Evangelism and Encouragement in Portsmouth
The city centre of Portsmouth appeared to be much quieter today. The weather was grey, but the temperature mild. The car park only had a few cars in it, but still, there would be plenty of people to speak with about Jesus.
After setting up, we began the outreach by handing out a few tracts and seeking to engage people in conversation. Some of the team members were soon talking to people, while others busily handed out gospel leaflets. There were nine of us on the team today, so many more people in this maritime city got to hear the good news.
I started the preaching by speaking on the subject of “Your Life!”. In this message, I sought to show the shortness of life and the need we have for Christ, the One who gives life. Back home in Australia, my brother’s funeral took place today – he wasn’t old when he died, so I used this as an analogy to show that life is fleeting. At the end of the message, two people took Gospels, including a workman who has listened to me preach several times.
In between the preaching, we went back to handing out tracts and speaking with people. Around this time, we had our first encouragement. A Christian couple from Australia stopped to chat and cheer us on. That was lovely, but what encouraged me even more was hearing they were from my home city of Brisbane, and that they attend a church where I know the pastor. Such a small world!
Next up to preach was Jim, who as usual displayed a contagious joy in Christ. He lifted high the Saviour and exhorted all to come to Jesus.
I didn’t get to hear much of Jim’s message, as I was over at the literature table speaking with a young agnostic lady. She shared that she thought atheism was arrogant and unprovable, so she found herself in the “I don’t know” category. I encouraged her not just to ask questions about God’s existence, but also to look for answers. She took a couple of apologetic booklets and a copy of John’s Gospel.
During this time, I was also encouraged to meet a Christian from Hungary who was excited by the work. He now lives in Portsmouth and wants to join us in sharing the good news.
Then there was even more encouragement! A man shared that until last week he was a Muslim, but was gloriously saved by Jesus. We helped him with a few questions he had and pointed him towards a good local church (which he had just visited this morning).
It is always a massive boost to hear testimonies of people being saved from darkness. We then got to hear another testimony, this time from a man who shared that he had received a tract through his letterbox. He read it – and was converted!
The team was riding high after hearing all these stories. The Lord still saves!
To finish the outreach, I preached once more. This time, I preached on “The Three S’s”. A couple of people listened, and at the end two took copies of John’s Gospel, while a young lady who could only read German took material in her language.
Overall, it was a very good day of evangelism and encouragement. Please pray for all those who heard of the Lord Jesus.
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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