I had been invited to Betty Bishop's home where she, and her husband Vince, held a weekly meeting for teenagers. It was my first visit, having been invited by my sister. Though I knew none of the songs they sang, I was familiar with most of the Bible stories to which the young speaker referred.
After the closing prayer, I was invited into the kitchen where soft drinks and cookies were being prepared. I assumed Betty wanted me to carry the heavy tray of refreshments into the meeting room, so was taken aback when she asked me the question, "Tell me, Gareth, what will you do with the Lord Jesus Christ?"
I had no idea what she meant! What could I do with him? He had died 2000 years ago.
I attended the meeting again the following week as I enjoyed the first time, but when Betty said she wanted to talk to me about something, I pretended to be busy for I still had no answer to her question. The same thing happened each week and she must have become quite discouraged by my avoiding her.
Five weeks later, one of the other boys present, invited a group of us to attend a small chapel in the adjacent village, where his brother was to present the Sunday evening message. Austin Evans had left school just a couple of years before so he was known to me by name, though we had never spoken together. It was my first time in church for many years, little realising how it was to change my life.
I remember nothing of the service but Austin and I began to talk afterwards. We talked about school, my plans for university, my career possibilities, and then he asked me a question. "Tell me, Gareth, what will you do with the Lord Jesus Christ?" Exactly the same question I had been trying to avoid for the past five weeks!
Of course, by now I had come to understand that the crux of the Gospel is that Jesus rose from the dead and that He now lives. To those who embrace His atonement for them on the cross, recognising their sinfulness and His willingness to forgive, He gives eternal life. My own mother had died when I was thirteen and I had no difficulty in believing in life after death, often 'talking' to my mother when I needed her comfort. That evening, after returning home, I talked to the risen, living Lord Jesus.
"Lord, if you are real and if you can hear this prayer, please forgive me my sin and come into my life." I then recited a little chorus I had learned at Betty's home. "Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Amen."
Nothing spectacular happened and it was not until four days later that the joy of salvation began to flood my being. That joy has never left me and today, I know with absolute assurance, that He answered my prayer.
I had been able to avoid Betty with her question but I could not run away from the Lord. In His time, He asked me the question again through another of His servants. Coincidence? I think not!
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Gareth Evans ( - )
Gareth Evans is an itinerant pastor/teacher with a burden to minister to the hurting church his ministry website is Gareth Evans Ministries. Formerly a Physics teacher in the UK and Canada, he became a pastor with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada in 1979. In 1991, he was invited to serve as pastor on board the M/V Anastasis, a medical, missionary ship operated by Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Since leaving that ministry four years later, Gareth has traveled to many countries, encouraging pastors and missionaries.He is married to Anne and they have three married daughters, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Gareth and Anne live in Victoria, in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Some of his main burdens is to mentor young men to see them walk in the anointing of God and soar on wings as eagles. He has also prayed for revival and moderated many revival conferences across the world.