News of Terror – Salisbury Evangelism
We returned to the ancient cathedral city of Salisbury today to proclaim the timeless message of the gospel. As we arrived in the city centre, we noticed that the local council had parked one of their work vehicles in our usual preaching location, so we had to move our open-air board to a slightly different spot. We had a good-sized team, and before too long, gospel tracts were being handed out and people were engaging with the good news.
Paul commenced the preaching by speaking on “Do You Believe These Lies About Heaven?” A young man listened attentively and seemed intrigued by the message Paul proclaimed. He took some material from the literature table before leaving.
Next, I preached on “How Can You Be Sure You’ll Go to Heaven?” A few people paused to listen and then went over to the literature table. Two of those who had stopped to listen to part of the preaching ended up chatting with a team member for nearly two hours.
As I preached, one elderly man walked past yelling, “Get a life!” I replied by quoting 1 John 5:12 – “The one who has the Son has life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” I then pointed out that it was the older man who didn’t have life, but that Christ was offering life and forgiveness that very day.
After my sermon, the team focused on handing out tracts and speaking with people. It was during this time that we received news of the terror attack which had just taken place in Manchester. Only a week ago, I had been in Manchester, so the news came as quite a shock. Reports stated that a man armed with knives and a suspected bomb had attacked a Jewish synagogue during their Yom Kippur service, leaving several people dead.
Next up to preach was Tony, who spoke on Jesus’ command to “Love one another.” He pointed out that while we try to do our best, no one truly keeps this commandment. He then went on to explain why we need Jesus.
The news of the terrorist attack was still on my mind as I got up to preach again. Knowing that people would have questions about death, suffering, and evil, I thought it best to speak on “The Origins of Evil.” A couple of people paused to listen, then a young man began to yell out, “Allahu Akbar!” At first, I ignored him, but when he persisted, I decided to address his cries of hostility. I pointed out that his phrase is often used as a war cry — a call to violence — but that the message of Jesus is one of peace and love. While Islam may call for war, Jesus calls for forgiveness through His death, burial, and resurrection. The young man didn’t seem to know how to respond, but I noticed other members of the public nodding in agreement with what I had said.
Next to preach was Paul again, who spoke on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.” It was encouraging to see people listening to his message, with three individuals taking Gospels at the end.
As the darkness of terrorism once again descended on this nation, we lifted high the light of Jesus. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.
SDG!
_____
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.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES