Sharing Jesus stories 2017

Individuals sharing Jesus

About three months ago I met a man at Eastgate and had a word for him, so I went up to him and gave him the word and he said it was exactly what he was going through. He said he was about to commit suicide that day and someone had just randomly come up to him that morning and told him about Jesus, and he needed something to change in his life, and obviously God was doing something. So we prayed together and I gave him some words of knowledge and then he opened his heart to Jesus, and I invited him to church.  I didn’t see him for three months until just this Sunday and he said, “I need to give everything to Him”. So this Sunday he gave everything to Jesus.  He had back pain from sleeping on the streets and he got completely healed and he’s got no more pain in his whole body. He came out to all three services on Sunday and then he came the next day and did a Bible Study so is now going to come every Monday for the new believers’ discipleship course.

Ben MacGregor, Grace Vineyard

I have been reminded of the importance of being brave and taking opportunities to share our faith.  I visited my elderly neighbour in hospital last Tuesday and told him how he could be friends with Jesus. 4 days later he died. When his grandkids came to tell me he had passed away, I was so glad I had made the time and taken the opportunity.  I had done my part and I suspect, and really hope, we will meet again.

Julie, March 2017

At the end of last term an eleven-year-old boy from Grace Vineyard Beach campus went out with one of his leaders on to the street and he saw a 77-year-old lady. They went over and he said how much God loved her and she got teary. And then they shared the word they had received about a family death, and she shared how her husband had died and she had been grieving ever since and had never really felt comfort. So, they started sharing the love of Jesus and shared about how much Jesus loves her and she let the boy pray for her. She cried and cried and then they shared how the greatest thing is how Jesus died on the cross and they shared the gospel and told her how Jesus wants to come into her heart. They asked if she had ever heard that, and she said she had never had the opportunity to ask him into her heart. So there on the street she gave her life to Jesus as a 77-year-old.  They invited her along to the Beach Campus and she said she was definitely going to come.  (The leaders like taking the kids out to pray for people as often as possible, for as soon as they’ve done it once they realise it’s not actually that hard.)

20 years ago, Roger witnessed to Tony, an atheist at university, who showed no interest in Christ.  But what Roger didn't know is that the conversation did later impact Tony, who eventually gave his life to Christ.  By this time though, Tony didn't know how to contact Roger to tell him.  20 years later Tony and his family started coming along to St Martins C3, which just so happens to be the same church that Roger and his family attend.  It just goes to show that there are no coincidences in God, and we should never stop spreading the message of the gospel, as a seed sown today may bear fruit further down the track.  

Warren Gouman, St Martins C3.

A young 11-year-old girl went into her secular school, and she was so inspired that she started talking to her friends about Jesus! She told them about God's love and both of her friends wanted Jesus in their lives. She brought them along to a youth event where both made decisions to follow Jesus. One of her friends then came to a Christian camp where she was empowered with the Holy Spirit and then prayed for others to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Grace Vineyard story

Links in a chain: My son and I had been talking about being links in people's chain to Jesus. He and I had been a link in a young man's chain about five years ago. That young man met another friend of ours and ended up at our church a few weeks ago. I got to lead him in a salvation prayer. It was beautiful. Over a five-year period, we were all links in his chain to Jesus. His name is clearly written in the Lamb's book of life now.

Heather, Leeston

On Global Outreach Day I told God I was prepared to talk to anyone he prompted me to. I bumped into one of my old friends at the supermarket. I sent up prayers quickly to God about what to say, and the conversation naturally flowed as I shared the shock of my daughter's teacher resigning. I shared how my daughter's prayer had been answered a couple of weeks ago for a new girl to join their class and be her friend, and how timely and important that was now that the teacher was leaving. As we parted, my non-Christian friend told me to pray for a new teacher that would get on really well with my daughter. God didn't give me permission to ‘share the whole gospel’ but beautifully orchestrated yet another ‘step on the way’ conversation with my friend.

Julie, Westside

I have a great story this week: I shared with my friend this morning how I'd been asked so many questions about Christianity when sharing transport on the way to school camp, which I hadn't expected or started.  She wasn't at all surprised and told me she had been praying I would have good conversations with the adults on camp.  

Julie, May 2017

I have been experiencing repeat encounters with people in a mall in Christchurch for some time now. God has spoken to me about this mall, but the repeat encounters is not limited only to this mall.  One has been happening since the earthquakes with a particular person.  They are blown away now at how many times we randomly bang into each other and end up having God conversations. We even ended up on the same planes to Australia twice and banged into each other on the Gold Coast! In the same mall I have had an encounter with a couple at three different times. The first time I got to pay for some food items they had to take out of their trolley, and I prayed for them. It was a tearful thing and beautiful. Then two weeks later I banged into them again and we had a quick chat; they were a bit shocked to see me again that day. Then the third time I ended up joining them at their table and we had a big long chat about all sorts of God things. I prayed for them again and we confirmed that they both believe in Jesus and that God is definitely chasing them! I have invited them to my church. That day we said, “See you next time”.

Heather, Nov 2017

On the plane trip from Christchurch to Auckland I struck up a conversation with the man sitting next to me. He said he was an investment fund manager from Sydney. He was doing a lot of travelling to visit clients all over the world after a lot of borders had re-opened. In the last month he had travelled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and now New Zealand. I asked him if I could pray for him for anything. He didn’t want anything for himself but asked me to pray for peace in Ukraine. I mentioned to him that this all might be signs of the end of times and that the best thing people could do is get right with God. I also mentioned how there are prophecies about this kind of thing in the Bible. I encouraged him to read the book of Revelation. This conversation was not dramatic in any sense, and he didn’t fall to his knees and repent. It was a highlight for though because I started a conversation with a stranger and steered it to spiritual matters. Then I left him with a challenge. It is something I had done a lot of in the past but hadn’t done for a long period of time. It felt good to be effective again!

Andrew, 2022

As a Beauty Therapist I have the opportunity to be praying for the clients as I am giving them a facial or a massage. These are times when they share what problems they might have in their back or if they are experiencing any pain. Two separate clients recently told me of their stories: A mother who had her third child 18 months ago was needing a massage to help with her lower back pain due to a caesarean gone wrong on her first baby's birth.  The mishap has left her in constant pain since.  She said that nothing she has tried has helped so far.  Hearing this I prayed silently and said, "She needs your help.  This is not right, she has suffered this pain because of someone else’s wrongdoing. Please as I massage her heal her back and restore her back to having a strong back."   She came in last week and said what you did last time really helped a lot!   I smiled quietly to myself. One other lady was very obviously in a lot of pain due to her multiple sclerosis, shuffling into the room bent over and shaking with Parkinson’s Disease also.  She told me she used to be so fit and strong, and this has completely turned her life upside down.  She can no longer go to the shops or do anything by herself anymore.  Her husband has to be with her to help and if they need to go for a distance she now needs to be in a wheelchair.  She obviously has had to give up her career because of this condition and nothing can be done to help her. While she was telling me this I was taken over by the Holy Spirit and was fervently praying in tongues and warfarring for her and pleading to our Father to heal her. At the end of the beauty service I asked her if she had a faith and had she tried prayer? She said no.  I asked her if she would like me to pray for her.  Her eyes lit up in hopeful expectation and wonder.  So we sat on the edge of the bed together as I put my hands on her shoulder and asked God to bring her body back to restoration and to heal and provide a miracle for the multiple sclerosis condition.  I have not heard back from her as she is in Australia for a month to visit her elderly father.  But I have prayed that my prayer may have planted a seed of faith and an inquisitive mind to know more about Jesus and that she will attend a healing seminar while she is over there.  

Susie, 2022