had the privilege of being on 19 sta tions five days a week. The average cost of each broadcast was about $2.50. This is almost unbelievable. In the barrios, or little remote tri bal villages, if a neighbor doesn’t have a radio, you turn yours up full blast. I’ve walked through many a village where I ’ve heard an undis turbed broadcast, from one end of town to the other. The people of the Philippines love music. It has a vital point of contact and communication for the Gospel. Another area of tes timony is through our Bible corres pondence courses. This is how the people become grounded in the Word of God. You know, one of the things that characterizes our Christian faith, setting it apart from other religions, is the song in our hearts, regardless of circumstances. Christ puts a song in our hearts. When you sing these songs of triumph, you’re simply en tering into the testimony of victo rious Christians who have been in spired to write the music. Singing characterized the early church, too. They sang in the upper room; Paul and Silas sang in prison. Martin Luther admitted that more people were sung into the fold than by any other means. Enemies of the cross thought if they could just stop the people from singing, they could stop the whole Reformation move ment. No one can take away a sing ing faith that’s born of conviction and confidence. Singing opens the heart of a person to receive the Gos pel. Singing is a universal language. Many times, singing can be used to break down the most difficult op position. One day national evange list Greg Tingson and I were invited to Basilan, known as “The Island of Sudden Death.” This was its reputa tion due to evil present-day pirates. The Yacan people who inhabit the area believed that to kill a Christian would give them a special place with Allah. I admit we had some fear and 14
trembling. Robberies and massacres in this area were not unusual at all. There was one missionary on the island. He told us that they had Gospel services but only on the com pound due to lurking dangers. That night, however, we planned to go out to the main plaza and give a concert as well as to preach the Gospel. When we got to the plaza, we set up six oil drums, putting planks on top of them. With my electronic equipment as a background, I began to sing. The men gathered around without any smiles. They wore turbans on their heads. There were long knives at the sides of their loin-clothed bodies. They listened. I sang one song after another as they continued to listen. Greg Tingson preached in his fearless way, proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. God, by His Spirit, came down and hallowed that piece of ground. The men were attentive, and at the invitation more than thir ty of them stepped forward for Christ. Here we saw the power of the Gospel reaching the hearts of Muslim people. With music in missions we have seen repeatedly the presence of God in great power even as we find it promised in Romans 1:16. The Gos pel is the power of God unto salva tion, whether it is preached or sung. I count it a privilege simply to dedicate all I have to Him as a mis sionary singer and as an ambassa dor of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's in the path of His appointment that we find His presence. There are miraculous possibilities for the one who depends on God. The church is full of willing people— those willing to work and those willing to let them. Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God. —William Carey
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