Boston Loves Evangelism – The Subway Is An Amazing Mission Field!!!

This is Malachi, a very intelligent and sensitive 17-year-old young man. He's the type of guy an Evangelist dreams of meeting because he was so so so open to God's Word. His heart was so tender to eternal things. Clearly Jesus was preparing Malachi ahead of time. I asked Malachi where he thinks he'll go when he dies, and he said, "Heaven." So I asked him how to get there, and he said, "I don't know, be good I guess." I took him through some of God's commandments to illustrate that we've all broken them. I told him that earning your way to Heaven is like trying to swim to England. And before I could finish the thought, he said, "nobody could do that." Exactly! "So how do we get forgiven?" he asked. And i got to share with him Jesus, and the cross, and GRACE. He had attended Church but never learned about grace. At one point he sheepishly asked me, "Mark, does God love black people?" I told him, "of course!" He told me that people are mean to him because he's black and it makes him sad. That broke my heart. But it was so great to tell him the Scriptures that God loves the world, and that includes "every nation and tribe and people and language" (Revelation 7:9). Malachi hung out for a while because he was waiting for a friend. And good thing because a godly woman named Miriam came later to join our team. Miriam is African (from Uganda.) So it's one thing for a white guy like me to tell Malachi that God loves people from all skin colors, but it's another to hear it from a black woman. Praise God! Malachi left with a Gospel of John and an essay with evidence for the Resurrection. We also gave him the name of a super Church right near where he lives. He was reading the Bible and the Resurrection article in the subway! Please pray for this intelligent and tender young man, that he will repent and believe the Gospel!

How do you share Jesus with someone from the LGBTQ+ Community? With love and compassion, just like we should with anyone else. This is Cherise, a very sweet and reasonable young women. Cherise had questions about what Christianity teaches about being Gay, because, she admitted to being Gay herself. Chris was great. He explained to Cherise that Jesus is a friend of sinners, and we're all sinners. Chris explained that we all have desires that are at odds with God. For instance, he was into witchcraft. Chris shared with Cherise that he had to turn from his pride and forsake witchcraft. He shared the great news of the Gospel with her and encouraged her to study God's Word for herself. Cherise left with a Gospel of John, a Gospel booklet, a friendly interaction with a Christian, and a lot to think about. Please pray for this sweet young lady, that she'll put her faith in Jesus and watch Him turn her from her wrong sexuality.

This is Wali, a kind Muslim man who wanted prayer from us. He specifically asked for deliverance from drugs. We prayed for him in Jesus' name and told him that Jesus isn't like how he's described in the Koran. Jesus is the true Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead. Islam denies all this. Wali gratefully took a Gospel of John from us. And he was so happy for the prayer. Would you please also pray for this sweet man? Thank you!

This is Jason and he came right up to our "Will You Go To Heaven?" banner and said, "I think about this all the time." I asked him if he'd go to Heaven and he said yes. So I asked him how to get there and he said very clearly, "because Jesus died on the cross for me and rose from the dead." That's as good an answer I've ever heard! Jason said, "Can I ask you something?" I told him, of course. And then he admitted to struggling with sin, particularly addiction to marijuana. He also said he is troubled that some of his family and friends don't care about the Lord Jesus at all. Jason is disappointed that he doesn't have answers. Can I say, I stinkin LOVE this young man! He was so humble and open and so obviously wanted to live for Jesus. His tender heart is obvious. Chris, Katelin, and myself encouraged him. We encouraged him to read God's Word every day (something he doesn't always do.) And we encouraged him to find a solid Bible Church, something he doesn't have. We prayed over him. Get this, he lives very close to where Katelyn goes to Church in the city, so we gave him the name of that Church, and another really great one near him. Jason was so thankful! It was clearly a "Divine Appointment." Jason asked if he could get a selfie of everyone (the photo above.) I'm glad Katelyn was there to see this and be a part of it because she's new to Evangelism so it's awesome for her to learn right away the joy of being used by God with strangers. Hallelujah! Please pray for Jason, and that we'll see him again.

This is "M," a sweet Highschooler who fled Iraq for her life! Get this, she and her family made it to Turkey where she met Jesus! Now she's in America as a student. "M" reads the Bible in Arabic but was very thankful to take a Gospel of John in English. Such a sweet kid. She's already lived through so much. Please pray for her, that Jesus will comfort her, help her, and grow her in her faith. Oh, and another really cool thing... Just that morning Chris was listening to a podcast on the plight of Iraqi refugees. Talk about Divine timing!

We love to see this! A man reads and considers the Gospel Booklet we handed him!

What an honor to share The Great News in public! What a joy that people listen and talk to us!

Does Open Air Preaching work? Well, this woman approached me at the end of my message to take me up on my offer for a free "Gospel of John." This happens a lot. You can't lose getting The Word of God into someone's hands! Hallelujah!

John shared a powerful open-air message in the Subway about what Christmas is about (had me tearing up) and then this man came forward and asked for a Bible. Actually, we gave away a bunch of Bibles - Hallelujah!!! Don't believe that people aren't interested!

This is Ursula, a terrifically warm and sweet woman who asked if she could have one of our "Gospel of John" books so she could give it to a neighbor. Turns out that Ursula is a follower of Jesus with a bunch of spunk and an infectious laugh. I showed her the "famous" photo of my family where I ask if people think my kids look like me or Shelby. If you know the photo, you'll get why I shared it with her. And if you don't know the photo, ask me! It's great to reach the Lost, and it's also great to help other Christians like Ursula reach the Lost. Please pray for her discussion with her neighbor.

This is Miriam, and she has a very compelling story. She grew up in Uganda in a Christian home, but got involved in Islam and became a Muslim. Later she became an Atheist. Then she truly met Jesus and has been 100% following him for years! When she shares her story in the subway, people listen, and take Gospel Booklets and Bibles from her. Jesus is still saving people today, and he's using people like me and you. That's exciting!

This is Rosa, a very sweet Spanish-speaking woman. Buuuut, Chris speaks Spanish (yay!) Rosa is Roman Catholic, and when Chris asked her, (in Spanish), if she can explain the difference between Catholicism and Christianity, she said, "I don't know." Technically she said, "no se." Chris explained some of the differences and offered her a Gospel booklet in Spanish, and Rosa very-much appreciated receiving a resource in her own language. Please pray for Rosa. Thanks so much!

This is Bobby (on the right.) When Bobby saw our "Will You Go To Heaven?" sign, he barked at Eric, "that's a bunch of trash." The best way to counter hostility is with a soft voice and loving demeanor. So Eric asked him, "What's trash about it?" Bobby is an outspoken man who rattled off a litany of problems he has with God, including hypocrisy in the Church and Catholic Priests molesting children. Eric agreed that those things are horrible, bit it doesn't give us the right to judge God because humans can be awful. Bobby let a train go by to continue talking with Eric. Please pray for Jesus to soften Bobby's heart. Even after admitting his own sin, Bobby continued to judge everyone else fort their problems, but not his own. He needs an encounter with the true and living God, and to humble himself. Thanks for praying!

We hand out Gospel of John books after open-air messages. Lots of people take them. This guy listened to my message and gave me a "thumbs up" and a fist-bump. Very encouraging!

This is Lisa, a kind and sassy spit-fire who has gone through so much adversity. It's amazing how much of their lives people share with us. Lisa freely admitted that she needs Jesus, but also admitted that she doesn't often read the Bible. She thanked me when I gave her a "Gospel of John" and promised to read it. Chris and I prayed with her before her train came. Would you please pray for Lisa too? Thank you so much!

This is Ronald, a Christian from Barbados. Get this, when he saw Chris and Chip he recognized Chris as "the guy who was preaching the Gospel in the subway a few days ago." Ronald approached Chris to him to thank him. That's encouraging! Evangelism isn't just about reaching the Lost. It's also about building up the Found.

I offered this young man a Gospel booklet and he said dismissively, "No thanks, I'm Jewish," as he was walking by me. I responded, "Can I ask you a few questions about that?" He turned around, came back, and said, "What do you want to know?" I asked him what his Judaism means to him, and who he thinks God is. He told me that he's a "cultural" Jewish person and doesn't know about God. I told him that I used to be just like him. At age 20 I studied the Bible so I could disprove it, but learned that Jesus has to be the Messiah. It was a friendly conversation and he took a copy of my written testimony, "A Jew and His God." You can see that at https://mystory.great-news.org Praise the Lord!

This is Dee, a kind woman who works for the subway. Dee and I chatted for a while about the people she sees down there and thanked me for the work me and my team do. Please pray that we continue to run into Dee and that she receives Jesus by faith.

This is Bob. I'm not one to say that every person who is unusual is demon-possessed, but I believe Bob is demon-possessed. So sad. I feel horrible for Bob and seriously hope God frees him from the demon. Why do I think he's possessed? He aggressively insisted that the Bible is full of lies, that he's God and everyone is God. He reiterated that there is no Jesus, except that we're all Jesus. He called himself "Elohim," (one of the Hebrew words for God.) And he asserted that he doesn't sin. And whenever I appealed to the Scriptures, he insisted that it's "junk" and that I needed to believe him instead of God's Word. I praise God that I remained calm and kept a soft voice, but I warned Bob that he's in grave danger. I exhorted him to turn from his lies and turn to Jesus. After he left, my team prayed that the dirty spirit in him would be released and Bob would come to saving faith. Would you please pray that for him too?

I just LOVE Ernie, and am soooo glad he's part of our team. Ernie just approaches people and starts talking with them. And they respond positively! Ernie walked up to these kids and said, "Can I share something with you?" And just like that they were listening intently as he shared his testimony in Christ. They listened, asked questions, and each left with copies of "The Gospel of John." Hallelujah!!! You can do this too. Yes you can. You don't need to be perfect, eloquent, or a know-it-all. You just need to love Jesus and love people. Contact me if you want to come join us.

I love this! I brought a bunch of highschoolers into the subway to put into practice what they learned in my month-long Evangelism class. They did GREAT! They passed out booklets, talked one-on-one with people, and learned firsthand that people really are interested in talking about the Gospel!

This is Steve, and he told me to call him "Wild man." He says everyone does. Sadly, Wild man Steve is very bitter, and I can understand why. He says there's a man who hurt his grandchild. I agreed with Steve that children should never be hurt. However, Steve told me that very soon he might just take matters into his own hands, even if that means God won't forgive him. I tried to explain to him that God is much better at giving out revenge than we are. Steve wouldn't listen and said it might be up to him to avenge his grandson. What do you say to someone hurting like that and thinking of doing something awful? I listened to Steve and empathized with his pain. I also exhorted him to go to Jesus with his anger, his hurts, and his own sins too. Please pray for Wild man Steve, for his grandson, that Steve won't make the situation worse, and that salvation will come to everyone involved.

A Spanish-speaking man is reading a Gospel booklet we gave him in Spanish. I can't speak Spanish (I wish I could), but the next best thing is to give out materials in peoples' mother language.

This is Bill, and he came over because of our banner. I asked Bill what he thinks happens after we die? He said, "I think I'll go to Heaven because I've been good." I asked Bill how good do you need to be to get into Heaven. He thought for a moment and said, "I'm Roman Catholic and I go to confession." I brought Bill through some of the Ten Commandments and he admitted to being guilty of breaking them. He said of the Commandments, "That's a high bar." He's right. So we talked about that God is holy but we are not. The Bible says "none are good." I explained to Him that our only hope is grace. Or only hope is Jesus. I asked him if he studies the Bible and he said, "no." I asked him if he wanted a copy of the Gospel of John and he said, "yes." He took The Gospel of John and a Gospel booklet. Please pray for this thoughtful, kind man.

Chris delivers an open-air Gospel Message as a number of people listen and consider what he has to say.

After our open-air messages, we offer free copies of "The Gospel of John" and lots of people come up and take one.

This is Shawn. We don't often run into the same people multiple times in a big city, but sometimes we do! Chris met Shawn a few days before this photo was taken. He gave him a Gospel of John, and recommended a great church. Shawn came up to him two days later to thank him and talk more. Yay Jesus!

This is Sophia, a sweet Catholic young woman. Get this, when Chris asked her if she had ever read the Bible, Sophia said she's been wanting to read it lately. How's that for a "Divine Appointment?" Chris gave her a copy of The Gospel of John, and Sophia was so thankful! Sadly Sophia thinks we get to Heaven by being a "good person" and doing "good things." Chris was able to take her through some of God's commandments to illustrate that none of us are good enough. Please pray for this sweet young lady, that she'll have true biblical faith.

This is Tarak, a very dedicated Muslim man. He started talking with Chris, and then he talked with me too. Tarak was quick to tell us he's a Professor and reads many languages. His intelligence was not in question. Sadly he had an arrogance and self-righteousness. Let's pray that God cracks through that for Tarek. I asked Tarek something I often ask religious Muslims. I said, "Tarek, I don't understand something. In the Torah God demanded a perfect blood sacrifice to cover sin. And in the Ingil (New Testament) God demanded a perfect blood sacrifice to cover sin. But here's what I don't understand. Why is it in the Koran, Allah says, "Nah, you don't need a blood sacrifice. Why is that?" Tarek didn't have an answer, but I'm glad he listened. He missed 2 trains to keep talking to us! Tarek took a DVD from us that has testimonies in Arabic of Muslims who put their faith in Jesus. I pray Tarek will have a testimony like that.

We see this musician a lot and mostly he's really crabby with us. Like the whole subway system belongs to him. This day it was strange. He was super overly nice. He even played a praise song when he saw us. You can see Johnny having a cordial conversation with him. But then the next couple times we ran into him he was mean and tried to disturb our ministry. Please pray for him.

This is Linda. She approached me because she wanted prayer for housing. She's in a group home currently. She grew up in the foster system and she told me that of all her MANY foster parents over the years, one foster parent taught her about the Bible. Linda has had a rough life. She was raped in the 90s and got AIDS. She's on medication for it now. Yet despite so many trials she remembers the one foster parent who taught her about Jesus. Side note to Foster Parents, Other Parents, Sunday School Teachers, etc., Keep teaching the kiddos about Jesus, even if you only have them for a short while. You never know if you'll make an impression like with Linda here. Anyhow, I offered Linda a Bible and she was very eager. I gave her a food card too and had the privilege to pray for her and get a big hug. Would you please pray for this sweet lady too? Thank you and God bless you!

Katelyn is a new follower of Jesus but she did a SUPER JOB asking questions and listening to these two ladies who go to a "church" that is legalistically trying to follow Old Testament Laws. The book of Galatians was written exactly for this heresy. Evangelism is a super way to help young Christians mature in their understanding of WHY we believe what we believe. I remember when I was brand new in the faith it was a Jehovah's Witness who God used to get me to really understand WHY I believe in the Trinity. Every member of our Evangelism Team is a blessing, whether seasoned saints who have known Jesus for decades, or brand new followers of Jesus, like Katelyn.

This is Jack, a very friendly Roman Catholic. Being friendly is great, but it doesn't earn you a place in Heaven. Jack is hoping he'll earn his way into Heaven. Jim shared his story of being a Catholic but not being a true Christian. He exhorted Jack to be Born Again through repentance and faith, not good works. They had a terrific conversation and Jack left with a copy of The Gospel of John and a lot to consider.

One of the ways I try to honor people is to say a few words in their language. Since we met so many Spanish-speaking people, I've tried to pick up a few Spanish phrases. People love it. I've literally had grown men hug me because I honored their language. It's very moving. Buuut, there's a risk. When I realized that this sweet woman spoke Spanish, I offered her a Gospel booklet translated into Spanish, and said, "Hola. Aqui. Dios te bendiga." That means, "Hello. Here. God bless you." Well, she lit up so happy and started rattling off tons of Spanish at me. So much Spanish. I was completely lost! Her friend figured it out and said, "You didn't understand a word of that, did you?" And I was like, "No, not really. But a few words here and there." But we connected nonetheless as we both could tell the other was friendly and appreciative. And I believe it was a good witness to honor this sweet woman by honoring her culture and language. She happily took the Gospel booklet. Praise God for that!

Chip and Chris had a productive conversation with this nice lady.

I used to be that young Missionary who could talk with kids. Now I'm becoming that older Missionary, but you know what? Kids will still talk with this greying mess about Jesus! These 6 Teens were great. They all took Gospel Booklets and Million-dollar-bills with a Gospel message on the back. I asked them what happens when you die and we had a fascinating conversation. Some of them had solid Bible knowledge! I warned them that there's a difference between "knowing about" someone versus "knowing personally" someone. I know about Tom Brady, but I don't personally know Tom Brady. I warned them not to just "know things about" Jesus, but to truly know Jesus personally through repentance and faith. These kiddos promised they'd think about it and read what they got. Nice kiddos! Please pray the Lord grabs a hold of their hearts.

Never underestimate how The Holy Spirit can work through someone who is willing! This is Michael, a new Evangelism volunteer. He told me, "I'm shy, so I might just hand out Gospel Booklets." And that would have been totally fine. But God had other plans... After seeing all the great stuff God was doing in the subway, Michael couldn't contain himself! He stepped forward and shared with the people his story of how Jesus rescued him out of Atheism and changed who he is. So so so encouraging! Very powerful and moving. HALLELUJAH!

This is Salah, a Muslim whose both parents are from Egypt. Salah said to Chris, "As a Muslim we don't believe in Jesus." Chris said, "Did you know Jesus is in the Koran?" Salah said, "Really?" Chris said, "Yes, but to know the teachings of Jesus you need to read the Bible." And with that Salah gladly took a Gospel of John, and said, "I should read this." Indeed he should. Please pray for this inquiring young man.

This is Nes, and he's from the Philippines. He came right up to us as soon as we got to the Subway. Nes appears to be a true follower of Jesus, but he's very concerned about people who say they believe in Jesus but don't live like it. I agreed with him. I'm concerned about it too. God will sort out the true converts from the false converts. Nes insisted that NO preachers teach about repentance today. I assured him that there are still many preachers who do preach repentance and warn of false conversion. I encouraged Nes to be an Evangelist who shares the Gospel Biblically. He left with a handful of Gospel tracts to give out. Please pray for this brother. He appeared to have a number of heavy burdens on him, and a lack of joy. (I know what that can be like, as I struggle with that.) So praying for Nes would be super. Thank you!

Pippin is such a good little Evange-doodle. He helps me break the ice with people!