9 people responded to an invitation to become a Christian when I spoke at King’s Church Edinburgh yesterday. Earlier in the service, I’d prayed a “blanket” prayer for healing over the congregation. Three people indicated they’d been immediately healed. More below . . .
This is a church I’ve preached at 5 times before, and it was great to back in the city centre, at the former St Peter’s Free Church in Viewforth, home of King’s Church.
This is a Victorian building with a large balcony, and for the first time preaching there, I felt there were probably more people upstairs than down. I later found out that there were around 300 people there in total. The atmosphere was great throughout and it was really striking how many people, or most people, stayed behind for a long time afterwards.
Before the service began I was thrilled to hear a report of the positive impact of my books The Shock of Your Life and Aftershock had had upon one member of the congregation. Almost every week when I preach away, someone will come up to me with a similar comment “I read them when I was a teenager.” It’s now 23 years ago that TSOYL was published!
We only had one live testimony through the mic of healing, and it was a great story from a man who’d shoulder had clicked for 7 years, and now suddenly no longer clicked. It was a super story, but I came away disappointed that we only had the one live report on the morning.
I then preached an evangelistic message and felt real freedom as I did, bringing some new material. Amongst the 9 who responded there was one from a nation where Christianity is illegal, and another from India, also a first time response. There was a great follow-up team who seemed to get to all 9 who responded, both upstairs in the gallery and downstairs.
After the service I heard a moving report from my first visit to King’s, which was back in Nov 2011. A woman told me how her mother from Essex had consistently rejected the good news about Jesus. “I don’t need that. It’s your crutch. I’m all right as I am.” When I preached there in Nov 2011 I’d used my 3 burned shirts as a visual aid. A message that many reading this report will have heard cos I preached it everywhere years ago. Anyway, when I brought out the fourth and final clean white shirt, this lady who’d said she’d no need for Jesus burst into tears under an intense conviction. Sadly this same lady died just 3 months later, but she died “with a smile on her face” full of Jesus and a committed Christian. Hearing this report this morning I was reminded . . . This is why I do this! Although sometimes it takes 12 years before I hear the full story.
It’s always a pleasure to be with pastor Dan Hudson and his family. I love staying with them and found the whole trip hugely encouraging. God is on the move in Scotland!