A 90-Minute Conversation! – Portsmouth Evangelism
It was good to get back out to Portsmouth today. As soon as we arrived and began to set up, people started stopping at the literature table to browse materials and request Bibles. It is always encouraging to meet people who are thinking about the Lord and wanting to find out more.
My plan for the day was to set up, hand out a few tracts, and then preach in the open air. God had other plans! At around 11:45 a.m., two young men stopped to look at the tracts we had on display. I engaged them in conversation, and they began to ask some good questions. I didn’t realise it at the time, but the discussion would last for ninety minutes, finally finishing at 1:15 p.m.
Both men were from Portugal and had questions relating to the nature of truth, and whether truth is knowable. They also wanted to consider the question of the reliability of the Bible. Sometimes these kinds of questions can be a distraction from the gospel, but these two men were looking for serious answers.
After a while, one of the men shifted his position and began to agree with me. He then started to challenge the questions his friend was raising. One of them believed that we are all divine, and that if we want to make the world a better place, we need to look within and do whatever we think is right. I pointed out that the assassin who murdered Charlie Kirk in Utah looked within and thought he was doing the right thing. The man then adjusted his argument, saying we must instead find love within. We all agreed that humanity is full of darkness, so I asked how they could expect to find love in the midst of evil. No adequate answer was given, so I explained that Jesus is the Light of the World who expels the darkness.
The conversation then turned to how a person can be made right with God. One of the men admitted he didn’t know how to deal with his sin, while the other thought it was through purging himself and doing good deeds. It was a joy to explain that biblical Christianity teaches it isn’t about what we have done; it is all about what Jesus has done on behalf of sinners.
At the end of the conversation, one of them took a Bible and a couple of apologetics booklets. This wasn’t how I had planned to spend most of the outreach, but it was clearly what the Lord willed.
While I was engaged in conversation, the other team members were busy handing out tracts and speaking with people. Jyothi had a couple of good conversations: one with an atheist who is now going to read John’s Gospel to learn more, and another with a lady who said she was going home that very day to trust in Jesus.
In the few minutes remaining of the outreach, I decided to preach. I spoke on the “Three S’s.” As soon as I began, a heckler confronted me. He ranted and shouted that Jesus never rose from the dead, claiming that if He had, there would be no evil. I asked the man if he would like an answer to his objection, but he simply shouted that I couldn’t answer. I assured him that there were answers, but he wasn’t interested. As soon as he left, a woman approached, asking for tracts, before proceeding to yell random Bible references at me. It was turning out to be an eventful day!
Eventually, I managed to finish the message. Encouragingly, at the end, five people accepted the free offer of John’s Gospel.
It was a good day in Portsmouth; it is wonderful to see even a glimpse of what the Lord is doing. Please pray for all 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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