Not Far from the Kingdom? – Manchester Evangelism

Today turned out to be my last day of outreach in Manchester, even though the team will continue for another two days. With ongoing health concerns in my family back home in Australia, The Open-Air Mission very kindly encouraged me to take some leave. I greatly appreciate the love, care, and support from the Manchester team and the wider OAM family.

Before returning to Southampton, I joined the team in the city centre of Manchester. I was the first preacher for the day, so I spoke on the topic of “God is Love!” As I preached the gospel, several people stopped to listen, including a few who seemed very focused on what was being said. At the end of the message, when I offered John’s Gospels to anyone who wanted to find out more about Jesus, three people responded.

Two of those who took copies of the Gospel were then spoken with by team members. From what I’ve been told, both men were very open, with one being especially receptive to the gospel. Dave, who spoke with him, shared that the man had been thinking about God for the past few weeks, and that it appeared he was very close to the Kingdom of God. The Lord seems to be working on that man’s heart, so please pray he’ll be saved.

As the outreach continued, it was encouraging to see team members engaged in numerous conversations. Hundreds of tracts were also handed out to those who were interested. Over at the literature table, there was a steady stream of conversations and people requesting material. It was a good and busy day!

At one point, I was invited by a team member to join a conversation with a Kurdish man and his Polish partner. The Kurdish man followed Zoroastrianism, whereas the Polish lady was a Roman Catholic. It was a friendly conversation, but the man was quite keen to demonstrate his knowledge. He shared that he had seen a documentary claiming Jesus hadn’t truly died, but only appeared dead. This was the old swoon theory of the atonement. I used apologetics to point out that this wasn’t possible, and then we dealt with the issue of the resurrection.

It was a very friendly exchange, with the man and his partner taking several booklets and a Gospel of John. All we can do is sow the seed, and pray the Holy Spirit waters it and applies it to their lives.

Towards the end of the day, I spoke with a man who had at first tried to interrupt a conversation a team member was having. He told me that he wasn’t long out of prison, and that he was struggling. As he shared, he said he thought God was pursuing him, as everywhere he went he kept bumping into Christians who told him about Jesus.

The man had grown up in a Christian home but had gone astray. He became involved in crime and drugs. He kept telling me that he couldn’t help it, as he had an addiction. I pointed out that the issue wasn’t ultimately an addiction, but rather a worship issue – that he was committing idolatry, since he would rather serve drugs than God. The man paused, then said, “You’re right! I’ve never thought about it like that. God should be the one I desire, not drugs.” At this point, he was very open and listened carefully to the gospel. As we spoke, he kept shaking my hand and thanking me for being direct with him. I stressed to him that Christ can rescue him, but he must be willing to turn and trust in the Saviour. The man hung his head, saying, “That’s the problem; I am not sure if I’m willing.”

He left with a New Testament and a tract. He also noted the details of when the regular outreaches take place in Manchester, as he wants to listen further to the preaching. Please pray this man will come to know Christ.

So much happened today! Team members will have their own stories and accounts of all that the Lord did. Please pray for those who heard, and also for the team as they continue in this wonderful gospel work.

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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