Pastor Peter Simpson was declaring the urgent message of salvation in Christ alone in the centre of Aylesbury on September 24th, with Mrs Lesley Pilkington in vital support.
At one point Pastor Simpson happened to mention the sin of abortion when preaching, which triggered a very angry reaction from a young lady who was sitting nearby. She began to shout and be aggressive. Mrs Pilkington went over to talk to her, and that abortion was merely the disposal of, not a child, but a lump of cells. Then an older woman who had been listening to the conversation stated that those who have decided to have an abortion must repent of their action before God. This was an interjection from a complete stranger to those witnessing. Her comment made the young lady even more angry, and she sadly stormed off shouting. The general acceptance of abortion amongst large numbers of young people, especially girls, is indeed a most worrying trend within our society, but may the Lord work some good out of this encounter in prompting a rethink and some genuine soul-searching on this whole issue.
At one stage a group of teens sat down listening to the preaching. Mrs Pilkington had spoken to one or two of them the previous week, and one girl in particular had been very encouraged by the conversation. She, along with her two friends, were already believers, but showed a desire to learn more, and also to share the gospel with some non-Christian friends. This was encouraging.
There was also a boy in the group of youngsters, who had listened to the preaching the previous week, and had also spoken to Mrs Pilkington. He had asked a number of questions on that occasion, and he related this time how valuable he had found the conversation. By God’s grace, it had had a real effect upon him, and he had been led to ask the Lord Jesus Christ that he might be forgiven for all his sins. He sadly could not stay longer to converse again on this occasion, because he had to get back to school, but this encounter seemed to be a real indication that the Lord was at work.
One young man walking by the preacher seemed really interested in what was being said, but those with him began to mock him. Thankfully, he was not put off by this, but told them to listen! They were joking about the nearby pigeons in the square, and so Mrs Pilkington said to the main mocker, “Did you know that Satan is disguised as an angel of light with wings?” They were surprised by this statement, but it caught their attention, and there was a brief opportunity to then explain the gospel to them. Also, the young man who had shown the initial interest took some literature, and was told that the gospel is literally a matter of life and death. This comment appeared to have an impact on him. May the Lord work powerfully in the hearts of these young people.
Indeed, may He do so in the hearts of all those who heard gospel truth upon this day.