Pastor Simpson was preaching the gospel in the centre of Aylesbury on September 10th, helped by Mrs Lesley Pilkington who endeavoured to engage passers-by in conversation.
A young Hindu man stopped to talk to Mrs Pilkington when she offered him a tract. As she explained who the Lord Jesus is and why he needs to know Him, and about the seriousness of sin, he became very interested after his initial caution. He took some tracts and a Gospel of John, saying that he would read them. He then had to go off to his nearby college.
Another young man initially refused tracts but still wanted to talk to the witnessing sister. He readily told her that he was a pagan who worshipped the creation. He was told of the urgent need to worship the Creator, not the physical creation. He replied that the two go together! He was very unclear about Biblical truth, despite his strong Anglican background, and he claimed that all religions were the same, which Mrs Pilkington of course refuted. Eventually he thanked her, and our sister asked him if she could pray that he would come to know the Jesus who was the only way, the truth and the life. He thankfully agreed to this, but would not take any tracts. May the Lord speak powerfully to him.
Two more 2 young men also came by, one being a believer whom Mrs Pilkington had spoken to before. He stopped to talk and his friend was offered a tract, which he declined, saying he was an atheist. They then walked on saying they had to go back to work. However some minutes later they came back and the Christian told his atheist friend to listen to the preaching for a few minutes, which he did.
It appears that the Holy Spirit was really at work in this encounter, because after a while the atheist literally began to weep. He started to walk away, but Mrs Pilkington told him that his response was not something strange, because God chooses to speak to people directly through His word being preached. This was all news to him. The gospel was then briefly explained, and he received a John’s Gospel and some tracts, saying that he would read them. He also stated that he would come and speak to Mrs Pilkington again. He genuinely seemed moved by what he had heard. May the Lord continue to work powerfully on his heart.
The minister began his preaching by quoting Acts 3:19
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
Because all people have sinned, all need to repent and come to the Lord Jesus Christ, so that they might experience the refreshing of the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit within their hearts. The minister then quoted 1 Timothy 1:15, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.
Not long after beginning this address a Muslim approached Pastor Simpson whilst he was preaching, and so the preacher immediately used this opening to ask him, Who has saved you from your sins, my friend? He replied that the prophet Mohammed is his saviour, to which he was told that Mohammed cannot forgive sins, and never claimed to. No man can forgive another man’s sins before God. In any case, Mohammed, like the rest of men, would have inherited Adam’s sinful nature (1 Corinthians 15:22), including the Old Testament prophets such as Abraham, Moses and David, which makes sinning inevitable. The Muslim then asserted in accordance with Islamic teaching that Mohammed was without sin, as all the prophets are (1). This comment sadly revealed what a wrong understanding Islam has of human nature and man’s true condition before the holy God.
Discussion ensued on Mohammed’s many wives (it is thought to be between 12 and 14). Is not this against the law of God, asked Pastor Simpson, who said that marriage can only be between one man and one woman. The Muslim then said that he was allowed to have four wives, to which Pastor Simpson responded, “But your three other wives would all be jealous of your favourite wife. Also, would you not, by having four wives, be committing adultery, contrary to the law of Moses?
A brief discussion then ensued on the following lines :
Pastor Simpson (PS) : Are you going to heaven?
Muslim (M). : If Allah wills it.
PS. On what basis?
M. The Prophet will intercede for me, if If I ask forgiveness everyday for God, and he will forgive me.
PS. The Prophet will intercede for you? How can someone who is no longer alive intercede for you?
M. When all souls are risen, the Prophet will be there and ask intercession for God. And God will forgive all our sins.
PS. Mohammed was not certain about his own salvation (2). (Surah 46:8-9 of the Qur’an quotes Mohammed as follows : “I am no bringer of new-fangled doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me” (3). All the prophets sinned. Abraham sinned. The Torah says that Abraham sinned. He lied about Sarah not being his wife. My friend, I say this in love, but you have a sinful nature. Therefore, you cannot help sinning. It is the same for all men, whether they are prophets or not.
M. I have to go now.
PS. OK. God bless you. Please believe in Jesus Christ, because He is the only Saviour of sinners.
May this Muslim and many others who heard the gospel in Aylesbury realise their sinful nature and their need to flee to the only Saviour, of whom the Scriptures declare, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).