A Windy and Sunny Day in Newbury

It is only our second time in Newbury, and already we have seen the team grow. There were seven of us out on the street today sharing the good news, including a brother from a local church. This added an extra dynamic to the team, as we could refer people back to a fellowship in the area.

As we set up, we noticed dark clouds beginning to gather and wondered if the rain would soon fall. The Lord very kindly allowed the clouds to blow away, but the wind remained—although, with it being sunny, it made for a pleasant day.

I commenced the preaching by speaking on “The Big Picture of Easter.” An elderly Roman Catholic man, whom I had spoken with last month, returned to listen. After the message, he chatted with me about the gospel. We also had two people request copies of the Gospel of John after the message.

A local Christian who was in the area witnessing also stopped by. He was encouraged to see the open-air work, so we were able to give him a few resources and encourage him in his gospel ministry. It is always wonderful to meet fellow believers who want to make much of Jesus.

Next to preach was Bill, who spoke on “Why Was Jesus Crucified?” After a few minutes, a heckler began to challenge him. The man claimed to have studied Scripture at Bible College for twelve years and had concluded that Jesus was not divine. Bill did a good job responding with Scripture, but the man wasn’t interested. When he walked away, I decided to speak with him.

The man was arrogant and very ignorant of biblical truth. The first thing he told me was that if we were truly academic and serious about the Bible, we’d know Greek. I pointed out that Bill is Greek, and that some on the team have studied Greek. The man quickly changed tack and began to argue that there wasn’t a single verse declaring Jesus to be God. I agreed there wasn’t a single verse—as there were many. I then shared multiple Scriptures showing the deity of Christ. I was able to share the good news with the man, but he kept rejecting it, falling back on his years of study. I’m not sure where he studied, but he really should ask for his money back, as he was completely ignorant of biblical truth. As our conversation ended, the man said (about himself), “I’m going to continue in my fantasy, and not believe.” With that, he walked away.

It was clear he knew his view was a fantasy, but he loved sin more than truth. This man had chosen his path of rebellion; all we can do is pray the Lord softens his heart and causes him to be born again.

Trevor was next to preach. I didn’t hear the first part of the message, as I was speaking with someone at the literature table, but I noticed he was having a good engagement with a polite young man on a bike. Trevor and the young bloke went back and forth about the message of Christ; then, at the end, the young man took a Gospel of John.

Also in the crowd was an Indian lady who is interested in religion. She is planning to attend a local church and had a copy of the Scriptures. She asked if she could film Bill sharing a short gospel message to show her family. Bill gladly explained the good news on video.

For the final open-air, I preached on “Why Christianity?” In this message, I seek to show that we all need to seriously consider biblical truth. As I preached, one man heckled, claiming that the Qur’an and the Bible teach the same thing. I pointed out that they differ when it comes to who God is and the gospel. The man conceded, then walked away. But this did provide a good opening to share the gospel with all who would listen.

One of the great blessings today was having Matt, a Christian from a local church, with us. Whenever people asked for details about where they could attend a fellowship, we were able to introduce them to Matt. When an older gentleman asked for a large-print Bible, Matt was able to step in and say his church could arrange one for him. While all team members attend different fellowships, it is a real encouragement when we minister in an area where there is a good local church. Our prayer is that Christ’s Church will be strengthened and grow through our evangelistic work.

As the wind blew in Newbury, many people heard of Jesus. Please pray the Holy Spirit will now blow where He wills (John 3:8), and cause many to come to know the Saviour.

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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