“Religion Causes All Wars!” – Portsmouth Evangelism

It was wonderful to have a team of seven people out sharing the good news on a windy but sunny day in Portsmouth. The city was busy, providing many opportunities to speak of Jesus.

For the first part of the outreach, the team focused on handing out tracts and engaging in conversations. Since Easter is nearly upon us, I used a few of our Easter tracts, which were readily received.

After distributing tracts, I thought it was time to start preaching, so I spoke on “The Big Picture of Easter.” As I proclaimed the gospel, a few people stopped to listen. Then a lady walked past and shouted, “Religion causes all wars!” I responded by saying she was wrong and that I could prove it. She stopped, turned around, and came back to engage. The heckler was very friendly and polite—we were even able to share a laugh as I answered her questions and pointed her to Jesus. First, I demonstrated that most wars have been non-religious in nature. Once that question was settled, I moved on to explain that, although people may do kind things for one another, all our sin is ultimately against God.

The good thing about hecklers is that they attract others to listen to the preaching. A small crowd gathered to follow the interaction and hear the gospel. By the end of the message, four people responded to the offer of receiving a copy of John’s Gospel.

While all this was happening, Jim was busy speaking to a German lady who was selling magazines. She gladly accepted a copy of Ultimate Questions in German, and Jim is going to source a Bible in her language for her.

Next to preach was Jim, who did a great job exhorting people to consider Jesus and put their faith in Him. I wasn’t able to hear much of his message, as I was engaged in conversations at the literature table and later with a Muslim man we had spoken with previously.

At first, the Muslim man spoke with Margaret, who ensured he heard the gospel again before bringing him over to speak with me. He is a friendly bloke but very much committed to Islamic beliefs. Today, he told us that, just as science advances, Islam is more advanced than Christianity because it is newer. He then added, “We have bigger brains than you!” He may be correct that I have a small brain and don’t know much, but I do know the truth, so we made sure to share it with him. He accepted a tract specifically designed for Muslims.

Throughout the outreach, the literature table was busy with people stopping to browse and chat. Many good conversations took place around the table. One lady I spoke with had taken material from us previously. She told me she had read the booklets and then passed them on to a friend, who loved them. Her friend had sent her back to get more material to read. This time, she took a booklet by John Blanchard and a copy of the Gospel of John.

For the final open-air message, I preached on “Who is Jesus Christ?” Normally, when I deliver this message, I receive abuse or am called all sorts of names—today was no different. People hate Jesus Christ and do not want to be confronted with His person or His work. Yet, despite the opposition, the good news was still proclaimed.

As the outreach ended, we began to pack up. Team members dismantled the table while I put away the board. As I was packing up, I noticed a lady sitting on a nearby bench. She kept looking at me and smiling. I greeted her, and we exchanged pleasantries about the weather. I could tell she wanted to talk, but I was unable to engage as I was balancing the open-air board while packing it away. Thankfully, Margaret was able to speak with her. The lady had once professed faith in Jesus but had since walked away. She shared her story of pain and listened to the good news. She then asked Margaret to pray for her. Before leaving, she took a copy of the New Testament.

Many gospel seeds were sown today in Portsmouth. 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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