Open Air: Pages From Peter's Diary

Last Wednesday went well, apart from a young man who took it into his head to knock over our plastic box of bibles as he walked past. I began to admonish him, but he was already off down Market Street at some speed. However, there were useful conversations had, and literature went out in gratifying quantity, as per usual.

Later, Peter suggested that I might like to have an account of what had happened on the previous Wednesday. Certainly I would, I said. And then he took out a desk diary for 2024 and proceeded to tear out several pages! So, here you have it, in his own words, transcribed by me with only a few alterations for the sake of clarity.

Wednesday 20^th November. Travelled from Leeds to Manchester. Stopped to walk through Oldham for one hour. Many people reading signboards: John 3.16 and Acts 16.31. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” - a concise summary of the gospel - “thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” The gospel promises salvation to all who trust in Christ, whether free or slaves, adults or children, all the household.

John 3.16: the ultimate explanation for anyone’s salvation is the will of the Father. The Son did not come to win the Father’s love for sinners, but came because God loved sinners. Indeed, He loved them so much that He gave the most precious and costly gift, His only begotten Son.

The word “world” is a general term for humanity, viewed not as all persons without exception in all times, but as man in his unified rebellion against God - making God’s sacrificial love for mankind all the more amazing. Also, “whosoever believeth”: God’s purpose in sending Christ was not to save all persons, but to give everlasting life to those whom He would bring to saving faith through the new birth, salvation from eternal ruin - “should not perish”.

Manchester 12.50pm. No Jack or Stephen. Kieran explained that Jack would be a week late. Kieran, Janette and I stepped into the gap. Kieran gave me a microphone, Janette gave out tracts, and Kieran spoke to many people. I preached on John chapters 1 and 3. John 1.23: “the voice of one crying in the wilderness”. John confessed to being the forerunner spoken of by Isaiah. John the Baptist’s ministry was to prepare the Jewish nation for the coming of Christ. By his powerful preaching he shook the whole of society.

John 3.3: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Though Nicodemus was highly educated in the scriptures, and positive towards Jesus, and very religious, he was unable to spiritually perceive the glory and the reign of Christ (“cannot see the kingdom”) until God changed his heart. John 3.5: “cannot enter into the kingdom” - it is impossible for people to be converted and saved unless God works a miracle in their souls.

Kieran witnessed to a man released from prison. Icy cold conditions - layers of clothing required. Mark 8.36-37: “what shall it profit…what shall a man give…” The human soul is valuable beyond comparison and therefore salvation must be pursued at any cost. Luke 18.2-8: the meaning of this parable is not that God begrudgingly listens to the cries of His people; the unscrupulous judge is not a picture of God but a contrast to Him. If a proud and wicked judge will help a widow who means nothing to him, based on her persistence, how much more will the righteous God answer the prayers of the people whom He chose (“elect”) in His love.

Luke 18.10: the Pharisee and the Publican, representing opposite extremes of religious devotion to God’s law and wordly treachery. The latter was epitomised in the eyes of the people by a tax collector for Rome. Luke 18.13: “standing afar off, would not lift up…his eyes” - acts of humility utterly opposite the stance of the Pharisee. He “smote upon his breast”, an expression of grief, “be merciful”, literally “be propitiated”, a term for the appeasement of God’s righteous anger by priests at the temple by the blood of a sacrifice, a type of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. “God be merciful to me a sinner”: his standing before God could not be based on anything within him, but on grace alone.

Luke 19.10: “the Son of man…to seek and to save” - though Zacchaeus sought Jesus, this was because Christ was first seeking Zacchaeus. This explains why this particular rich man was able to do the impossible and be converted: the Lord overcame his pride and greed and instilled within him a desire for Christ and salvation. Jesus’ ministry is primarily a mission of forgiveness and mercy. We - me, Kieran, Janette, Little John (a regular visitor) and his wife all came from a background of sin, like Zacchaeus. Michael (a former bin collector and a believer) also visited us. We closed the meeting at 3.00pm. Kieran took us to Wetherspoon’s for a jug of coffee and to thaw out. Then he invited us to meet him the next day in Sheffield.

Thursday 21^st November, 12.30pm. We met groups from various towns: Kieran and Janette came from Manchester, I came from Leeds. Janette was holding a banner - “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the resurrection.’” On my boards: “God be merciful to me a sinner” and “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”.

Arnie and Dawn came from Peniston and he preached the gospel, and then an Iranian man preached. A young woman from Harley Street gave a strong testimony about being restored. A Filipino woman and her husband testified, and I spoke about my delivery from alcohol.

The Christmas lights were on, there was a Big Wheel and German Markets as well as Victorian Christmas lights. We enjoyed refreshments in Costa’s.

Friday 22^nd November. Visited Preston and Blackpool. On my boards I had John 8.12 and John 14.6. Witnessed to a security guard who asked to read the texts outside Home Bargains. Witnessed to a couple outside a hotel. Walked to Cleveleys and shared the gospel with a man in Bispham. Witnessed to a gang at Broadwater in Fleetwood, and had a good response on Lord Street in Fleetwood. After the long hike to Fleetwood, caught the No. 14 bus to Blackpool. A husky dog sat next to me, and there was vaping on the bus. Bus stopped at Blackpool Tower at 8.00pm.

Walked along Golden Mile from North Pier to South Pier. Witnessed to a number of people. Last train at 10.00pm was cancelled! Guard explained I needed the train to Preston, then bus replacement from Preston to Leeds. The bus was fifty years old and looked just like my school bus.

We travelled through Blackburn’s terraces, to Accrington, Padiham, Burnley, Nelson, Keighley, Saltaire, Bingley, and Shipley, arriving in Leeds on Saturday at 2.00am. 

Isaiah 26.9: “With my soul I have desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”

I don’t know about you, but I feel exhausted just reading the above. But, praise God for those like Peter and friends, who are willing to go the second mile, then the third, then… Well, you get the idea.

Please pray, if our Lord lays it upon your heart to do so, for next Wednesday’s Open Air, since the area where we stand gets pretty busy at this time of year, and may well attract a few folk who have imbibed just a little too much of the wrong sort of Christmas spirit…

Every blessing!