 |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
Over Easter many believers from KT took a stand and "came out' for Jesus Christ. Many bought evangelism packs consisting of a cross on a necklace, tracts and a copy of the New Testament. About 1500 people became witnesses of Jesus in their workplaces, colleges and in their homes by sharing the message of the gospel and wearing their crosses as a sign that they were standing up for Jesus Christ.
Paul said: "The message of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Jesus said: "If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself." (John 12:32).
As people saw the crosses over Easter it gave us the opportunity to share the gospel and for the power of God to flow from us into their lives. As Jesus was lifted up on the Cross of Calvary he drew the whole world to himself. When we wore our crosses during Holy Week, people would have been drawn closer to our Saviour.
There were a number of events to help in sharing the Gospel.
On Saturday 8th April in Kensington Temple Riding Lights Theatre Company performed a passion play called Calvary, a powerful presentation about the crucifixion of Christ. The presentation was an act of remembrance and reflective. It showed Jesus' life and the miracles and hope that he gave people. It was clear that when he died, he did so to save those ordinary people.
Throughout Holy Week Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove and Bayswater saw KT members preaching the gospel and seeing people saved and receiving prayer. Jesus said: " Go out into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation' (Mark 16:15)
At Ladbroke Grove, there was a very strong presence of God. The light of the kingdom was evident there even though the darkness tried to oppose it. We cannot leave a wide gap in time before we go out again; there is a need for continuity.
I was really inspired by stepping off the church pulpit and preaching on the street. It seemed like a weight of religiosity and complacency just fell off my shoulders. It's really a great way to ignite the fire! Also, I got to have some sound conversations, about God, with people.
What struck me the most was the sense of liberty and freedom we had to preach, sing, and share the joy of the gospel on the street. One evening (Thursday) a group of us went to Bayswater, walking and singing from Notting Hill and we felt the atmosphere changing around us. We prayed for people in the street and had debates about their faith. A few of them came, the next day, to see the Passion at the Coronet and got saved. We preached the Cross, using the great opportunity of Easter time to explain that God so loved the world. It was interesting to see people stop and listen to the message, and know that seeds have been planted in their hearts.
Twenty five people who love God and wanted to declare his praises during Holy Week came together for evangelism at Bayswater tube station. A selection of songs of praise and worship drew attention from passers-by and a real sense of joy and the presence of God as we prepared to testify to our faith in Christ. Various congregation members then stood up to preach the gospel, while others handed out leaflets and struck up conversations. Some stopped to listen and be ministered to by the team, some shouted abuse and others just laughed. All had a dose of the gospel message.It was a privilege to see some being ministered to by the Word of Truth. Praise God for the privilege of declaring his name!
Colin Dye called all of the primary men and women together to evangelise on the streets. It was great to see the passion of our Senior Minister as he led members of the congregation out onto the streets to tell people about Jesus. On Monday night Colin and the team preached in Notting Hill Gate and on Tuesday night they were at Bayswater. While other leaders went to Ladbroke Grove. Many people heard the Gospel and received prayer from the team.
Many cell groups also participated in the outreach. The main reason the cell groups exist in the life of our church is for them to be effective in reaching out to lost souls.Those that came out on the streets during Holy Week received an impartation of passion to reach out to people who are around them. There was definitely a sense of liberty to call people to salvation.
On Wednesday 12th April we had our first Miracles at the Cross service at the church. There was such a strong anointing and a sense of the presence of God in the place as Colin ministered. Many people came forward to testify of their healing.
On Thursday 13th April we invited a medical doctor to explain what happened to Jesus Christ on the Cross, from a medical perspective. It was truly an informative meeting and brought a new depth to our understanding of Jesus' suffering from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Cross.
On Good Friday we screened the Passion of Christ at the Coronet Cinema. Over 200 people attended and we saw 15 people respond to the gospel message. We also gave Passion Bibles to people who were new to Kensington Temple and were interested in moving forward in their relationship with God.
The Easter Gospel concert featured KT Worship Leaders and Premier Radio DJ Muyiwa and his band, Rivesongz. The house just "buzzed' as people worshipped God. There were many visitors to the church in attendance and many made first-time decisions to follow Christ.
Overall, the Holy Week of evangelism was an amazing time in the life of our church. Many people heard the gospel for the first time and many received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. The week has left a hunger in the hearts of our leaders to see more souls saved and our community touched by the power of God. May I challenge every leader who would like to their cell group to grow, this year, to get people involved in ministering in the local community and let their lights shine before men as we believe for London to be saved!!!
William Lee was born into a gypsy family. He only remembers going to school for about three months altogether - because the family travelled around the country. In true gypsy style, his millionaire father taught him how to make money and conditioned him to think, "Money speaks every language". However, he found no comfort in his wealth when his mother died of cancer and his brother was electrocuted in a freak accident. After spending four destructive years drinking, gambling and womanising in Blackpool's pubs, God changed him on his first visit to church. Today, a transformed William leads a ministry that blazes with miracles.
William came to Christ at Blackpool Christian Centre where he was attending a christening. "All the bitterness, pain, and hurt melted away," he recalls. "I began to cry, and put my hands over my face. I began to feel a peace I had never known. I began to feel clean inside. I was scared to move in case the feeling left.
"Then Tina, my wife, came and asked, "What's the matter?' ""I don't know,' I replied. "But I don't want to lose it'. So Jesus came and dragged me out of the mess I was in. I became a "born again' Christian that day!"
Ten weeks later, Tina also became a born-again Christian. Over the years, William had worked his way into Freemasonry's 23 degree and straight away he realised that this would not fit with his newfound faith in Christ. So he destroyed all the paraphernalia attached to the Masons. "I was instantly released from all its influence," says William. He found it harder to earn a living though, as he realised that he had to be honest in all his dealings. But to this end he found a lot of encouragement from the pastor of the church Jim Thompson and other people in the church. And, gradually, William found that once strained or broken relationships were being restored.
Since those remarkable events of over ten years ago, William has served the Lord around the world through his itinerant healing ministry. In 2003 he returned to Blackpool Christian Centre to lead their annual Easter Crusade and the event that everyone thought would last just for the weekend lasted for over 100 meetings. Testimonies from the crusade include that of 63-year-old Joe who had struggled with Arthritis after two strokes. His hands had become clubbed and he was unable to open them. He was in such pain that, in times of despair, he would ask his family to cut off hands at the wrist. Medical specialists, meanwhile, told him that they could treat his condition with nothing more than painkillers. But then Joe read a local newspaper advertisement for the gospel crusade being held by William and attended one of the meetings. There, William prayed for Joe, whose hands were healed and remain so.
In an interview with The Gazette, a Blackpool newspaper, William said: "... People come along to the gatherings for all sorts of reasons. We pray for the sick, which often leads to outstanding miracles. " He testifies of once visiting a child diagnosed with meningitis. He and his team prayed for the child and after ten minutes she was out of her cot and playing. He said, "People are often cynical. I was when I first became involved. All I will say to people is keep an open mind and expect miracles!"
