Muslims Consider the Good News – Portsmouth Evangelism

After being on the road for evangelism and then taking some leave, it was nice to return to our usual outreach in Portsmouth. Due to the school break, the city centre was busier than usual, which resulted in a good number of tracts being taken, and a steady stream of people visiting the literature table. We had eight people on the team today, including a young lad from our church who excitedly offered tracts to everyone who passed by.

I commenced the preaching by speaking on “Death: Is it the End?” Using the build-up to Halloween as my hook, and also sharing the personal story of how, ten years ago to the day, I was given the news that my dad had passed away, I challenged those listening to consider what would happen to them after death. A twenty-year-old Muslim man listened and engaged; he told me that he believed he would go to Paradise because he worships God, and God forgives. I reasoned with him from the Law, showing that sin must be punished, and that unless someone pays the penalty, we will face perfect justice. The man was very engaged; at the end of the open-air preaching, he took a copy of John’s Gospel, then spoke with a team member. A lady who was listening also took a copy of the Gospel.

After a while, I was brought into the conversation between the Muslim man and the team member. The young man was very polite and open; he had questions about the deity of Christ, so using the copy of John’s Gospel we had given him, I showed him several passages declaring that Jesus is God. He then had questions about what it means to be a real Christian, as from a Muslim mindset, everyone in England is Christian. He could see the inconsistency in that idea, so we explained that just because someone is from the UK, it doesn’t mean they are a Christian. He shook our hands and seemed encouraged to have met real Christians.

Roger was the next to preach; he spoke on “Is Your Life a Gamble?” I didn’t get to hear much of his message, as I found myself in conversation with a man who had come out of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. He had questions about the issue of authority in the church and the person of Jesus. I stressed that the Bible is the sole authority in church life, so everything needs to be tested by the Word of God. We also examined the issue of the deity of Jesus. He took a few booklets and an invite to my home church.

As that conversation concluded, another one started, this time with a young lady who attends a local church. She told me she is a youth leader, but she doesn’t have a Bible; also, she didn’t understand the gospel. I gave her a New Testament and was able to share the good news with her.

To finish off the outreach, I decided to preach once more; this time, I spoke on “Lessons from the Boomerang.” A young Muslim student had questions about the Trinity and what would happen to Muslims after they die. I answered from Scripture, showing him that Christ alone is our hope as He died and rose again. Afterward, I had a longer conversation with the Muslim man; he showed me his YouTube history, which was full of videos from Christian preachers. He had been watching, learning, and asking questions. I was able to give him a copy of John’s Gospel in both Arabic and English; he was excited to be able to read God’s Word for himself.

As we began to pack down, an older lady stopped at the literature table. She picked up a booklet which answers the question, “Does God Exist?” She looked at me and said, “God doesn’t exist anymore—He died!” I asked her, “When did God die?” The lady wasn’t sure how to answer, but it was clear she was carrying a great spiritual burden. So I asked, “What would you say if I told you that God is there, He cares, He hears, He loves, and He wants you to know Him?” She said that would be nice, so I gave her a Gospel of John and explained that if she wanted to know what God is like, she needs to look at Jesus. She took a few other booklets and said she was looking forward to reading them.

It was a good return to Portsmouth; while we didn’t have large crowds for the preaching, we had numerous good conversations. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.

SDG!

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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.

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