptive youth and that they maybe convicted in their hearts and that I wouldn't hear the noise. This is the power of prayer.

Inside St. Michaels

David got up, walked down the middle of the church to keep people quiet, it was just as I was sharing a brief part of my testimony, once I started back into the passage the noise elevated again. I continued on, determined to finish what God had placed in my mouth to speak about 40 minutes later I was going to close in prayer however David has his own sermon to say. He addressed the behaviour of the youth, how satan is wanting to drag them away for the truth of Christ, challenging them to consider their actions, and not just merely follow the crowd but consider where they stand with God and seek His forgiveness. Some heads went down in shame others continued to mock quietly. Joy then stood to say a few words back up the message that was spoken and the words that David spoke. He then made a call for those who want forgiveness and give their life over to Christ to stand, about 20 youths stood proudly, most young guys from the back of the church. THIS IS GOD AT WORK!! His Word alone brought about conviction in the hearts of the youth, which lead them to want a relationship with Christ, praise the Lord! 

What was more interesting, we later learnt after the service that it is was a requirement the youth at HHI who are boarding are made to come. Nothing could stop that message from being heard, the very ones who needed to hear heard and responded, if not with boldness to stand publicly, God is at work in their hearts of those who sat quiet and we pray that He will continue to bring about truth in the lives of these youth, that they will truly desire to turn from their sinful habits into the forgiving arms of Christ and seek to live a more fulfilled life in Him. A powerful impactive night! God is so good!

Praise the Lord,

Kylie.