Who said winning souls to Christ would be easy? Surely not Jesus. He knew
from his own experience it is tough, and yet, he did it anyway. As followers of Christ, our dedication to the Great Commission should be the same.
Winning lost souls to Christ is hard work. It tests every spirit-filled nerve in your body. The will to continue, in-spite of rejection and insults, comes from an inward desire to see lost souls come to Christ. I have no doubt in my mind that this is what drives K180 and London City Mission to hit the streets around their communities every week to preach Jesus. I was privileged to have been invited to join in an outreach with both groups during my visit to the UK. The gospel is in good hands because of K180, London City Mission, and other street ministries like that of Rev. Ebenezer Ablorh, who proclaims the gospel outside a shopping mall in Stratford. If the gospel is ablaze here, it's because of these believers who are on fire for Jesus.
K180 is out every Friday night on the streets of Ealing Broadway, just west of London.The night I joined them for an outreach, they fielded a smaller team than usual team because other team members were away conducting an outreach in Poland. Nonetheless, that didn't dampen the enthusiasm we all had to get out in the streets. Ealing Broadway is a bustling transit hub where people are continuously on the move. A new rail extension is projected to bring 1.5 million people to the area when it is complete in the next two years. What an opportunity for K180 to witness for Christ!
On this particular Friday night we started out with five members, including me. Later, we were joined by three other members. As usual, the team met in an upstairs room in Haven Green Baptist Church for prayer and to reflect on the mission ahead of us. It's about a three block walk from the church to the street corner where the team sets up a folding table for the assortment of Christian books and tracks to hand out to passersby. And then there is that little 'Red Box,' which team members stand on taking turns at giving their personal testimonies as the crowds pass, some even stop to listen. Others on the team take up positions at strategic points handing out tracks, and engaging the people.
This night we had several extended conversations that included a gospel presentation. I had a conversation with Alex who is bitter toward God. He was rejected as a child grew up under difficult circumstances. He blames God for much of the trouble he sees in the world today. We talked for a considerable length of time. Through all his anger I could see that he really wanted to know that somebody loved him and that his life mattered. I prayed with him and before he left suggested he look at my blog, which I forgot at the time features a blog about 'rejection.' After about two hours or so, the team packed up to return to the church and home. Another Friday night well spent for sure.
On the streets of Hounslow
Around noon time, the team set up a table on the promenade in front of the church. As we fanned out among the crowd, there were the usual rejections, but there were also some engagements. Each team member enthusiastically reflected Jesus through a smile, a hug, a word of encouragement for anyone who stopped to chat, including those of a different faith. And although, nobody got saved that day, those who listened heard the gospel.
Like k180, London City Mission has several other ministry teams who are fulfilling the Great Commission and the reaching out to the communities around them.
On the street in Stratford
You can't tell by looking at him that Ebenezer Ablorh is the pastor of a church. He looks just like anybody else when he's on the street sharing the gospel. It's an image that serves him well. People view him as being accessible and approachable as the gospel he shares with anyone who will listen. And that's exactly his intent.
When I spotted Rev. Eben, as he is known, his supporting cast of singers and musicians had just finished performing before a crowd of onlookers seated stadium-style on the steps leading into a shopping mall. Next up was Rev. Eben who picked up a microphone and began talking to the crowd, weaving the gospel into their everyday life situations. He's on the street in Stratford and other places around town every week. How fortunate for me to have been passing by at just that moment.
Rev Eben is among countless other street evangelists, in and around London, who are faithfully proclaiming the gospel. To all of them I say, "Keep GO-ing. Your faithful witness is bearing fruit. God sees you and is pleased."
