“I Could Die at Any Moment!” – Southampton Evangelism
I guess our usual preaching location is popular! Last week, we had extreme charismatics take our spot; today, we had the Hare Krishnas. We moved slightly further along the road and began to proclaim the gospel. Throughout the outreach, the Hare Krishnas heard the good news preached, and one of the team members spoke to them.
Over the past few months, we have seen the Southampton team grow. Last year, some days, we only had one or two people on the team, but today, we had five preachers and seven team members. I am thankful that the Lord has raised more labourers to reach this great city.
Mike Mellor commenced the preaching by speaking on “Where Are They Now?” Using photos of famous people who have died, he challenged listeners to consider eternity. At the end of his talk, two people responded by taking John’s Gospels.
As soon as Mike finished, I began to proclaim the gospel. I preached on “The Way to Heaven.” While preaching, I made sure to engage some of the actions and beliefs of the Hare Krishnas. I figured they could hear me, so I called on them to turn to Jesus. A few other people listened, with two taking John’s Gospels.
Next to preach was Ben, who asked the question, “Are You Really Sure?” As he preached, the city centre grew quieter, but still, people heard the truth. Next was Jeremy, who preached only for his second time with us. He spoke on “Six Deadly Lies!” Both Ben and Jeremy did a great job of explaining God’s Gospel.
The final preacher for the day was Richard. He used his old faithful message, “Life: What’s the Point?” As he preached, the Hare Krishnas packed up and moved away (which was good). Richard then had a group of young men engage him. After a back and forth, one took a copy of Ultimate Questions.
Due to the wind, we moved our literature table from its usual location to the spot near where the Hare Krishnas had just left. This was a great decision, as immediately we saw an increase in traffic making its way to the table, with numerous conversations occurring.
I spoke with a Roman Catholic school teacher who began to read the Bible during COVID. She isn’t converted but feels that God’s Word is true. She told me she was looking for a church, so I was able to point her towards an evangelical fellowship.
Another group then stopped asking for church recommendations. Again, we directed them towards a good church. It is always great to have connections with local congregations so we can send people their way.
As the outreach ended, I chatted with a man I had met a few months ago. When I first met him, he was distressed as his Jehovah’s Witness wife had just died. He found no hope and comfort in that cult, so he started to search for truth. Every time I see him, we make sure to spend time talking. He isn’t converted (yet), but we are praying the Lord rescues him. Today, he told me his health had deteriorated, and now he has a serious heart condition. He looked me in the eye and said, “I could die at any moment.” I felt our time together was more about pastoral care, though I was able to give him a booklet on preparing for death and eternity.
We rejoice at all the Lord did today. 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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