Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I had a great day today of sharing with some peeps and I think I got some good seeds planted with some lost people.  The last person I talked to was Parish.  He was just sitting on the first floor on one of the benches against the glass lounge wall in the hallway right off the Student Services Lounge.  He had 4 or 5 inch braids and had dyed the ends a couple different colors.  He was in Florida at another school last year and runs track and plays football at COD and hopes to run at another school.  Good looking, tall African American kid.  Parish had been to Church some and prayed regularly and read the Bible.  Lately he felt like God had been proving Himself to him through answered prayer.  He kind of broadly knew Jesus had died for sin but had not trusted in the Blood of Christ and His sacrifice for him to be forgiven.  As I talked through the Gospel with him, showing him verses, he said, “Oh,” here and there in realization.  So it was obvious he had not really understood the Gospel or trusted in Christ, and he said he had not, but had more thought he was a good guy and God was cool with him.  So I offered him the prayer and he prayed to receive Christ.  I got his E-mail to send him some stuff and gave him a Bible Study on the Deity of Christ and More Than A Carpenter to read. So that was really great.

I bumped into a couple different guys who had received Christ this year.  Chris, an African American guy, and Mike and encouraged them and went through some more teaching with Chris.  So that was really good too.  I had an excellent day.

Thanks so much for your prayers for the ministry and for Evangelism today if you had a moment. I’m grateful for the help.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Well, I hope you are surviving the winter well.  The weather here has been windy and cold, but fortunately the buildings are all connected at College of DuPage, so I can shove my coat in the club’s locker and walk about.  Two prayed to receive Christ today; Ewelina (Evalena Polish pronunciation) and Quincy, an African American guy.

Ewelina was sitting, waiting for her boyfriend to get out of class in the Science building.  I don’t think the class was even half over so she was game to talk a while.  She was a very lovely brown-haired girl whose parents brought her here from Poland when she was 3. She was raised Roman Catholic, predictably enough, and went to church largely to please her parents, but she did pray each night. She seemed to be more attracted to the Gospel the more we talked, but said, “What you are saying does not sound that different from how I am now.  I feel like I have a relationship with God, I pray each night and confess to the priest @ church.” I said, “Well, everyone has a relationship with God [as He is their creator] but not everyone is in a relationship with God.” I explained the difference further by suggesting she and I could have a relationship were we to come to know each other better but only my wife Ellen is in a relationship with me.  I said, Heaven was like a good club, you have to know someone to get in, the bouncer the bartender the drummer in the band.  She said smiling, “So Jesus is like the bouncer in Heaven.”  I said He was and rejected religious people who did not know Him though they did miracles in His name and even cast out demons [Matt. 7:22].  She needed to enter in His name by His righteousness that was to her credit by faith.  I talked to her about the work of the priest suggesting he was like an insurance agent you buy car insurance from.  When you crack up your car, the company he represents pays, not him.  Similarly the priest represents God and must assume you understand the work of Christ forgives your sins and might give you some penance to provoke feelings in that regard, but no man can forgive your sins, only God could forgive you.  She agreed with this and had not prayed for forgiveness thinking about the work of Christ or really understanding it before.  The Holy Spirit seemed to move in our discussion. I told her (giving her a word picture about a relationship and a boyfriend) that what God wanted most from her was the same thing she would want in a relationship, “He wants to be believed.”  I asked her what she thought and she said , “Sounds good.”  And she decided to pray to receive Christ. I explained the work of the Holy Spirit to her and gave her a Bible study and she was looking forward to reading the Bible more.

I spoke with Quincy next.  He was sitting on one of the over-stuffed chairs at the top of the stairs overlooking the SRC revolving doors. He was looking at a laptop, but as I stood at the rails looking out he looked up, so I asked him if he wanted to do a student survey for a Bible Study group and he said ok.  He plays football, just an average looking guy, not huge.  He did not know how his sins were forgiven and the Gospel was all news to him.  He wanted to be forgiven for his sins and said he did believe Jesus had died for him to forgive them.  He prayed to receive Christ.  He did not like to read, but took a Bible study from me and gave me his email to send him something more.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for Evangelism today if you got a chance.  Please pray for Ewelina and Quincy that they might grow.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
How was your day?  Blessed I hope.  Mine went ok.  I encouraged some Christians in their faith and eventually came across Melissa who prayed to commit to Christ.  I was headed out of the Science building and walked past Melissa, but felt prompted to walk back again, which does not always work out.  But Melissa was willing to talk and turned out to be an older student, 36, in pastel sweats. She was also divorced and pregnant.  Her story was kind of interesting as her parents had been Roman Catholic, but when they moved to Illinois with her as a baby, the Catholic Church they were attending would not baptize her as they had not attended long enough to have given enough to the Church financially.  I guess Catholic Churches had kind of a “pay to play” thing going then, might still now, who knows.  Anyway, this completely alienated her parents, understandably enough.  They have not been back to a Catholic Church since.  She married a Lutheran guy, was married in that church and had attended a nondenominational church.  But when I asked her  why God should let her into Heaven she appealed to the minimal least morality I’d heard anyone put up.  Effectively she hadn’t stolen or killed anyone or done anything she thought would keep her out.  After going through the Gospel with her I pointed out to her that she seemed to be depending on not having done anything very bad and that, like most people, she seemed to kind of assume God was forgiving and that would get her into Heaven when she died.  She acknowledged she was and I said, “Well, if you just know the story of Christianity and are not holding that in your heart when asking forgiveness, trusting in what Jesus did for you on the Cross, you have not received Christ.”  She seemed somewhat surprised to realize that.  I offered her a prayer she could pray but she wanted to pray later, so though it seemed she committed to Christ and I asked her and she confessed this, I’m not sure if she will, but will pray for her. I gave her the booklet and a Bible study to read.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. I’m grateful.

Drive safe. 🙂

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ.

I had a good day of sharing the Gospel today and Josh came to Christ.  He is an African American guy, plays sports at school, Cub fan,(so he knows how to suffer and that should help him in the Christian life.)   Josh regularly went to church when he lived at home and thought he’d go to Heaven, though he had no idea why God would let him in.  When I asked him how God took away his sins he didn’t have any idea.  He tried, “Baptism.” I said, “That is symbolic of it — what is the big thing Jesus does that takes away the sin of the world?”  He had nothing.  He was sitting with Sam in the Cafeteria and  when Josh said he’d do a survey Sam jumped in, but as I went through the Gospel Sam wasn’t interested and played with his phone a lot.  But Josh tuned in and wanted to be forgiven and prayed to receive Christ. I  messed with Sam about it some and did get their e-mails.  I hope Sam turns someday and he is not the seed that falls on the rocks.

Thanks for your prayers for the ministry and today for evangelism if you got a chance. I had some other good conversations with Christians, so it was a pretty good day. But then it always is when someone believes. Please pray Josh grows.

In Him,

Bob Bollow

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Well, I hope you were blessed today walking with the Lord by His Spirit.  I had a good day.  Markus and Mark prayed to receive Christ. It felt like it took a long time to get going.  No one wanted to talk to me for the first hour it seemed like, but I kept praying and walking and eventually I saw Markus sitting at a table just west of the sky bridge connecting the SRC building to the Science Building.  He agreed to do a survey.  He is a big 6’3″ good looking black guy, plays Basketball and Football at COD.  He had been to church a little but had not heard the story of the Gospel of Jesus.  But he tuned in and he believed and prayed to receive Christ and truly trusted Him.  I explained the work of the Spirit to him and he said he had 3 Bible Apps on his iPhone, so I encouraged him to read in the book of John.  He had never been out of the state but he will get to Heaven one day.  I gave him a Bible study and he took More than a Carpenter to read.  I got his e-mail to send him stuff.

Mark was sitting at the counter looking outside, about to eat lunch in the cafeteria.  I said “hey” and kept walking past him.  I was a little tired and I had asked around the room, been turned down a lot already and figured I’d head out to another building.  Then I felt like I was supposed to go back and talk to him.  It feels awkward to walk back across the room to someone, but hey he agreed to talk. He was a white kid with wavy brown hair wearing a jersey of a team I did not recognize.  He is Roman Catholic and knew Jesus had died for sin but had never even thought about it relative to himself or asking to be forgiven by God.  He had simply thought God was forgiving.  After going through the Gospel with him, he prayed to receive Christ as well.  I offered him a Bible but he said he had several, but took a bible study on the Deity of Christ.  He did not want a Christian book saying, “I’ll just read the Bible.”  So that was great.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry of evangelism at COD and for today’s work if you had a chance. God was with me today.

In Him,

Bob Bollow

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 
I hope you had a good day today walking with the Lord.  I had a good day being led around by the Spirit for a few hours, and Bible study went well for the 6 of us.  Mike prayed to receive Christ.  Also I had a really friendly conversation with Ayaa, a Muslim girl from Iran, and encouraged some other peeps.

Mike was in the hall of the Science Building a bit after 2 PM.  He didn’t seem to have much to do, so he was willing to do a survey with me.  He is Roman Catholic and thought he would go to Heaven because of his “good deeds.” As I went through the Gospel with him, he said he would want to be forgiven and have God live inside him.  He had never asked God to forgive him while trusting in and thinking about Jesus work on the Cross, but thought he’d just figured God would forgive him, not thinking about why.  I offered him a prayer he could pray and Mike prayed to receive forgiveness in Christ.  He took a Bible to read as he did not have one, and a Bible Study on the Deity of Christ.  So that was great.  I told him I would pray for him.

Ayaa (pronounced “I ahh”) was the last person I spoke to today.  She had a head scarf on, so I did not think she would probably be interested and walked by where she was sitting in the lounge where we have Bible Study.  But I felt a prompting I thought might be from the Lord to go back.  She was up for talking to me and was very friendly and receptive, saying what I said about Jesus was taught at her home.  I don’t think she could have meant ‘everything’ I’d said, and I might have lost something in translation, but she had overheard our Bible study earlier and thought she would be interested to come.  After I went thought the Gospel with her she gladly took the booklet and a copy of the Student Edition of The Case for Christ. She thought she might like to attend the Bible study so that would be really great.  I prayed for her, that she might not get in any grief at home over the materials I gave her, and I encouraged her to ask God to show Himself to her.  I said it was my understanding that God came to people who were from Iran in their dreams and spoke to them.  She said she believed that too.  I said, “Why not ask God to show you Himself in a dream?” I explained that this had happened to a Muslim friend of mine who had lived in Lebanon, Hicham, who is now a Christian.  She thought that would be cool and I am going to pray God comes to her and affirms His word in the Gospel as I gave it to her.
Well, thanks for your prayers for the ministry.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

So how was your day?  I hope you found something in it to remind you of God’s love and lift you up.  Two people prayed with me to receive Christ today who had not understood the Gospel before, Viviana and Austin.  Austinis Asian, goes to Church with his parents periodically at a nondenominational Church inNaperville, and Viviana is Latino and Roman Catholic.

Viviana was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs at the top of the steps in the SRC where the revolving doors are.  She was just a nice, pleasant-looking girl, seemed a bit reserved and shy.  She was willing to talk, though, and after I had gone through the Gospel with her she said she would like to be forgiven.  I asked her if she had asked God to forgive her sins with the idea of Jesus dying on the Cross for her as the reason why she would be forgiven, or if when she prayed she hoped God would just be forgiving and was magnanimous.  She had not been able to tell me how God took away her sins.  She thought about it a bit and said that she had really just thought God would forgive her.  I read through the prayer with her, explaining that she should ask then to be forgiven because of what Jesus did, and asked her if she would like to pray and be sure God forgave her and lived inside her by faith.  She said she would and prayed.  She took a Bible and then remembered one she had at home.  She took a Bible study and I encouraged her to read in John and gave her some other passages to look up explaining the work of the Holy Spirit.  I told her I would pray for her.

Austinwas sitting on the window ledge in the hall out from the student services center lounge where we have Bible Study into the BIC building. He said he had five minutes, so I did a survey with him.  When I asked him one thing he wanted to do before he died, he said, “Have a 3 way” (meaning “ménage à trios'”).  So I was not very optimistic he would come to Christ.  (I had just had a pretty blue conversation with a mixed group of 4 or 5 African American kids and somehow God helped me to corner it with one guy to walk him through the Gospel.  But about a third of what they said I’d be sure you wouldn’t want me to print.  I think this had dimmed my optimism.)  ButAustinwas actually very receptive and was a caring guy deep down.  After I walked him through the prayer I said, “So is this the desire of your heart?”  He said it was and I said in all seriousness, “The 3 way is never gonna happen if you pray this.”  He kind of half-smiled like he had been kidding, and nodded and prayed to receive Christ.  So what do I know? He said he did not read, but He took a Bible study on the Deity of Christ and he and his friend rolled off.
So thank you so much for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance.  I’d covet them for Viviana and Austin if you would take a moment, that they might grow in Christ.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I had a good day today and was encouraged talking to some Christians who knew God.  At the end of the day I talked with Marquis, a tall, solid-looking black guy with a big smile who said he’d do a survey.  I went through the Gospel with him and he was tuned in, but had a bit of attitude.  He was pretty cocky but listened to the Gospel, though his friends were around him and he said he would pray later.  He was in a good spot as his friend had begun taking him to Church the last three weeks.  I said fine, and that if he would send me an e-mail I would pray for him.  But I asked him, “Do you believe Jesus has died for your sins and rose from the dead and do you trust in that to make you right with God?” He said yes and so I reached out and we shook on it.  He sent me an e-mail when I got home just saying “it’s Marquis.”  That’s all I asked for, so I’ll be praying for him.  As I was leaving, Jen, who had prayed to receive Christ last semester, walked up smiling and I told her I was praying for her.  So a good day.

Thank you for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. Please pray for Marquis that he would continue in the faith.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Thanks for your prayers for the ministry, and today for evangelism on campus if you got a chance.  Wade prayed to receive Christ today.  He was sitting with a friend Geo in the lounge near Starbucks, near where we have Bible Study.  Wade plays defense for the football team and Geo plays quarterback.  They were both big, athletic looking guys.  They did a student survey with me and I went through the Gospel.  Wade was from a Christian background but Geo was not, and after I had gone through the Gospel with them, though both of them expressed a desire to be forgiven for their sins, Geo did not feel like he was ready to give his life to the Lord.  Wade prayed and I talked to them both about the Holy Spirit and the Christian life.  I gave them each a Bible study and offered them books.  Both of them wanted the student edition of The Case for Faith .  I had and extra copy in the locker I have at school, so I went and got it and asked Geo if it would be ok if I prayed for him and he said it would.  Wade was on his phone, but signaled me as I was leaving and thanked me and shook my hand.  They seemed like solid guys, so I will be praying for them and hoping Geo comes to faith in Christ.

The cult group “Churchof God” had a few people walking around today.  I prayed against them for a bit.  They are Korean in origin.  The founder left the Seventh Day Adventists and claimed to be the second coming of Christ.  He later declared his wife the “Mother goddess”.  He’s dead and she is still alive, unfortunately.  The group tries to convince people through passages in the Bible, of which no one who had a superficial working knowledge of the NT would ever believe (fall for) their interpretation.  But then many people I have met who call themselves Christians do not even know the Gospel.  I sabotaged their work with a couple people they talked to, waring them in one way or another.  The people walking around are pretty dull looking so I imagine that can’t help so that is good.  They try to get contact information and pressure people.  Cult tactics are one of the reasons I have decided I have to be very low key and allow the Holy Spirit to lead people after they come to Christ.  I never pressure anyone anyway, of course, but the verse in Revelation 22:17 comes to mind “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”   I think that I personally am not asking them to do something or buy something leaves them with a positive sense of their commitment to God and gives Satan less opportunity to provoke doubt.  And that is why I pray for each by name every night.

So thanks again for your prayers, God lead me today.

In Him,
Bob Bollow

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

So how was your day?  Good I hope.  Mine was good in that Damian, a black guy, prayed to receive Christ.  I had a rough conversation out of the gate with an Atheist girl named Tori.  She seemed interested to talk to me, but I think it turned she wanted to vent.  I got the typical questions…why is Christianity teaching all homosexuals go to hell?  I said it does not teach this, but if they practice it they are condemned.  As recently as the 1960s the preponderance of psychological practice taught Homosexuality is dangerous for you and destructive . Male homosexuals live shorter lives and since God does not want you to destroy yourself and others he is opposed to it . Lesbians, we would maintain, are not happy and in most cases have no hope of family or the security of a male, [who has been largely replaced by the state now and is probably a large reason many single women vote democratic.  Not that many Republicans are shining banners of small Government, but the Dems have the social program provision rep.].  I told her if she had a child, she would not let them play in the street or with their dad’s electric chain saw and we are like children to God.  Basically societal rules preserve us.  I explained other religions were not offering Heaven, but that Romans 1 basically teaches that if people would live up to the ethical code God has placed in them by giving them knowledge of Himself, they would be justified.  But they do not and so they are without excuse.  When she first began to ask questions and I could see where it would go I said, “Well, I will tell you what Christianity teaches if you promise not to get angry and we can just discuss it.”  She promised, but ended up throwing the booklet more or less at me as she stormed off in the end.  This, I was grateful for, since it has my contact information on it and really did not much want her to have it.  I told her that the Bible teaches there really are no atheists (Based on the idea of Romans 1) and I agreed with that and basically thought people were just angry at God or wanting to do as they wished.  She did not really argue with that in the moment.  What upset her most was that she thought she should be allowed into Heaven and given the chance to decide after death.  I said “so you don’t think there should be justice?”  She said she did and was up for people going to hell if they had told God F you.  She just did not realize she was doing that.  I offered her the book The Case for a Creator as she said she was rational, suggesting religion was not.  She did not want it.  She said some stuff that would be considered really offensive to Christians, but hey, I’ve heard it all b4 and I get peeps are just angry about something.  But when I agreed with her that she would go to hell for her unbelief as would anyone who was not a Christian, she blew a gasket.  “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”  It kind of threw me off, but then I spoke with a nice black lady who was a Christian and took my side and let me teach her some stuff so that was great. Hung with some of my student friends who I dig and then rolled back out.

Damian was just sitting killing time. He had somehow dropped out of basic training for the Marine Core and was talking classes.  Nice guy; glasses, shaved head, not a big dude at all.  As I went through the Gospel he seemed to know it, though he had appealed to good works to go to Heaven.  I talked to him about that and it was obvious he had never committed his life to Christ nor had he thought in terms of Christ’s work to forgive him.  It was kind of like he assumed that was how it worked somewhere in his mind at one point and then never given it another thought.  But he wanted to receive Jesus and prayed.  I gave him More than a Carpenter to read and he thanked me.  I told him I would keep him in my prayers.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance, God was with me.

Bob Bollow