Can you imagine 2,000 people gathering together on a Friday night for 6 hours of intensive bible teaching?  Two years ago it would have seemed a little extreme to me, but since I have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus and old things are gone, nothing seems more right! Yes, last night at The Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, Alabama,  we had people from all over the southeast and the world gathering together for part 3 out of 4 of "Secret Church."  Secret Church is based upon our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ who have to study God's word and gather together in secret or they will be imprisoned, beaten, or even killed. Led by our Pastor, Dr. David Platt, the Church at Brookhills has one mission: to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) and one way we are doing that is creating teaching tools to get to the underground churches all over the world. We were able to hear first-hand testimony of our brothers from Indonesia as they have endured persecution for their faith in Christ. It was a great time of learning about and worshipping our God.
    In America we have the freedom to choose to worhip Christ or anyone else we choose, but slowly that freedom is being taken away. The latest attack on the Christian faith is the Winter Olympic Committee ruling that there will be no Bibles allowed to the athletes. It just confirms the state of the entire world and the truth of the prophesies in the book of Revelation. The great news is that there is an awakening of the body of Christ and the events of last night confirm this.
    Then after six hours of  intensive teaching....really intensive if you are at all familiar with the teachings of David Platt , the student ministry had a mock "Locked Up" lock-in from midnight-6am. 170 students came and experienced various simulations, on a minor scale, of what our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ go through. I got the awesome opportunity of leading a worship gathering at 4:30am and it was so awesome to be singing to God at 4:30 am!!! Just 2 years ago I was singing at 4:30 am in a packed club in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in front of about 2000 drunk college students on a Friday night before the Bama/Florida game. I was so miserable that night and now...look at what God has done! Wow! I am daily humbled by the grace of my Beloved Lord and Savior and the abundance of His mercy is beyond my comprehension.
     There is not much time left....I truly believe this and I want to encourage you to do a self-evaluation: where is your heart? Is is with Jesus Christ; walking in daily fellowship with Him, or is it in fellowship with the world in lust, materialism, and self-absorption?  It's not too late...yet, but one day it just might be. God truly loves you and wants an intimate friendship and relationship with you. I pray that you will join my family in Christ and begin experiencing the peace and joy that passes all understanding in Him.
In my Beloved Lord,
D-
  
Check out Secret Church