Divine Encounters – Lincoln Evangelism
Today was an outreach I had planned not to attend. Yesterday, my injury was hurting, so we thought it best to head home. After saying goodbye to everyone at the Living Waters Europe Ambassadors’ Academy, we loaded the car and set off. Twenty miles down the road, we realised we had left something at our Airbnb, so we had to turn around. Upon returning to the accommodation, my wife and I wondered if the Lord had providentially hindered us, so we prayed. Neither of us felt at peace about returning home; instead, we both believed the Lord wanted us to stay in Lincoln for the outreach on Saturday. So, we stayed!
On Saturday morning, it was clear the day was going to be different. The rain was falling, and the forecast was grim. Yet, we knew the Lord is sovereign, so we trusted that His plans would come to pass. We met with the rest of the team at the church, and the leadership of Living Waters decided to cancel the open-air meeting. Instead, we would erect a large tent and invite people to come into the church for tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. This would give us opportunities for one-to-one evangelism.
Soon, people were coming in off the streets for a hot drink and a chat. One man who stopped by had only been in the UK for one month. He was from Nigeria and was studying in Lincoln. I asked him if he had a religious background, to which he replied that he had been a Christian from birth. The moment someone says that, I know I am dealing with a person who has never personally responded to the gospel. Using the Ten Commandments, I showed the man his sin and his need for Christ. As the Law revealed his sin, the man said, “I am going to Hell!” This shocked him, so I shared the good news. As he heard about Jesus dying and rising again, he asked if he could pray to trust in Christ at that very moment. On the side of the road on a cold and wet day in Lincoln, this man prayed, “God, I have sinned! Please, Jesus, rescue me! Forgive me!” It truly was a divine encounter! Afterwards, I took him into the church and gave him a booklet for new Christians.
After this, I spoke with four young people. Two of the girls weren’t interested, but the two young men were. One said he reads his Bible but isn’t saved. I explained the gospel and urged them to trust in Jesus. Interestingly, one of the young men told me that last year, someone had shared the exact same message with him.
As the rain began to ease, I ventured to the bus stop, where I spoke with a strict Roman Catholic, who told me the way to salvation was only through the Mass, confession, and works. I only had a few moments to share with her before the bus arrived, but after hearing the gospel, she willingly took a gospel tract.
Finally, a Bengali man came over to speak to a team member and me. He wanted to read the Bible, so I found one online in his language. He had many questions and was looking for a church. We connected him with TCM Baptist, and he promised to attend this coming Sunday.
It was a day of divine encounters. The Lord brought the rain so we would have a different outreach. This allowed us to reach the people He had ordained. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.
SDG!
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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.
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