I Know There Are Gideons Out Here Tonight
No Man’s Land Becomes A Place of Promise on the First Night of the Crusade

Although it usually rains here about the same time every day in the afternoon, God has held off the rain for the past three days, and the first night of the crusade was beautiful and clear. A soft breeze blew across No Man’s Land as people gathered. Ushers and counselors dressed in white and black retrieved their badges and waited for instructions. The Children’s Crusade team presented a drama onstage as the children sat quietly eating the pizza and juice provided for them. The Times Square Church Choir dressed all in black sat on the side watching the children’s program and waiting for their cue to go on stage. The last adjustments were made to the stage lights. A local Christian television station set up to broadcast the crusade live.

1600 chairs were set up quickly right before the time, and as we all - team members, leaders, children, local church workers helped to unfold and arrange them – it was evident that God had already done a marvelous work. There was a peace in the place that only the Holy Ghost can bring. Pastor Carter arrived and sat on stage. A few bars of music were played. Incredibly, the first ever crusade held in Trench Town, Jamaica, was about to begin.

The worship began without fanfare or introduction. Familiar songs we all know gained a new resonance here in No Man’s Land. “God has not given us a spirit of fear,” the choir sang and everyone clung to this promise. After the worship, Pastor Carter simply rose from his seat, greeted the crowd on behalf of Times Square Church and acknowledged the tremendous contribution and hard work of the local pastors committee, then began to share a message based on Gideon.

“I give you this word tonight, God will protect you,” he declared to the multitude. “There is a destiny for this community. There is a destiny for Jamaica and it begins right here in No Man’s Land… Tear down the altars of fornication, of violence, of drugs, of the occult. Tear down those altars. You know they’ve done nothing for you. And God promises to come and break the dominion of darkness”… “I know there are Gideons out here tonight.” Counselors waved flashlights covered with red plastic to counsel those who responded to the altar call. Many responded and many received the Lord.

The Moment The Presence of God Fell Upon Us
Perspectives of the First Night of the Crusade From the Choir Stand

Tonight during dinner, team members shared testimonies of the day as we waited for our food to arrive which was running late. The music ministry director remarked that when there is true worship there’s always a moment when the presence of the Lord just comes, but tonight it was when the choir began to sing “Ride on King Jesus.”

One choir member recalled Pastor Carter’s exhortation to the choir right before the crusade began - “this is a different battle. You have to be pure. There can be no issues of the heart between you because God can only use clean vessels.” The choir member was led by the Holy Spirit to clear an issue with another member that had been there since the last crusade in Nigeria! They were reconciled right before the worship began.

Other team and choir members experienced the attacks from the enemy that always accompany a great move of God, some in relationships among themselves, others with physical discomforts. The Lord reminded us that we must not believe the lies of the enemy or we will begin serving them, and by night’s end many of us were restored and ready to fight yet another day.

“Put Away all Flesh, for Flesh Can’t Win This Battle.”
In this Crusade Only Christ Is Lifted Up

A salient characteristic of the pastors conference and crusade in Jamaica has been the simplicity and Christ-centeredness of the crusade. There has been nothing to distract from or take away from the glory of Christ. The stage is unadorned. The choir is dressed all in black. The outreach team workers sit on the side and behind the stage. No reserved seating. No striving. No introductions. No fanfare.

This follows Pastor Carter’s word prior to our arrival in Jamaica based on 2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Similarly, tonight at the crusade, he exhorted those present to “Put away all flesh, for flesh can’t win this battle.”

As we witness the miraculous work of God at these events and in this community, we also marvel at his wisdom and sovereignty. This work is not about Times Square Church. It is not about any local agenda or church program to rebuild this community or this nation. It is about Jesus Christ, and he alone has been glorified.