Brooks
Edward who lives in Lusaka, Zambia with his wife and six children recently told me this story. He has been a preacher for many years… without, according to him, much “success.” But, repeatedly he told me, “Now I have learned a new way. It was simple. To learn who this man is, to love and have compassion and to share my life with him.”
Here’s his story:
“There was a time I was doing my personal Discovery Bible Study (DBS) and in obedience to what I read there, I had a desire to go out and make a disciple. I prayed. I went. The Holy Spirit was leading me. There was a man coming toward me in the busy street, but I knew he was the one for me to talk to. I introduced myself. No, I did not say that I was a pastor. I did not want to use the title. I just greeted him and we talked. I asked him where he stayed and he told me. I asked if it’s ok to visit him and he agreed. So, when I saw that man the second time, it was because I went to his place and he received me very well. We chatted. I listened. It’s very important I can now see to make space and time for God to work. We were becoming friends as he shared with me his life. I met with him three times. By that time, I was very worried about him and had so much compassion for him because he was sharing with me the struggles he is having in many areas of his life. I asked him, ‘Why don’t you involve God in these struggles?’ The man was so confused and asked me what I meant. I asked again, ‘Why can’t you allow God to be a part of your life?’ He was really confused and wanted to know what I was talking about. I asked that man three times, ‘Are you allowing me to talk to you about God?’ And, every time he said, ‘Yes.’
“Then, I gave him my personal testimony. I told him about how I was once full time doing so many things, being with girlfriends, drinking, and stealing. I met Jesus in a bus, and everything changed for me. Before that I had a dream and there were two groups. I belonged to one group of men and there was a man sitting in the middle between the two groups. Somehow I knew the man in the middle was Jesus Christ. My friend in the dream asked me, ‘Do you know this is Jesus?’ And I did.
“When I was in the bus that day, I was sitting in a 3-seater. There was a man on my right and a lady on my left. The man stood up and started preaching loudly and then the woman stood while I was still remaining in the middle and she was also telling everyone about Jesus Christ. It was then I remembered the dream. Jesus was in the middle and the Holy Spirit who gave me revelation.
“When I was telling my story to the man, I could feel and even see that there were tears coming from his eyes just from this personal testimony. I told him God loves you so much. First, I gave my testimony and then I gave him the Gospel from John 3:16. We have now started a DBS in that man’s home. There are six in his family and he is well known in his community. His name is Arias and he is 37 years old. That group has been very obedient to what they read in the DBS group. In his home now there are 20 disciples baptized. We had 60 people, so we divided the group into four groups in September. In those four groups now three of them have reached out to make more disciples in their own homes. I can say that one group has reached 15 neighbors, one group has made 12 disciples and another has reached 8 people. I believe we have begun.”
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