BEACONSFIELD : Pastor Peter Simpson was proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ crucified and risen in Beaconsfield New Town on March 30th, helped by Mr Nathan Newman-Smith, who handed out tracts to passers-by focusing on the Lord’s death and resurrection.
Two teenage boys were standing nearby using the public drinking water facility, and so the Minister asked them if they knew what Easter was about. One of them replied curtly, “Eggs”. It was not certain whether this was in jest or if he really did not know. So Pastor Simpson said to them them both, Easter of course is about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. At this, the other teenager swore terribly, using a horrible expletive and the Lord’s Name in the same sentence. This offensiveness was totally unnecessary, and so the Minister asked him rebukingly if he would dare be so thoroughly insulting, if he were talking to say a Muslim imam. At this, the pair chose not to engage in further conversation, which is a real shame, because Pastor Simpson wanted to impress upon them the sacred nature of the Name of the Lord Jesus. Indeed of course, it is “at the name of Jesus (that) every knee should bow” (Philippians 2:10).
A group of teenage girls walked past at a later stage, and Pastor Simpson asked them, Do you know what Easter is all about. One said, definitely in jest this time, “Chocolate”. The preacher responded, You do not really mean that, do you? The girls carried on walking and again sadly did not wish to engage in conversation, but one of them did accept the offer of the tract explaining the meaning of Easter.
Thankfully, some leaflets were distributed, but there was tragically much hardness and indifference to the presence of the witnessing Christians as well. Pastor Simpson preached on two occasions emphasising how the death and resurrection of Christ are the most important events in all history and concern everyone. All without Christ are spiritually dead and separated from God, but through repentance from sin and faith in the Saviour, they may be gloriously raised up to new life in the power of the Holy Spirit. May at least some who heard this message in Beaconsfield come to realise the necessity of fleeing to the Lord Jesus Christ, so as to become a “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) in Christ, having been born anew and receiving a brand new heart (Ezekiel 18:31).