Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed following the Lord. I had a good day on campus and had a long conversation with Tariq, a Muslim (details at bottom) and Kevin who prayed to receive Christ. Donovan a very short-haired guy with a pencil mustache said he needed to think about his eternal life but was arguing with his parents about religion. I said after going through the Gospel with him he should get into a relationship with God trusting in what Jesus had done and worry about the details about how his parents did things later. He admitted he needed to “Think about his eternal life.” Please pray for the sanctification by the Spirit of Kevin and that these others might be brought to Christ.

Kevin was sitting on the hallway of the second floor of the BIC looking at his phone for a minute before he went to his car. We were just short of the doors that headed out to this big copper fountain that is turned off for winter (I think it is supposed to be the head of the school mascot). He had on black nylon sweats and a white sweater, nice material. He had dark perfect skin. If his pigmentation were Caucasian his feature were the size and shape of a white guy. He had 4-inch braids like a mop on top and a perfect triangle nose lips about like mine, firm jaw line; Very nice guy. One of the words he used to describe himself was “silent” and that matched our interaction. I asked him, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I would say I followed Him since I was young. I think I should come in because I’m very faithful to follow you,” he replied. He thought he had a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven. He said went to church every week. I began to go through the Gospel with him and saying knowing God was eternal life because he lived inside you I also said first he had to take away your sin. I asked him what Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world and he struggled to answer and then said, “He separated the good from the bad?” I said, “He did do that but this is how it works,” and I explained the way I usually do that Jesus lived the perfect life, we could not, to be a sacrifice for sin. His blood cleansed us and was a payment to God.  I asked if he understood then and he said, “Yeah.” Jesus earned God’s righteousness by His perfect obedience and fulfilling the Old Testament Law. This was to our credit through adoption as sons. We received this by faith, it saved us. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in what Jesus had done, then He would live inside him and give him strength; take him to Heaven when he died. Then I explained the different God of Islam and the different world of the Buddha. I asked again, “So would you want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus?” “Yes,” he said. I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. ‘Yes,” he said again. I said he could pray it silently, “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. Wanna do it?” “Yeah,” he replied. And he took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. When he finished I said, “Your sins are forgiven,” He shot me a warm smile of bright white teeth. I explained the Christian life to Him by the Spirit’s power living “Inside Out.” He had a Bible but I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave him a Bible study on Jesus claims to be God and retold the story of Jesus walking on the water, which he hadn’t seemed to have heard before. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told him I would see him in Heaven and I would pray a prayer for him each day from now until Spring and one year after using a Bible verse asking God to bless him. “Thank you,” he replied. “Have a good one man,” I said. “Thank you,” he replied and he headed off.

I spoke with a Muslim for a while I had met before, Tariq. He started the conversation and asked If I thought God peed and pooped. I said not any more because Jesus was glorified but that I would not blaspheme God and tell Him He could not do something He wanted to do.

 He said man was made out of mud and clay and informed me Satan was made from fire and smoke and was jealous in the Garden of Eden telling me the Quran’s version. But he said Adam repented. I said that in the story of Moses and the burning bush Moses is told to remove his sandals because he is on Holy Ground. That meant God was in the ground making it holy and so “God was in the dirt, the Mud whatever”. He had said Man was made of mud or dirt, so if God could be in dirt he could become a man who is made of dirt. He said Mecca was holy. I said that is a different kind of Holy.

 I said when you forgive it costs you something to do it and it costs God to forgive us. He pays a price so He can be just in forgiving. He asked if my mother slapped me in the face if it wouldn’t cost me something to forgive her. I said I thought it would cost me something emotionally but that my mother had never slapped me in the face. He started to say something about his mother and stopped himself and said he did not think it cost to forgive. I suggested he might not have met many bitter people but that being und=forgiving destroys you and told him the parable of the unforgiving slave who was handed over to the “torturers”. I told him western society was based on just payment for sin. He tried to disagree and pointed out slavery but I pointed out nearly no one in the US owned slaves but that kidnapping was punishable by death. I said, “I’m not talking about the corruption it exhibits now but what it’s foundation is.” I asked if he had stopped at a stop sign on the way here. He had so I asked if he would let the other person go first if they were first to the intersection. I said that was justice and gave him an example of how this was not true abroad. He tried to say it was cultural which simply made my point. Half his family was from North Africa and half from here. He said that he felt that was mercy. Which simply demonstrated he did not understand traffic law, which was based on the right of way (justice not mercy) and was an example about how Islam is incompatible with the West.

 He said the Quran had not been changed. I said Jay Smith says there are over 30 different Qurans in Arabic. He tried to say that that was difference in Dialect but I said not it was different actual words and he could look it up. I said the inscription in the Dome of the Rock does not match the present Quran text he uses. I said in our Bible Adam hears God walking the garden after he sins so he hides. “If you can hear God walking He has feet. If He has feet we believe He is Jesus and that Jesus appeared many times in the Old Testament as God.” 

I don’t think he listened to all of it he just wanted to see what I would say to some stuff he’d recently heard.

 But Kevin Received Christ today so God truly blessed, thanks for your prayers.
 

In Him,

Bob

Hey sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope you had a blessed Easter walking with God. It was Spring Break on campus and we saw family in NC. A blond guy with a blond beard and mustache, Ashton, prayed with me to receive Christ a friend of our niece. He’d been trusting in good works to get into Heaven. Tyrell prayed to receive Christ today. His responses are below if you wish to spend the time. Please pray these have sanctification by the Spirit.

Tyrell was sitting in an atrium lounge by himself in a table next to vending machines on the first floor of the BIC building. He played basketball and football. The hood on his faded black hoodie was up over his head and a couple of fat black braids poked out the front. He had classic African American features, a medium size nose and modest full lips, good looking face with pronounced cheek bones and a sparse mustache and under the chin beard.  He also had a bit of an urban accent. He was a basic guy type, said he wanted to visit all 50 states; had been to 8. I asked him, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” He replied, “I mean I try following in the footsteps and living in the way to get to Heaven. I sin but you know I mean…” “Yeah,” I replied. I asked what the likelihood was he would go to Heaven. “I got a nice li’l chance, hopefully,” He replied. I began to go through the Gospel with him and asked what Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world and he said He had died on the cross. I went through that sacrifice the cleansing blood and the payment for our sins. I explained the righteousness of God Christ earned and how we inherited it when we became his child, adopted by the Father and explained how it mattered who did the work. He was really interested the entire time. I explained he had to be saved by faith and asked if he’d want to be forgiven rusting in Jesus. “Um hum,” he replied. I explained there was then a prayer he could pray and explained it asking if it expressed the desire of his heart. “Um hum,” he said again. I said he could pray it silently and God would hear. “Wanna do that?” I asked. “Um hum,” he said the third time and took the booklet and prayed and receive Christ. When he was done I said, “Your sins are forgiven.” Appreciate it,” he said and shot me a big grin. I began to go through the Christian life with him. He did not have a Bible saying the one they had was really his mom’s. He said he’d like one. I explained the study helps and wrote his name and the date and” forgiven!” on the inside. I gave it to him and he said, “Appreciate it.” I explained a Bible study, gave him Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I said the likelihood he would now go to Heaven was 100%. I explained living the Christian life living by the Spirit’s Power, “Inside out.” I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day until Spring and one year after and said I would try hard to remember his face. “I’ll remember you,” he replied with a smile. I got up to go, “Appreciate it.” He said again. I said I was old and he was just getting started but warned it was a long hard road. “Definitely is,” he said and shook my hand. “God bless you,” I said. “God bless you too,” he replied warmly and I headed off. He is a great guy.

 So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. We drove over 11 hours yesterday to get home but the work today was worth it.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope ya had a great day marching with the righteous by faith. I had a good day on campus and Oscar prayed to receive Christ. Another guy Eric said he now had a different “perspective this stuff”. Be believed I Jesus and after we talked was believing in Him for his saving work. Please pray these students are sanctified and see the Lord. Oscar’s story is below if you want to see his responses.

 Oscar was sitting on a first-floor bench seat in the hallway looking to the North in the east science building. He had a curly head of hair above his ears, the bangs of which came down an inch onto his forehead. He looked Latino. He had a narrow mustache, under chin beard and warm eyes, good-looking guy. He wore a black puffy coat and black sweats with patch cargo pockets made out of sweatshirt material. He had three piercings in the ear closest to me with square studs in them and had a piercing in his left nostril. He was eating a round rice cake, or must have just finished one as the crumbs were all over by his feat. I asked him one thing he wanted to do before he died and he said, “Watch my kids grow up.” That would probably be an equivalent statement to “get married” and that is always a tell a guy will receive Jesus. I asked him, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “Oo, now that’s a real tough question,” he replied thinking a bit he posited the answer as a question saying, “Would I be worthy enough to be accepted into your kingdom?” He thought he had a 70% chance of going to Heaven and seemed to go to Church. I began to go through the Gospel with him explaining that God wanted to live inside him to give him eternal life and asked what Jesus had done back in history to take away the sins of the world, so He could. “I don’t know,” he replied. I said I thought it would come back to him but I don’t think any of it did. He didn’t give a look of “Oh yeah,” or recognition. I explained that Jesus lived a perfect life for us and his blood was a sacrifice for our sin as a payment and his blood cleansed us. His righteousness was to our credit. He needed to receive Jesus by faith. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins. “Most definitely,” he replied. So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked through it with him and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “I’d say so,” he said. I said he could pray it silently. “OK,” I replied. He took the booklet said, “Alright,” and prayed to receive Jesus. I began to go through the Christian life with him. He said he had a Bible on his phone but not a physical book. I asked if he’d like one and he said he would and so I gave him one explaining a couple study helps and how a cross reference works. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. “Thank you,” he replied. I also gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You and showed him how he could turn a verse into a prayer. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study. I told him I would pray a prayer for him each day with a Bible verse from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless him. I said the likelihood he would go to Heaven now was 100% trusting in the infinite worth of Jesus blood and righteousness. I got up to go. “Thank you, thank you, much appreciated,” he said in gratitude. “Yeah cool, see you in Heaven,” I replied and he got a big smile 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 day was a blessed one walking with the Lord. I had a good day on campus and Cam and LaShawn each prayed with me to receive Jesus. Their stories are below if you have some time and you want to read the exchange. Please pray they grow and a given the sanctification without which not one will see the Lord.

Cam was sitting in the PE building lounge on a couch just past the elevator doors. I went to the elevator and pushed the button. His brown hoodie was up. It was a crisp fabric and shielding his face and I thought he was someone I had talked to before. But realizing I really could not see his face I gave it a shot. When I got close I asked if he’d do a survey and he looked up and I didn’t know him. He agreed so I got his name and we started in. He had a roman nose, nice complexion, a mustache that stopped at his lips, which were classic looking for a black guy. He had some under chin hair beneath. I had to get his name twice he had a bit of a stutter. I asked one thing he wanted to do before he died and he said, “Make my mom proud.” I asked, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” He said, “I spread the word at times. I pray.” He thought he had a 70% chance of going to Heaven and had been to church. He listened attentively to the Gospel just checking the time on his phone once. Twice, Black guys who say hi to me regularly and are Christians fist bumped him as we talked. One gave me the nod and the other I missed looking at as I was reading until he walked off. I asked what the big thing was Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world. “Not sure,” he replied after a moment of thought. He took in everything I said about the blood and righteousness of Christ. I asked him if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done, said the quick options of Islam and the Buddha and asked again if he’d want to be forgiven. He did he said nodding. I said there was a prayer he could pray and went through it but the end was broken by a phone call from his ride. His stutter kicked in on the second syllable so he spoke into the phone and said, ‘Come,” instead of “Coming”. I finished it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “Sure,” he said. I said he could pray it silently. He took the booklet and said, “Appreciate it.” He turned the page to look at the booklet so I asked, “Did you pray the prayer?” He turned back to it and began out loud with a hitch so I stopped him and said, “You can pray it silently.” He continued in silence and prayed to receive Christ. When he finished I knew he had to run. I quickly explained living by the Spirit’s power. I gave him Bible Promises for You and I wrote his name and the date (asking him for it) and I wrote “forgiven!” “Appreciate it,” he said seeing what I wrote. And then I handed him the book. I gave him Strobel’s book and a Bible study and I quickly told him the likelihood he would now go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the Blood and righteousness of Jesus. He said, “Appreciate it,” again. He got up to run for his ride and said I would pray a Bible verse for him each night. He looked back and me and said for the third time, “Appreciate it.” And he was off down the hall out the east side of the building.

LeShawn was sitting under balcony that looks out to the stairs along the wall going to the exit near the bookstore. He had a black hoodie up over his head and black pants on. He was shorter and had a roundish face and cheeks, had classic black nose and lips. Dark complexion, though clean shaven but the shadow of where his beard would come in was visible. He was cheerful and upbeat. He wanted to get rich. I laughed and said takes a lot more money these days, you tell some you got a million dollars and they say, “So what.” He laughed. I asked, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “That’s a tricky question,” he replied. “I don’t know, ask Him to forgive me.” He thought he had a 60% chance of going to Heaven. I began to go through the Gospel with him. He said he went to Church. When I asked him what Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world he said, “He died.” He took it all in voicing agreement and saying, “Right,” and other affirming kind of words to the concepts of the blood and the righteousness of Christ as a payment for our sin. I told him he was saved by receiving Christ, believing on His name or His reputation; that Jesus was God died for your sins and rose from the dead. “Not that you just knew the story but that that’s what you put your trust in. So if someone would say to you, ‘why should God let you into Heaven?’ you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me. That would mean you had faith in Jesus.” He was saved by faith. So I said the last question is do you want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus or do you think something else giving him the CliffsNotes version of Islam and the Buddha as well. And then saying, “When you are asking for forgiveness for your sins have you been thinking you are a good person and trying and hoping you’ll be forgiven or have you been thinking, ‘I know I’ll be forgiven because Jesus died for me.’ I know you knew the story but had you ever really put it together like that?” “Not like that no,” he said with a smile. So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through it and asked if it was the desire of his heart. “Um Hum,” he replied. I said he could pray it silently would he want to and he replied, “Um Hum,” again also nodding. I handed him the booklet and he prayed n barely audible words. When he finished he said, “Can I keep this?”  I said, “sure.” And showed him the end of the booklet; going through the Christian life with him. I asked if he had a Bible and he said he did on his phone. I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I told him Strobel’s story and gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I gave him a Bible Study and told him I would pray for him each day. “Have a good one,” I said, getting up to leave. “You too, thank you,” he said, gratefully. “You’re welcome Happy Easter,” I replied and he said “You too.” And I headed up the stairs.

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

 In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day has been blessed with every good and perfect gift from above. I had a good day on campus and Sophia prayed with me to receive Jesus. I had some long conversations with some Christians I often talk to as well sharing some things. Please pray Sophia is sanctified by the Spirit. Her responses are below if you have some time.

 I had a sense I was supposed to head over to the PE lounge so I did and I found Sophia sitting on a bench seat towards the indoor track area. She was very petite; looked Latina. She had a small cute face with no makeup her skin looked a bit like it was losing a battle with stress. She wore a light grey hoodie zipped up the middle and slight darker grey baggy sweats. She had pretty, naturally curly hair parted down the middle and falling just past her shoulders. She has a straight jaw and a small nose and a nice smile. I asked her, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I don’t know,” she replied. I asked if she ever went to church she said she did and that last Sunday her brother had had his confirmation and she went. I asked what she thought her Church would say gets you into Heaven. “Devote yourself to learning God’s word,” she replied. I wrote that down as part of her response and asked, “How likely is it you will go to heaven when you die? 10% is low, 100% you’re sure.” “50/50” she replied. I began to go through the Gospel with her and telling her Jesus said Eternal Life was knowing God I said that mean that God lived inside her but first He had to take away her sin. “What is the big thing Jesus does back in History to take away your sin?” I asked. “Crucified,” she replied. I agreed and said this is how it works and explained the blood and righteousness of Jesus and that He rose from the dead. She was engaged throughout. “God adopts you and makes you His child and gives you the blessings of His family. He gives you the sacrifice for your sins, the blood that cleanses you and the righteousness of God that surrounds you. So you got someplace to go, Heaven, and something to wear when you get there, the righteousness of God. And then He fills you with His Spirit and give you strength.” I explained all God had done is received, believing. “That you believe Jesus is God died for your sins and rose from the dead. Not that you just know the story but that that’s what you place your trust in, so if someone asked why should got let you into Heaven you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me.’” I said faith saved her and her good stuff could not fix her bad stuff and she agreed. I asked her if she would like to be forgiven or thought something else. I explained Islam had a different god and a little of what we knew of the Buddha. “So would you like to be forgiven for your sins or do ya think something else?” I asked again. “I would like to be forgiven,” she replied. So I said if she’d like to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. I talked her through it and said, “It says here does this prayer express the desire of your heart; So would you say it did?” She nodded. So I said, “If you wanted then you could pray it silently. I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. Wanna do that?” She nodded again so I handed her the booklet and she prayed to receive Jesus. I began to explain the Christian life with her, prayer reading the Bible obeying God. I explained the Christian life was, “By the Spirit’s Power.” That it was “Inside out not outside in.” She had a Bible. So I gave her Bible promises for you reading one and turning it into a prayer. She seemed to really enjoy all I explained. I told her the likelihood she would now go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, which were worth an infinite amount. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I handed it to her and she said, “Thank you.” Also gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and told her Strobel’s story. I retold the story of Jesus walking on the water and gave her a Bible study on the Deity of Christ. I told her if I saw her I’d wave. “It was nice to meet you,” she said. “Nice to meet you too,” I replied. “God bless you,” she said. “God bless you too,” I said and she smiled 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 day was blessed and God gave you the strength to do all the good things the faith He’s placed in you prompts you to do. If in IL I hope ya got to vote. I had a good day on campus. Nina, Valariia and Antanyia [ann ta nee ah] prayed to receive Jesus. I also came across David. I had been praying for him and praying I could find out if he’d prayed to receive the Lord; he committed to Christ last we spoke. He had prayed; I told him I had been praying for him and gave him another book. Caitlin had long straight thin hair and wire rimmed semi round glasses and a red birthmark dot on her temple the size of a BB; Pretty, frank face. Her boyfriend is a Christian; she was grateful to hear the Gospel. After hearing she was between a decision but thanked me. She really liked the way I went through the verses with humor she said. Some people don’t see any humor in it, but I change the way I say it depending on how serious they are sometimes, it came out that way for her by providence I believe. I gave her the booklet saying if she decided the prayer was the place to begin and explained it and living by the Spirit’s power. She took The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I feel sure she’ll come to the Lord in the future now, understanding everything. She’d just begun to consider Christianity after several different exposures in different sects through life, grew up Lutheran for a minute, spent some time in the Methodist Church, played softball at a Catholic school.  Please pray these students are sanctified by the Spirit.

 Nina was sitting at the counter in the cafeteria that runs the glass wall. She had a cute smaller face with a pointed chin and reddish-brown long hair just past her shoulders. She wore no make-up had thin lips. She wore leggings red velvet Bundt cake color tucket into black short boots and a pink hoodie with printing on it I never made out.  She seemed in a hurry so I went through as quick as I could. I asked her, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “Hm, wow. That’s a good question,” she replied. She thought a bit and then said, “I believe in you.” I asked her the likelihood she would go to Heaven and she said, “100%.” I began to go through the Gospel with her. I said knowing God was eternal life and that meant God wanted to live inside her so she would be one with God. I asked her what Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world. She thought about it but could not think of anything. So I said something like “This is how it works.” I said all I usually say about the perfect life of Christ, the sacrifice of His blood as a payment to God. His righteousness inherited through adoption and the resurrection and salvation by faith. “So the last question is what kind of person are you or would you want to be? Would you want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus has done? Then His Spirit would live in you by faith; He’d give you strength for everything and take you to Heaven when you die. Or do you think something else?” and I gave her the brief Islamic God idea and the Buddha as options. “I’d be the first one,” she replied. I asked her, “If you’d want to be forgiven there’s a prayer you can pray and went through it and she read it as I did and said, “OK.” “Amen then,” I replied and I began to go through the Christian life with her. She said she wanted a Bible but then remembered she had a small one and she’d like to use that. I gave her Bible Promises for You. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. “Thank you she said with a pleased smile. I also gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study explaining that and Strobel’s story. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless her. “Thank you,” she said again her face bright. I said if I saw her I’d give her a wave and headed off. I sat at a nearby table and realized I left the questionnaire card there and went back and got it saying, “I have to write down what you look like so I can remember when I pray for you.” She smiled warmly and I went back to sit and she gathered her things and left. I saw she had 5 minutes to get to class.

I was walking on the south side of the BIC and about to enter the tunnel over to the PE lounge when I got a nudge to turn and go to the MAC Arts building instead. So I just headed over there via the other tunnel in the hope God had an appointment. I came across Valeriia. She had a slight Eastern European accent. Her brown hair was parted down the middle, a little wavy and a bit fly-away. She had a round end on the tip of her nose; a cute narrow face and her teeth had some gaps on the side. She wore light blue jeans and a white sweater with narrow horizontal green stripes separated by 5 inches. She was a very nice person. She said she wanted to have a family. “Yeah someone to love ya when ya get home, your kids run up and greet ya, stuff like that.” She agreed. I asked her, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” She thought for a moment and said, “Because I tried to spread His love with other people.” “Great,” I replied. She thought she had an 80% chance of going to Heaven. She said she hadn’t been to Church in a while, “But I’ve been meaning to go back.” I began to go through the Gospel with her and when I read John 3:16 she said, “That’s beautiful. Thank you.” I continued through the Gospel explaining everything as I always do and she knew Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. I explained He lived a perfect life for us; the sacrifice of His blood cleansed us. His righteousness earned by perfect obedience and fulfilling the Law was to our credit. As I made each point she gave some form of verbal ascent with an agreeing sentence. I said He rose and was the only way and then said she was saved by receiving Christ; believing on His name, that He was God died for her sins and rose from the dead. “Not that you just knew the story but that that’s what you put your trust in so that if someone were to say to you, ‘Why should God let you into Heaven?’ You’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me. That would mean you had faith in Jesus.” I read then and said, “For it’s by grace you have been saved by faith, it’s just faith.” “Oh,” she said realizing. I asked if she would want to be forgiven or thought something else and then asked, “When you are asking for forgiveness have you been thinking, you believe in God and He would be magnanimous and forgive you, or were you thinking, ‘I know I’ll be forgiven because Jesus died for me’? Or hadn’t you really put it all together before?” She shook her head saying Yes to the last idea. So I said, “If you’d like to be forgiven there’s a prayer you can pray.” I talked her thought it and asked if it expressed the desire of her heart. She said it did; I said she could pray it silently. I wouldn’t hear her but God would hear and she’d know she was forgiven. She took the booklet then and prayed to receive Jesus. She thanked me and said something like it was, “beautiful.” She had a Bible and I went through the Christian life with her living by the Spirit’s power, inside out. I gave her Bible Promises for You showing her how to turn one into a prayer. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I said it was the easy English version and said she might like her Bible better. “That’s the one I have,” she said. “An NIV.” “Oh great that’s fine,” I said. I explained the symbolism in the mass as she said she had gone to a Catholic Church and said, “When you take it you can just say ‘thank you’, remembering He died for you so you are forgiven.” I’ve only once had a Catholic express a belief in “Transubstantiation.” So I don’t explain that. as it is extra Biblical. It is actually nonsensical as Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” And if He was actually in it as blood and flesh you would not be remembering Him, but experiencing His physical body. The problem that His body is glorified now is also a theological issue. There’s a great deal you would just have to make up which would lead to questions for which there’s no Biblical understanding. I gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study explaining “Walking on the Water” and Strobel’s story. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless her. “I’ll see you in Heaven, it’s a big place but we might bump into each other.” “That’s really nice, no one ever said anything like that to me,” she replied. “God bless you,” I said. “God bless you too,” she replied and I headed off.

As I was headed out with my coat on, thinking I wanted to get to the polling place before the after-work crowd might appear, I walked past Antanyia. She sat a t a counter height table just outside Satbucks. I thought I might not have asked her before and since she was looking down I looked back to try see her face. I couldn’t see it but thought I’d just ask and if she looked up and I recognized her I’d apologize and say have a good day. She looked up and had a cute circular face with a small nose and full lips and milk chocolate brown skin and I knew I’d not seen her before. She wore a purple hoodie and sweats that matched. She had long braids to about her elbows and they had brown highlights in them, African American. I asked her if she’d want to do a student survey for a Bible Study group. She said she didn’t have time right now to go to a Bible study. She was a nice kid. I tried to explain it was just a questionnaire. And then said, “The main question is ‘You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?’ So it’s really the answer to that question? So would you like to hear the Bible verses that answer that and tell you how you get to Heaven or not so much?” “I don’t know them,” she replied, “OK.” So I asked her name and wrote it on my hand and got the spelling later. I asked her if she knew what Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world.  “I don’t know,” she replied after a moment of thought. So I explained the gospel to her and said everything I always say about the blood and righteousness of Christ, His sacrifice to cleanse her and be a payment to God. God adopted her and gave her the blessings of His family. I said she needed to “believe on His name,” and receive this by faith; her faith saved her. She tracked well with all of it. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven for her sins trusting in what Jesus had done, “Then He would live inside you and give you strength, take you to Heaven when you die. Or do you think something else?” I told her them Islam had a different god who did not live inside people he was not a father because he did not have a son and there’s no sacrifice for sin. I explained the Buddha a bit. “The first one,” she replied. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. I talked her through it and read asking, “It says here does this prayer express the desire of your heart? So would you say it does?” “Yeah,” she replied. I said she could pray it silently, “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. Wanna do that?” “Yeah,” she replied and she took the booklet. “Just pretend I’m not here,” I said and leaned down to the floor to get books out of my pack. She said, “OK’. She prayed then to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to her. She had a Bible and I explained living by the Spirit’s power inside out. I said the likelihood she would not go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. I asked if she ever went to Church. She said she went to Church, “Sometimes”. “Well, now you know what is going on there,” I said. She agreed. I gave her Bible Promises for You. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave her a Bible study explaining it by retelling the miracle of walking on the water and she smiled throughout. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and one year after. “Thank you so much,” she replied.  “If I see ya I’ll just give you a wave. “Thank you, nice to meet you,” she replied. “Nice to meet you too,” I said and I headed off. I sat down around the corner to write some notes down. I hadn’t given her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet as I had run out of them but I remembered I had The Student Edition of The Case for Faith in the back pocket of my daypack. So I got it out and brought it over to her and asked if she liked to read. She said she did. I explained Strobel’s story and said she might enjoy reading it over Easter Break. “Thank you,” she said and I said, “Sure,” and headed off.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed walking by the light of His word. I had a good day on campus having some conversations that went well encouraging Christian believers and Anna prayed to receive Jesus today as well. Her story is below if you have time. Please pray she is sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

  Anna was sitting against the wall at a table in the east most lounge of the third floor of the BIC. The windows look out on the PE building they were at her back and she sat against the wall. She was alone at a table her lab top open doing homework. Her monthly planner was in front of her as well; she seemed pretty organized. She had brown hair long past her shoulders the bangs were split into points. She wore a black form fitted shirt. She had a cute elf-like face without make-up; her left nostril was pierced and she also had a septum piercing that look to be the shape of the Greek letter Omega. I asked her, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I would say, that I’ve been a good person. I’ve been fair,” she replied. I asked her the likelihood she would go to Heaven when she died. “I would say I’m not sure,” she said. She said her family went to Church but she didn’t have much time right now. As I began to go through the Gospel with her she closed her laptop to listen politely, looking right at me across from her. Her lips parted slightly in a brief smile twice and she did not say much. So I prayed as we talked God would move in her heart not knowing if she was receptive. I began to go through the Gospel with her saying knowing God was eternal life: this meant God would live inside her. First God had to take away her sins. I asked her what was the big thing Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. “I don’t know actually, “she said after thinking a brief moment. So I began then to explain all I usually say about the blood and righteousness of Jesus that He paid for her sins so God could be just to forgiven them. He rose from the dead and God adopted her. I said she needed to receive Jesus by faith to be forgiven and her good stuff would not fix her bad stuff. I asked if she wanted to be forgiven for her sins trusting in what Jesus had done, then He would live inside her and give her strength for everything and take her to Heaven when she died or thought something else giving her the quick version of Islam and the Buddha. “I guess be forgiven,” she replied. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. I talked it through with her and asked if the prayer expressed the desire of her heart.  “I would say so,” she said. I said she could pray it silently if she’d like and know she was forgiven. “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. “Wanna do that?” “Sure,” she replied and she took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I began to show her the rest of the booklet going through the Christian life. She said she thought there was a Bible somewhere at home. “Would you like your own Bible I have one I can give you?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied. So I gave her one showing her the study aids in it and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I explained living “By the Spirit’s Power.” I told her that Christianity was different from other religions it was “Inside out not outside in” asking God to transform her. I asked her if I could give her some free books. “Yes,” she said. I gave her Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Book. I also gave her a Bible study on the deity of Christ and told her the story of Jesus walking on the water, it really didn’t seem like she had heard it. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless her. Finally I told her the likelihood she would now go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. If I saw her I would just say hi. “Sure,” she replied. I’ll see you in Heaven,” I said and I headed off.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope you had a blessed week walking with God in Christ; knowing no one can snatch you out of His hand. I had a good week on campus. On Monday Charles had to run for his ride but said he would pray at the end of presenting him the Gospel. I found out Thursday he had prayed to receive Jesus. He was sitting in the same place so I gave him some books and a Bible study. Jeremiah prayed to receive Jesus on Tuesday. Thursday Daniel prayed to receive Jesus. His story is below if you have time. I had the chance to be encouraging to several students helping them assurance of faith. A couple times lately it has brought tears to students’ eyes to be reassured they are saved by His righteousness not their own. Sharon teared-up in the MAC this week and said, “Thanks so much I really needed this today.”

 I had a sense I should go to the MAC arts building when I was near the entrance to the bookstore. So I climbed the stairs and headed over on the bridge past the library and asked a couple people on the way through the BIC (no takers). I then just felt like I should head right over. I talked to a girl in the big lounge there who said she did not believe in God. She then changed her view after I tried a couple superficial, “Who made it all?” questions. She admitted that she thought there was a god but didn’t believe what everyone else in her family thought; they were Christians. She seemed to be enjoying her identity as a rebel in her family. So I let it go to part amicably with her as she said she “knew everything”.  A black girl with some of the longest thin braids I had seen all year so I left giving her a compliment on her hair, had red colors through it. I found Daniel sitting at a counter height table outside the bagel shop in the MAC arts building. He had a mop of brown hair and a thin Michael Jordan mustache separated in the middle. Looked a fair skinned Latino. He was a bit unsure about what a survey might involve so I said, “The big question is, you’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say? So it’s about the answer to that question. Ya got any interest in the verses that answer that or not so much?” “Ok let me have it,” he replied. I began to go through the Gospel with him and he looked right at me interested the entire time a half expressed look on his mouth I couldn’t read. Had kind of a paused wrinkle. Did not smile but once. He didn’t know Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. He said he had gone to Church as a kid. After he heard of the blood and righteousness of Christ and that he was saved by faith not works I asked, “So what kind of person are you or would you want to be? Would you want to be forgiven for your sins trusting in what Jesus had done? Then He lives inside you and is on the throne or the driver’s seat of your life. His Spirit gives you strength, takes you to Heaven when you die. Or do you think something else?” I gave him the short version of Islam and the Buddha and asked again, “So would you want to be forgiven for your sins? Or think something else?” “I would probably be forgiven,” he said. So I said “Well if you’d want to be forgiven there’s a prayer you could pray.” I talked him through it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. He agreed it did. So I said he could pray it silently, I wouldn’t hear him but God would hear and he’d know he was forgiven. “I could do that,” he said. He read it through silently and I said, “Amen.” He nodded. I went through the Christian life with him “Living by the Spirit’s Power, Inside out.” His dad had a Bible and he seemed to want to read that so I gave him Bible Promises for You showing him how to turn a verse into a prayer. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after; asking God to bless him. I appreciated it,” he replied. “Well God bless your day,” I said getting up to go. “God bless you too,” he replied. “Thanks,” I said. I’ll take that blessing.” And I headed off.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed with every good and perfect gift from above. I had a slow day on campus; remote learning has emptied it out along with the end of the kids of the baby boomers I suppose. But Jeremiah prayed to receive Jesus. His brief story is below if you have time to spend. Please pray he is sanctified by the Spirit.

Jeremiah was in the PE lounge. He had a 4-inch rough top afro that was shaved on the sides over his ears. He had a wider nose and no facial hair, a block shin and high cheekbones.  He was wearing a Sponge Bob black hoodie and blue sweats. I asked if he wanted to do a student survey for a Bible Study group. “I go to my Grandmother’s Bible study,” he replied. I said that was cool and asked if he would want to hear the Big Metaphysical question he could bring to the Bible Study. He said “OK.” I asked, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I don’t believe I am good enough to go to Heaven,” He replied. I asked if he would want to hear the Bible verses that explained how to get to Heaven. He said, “OK,” again. I went through all I usually say about the Gospel and in explaining the righteousness of Christ expressly I said as I always do, “So you won’t go to Heaven because you are good but because Jesus is good and you are connected to Him.” I explained his good deeds could not fix his bad ones. He’s known Jesus had died for the sins of the world saying, “He was killed,” when I asked. I asked if he would want to be forgiven and asked, “Had you put all this together before?” “I put it together before, I’m a Christian. I just don’t believe I am good enough to go to Heaven,” he replied. I guess what I said went by him somehow. So I explained, “Say I meet a billionaire and he owns a baseball team. He says one day, ‘Hey your team is the Cubs right?’ ‘Yeah,’ I reply. ‘Well my team is playing them the last game of the year and I don’t want to win, if we lose I’ll get a better draft pick. My left fielder just broke his leg. I’m gonna put you in left field, if the ball comes to you try to catch it is you drop it toss it to the centerfielder and let him throw it in. If they throw at your head at the plate don’t worry we got a designated hitter. I’m even gonna give $500 to each of the guys in the dugout to be nice to you.’ So I say, ‘Great,’ and I get to pay in a professional baseball game in Wrigley. But they bring in a pitcher who had Tommy John surgery and didn’t get his contract renewed to try him out at middle relief. He only faces 3 batters and strikes them all out. They pay him $100,000. I played the whole game and all I get is a uniform. Why does the pitcher get more? Because it matters who does the work. If Jesus does the work it is worth an infinite amount because He is God, it pays for our sins. If we do the work it isn’t worth anything because we can’t do anything perfectly. It matters who does the work.” He seemed to get it. I asked if he would want to pray to trust in what Jesus had done so he would be forgiven and go to Heaven. He said he did and he prayed to receive Jesus. He wouldn’t take any books but he took the booklet and I headed out.

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

 In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ, 

I hope you had a blessed day walking with the Lord. I had a good day on campus. I help a couple Christians see assurance of salvation and they were very grateful and helped another with some questions on the reliability of Gospels. Charles* committed to Christ asking to photograph the prayer as his mom pulled up. I said he could keep the booklet and asked if he believe Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the dead. He said he did. I said and would you want to put your trust in that to be forgiven. He said “Yes,” so I said OK.

Charles had an oval face an inch high rough afro and a thin mustache a beard only under his chin a bit. He had one sleepy eye. He was a nice guy doing medical studies.

He’d said to answer the question, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I don’t think I done anything bad. I never stole anything. I’ve never been disrespectful. I’ve done my best to follow His example.” In asking the likelihood he would go to Heaven when he died he said, “Right now?” I nodded and said “Yeah.” “40%. Because like I’ve never outwardly been bad but I feel like I could do more to get into Heaven. He understood the blood and righteousness of Christ to save him for the first time and had known Jesus had died to take away the sins on the world. He’d gone to Church some. So hopefully I will bump into him again to discover he gave his life to Christ by faith in His work on the cross that I explained to him sitting outside the cafeteria in a row of chairs.

 So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and evangelism today. God blessed and I had people to talk to regularly as I walked around.

 In Him,

Bob