Sharing Jesus in the Lions’ Den
Photos by Francis Faurot
Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel evangelist Trevor Taverna boldly proclaims the Gospel amid a pro-Palestine rally in downtown Calgary, Alberta (AB), Canada.
It had been a year since Hamas terrorists brutally attacked Israel. In downtown Calgary, AB, Canada, pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters gathered to protest or pray for peace. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Trevor Taverna headed fearlessly into the crowd, with his heart afire to evangelize.
“As believers, we are filled with the Holy Spirit,” stated Trevor. “In the Book of Acts, you see the boldness of Paul and Barnabas. Anytime we see the filling of the Holy Spirit, we see their boldness—then going forth into the Gentile nations.”
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, … we turn to the Gentiles.” Acts 13:46
When Trevor began attending the young adult group at Rocky Mountain Calvary Chapel (RMCC) in Calgary, he and three other guys started a Bible study in the park. As people walked by, the group decided evangelism was their mission field. “I felt scared, but we did it!” marveled Trevor. Emboldened, Trevor suggested they go downtown, but they hesitated, wondering if that was a good idea. “We did do it, and our first night was amazing,” he said. “The Lord worked through us to speak to people.”
Pastor Blake Ball, who oversees RMCC’s young adult group, remarked, “Having a heart for lost souls is one thing, but stepping out of your comfort zone to share the Gospel with friends and strangers is another. It’s rare to come across someone like Trevor!”
“In the Book of Acts, you see the boldness of Paul and Barnabas. Anytime we see the filling of the Holy Spirit, we see their boldness.”
Trevor’s warm, friendly approach allows him an opportunity to reach out with grace to a climate activist from the Communist Party of Canada, which is dedicated to the cause of socialism.
Preach to All Nations
While protestors demonstrated at city hall, believers at RMCC began their Ministry Huddle with a commemoration of Israel’s October 7th tragedy. In the heart of the Palestinian protest, Trevor providentially met a Jewish man. “I spoke to him about the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, explaining how He fulfilled prophecy and the Law and lived a perfect sinless life,” Trevor said. “Therefore, He is the Jewish Messiah and the Messiah for the Gentiles. He listened. I gave him a Gospel of John and prayed with him.”
Wearing a keffiyeh scarf in support of the Palestinian movement, a man accepts a Gospel of John while Trevor reads Scriptures pointing the way to Jesus Christ.
Trevor reads the Gospel message from John 3:16 to a homeless man who shared that he grew up knowing about Jesus. When asked if he would accept to have Jesus as His Lord and Savior, he humbly agreed.
When a Muslim woman asked him if the Bible could be trusted, he gently responded, “We have manuscripts from the 2nd Century and a complete New Testament from the 4th Century, adding to the Bible’s reliability.” Giving her a Gospel of John, he recommended that the next time she prays to God, to call out to Jesus. “I believe that He is going to and can reveal Himself to her,” he assured.
Trevor admits the challenging questions from those he speaks with force him to search the Scriptures. “We also learned how to approach people. In today’s world, people want to push the Gospel out of the conversation. We’re bringing the Gospel back into the conversation,” he boldly attested.
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