Singing in Bars

Thursday night will be one that I will never forget. Everything started out like it normally does when we go out for bar ministry...we get ready, we pile into the back of a truck, get driven to Patong, and then pile out onto the streets and make our game plan. But that night was different. We were so excited and pumped because some of our own were chosen to perform in a local bar. It was as if we had received concert tickets to a sold out band. Our pace walking down the street was faster, we wanted to just get there and hear the music. So here it was...us crowding into this tiny bar in the middle of Bangla road. I was so excited I thought my cheeks were going to pop. We started singing, and the singing then led to worshipping, and before we all knew it, we were raising our hands in praising our Creator. The feeling of proclaiming Christ name among the darkness was one that I will never forget. It was as if every once of darkness couldn't stay...the coverings over people's eyes were falling away. Hard hearts were beginning to feel again. And this world that Satan had been so cleverly constructing was beginning to fall a part....just with some voices jamming out in a bar, proclaiming the name of Jesus.
After the band was done we had an hour left to go talk with some bar girls. So we decided to try out this one bar that, we had what seemed like failed at the first time around. The girl who asked for our drink order came up to us with a very stone expression. She was hardly polite and didn't even want to look us in the eyes. When she returned with what we had ordered, we began asking questions about her life. It was as if with every question another layer would peel back. We soon saw a girl standing in front of us open and telling us that she is hurting. It was her third night in the bars, and wanted out. We gave her some information and she is meeting with our contacts on Monday for lunch. Now I say all this because there is no sense in what happened Thursday night. It does not make sense that we were praising God, shouting His name in the middle of a red light district. It does not make sense that a girl should trust someone she hardly knows, who says they can help her. People.....this is only through the will and awesomeness of God that any of these things are possible! Thursday night happened because God wanted it to. Thursday night happened because Satan had to run because believers were shouting His name. Thursday night will be one that I will never forget.