REVIVAL IN LEICESTER (10) - THE EVANGELISTS STORY

There’s a great song doing the rounds at the moment. One of the lines declares ‘hell has lost another one.’

Well, this week, hell lost another 343. That’s the conservative estimate as to how many people in Leicester prayed a prayer asking Jesus to come into their lives. That’s the result of seven churches working together with evangelistic teams from Mission24.

Leicester is in early revival and the number of lives changed points to that. Although Mission24 always sees good numbers of people responding to Christ in their UK missions, the figures in Leicester are higher.

Leicester has a history of church break-up and division. As a result, the number of church-goers linked to life giving churches is around 3%. A figure of maybe 5% would be more usual for other towns and cities. So there’s some catching up to do as God brings a unity to the churches and the Holy Spirit touches lives on the streets and in church meetings.

How come Mission24 were there at all? Again, this is God moving in revival.

Jon Conrathe, the founder of Mission24, tells what happened to him:

It was back in May 2020. I had just put my head down to go to sleep one night when the room suddenly filled with the Presence of God and The Holy Spirit fell on me in an intense way…I found myself doubled over, groaning, praying in tongues, weeping and crying out to God for Leicester.

It was quite out of the blue, not pre
-meditated at all. God spoke of a demonstration of his greatness, of his power over the works of darkness, of the idols and gods of the nations falling. God said there will be unity, that He would reveal His glory. God spoke of Leicester becoming a sending city, from where teams will go around the UK and overseas bringing salvation and healing.

I said the Lord ‘Leicester?! Why Leicester? I don’t even like the place!’ Well, today I love Leicester …. The Holy Spirit has changed my heart! At the point God met me I had no knowledge of any prophetic words over Leicester. I had never heard anything from anyone about any promises from God for the city - it was all brand new to me.

There is more to come. As a faith response, Mission24 have embarked on a five-year plan of serving the churches, the city and the county.

A revival harvest is on the way.

*** Our good friend Leroy died this last week of a seizure. He was only in his early twenties. A central figure at Chroma Church, it’s a shock and he will be greatly missed. But, to change that song slightly, we can declare heaven has gained another one.***

Giving It A Go

This is the first picture that comes up on my screensaver each day. It’s a picture of a holiday brochure from 1970, for various boys Crusader camps.

It’s first on the screensaver for a reason. Nearly fifty-two years ago at one of those camps - St Davids, Wales - I prayed a prayer and asked Jesus Christ to come into my life. As a teenager, I remember thinking ‘I’ll give this a go’. Fifty-two years later, I’m still giving it a go. It remains the most profound moment of my life.

If you’re reading this and don’t have that Christian faith, can I encourage you to pray the prayer I prayed:

Lord Jesus

I know you are alive and are still changing lives today. Please change mine.

Forgive me Lord for my life lived without you.

I invite you in right now as my Lord and Saviour. Please come and change me.

Amen. 

Some friends find a faith in Christ at a moment of crisis. Some in floods of tears. For me it was pretty unemotional. I just gave it a go. Please do the same. Your life will be changed forever.

REVIVAL IN LEICESTER (9) - COMING HOME

The revival continues.

28 wonderful people prayed a prayer of salvation last weekend when Ben Fitzgerald was with us. This week we have Jon Conrathe and the Mission24 team. They are working across all the churches in Leicester and we are praying for a great harvest.

We continue to see amazing things in our meetings. Oil on hands seems common. There is such a sense of the Holy Spirit’s presence. A visitor who had been in revivals in China said, ‘You do realise there is a special Holy Spirit presence here don’t you?’ Well, yes. And we’re grateful.

One lovely story from last week relates to a ‘prodigal’ – a girl returning to her faith. She came forward at one of the meetings. The wonderful thing is that not long ago a song called ‘Come Home’ was written by Chroma Music with her in mind. It’s beautiful and you can find it here. But even more beautiful is the fact that the subject of the song has done just that; come home.