Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed with all good things from above. I had a good day on campus in that I got in some conversations to encourage Christians and a discussion with a kid philosophically adrift a bit and Sno prayed with me to receive Jesus. Her story is below if you want to spend the time. Please pray she grows in her trust in the blood and righteousness of Christ alone to save her. Thanks for your help in prayer.

Sno was an older black woman, I’d guess she was near 50 and since she’ll not read this I can’t get in any trouble if I missed the mark by much. But she had salt and pepper hair, more salt. She had frank symmetrical features and her hair had been braided on the top but was short otherwise. She wore a grey hoodie, leggings and a t-shirt. She was studying at a round coffee table in the hall down from the bookstore with some stuffed chairs. I took the one beside her and she said she’d do a student survey (with a tone that she would do me a favor, and she did). I asked her what she would say to God to get into heaven if she died. “Because I’ve done everything in my life to live the way You told me to, I’m not perfect but I tried my best,” she replied. She was certain she was going to Heaven, “100%.” I began to go through the Gospel then with her and she finished John 3:16 for me. I read, John 17:3 that eternal life was, “knowing God”, and this meant that He lived inside her but the problem was sin. I said God had to take away her sin so she was God’s type (like a blood transfusion) perfect and holy inside and He could live inside her. I asked her what Jesus had done to take away her sin. “He forgives you,” she stated insistently. I said, “Yes He forgives you but something has to happen for God to forgive you,” she did not know what that was so I continued, “He gets paid.” I began to explain that we could not come up to God because of our sin, so He becomes a perfect man. “Because you are supposed to be perfect,” I said. “God does not expect you to be perfect,” she cut in. “God does not expect you to be perfect in as much as He knows you will not be but the standard is perfection.” I sensed her back was up a bit so I prayed quickly God would speak to her and went on. “Jesus says you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I said Heaven was not just a place it was the presence of God. If you lived under the water you’d have to be able to breath water. Now you breath in air. In Heaven you will have to be able to breath in the presence of God. I said the Bible says, “Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God.” She said she knew that. So I said we have to be transformed and perfected here so that God can share His glory with us in Heaven. I explained how Jesus died and His blood cleansed her and then paid God back for all the imperfect things we’ve done that we owe God something perfect for. “The real reason God forgives you is He got paid, but he had to pay himself.” I explained the righteousness of God to her credit and that she would not go to Heaven because she was good but because Jesus was good and she was connected to Him. I said she had to receive Jesus and the work of Jesus. “So if someone would say to you, “Why should I let you into Heaven you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me.’” I explained then grace saved her by faith. I asked if she would want to be forgiven for her sins trusting in what Jesus had done to forgive her so He could live inside her. “Yes,” she said. And her persona had changed at some point and she was receiving what the scriptures were telling her. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and talked her through it asking if she would like to pray it silently. “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven trusting in Jesus. Wanna do it?” “Yeah,” she said and she prayed to receive Jesus. When she finished I said, “Great, your sins are forgiven, not because I say so but God does.” She nodded. I explained then that the likelihood she was going to Heaven now trusting in the righteousness of Jesus was 100% and His righteousness was worth an infinite amount so there was enough for both of us though I was old and sinned every year. I explained the Christian life. She had a Bible so explained the fruit of the Spirit, living “Inside > Out” and praying for patience, saying a time I had done so. And then I gave her Bible Promises for You writing her name and the date and “forgiven!” inside. She liked the book. I also gave her a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I got up to go and she said, “Thank you, have a good one.” “Thank you for your time,” I replied and she again said, “Thank you.”

Thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance God blessed today.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and you had His life and peace. I had a good day and Marnita trusted in Christ today and said she would pray later; she was surrounded by friends. I’ll probably bump into her again to see if she meant it since she hangs out in the PE lounge with another girl I know. Once a girl said she would pray later this year and did another time a different girl did not so it depends. I also had a chance to go through the Gospel with a new Christian, Gianna. She was thankful saying it helped her understand everything. Thanks for your prayers. The stories are below if you have time.

Marnita [she pronounces her name as if the t is silent and sounds like a d] She had a square small chin and sharp features, 4-inch braids on tip of her head. She had on black spandex shorts and a flannel shirt over a black tight shirt like you’d work out in and a bare midriff. She was sitting with Daija a girl who came to a Bible Study a few times last year. Daija asked me if I had seen a girl we both know recently. So we talked a bit. All the girls at the table were African American and they were in the PE lounge at a table by a post. Evoni sat beside Daija and Marnita across from her. I turned to them and asked if they wanted to answer the big metaphysical question. Evoni immediately said yes and Marnita agreed. I asked, “So you’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He asks, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” Daija got the answer wrong, though I had gone through the Gospel with her more than once. I’m not sure where she is at to be honest. The other girls were not sure what to say so I asked them if they would want to know the answer from the Bible. They agreed to listen. I took out the booklet and different things drew their attention here and there as I spoke, though Marnita looked me in the eyes whenever I talked and seemed interested. I asked them what Jesus had done to take away their sins and Marnita knew Jesus had died on the cross. Evoni left saying she had to go to the bathroom, she seemed disinterested. A guy walked up and said nothing, for no reason (except that the girls were attractive possibly) and was standing off Marnita’s shoulder. So I finished going through the Gospel with Marnita and she wanted to be forgiven for her sins. I showed her the prayer and went through it, though in the middle of that Daija did something to distracter her, then grinned and apologized after Marnita said she was distracting her. As I had been in the middle I read through it again and asked Marnita if she would want to pray it silently and she said she would later. This seemed just as well to me that she’d think about it unmolested. I said no worries and handed her the booklet to keep. Evoni had not returned. Daija then said, “She’ll pray later, she prays all the time.” And then added, “Thanks for explaining things to my friends, Bob.” I said “Sure thing.” And I headed off.

Gianna was a lovely girl with a diamond shaped face and almond eyes and a dragon tattoo on her left forearm. She wore a lot of bracelets. She had the coloring of a Latina. Her hair was tied back flat to her head. She was sitting in a medium sized lounge off the west atrium on the first floor of the BIC building. She said she had a Bible Study she went to. I asked her the name. She did not know but had a notebook sized flyer for the study saying she did not go to the church meetings (also listed on it) but met individually with some people. It’s likely that it’s just another name for the Chicago Church of Christ cult. They’re works righteousness, and are big on being baptized into their church, after which they try to control your life. But since the Church is in Chicago it does not seem to get traction at COD. They change their name every year and then lie and say they are a new group on campus. I’m not sure what is going on there except that people like me were warning students when they went by their real name. I asked her if she wanted to answer the one big question to think about during the day. I asked, “So you’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. You’re dead. And you stand before God and He asks, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” She thought for a moment and said, “Because I stood with Him.” I asked if I could show her some Bible verses that answer the question and she cheerfully agreed. It turned out she was a new Christian. I asked her what the big thing was that Jesus had done to take away her sin and she said, “He forgives you?” I said He did and went on to explain the blood of Christ and as I explained the cross she seemed to remember Jesus had died seeing the cross. Possibly I had confused her with the way I asked her what He had done. I finished everything and she said she had prayed a prayer like that before and she had only been a Christian a little while. She was really grateful to understand more saying something like, “You really helped me understand more all the levels.” But she expressed had understood the base thing. I asked if I could give her a book with some more Bible verses in it and she agreed so I gave her Bible Promises for You writing her name in the front. She happily took it and I was on my way. But hopefully I’ll bump into her and can check up on her. Since she was not interested in attending their church she might be OK, though the Bible studies are vacuous in my experience with the group.

So, thanks for your prayers for the ministry and evangelism today. God blessed me with some good conversation and I encouraged some other believers as well.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today and you are bearing fruit in kindness toward others. I’sis committed to praying to receive Jesus today saying when I asked if she’d like to pray the prayer for salvation “On my own.” Her story is below so I will keep her in my prayers. She at first went to take a picture of the prayer and then I said she could keep the booklet. So it seemed she had genuine intent.

I’sis, an African American, was sitting at counter height a table outside the bookstore. I asked her 3 words to describe herself and the first one she chose was “Beautiful.” She wasn’t wrong. She had long braided extensions and big eyes with the kind of eyelashes that make you doubt they came from the gene pool. She had a pretty almond shaped face a smallish nose and a perfect mouth. She wore a t-shirt under a poly, athletic zip up jacket that had the back-to-back twinned silhouette girls they sometimes put on mud flaps running as a ribbon the length of her arm. I asked her what she would say to God to get into Heaven. She said, “Because no matter what I do I ax God to forgive me. Once I get that forgiveness I didn’t do it again.” She thought she had a 50/50 shot at going to Heaven and went to Church.  She listened attentively to the Gospel. A liberal obese woman with dyed red frizzy hair, who looks near 60 years old, drives around campus on her electric transport for the handicapped. She has told me I am dumping on students, so I ignore her. She rolled up in the middle of explaining the Gospel, interrupted me and asked I’sis if she was listening to something she wanted to hear.  I’sis looked at her and said, “Yes.” So she rolled away. I often see her buttonhole students. I suppose I should walk up and ask them if they were hearing something they wanted to hear but this would not be worth my time. I’sis was unfazed and listened to the rest of the Gospel. When I went to ask her if she wanted to be forgiven for her sins trusting in what Jesus had done so He could live inside her or thought something else, she immediately cut me off before I could say more and said, “I’ll go with this one.” I said that if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. I turned the page and she said, “Can I take a picture of that?” holding up her phone. I said she could keep the booklet and I continued to go through the prayer with her. I asked if she would like to pray it silently and as I’ve said she said, “On my own.” I said, “This question, if she prayed to trust in Jesus, would be 100%” pointing to the question of the likelihood she would go to Heaven. I asked if she’d like a book with some Bible verses in it. “Yes,” she replied. I gave her Bible Promises for You writing her name in the front and said, “When you pray that prayer you’ll be forgiven,” and I wrote, “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave her a Bible Study. She thanked me and I headed out.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today. I bumped into a few kids who had trusted the Lord before. Josiah said he had watched the DVD on evolution I gave him earlier this year and it answered his questions.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today so far with the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. I had a good day on campus Tessa prayed to receive Jesus today and Braedon received Christ after Bible Study walking around on Wednesday. Their stories are below if you have the time. Thanks for your help in prayer.

Wednesday Braedon was sitting in the hallway just down from the lockers outside the computer building. He had a big mop of blonde curly hair that reached his chin greyish eyes had a chin beard and a thin mustache. He went to a Naperville church I knew of, worked with the junior high group as a volunteer and I had met his pastor. He was wearing a red t-shirt and red basketball shorts. He did not have much time so I asked if he’d just like to hear the big question. “Sure,” he replied. “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus, so your dead,” I said. “So you stand before God and He asks, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say.” He wasn’t sure what he’d say but had 10 minutes so he said he’d listen to the Bible verses. I began to explain that in order for God to live inside him and truly know him he had to cleanse him of his sin. When I asked what Jesus had done, he knew Jesus had died for the sins of the world. I explained the cleansing blood of Christ as a payment for sin and a power in the world. I explained placing his faith in Jesus not just knowing the story. I asked if when he prayed for forgiveness he was thinking that he hoped he was good enough to be forgiven or was thinking Jesus had died for him and he would be.  He said it was hard to say. “Well maybe if I did something really bad,” he replied as to when he might think that Jesus had died for him, but it did not seem like he had thought he done something “really bad”. He was not sure at all he was trusting in Jesus so I said if he’d like to be sure he had asked God to forgive him of his sins there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it he wanted to pray to receive Christ. I explained living the Christian life to him then, “Inside  > Out” and I gave him a Bible Study and Bible Promises for You and also The Case for Christ Answer Booklet, he had not heard of Lee Strobel. He was busy at church and not at school the day we had Bible Study. “Thank you,” he said. “You’re welcome nice talking with you,” I replied. “Have a good one,” he said as he headed down the hall. And I said I’d be praying for him through next spring and one year after a Bible verse each day and he was off.

Thursday I had a nudge to go to the cafeteria.  Tessa was sitting at the counter there. She had print leggings on that were primarily white and a white sweater that came out from under a hoodie pulled up over straightened black hair long past her shoulders and in bangs. She had a small nose and sharp jaw small square chin and a classic African American mouth. She was a bit unkempt. She had a deep voice for a young woman. I asked her one thing she’d like to do before she died and she said, “Get married.” I asked her what she’d say if she died and God asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” She said she didn’t know. I asked her if she had, “ever gone to Church like when you were a kid,” But she hadn’t. “What do you think it is that gets you into Heaven?” I asked. “Just being a good person,” she replied. She thought she had a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven. So I began to go through the Gospel with her and she smiled here and there. She did not say anything except “Umm,” as I went through the Gospel and the righteousness of God to her credit, and adoption. I then recapped the ideas again of God’s love for her, wanting to know and live inside her, but He could not because of sin. Reading then, “But God demonstrates His love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” I said she could have these things by faith in Jesus, and that she was saved by faith her good stuff could not fix her bad stuff. I asked if she’d want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus and what he had done on the cross so God could live inside her. She nodded.  I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and talked her through it and read, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” She nodded again. I asked if she would like to pray it silently so only God would hear and know she was forgiven. “Wanna do that?” I asked. “Sure,” she replied. And she took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained when she finished that now trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus to be her righteousness the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I began to explain the Christian life and she said she did not have a Bible. So I gave her one and showed her the maps in back of places she could read about and the cross references and 99 Doctrines listed in the front and where to find them. I showed her the devotionals and study helps, and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I handed it to her and she said, “Thank you.” I said, “Your welcome.” And I gave her also a Bible Study and Bible Promises for You and also The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her I would keep her in my prayers until spring and one year after each day. I picked up my daypack to go and she said, “Thank you so much.” “Oh you’re welcome. I’ll see you in Heaven” I replied. “You as well,” she said. And I headed off.

Other notes: Thursday I also just got through the basic Gospel with Paula, a cute bigger Latina girl, oval face long brown hair, who then had to run to class. She was interested to know the Gospel as she’d seen a movie where all but one child had gone to Heaven and one child had gone to hell. “Then her sister went to Hell and took away her sins by washing her feet so she could go to Heaven,” she explained. I asked if she knew how God took away her sins so she could go to Heaven. She didn’t so I explained the Gospel showed her the prayer and already late she thanked me and ran off. I got a good seed planted I think with Karla in the science building who was already married but looked young. She had a sweet disposition was a pretty Latina also and had on a hoodie and was eating lunch but took in the Gospel. She’d gotten away from Church that she’d felt forced on her as a kid. She was now confused by the pluralism of religions. I gave her The Case for Christianity Answer Booklet and looking at it she turned to a page on trusting the Bible. She’d always wondered about that, she said. So I gave her the Rose publication on the scholarship/manuscript work behind trusting the Bible, which she really liked. We hit it off. I hope God will move in her heart. Amin a black guy, highly analytical, had left the faith. He had short dreadlocks coming out of squares and wore sweats. We talked as I answered his questions and listed for an hour and a half or so. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet, which he put in his pack and then thought he might like the longer book The Case for Christianity Answer Book and he took that too. So I am hopeful he will decide to follow Jesus. He said he’d never had a conversation like this before and hid his analytical side from his friends and even girlfriends.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed with all good things from above. I had a good day of sharing and seed planting though no one came to Christ but I had 3 long conversations with students.

Adna, Lamar, Hugo all heard the Gospel today and seemed at least open. Adna is a Muslim we talked a long time. She was pretty, light brown hair and grey green eyes and had no head scarf on. we were in the SSC lounge. We shared some values as she was a conservative religious person her family from Bosnia. Lamar wore his hair in dreds that were about 6 inches long half way down his nose. He has been influenced by his dad who is Black Israelite as far as I could tell and had a lot of questions on the Sabbath and other things, he took The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. He thanked me for walking up and talking to him and said he was going to check back with his father. Hugo a slight guy with blonde highlights in stick straight hair.  He gone to Church and Mosque with Muslim friends. He had read a lot of things and his parents were back in the Roman Catholic Church after a brief stay with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I gave him The Case for Christianity Answer Book.

So no one came to Christ but I had a good day and God gave me words for some hearers.

Thanks so much for your prayers for the ministry today. everyone else I spoke with was already a Christian and I touched base with several students who had prayed with me to receive Jesus in the past.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today and you are on the receiving end of some nice fall weather. I had a good day on campus and Ayleen and Daniel each prayed to receive Jesus today. Their stories are below if you have some time. Please pray they are blessed in their faith. Thanks for your help in prayer.

Ayleen [I lean] was sitting in the west most of the science buildings, on the second floor of the lounge that connects them, on a couch that faced toward the vending machines. A Latina, she had a row of dark brown braids on either side of her head and wore black rimmed glasses. Her face was pretty tan yet from summer. She had a snow vest on and a long sleeve blue shirt, wore jeans. She had a cute small slightly round face and a nice smile. She said she wanted to travel, she’d been to Mexico she said and a couple states.  I asked her what she would say to God if she died and was asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” She gave kind of a musical “Humm.” Then she said, “Interesting question,” under her breath, thinking. “Mainly for believing in Him, trusting,” she finally replied. She thought she had a 70% chance of going to Heaven. I asked her what the big thing was that Jesus had done to take away her sin after saying God wanted to live inside her but first had to make her His type. “He forgives you,” she guessed. I said, “He does forgive you and it works like this,” and I began to explain that Jesus had died for her, after he lived a perfect life we could not live. His blood cleansed her so now she was perfect and holy inside and God could live inside her. Then I explained how God got paid by Jesus pouring out His blood that was worth an infinite amount. She tracked with everything looking at me once in a while but primarily looking at the booklet. I explained that we received Jesus by faith, “So if someone asks Why should God let you into Heaven you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me’. “Ok,” she replied like she was making a note of that. Finally I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. “Be forgiven,” she replied. So I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it and asked if it was the desire of her heart. “She gave a slight sound of acknowledgement so I asked if she would like to pray silently right now. “Yeah,” she said and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. When she finished, I said that now trusting in Jesus’ righteousness to be her righteousness and in His blood and righteousness to save her, the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I began to explain the Christian life to her. She did not have her own Bible so I gave her one and showed her the study helps, maps, cross references devotionals and 99 essential doctrines in the front and where to find them. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. Then I explained going to God when we fail to obey and the fruit of the Spirit. I explained the Christian life was “Inside > Out” first asking to be transformed by His Spirit and then He makes us good people who do good things. “Everything in Christianity is Just Ask.” Saying God wanted to help her. I handed her the booklet then and she said “Thank you.” I gave her Bible Promises for You and a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her then I would pray a verse for her each day to be blessed through Spring and one year after. Have a good day I said getting up to go. “You too,” she replied. “Thank you.” And I headed off.

I later came across Daniel on the 3^rd floor of the BIC in the hallway alone at the end of a set of chairs. He had sandy hair and a slight mustache that matched and wore glasses. He had a red button-neck golf shirt on and khaki shorts square jaw and sharp features. When I asked him one thing he would want to do before he died he said, “Start a family.’ And usually when a guy says that he prays to receive Jesus, if he is not already a Christian. I asked him if he died what he would say to God if asked why He should let him into Heaven. “That’s a good question, I don’t know.” He replied, then answering he said, “It’s your decision at the end of the day.” I asked the likelihood he would go to Heaven and he said, “I have no idea ‘cause I’m not God,” he replied. I asked if he went to Church and he said he was a confirmed Catholic.  I began to go through the Gospel with him and I asked him, “What is the big thing Jesus does that takes away your sins, the sins of the world?” “Confession?” he guessed.  “Well the standing doctrine of the Catholic Church is that only God can forgive sins. The priest is like an insurance agent, not to diminish him in any way, but you buy insurance for your car from an insurance agent. Then if you get in a wreck you call the agent and he says he will notify the company and tells you were to go to fix it but the agent does not pay, the company pays. So the priest is telling you God forgives your sins and he can do this because he knows God got paid. I went on to explain what Jesus had done to forgive his sins. His blood cleansing him and as a payment for his sin and God could then live inside him. “What happens when you sin after that?” he asked. I said that he should ask God for forgiveness but when I sinned I also ask Him to transform me so I would not sin more. Then live by God’s power in His Spirit. I went to the back of the booklet and explained living “Inside > Out” by the power of the Spirit. I explained the righteousness of Christ to his credit then and that he was saved by faith. I asked him if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. He said he would want to be forgiven, so told him if he wanted there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through the prayer and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “I think it does, yeah,” he said affirmingly. I said he could pray it now silently and asked if he’d like to and he said, “Yeah,” So I handed the booklet and he prayed to receive the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus. I explained when he’d finished the likelihood he would be forgiven was 100% trusting in the righteousness of Christ quoting part of Philippians 3:9. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and he took out a zipped portfolio to put it in. He was highly organized and said he was taking 18 credits. I also gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and forgiven in the front and lastly gave him a Bible Study quickly explaining it as the next class was beginning. I told him I would pray for him each day until next Spring and one year after. “Thank you sir,” he said when I shook his hand. “God bless you,” I said “I’ll see you in Heaven.” “See you sir,” he replied happily and I headed off.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. God truly blessed.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope your weekend has been blessed do far today. I had a good day on campus Thursday hanging out with some students and Abrianna prayed with me to receive Christ. Her story is below if you have some time to read some of what she said. Please pray she will grow. And please pray for a guy struggling with his sin of pornography named Quin. Thanks for your help in prayer.

I prayed with a Christian guy named Quin who was addicted to porn Thursday. He didn’t believe he was going to Heaven though he had prayed to receive Jesus before in his life. I explained the power of the Holy Spirit in him. I said he was going to Heaven and God would forgive him after having gone through the Gospel seeing he believed. He said he had asked for forgiveness praying a prayer like it before. “So you believe faith alone saves you,” he asked. I said, “The Bible teaches that yes.” “Doesn’t it say in James that faith without works is dead?” He asked. I said it did but I was fairly certain he had done good works. I asked if he was kind to people and he said he was. And I mentioned some other things a Christian would do and he was doing those things.  I said, “Well kindness is a good work. You have one bad thing you are stuck on and if you do not get rid of it, it can destroy you. But that does not mean in other parts of your life you are not doing good works. Are you asking God for forgiveness?” I checked again. He said he was.  I explained that the power to do good things came from the Holy Spirit living in him and if God lived in him he would be transformed and do good things. He needed to ask God for that transformation so I said then “Don’t just ask to be forgiven but ask for Him to transform you.” I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You. “When you feel like looking at porn read one of the verses in this book instead and pray.” He said he only looked at things on his phone and I asked if he thought he could find a blocking program to put on it. He thought he could. I told him to keep his phone off except when he needed it. I said to find other Christians to pray for him.  “And get into a support group where a person will check up on you and help you, you can find them on line.” He nodded. He began to wipe tears from his eyes. I asked if I could pray for him and he nodded. No one was near us as he was at the counter in the cafeteria so I turned my back to the room and grabbed his wrist and prayed for him to be cleansed and have strength from the Lord and know he was forgiven. He was a small guy, thin, sandy hair and it did not look like he’d been getting much sleep. He was grief stricken by his sin and so I will be praying for him. But I think he was willing to get help. I explained he was living in a very evil time. 100 years ago he would not have fallen into looking at porn as he would not have had a way to access it. But I encouraged him he could get past it. I showed him the prayer again in the booklet and encouraged him to pray it when he fell in temptation, receiving God’s forgiveness and start again. So please pray for him. I will be looking for him and praying for his battle with sin.

Abrianna was sitting at a table outside the bookstore near the bottom of the stairs down from the main entrance to the SRC. She is a petite and her brown hair was parted down the middle and fell just past her shoulders. A cute kid with a square chin and a pretty white smile and had grey sweats on. She had long nails somewhat pink toned and wore jewelry sparingly but was a girly girl. I asked her what she would say to God to get into Heaven and she said, “I don’t know… I would say…” Then seeming to make up her mind said, “I deserve to be there I’ve been through a lot.” I laughed lightly and said “OK,: affirmingly. Heaven is rest and this life is difficult, and if it goes bad enough and you didn’t turn into a nasty person from it you could feel like you’d earned it.  She was sure she was going to Heaven and had been to church with some friends before. She knew Jesus had died for her sins. She seemed to enjoy hearing the stories I told to explain the Bible verses and smiled and was interactive. I explained the blood of Christ to pay for her sins and cleanse her and the righteousness of God Christ earned. I said God wanted to adopt her and give her the blessings of His family, “The sacrifice for your sins, the blood that cleanses you and the righteousness of God that surrounds you. So it’s like you got some place to go, Heaven, and something to wear when ya get there, The Righteousness of God.” I told her she was saved by faith and her good deeds would not fix her bad ones. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. “I’ll go with the first one,” she said. I said there was a prayer she could pray and then she’d know she was forgiven and I walked her through it and asked if it was the desire of her heart. “Yeah,” she said. So, I said she could pray that prayer silently and know she was forgiven and going to Heaven. “OK,” she said taking the booklet. “Wanna to it now?” I asked. “Right now?” she said ever so slightly scandalized.  “Sure,” I replied. “Do I do it out loud?” “No just silently it’s just between you and God,” I said. She took the booklet and silently prayed to receive Jesus. I asked if she had a Bible and she did. I gave her the book Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and forgiven!” in the front. “Thank you so much,” she replied as I gave it to her. I also gave her a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I said, I don’t know if I’ll see ya again,” “Oh I see ya walking around,” she said. “Well, I’ll just say hi if I do,” I replied. And she smiled at that. “I’ll keep you in my prayers and pray a Bible verse for you each day until spring and one year after.” I said the likelihood she would go to Heaven now was 100%. “Thank you for everything,” she said sincerely and I said “Sure,” and headed off down the hall.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for Evangelism this week if you had a chance. 39 Students have prayed to receive Jesus this school year so far.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and goodness and mercy has followed you all the day long [Psalm 23;6]. Thanks for your help in prayer if you had a moment today. Janayah and Juan each prayed to receive Jesus today after I explained the Gospel to them. Neither had known how God took away their sin though they went to church. Please pray they are blessed. Their stories are below if you want to spend the time.

Janayah [jan I] an African American girl was sitting in the science building lounge; I believe waiting for a ride (since she was sitting up against the glass wall on the north facing the parking lot). She had on dark blue scrubs for pants and a pull over sweatshirt (it was a little cold in the Science Buildings today). Her afro was strings of semi ringlets that were about 6 inches long with a part down the middle. She had a small nose, sharp features and wore clear plastic semi round glasses. She was a cute kid, petite. She was friendly and went to church off and on with her aunt. But the Church was in the city so they did not make it as often as they once did when she was younger. She wanted to learn to fly an airplane. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and was asked why should I let you into Heaven. “Oh, um… man,” she began then thinking some more she said, “I would say because I am a child of God. I do like to believe that I am saved. I did my very best to follow the footsteps you laid for me… I don’t know how to say it.” She thought she had an 80% chance of going to Heaven. I began to go through the Gospel with her explaining Romans 6:23, “Sin kills you; God gives you life. God can’t be in the same place as sin but there is sin inside you so He just takes away your sin so He can live inside you.” I asked “So what’s the big thing Jesus does to take away the sins of the world?” She said she did not know how to answer that question. So, I began to explain the cross to her and the cleansing blood of Jesus and the payment for her sin. Then the righteousness of God Christ earns, which was to her credit. I said she could receive this by faith and have the right to be a child of God. I asked her if she wanted to be forgiven and have God live inside her trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. “Trusting in Jesus,” she said and then added, “Of course.” I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. “OK,” she replied. After talking her through it I asked if this prayer expressed the desire of her heart. “It did, yeah,” she replied so I said she could pray it silently and know she was forgiven. She took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. When she finished I explained there was more about faith in the booklet and explained the Christian life. She had a Bible on her phone, which she liked because she could carry it with her. I explained living “Inside > Out” by the Spirit’s power. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven” on the inside. “Thank you,” she said when I handed it to her. I gave her a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and she thanked me again. I said that now trusting in the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I told her I would be praying for her each day through Spring and the next year and got up to go. “Thank you, you have a nice day,” she said. “Thanks, you too,” I replied. And I headed out.

I came across Juan sitting in the stuffed chairs in the hall outside the bookstore. He had a wide face and a weak mustache and a bit of a chin beard. He had shorts on and near shoulder length, curly wavy, thick, light brown hair and a sweatshirt. I think he was from south America, he had something of an accent. He was fair skinned and didn’t fit into any stereotypical demographic for appearance of which I’m aware. He had gone to a Roman Catholic Church growing up. He wanted to travel and said he’d been to Central and South America. I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven. “Hmm, I guess I would say I treated people around me as best as I can and as well as they treated me. I’ve been caring—about everybody in my life.” He thought he would have about a 70% chance of going to Heaven. I went through the Gospel with him first asking Him what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. He could not think of anything. So, I began to explain the Gospel saying this is what God does. He took it all in following and making eye contact. He was very reserved, and had described himself as shy. I had a bit of a headache and could not get any kind of a read on him as we talked. But after hearing what Jesus did to save him I asked if he had gone to a Roman Catholic Church. He had. I pointed out that in the Mass, the wafer was symbolic of Christ’s body and the wine symbolic of His blood. He acknowledged this. [On a side note: Even if someone believed in Transubstantiation, and most of the Catholic students I talk to do not (nor do I), the elements of the Lord’s supper begin symbolically. But now Christ has been glorified, so He is no longer flesh and were He to somehow inhabit the Eucharist since He is not flesh it would not become flesh 1Cor. 15:50]. I said that salvation was received by faith and not by works. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in Jesus or thought something else. “Would you want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done for you, that He is God died for you sins and rose from the dead?” I asked. “I could trust in that,” he said. I said if he would want to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through the prayer in the booklet. I said if he had never told God he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done he could pray that silently and know he was forgiven for his sins. “Sure,” he replied. And then taking the booklet asked, “Just read it?” And I said, “Yes.” He prayed then to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life and he said they had a Bible at home to read. I explained living “Inside > Out” to him living by the power of the Spirit to transform him. I told him the likelihood he would now go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the righteousness of Jesus and explained that though I sinned and had to be forgiven and each year my sins added up, so that I had sinned far more than he had, being young. But if we died today the righteousness of Jesus would cover us and God would forgive us both. I also gave him Bible Promises for You writing his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study. I told him I would pray for him each day until next spring and one year after. “Thank you, have a nice day,” he said pleasantly. “You too,” I said and I headed off down the hall.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance God truly blessed.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today with the comfort and love of the Lord. I had a good day on campus and Kayla & Kendall prayed to receive Jesus today. Their stories are below if you have some time you want to spend. Thanks so much for your help in prayer, please pray they are Blessed. I got a good seed planted with a girl named Ben, thin sitting on the edge of the SSC lounge, who wore her hair in a pixy cut and had pretty freckles in all the right places. Taking the booklet, she seemed to be saying she thought she would pray later. I also bumped into AJ again who had been on the fence about faith. He said he was now looking into it more and thanked me for giving him the books I’d given and explaining everything and getting him started. He had not prayed to receive Christ yet but was closer he said.

Kayla was a black girl sitting in the balcony that overlooks the stairways and main entrance to the SRC across the foyer, just upstairs from the bookstore. She had long braids to her elbows and a cute near circular face, wore black glasses. She had a black t-shirt on with what might have been a skull on it in white and pale greenish cargo pants. I asked her what she might say to God if asked why He should let her into Heaven. She said, “I never thought about that question.” Then thinking a bit she said, “I think everyone should have a chance, a chance for forgiveness.” At first she thought she had a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven saying, “You never know what the future holds… change that to 75%.” She’d gone to a church in the city regularly but nothing had clicked with the style of church she was used to out here in the suburbs. I told her that God would have to take away her sin to live inside her. And I asked, “What’s the big thing that Jesus does to take away the sins of the world?” “Oh, I don’t know,” she replied. “It’s been a while since I had religious education.” As I went through the Gospel it seemed pretty novel to her but after I had explained the Blood of Christ cleansing her of her sins and being a payment and the righteousness of Christ I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus or thought something else. “Be forgiven for my sins,” she replied. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and talked her through it. I asked, “It says here: Is this prayer the desire of your heart? so do you think it is?” She nodded in reply. Then I said she could pray it silently in her heart and she would know she was forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done. “Wanna do it?” I asked.  “Yeah,” she said. Then taking the booklet asked “Out loud?” “No just between you and God,” I replied. And she prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life then and she had a Bible and I explained living Inside > Out by the Spirit’s power. She thanked me then and I gave her a Bible study explaining it and Bible Promises for You writing her name and the date and “forgiven! In the front and I gave her Strobel’s The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her I would pray for her each day through spring and one year after and I got up to go. She thanked me again. I said “Sure,” and headed off. She was really a nice person.

Kendall was sitting on the floor with her back against the glass wall of a classroom up against the PE lounge. It’s just filled with computers and screens. I’ve never actually seen a class in there but students go in there and use the computers. Kendall has a cute face, glasses and ringlets of light brown curls that were not to her chin. She wore a royal blue t-shirt and some blue sweats. I had passed her in the hall before. Her hands had what looked to be birth-defects at her wrists. These were permanently bent in sharp angles forcing her hands back toward her body. She did not seem to have complete function of her fingers but she could pinch things in her thumb and index finger. I asked her one thing she would like to do before she died and she said be an actor. She thought people in movies that acted out the parts of disabled people couldn’t really know what it felt like to be disabled and she could bring her experience to it. I asked what she would say to God if He asked why He should let her into Heaven and she said, “Ah… that you made all our time lines, I think it’s my time to come in.” She said she went to a nondenominational church in Bloomingdale. She said she did the kids clubs and helped with Children’s church. I asked her the likelihood she would go to Heaven and she said, “I think I got a good shot.  I’ve done bad things but I pray and stuff like that.” I began to go through the Gospel with her and she had John 3:16 memorized saying it was one of her favorite verses. I asked her what Jesus had done to take away her sins (so He could live inside her by the Spirit and give her eternal life). “He died,” she replied. I said that was right and then explained that the blood of Jesus cleansed her so God could live inside her quoting 1John 1:7. “Alright,” she said as if discovering something. I said, “This is what happens Theologically but practically speaking God gets paid.” I used the idea that if she borrowed her friend’s car and dented the fender then she would have to take it to the body shop pay the deductible and then give it back to her friend perfect again. And I went on to say that God owned everything, her & me and the world. If I hurt her or the world or myself in some way I would owe God something perfect to pay Him back for damaging His stuff. But I am not perfect and I can’t pay. But God loves me so He becomes a perfect man and when he pours out His blood it is worth an infinite amount. His blood pays God back for all the imperfect stuff we have done that we owe God something perfect for. “So, the real reason God forgives you is that he got paid. But he had to pay Himself.” “Alright,” she said again in the same tone. I told her of the Righteousness of God to her credit. I finished explaining all that God had done to save her. I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done so He could live inside her or if she thought something else. “I would rather be forgiven,” she said. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it. I asked if it was the desire of her heart. “Yeah,” she replied and asking if she’d want to pray silently she said, “Um hum.” And she took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to her living Inside  > Out saying God would give her as much help as she needed to be successful so that it would not hurt her. I suggested God might not have made her an actor, though she had the talent, because Hollywood was dangerous and something bad might have happened to her there. She thought that made sense. She had a Bible. I gave her Bible Promises for You writing her name and the date and “forgiven!” In the front and I showed her Strobel’s The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. She really liked it so I asked if she would like the bigger book with more topics, The Case for Christianity Answer Book she decided she’d like the longer one so I wrote her name it and gave it to her. Her phone said her mom was there to pick her up so I said I would pray for her each day until spring and one year after. “Alright,” she said brightly. “Thank you,” she said getting up to go. “Sure, nice to meet you,” I said. “Nice to meet you too,” she said and she headed for the doors.

Thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance, God truly blessed.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you’re blessed today walking in the Spirit who gives us all the strengthen to live the Christian Life.  Ryssa and Tim each prayed with me to receive Jesus on Thursday. Their stories are below if you have time.  I got a couple seeds planted too with a pretty golden-haired girl named Sarah and Shane who seemed to be hearing the Gospel clearly for the first time in though he went to a Christian School, also later AJ, sitting across the table from Tim. Thanks for your help in prayer this past week.

I found my way over the PE building after a while on Thursday cutting across the patio and sidewalk from the BIC. No one upstairs wanted to talk though I ran into Trevont who had received Christ and he was happy to see me. I told him I was praying for him. Downstairs there were a couple guys at the table talking. In a brief lull in their conversation as I passed I asked the guy closest to me, AJ, if he wanted to do a survey. He was stick-thin, narrow face and taller than me and had 6-inch braids, mustache and chin beard, good looking, was wearing a tank top and shorts. He hesitated but Tim piped in that he would do it. Tim had braids coming out of a light blue watch cap the ones in front were thick and the full length of his face. He was darker than AJ, oval, fuller face. He wore a black hoodie and black pants and was clean shaven.  AJ agreed then, since Tim was in. AJ said we’d spoken before [where I had just handed him a booklet]. So walking just past AJ I sat to his left and Tim was directly across the table. Both seemed family oriented and wanted to earn enough to have families in “a good spot” financially. I asked them what they would say to God to get into Heaven and Tim said, “I know I didn’t sin. My heart, I have a kind heart. Deep down inside I have a good heart. God knows my heart.” AJ said, “I’m always down the middle making that choice. I don’t treat anyone with prejudice, treat everyone with kindness.” He said he didn’t want to make the wrong choice having grown up in the church. He knew there were many other religions and he did not want to choose the wrong one and have to back out. I explained that just because you were raised in something did not mean it was wrong either and he agreed. At this point Tim chimed in that he knew there was a God and AJ agreed. I began to go through the Gospel. At one point Tim piped in that he had been baptized and had gone to a Bible study. I said something about Adam and Eve in reference to sin, which he did not clearly seem to know to acknowledge. He said he knew some characters in the Bible he mentioned David and Goliath and then Cain and I said, “who killed Able.” He agreed. I said, “There is Noah and the flood.” He had never heard of Noah and I told him a bit of the story but nothing registered.  “Well, I know 4 people in the Bible,” he replied.

About then a girl AJ knew, Ryssa, had walked up a bit awkwardly I realized later she had an external boot cast on her foot.  She was a small distraction at first talking to AJ. Black, she had a cute oval face, one that could have been Latina by her features, a smaller nose and oval face, had a full figure. She wore a red hoodie and black leggings. Her hair long past her shoulders looked straightened. She began to listen. And was interested in the analogies. I was looking back and forth at all of them but I don’t know if any could clearly see the verses I quoted. But they heard them.  I went through the verses I always tell explaining how the blood of Christ cleanses and pays for our sins. I said that Jesus earned the righteousness of God with a story about a kid in class whose extra credit becomes yours. Ryssa really liked that idea. She said her family had gone to Church but then the pastor one day had said God did not love everyone and they left. It seems like the actual story, which happened when she was a child, was probably more complicated. But in any event the family had not returned to church. I said, “Say AJ has a girlfriend.” Then talking to him, “You thought she was pretty cool but then it turned out she was cheating on you and stealing your stuff. So you cut her loose. Then she comes around in about a week and says, ’I know I did you wrong, I was even stealing your stuff and selling it for drugs, but I just want you to know, I’m gonna be nice to my next 3 boyfriends.’” I laughed and so did AJ. “You’d be like, ‘That doesn’t help me at all,’ ‘cause you can’t to good things over there to make up for your bad things here.” Then Ryssa piped in saying, “I would never do you that way.”  So I asked if she was his girlfriend and they both said she was. I went on to explain that your good stuff dies not fix your bad stuff with God either but that he can turn something bad you do or happens to you into something good because He controls the future. Finally I offered the idea that they could be forgiven, trusting in what Jesus had done for them on the cross and asked if they would want to pray to receive Jesus. AJ said he was “On the fence.” But Tim said he wanted to be forgiven. I asked Ryssa (getting her name then) if she had wanted to be forgiven too. She nodded enthusiastically and said yes. So not knowing where she had jumped in and began to actually listen I asked, “Do you believe Jesus is God died for your sins and rose from the dead?” “Yes,” she replied. And would you want to place your trust in that to be forgiven?” “Yes,” she replied again. I gave her a booklet I had already put all my notes in and they each prayed to receive Jesus. When Ryssa finished she said, marveling a bit, “I just felt like a weight come off my chest.” I said that was the Holy Spirit. I gave them each a Bible study and Bible Promises for You. In Tim and Ryssa’s books I wrote their name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. They all took The Case for Christianity Answer Booklet and I explained to AJ it might help him come to a conclusion and I explained the Bible study to them also. Tim’s cousin came up sat by us but wanted nothing to do with it so he took a pass though Tim informed him he should “pray this prayer”. “Thanks so much,” Tim said as I get up to go. “Thank you,” Ryssa said. And I said I would see them in Heaven and would be praying for them each day until a year from Spring. And I headed out.

So, thanks for your prayers for the ministry this week if you had a chance, God truly blessed. 33 people trusted Christ this semester and I was sick one day.

In Him,

Bob