When GO-ing is tough, the faithful keep going

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

It's a different part of London, in the mostly Asian community of Hounslow, where London City Mission has positioned itself. Holy Trinity Church, located in the heart of the shopping district, serves as a place of refuge and a welcoming presence for regulars who drop in for the free coffee served on Mondays in the Cafe. These are the one's that Jesus spoke of as "the least of these my brethren." The Cafe wasn't open the Monday I came because of a bank holiday. However, the time was not wasted as the team and I spent it encouraging each other with testimonies of how we had come to Christ. It was inspiring to hear how differently Jesus called each one of us.

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." 

Christians falling short of The Great Commission to share the gospel

Jesus never asks us to do anything that he didn't model with his first disciples. The same instructions he gave to them, he also left for every Christ following believer today. For example, in John 14:12 we read that Jesus told the disciples they would do even 'greater things' than he did. How is that possible? No one can do greater things than Jesus. And maybe that is the dilemma we face when it comes to delivering on The Great Commission—not believing we can out do Jesus. But it's not about out doing Him, it's about more of us doing what He did and in greater numbers. The question is are we doing that?

A recent survey by the U.S. based Barna Group found that 51 percent of U.S. Christians surveyed haven't heard of The Great Commission and 33 percent of them couldn't identify it from a list of scripture verses.

Clearly, some Christians have lost the focus of their faith which is to share the gospel with others around them. The formula that Jesus used has not changed—each one, disciple one. This generation of Christians has the capability of reaching more people than Jesus did because of our greater technology that includes broadcast satellites, mobile phones and the Internet. Hands and feet methodology is still employed in rural and underdeveloped communities around the world. So with all the means at our disposal why aren't more Christians obeying Christ's commandment to share the gospel? The answer is sin.



As harsh as it may sound, the bible calls it a sin of omission— knowing what is right and not doing it.

Popular televangelist pastor Greg Laurie offers a kinder, gentler approach to the subject with this illustration:

“Let’s say you were walking down a street and heard someone screaming. You ran to them to see that they were standing in front of a house that was on fire. You were told there were people in that home. So, you just turned around and walked away. Would that be wrong?”

Pastor Laurie continues:

“Here we are as Christians, who know how a person can have their sins forgiven and find the hope of Heaven, and we don’t share that with others? That’s even worse than not helping the people in the burning house. Not sharing our message has eternal ramifications.”

Would you knowing want your co-worker, neighbor, best friend, parents, or children to spend a Christ-less eternity in Hell? Well, when they die this will be their fate if they arrive at the gates of Heaven without having accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. And who better to warn them by sharing the gospel with them than you. These are sometimes the hardest to reach but they're the closest to you, they know you.


Nonetheless, we make excuses for not sharing the gospel. There are books, videos, church outreaches, training in evangelism, and of course, praying for lost. But if we fail to take advantage of the many helps that are available what excuse is left for us? To put it colloquially, this is serious and Christ ain't playing.

There will be accountability at the Judgment Seat of Christ for all Christians who fail to obey his commandment. It's not too late to repent and get GOing. Start small with one person at a time and watch God give you the increase. To get you started, here are some tips about Sharing Your Faith 101.  Everyone His Witness is a Facebook group you can  join and post your conversion stories. So, you have no more excuses. Let's get out there and save the world for Christ!


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