Online Gospel Meeting

Proclaim the word; be ready in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4:2

Amidst the nationwide lockdown, who would have ever imagined that a Gospel Meeting could be conducted. That's what I thought and regret the days I did not go out for gospel preaching before the lockdown. Things have completely changed now. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to meet people face to face and preach the gospel. Coronavirus has changed the whole social life unexpectedly. Nevertheless, the burden for the gospel has been intensified all the more despite the grim social and economical situation.

A week ago on Saturday we had a fellowship on contacting our contacts with gospel flash cards. In fact, this is one of the best ways to contact people during this time. Along with this burden, came the burden to contact at least one contact by phone call daily for the gospel. Then, came the burden for gospel meeting online.

Last Wednesday, we brothers fellowshipped on how to practically strengthen and preach the gospel. Then, we all felt good to conduct a gospel meeting online on Friday. But, for the preparation, we only had Thursday, just one day. Since the matter was so urgent and we could not meet frequently with the church's daily online truth pursuit going on, I could design the invitation card for gospel meeting only on Thursday night. 

Only by Friday morning, the actual invitation to our new ones for the gospel meeting started. For this, a Zoom account was purchased, and some urgent practical fellowship on the meeting was done. And I was assigned to preach the gospel. 

Since everything we did was for the first time, no one really knew how to practically coordinate. So I picked up the burden to single handedly do all the practical things. Effectively, I just got roughly 45 minutes to prepare for the message, that too, for the presentation of crucial Bible verses. 

The meeting was schedule for 7:00 PM for Friday, and we were suppose to start the conference call by 6:30 PM for prayer. I needed to host the meeting online, prepare the presentation, do the compere, and also preach the gospel message. I literally was under heavy pressure to multi task all the responsibilities. I could log in only by 6:45 PM and I didn't even have time to groom myself, which was also needed as I would be seen online by all the gospel friends. As I hosted the call, with the hymns singing going on, I asked my wife to wet my handkerchief to wash my face and bring my tie. I did the wiping of my face and tying of my tie with the singing of hymn and monitoring the online conference altogether. Only after I did a quick grooming, I turned my video camera on. Then, welcomed all the gospel friends and formally started the meeting. A brother was to share his testimony, but due to technical issue, he was simply not audible. So I had to jump in to preach the gospel message, physically and mentally unprepared in timing. 

But all these were done in fellowship and with the prayer of the Body. I also had a personal face time with the Lord in prayer in the morning and the night before. The Lord gave me the words to minister and the burden to release. Surprisingly, 51 devices were logged in, about 41 gospel friends' devices were recorded. After I shared the word of God, my brother coordinated to strengthened the gospel message further. Then, we signed off with a hymn. Then all my mental and physical pressure were released. All the while, my spirit was very exercised and I enjoyed the Lord's supply throughout the meeting. 

The feedbacks poured in one by one after the meeting. The following day, more feedbacks came in. I was surprised to learn that what I thought was so sudden and lacked preparation had a good impact on the gospel friends. As we brothers fellowshipped, we were so thankful to the Lord for His leading and blessing. Ultimately, it was He who led, anointed, and blessed the gospel meeting. 

Praise the Lord! My first experience of an online gospel meeting will be an eternal memory. 

May the Lord save everyone who heard the gospel of Jesus Christ! I declare in faith that they will be saved one day, if not, are already saved through the hearing of faith.