Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your week was blessed and you are getting in a thankful Christmas Spirit. 6 Students trusted Jesus this week. Joseph, Rosa and Fernanda each prayed with me to receive Jesus Thursday (Alex, Jonathon and DiLo earlier in the week). So I was grateful for that blessing from the Lord. Those who prayed Thursday have their stories below. Thanks so much for your help in prayer.

Joseph was sitting in the hall on the third floor. He had stick straight hair and a full, well-groomed, beard, round head. He was not that big of a guy. Though not fat at all when I shook his hand as I left him it was fleshy without a grip, nice guy. He had a light blue button neck golf shirt on and blue sweats with a white stripe up the leg. Looked like “everyman” not very distinguishable from the crowd. He said he’d like to find his dream job and just be happy. I asked him the likelihood he would go to heaven and he said, “I’d say because I did well… tough to answer,” he said. He struggled a bit to put words together. He thought he had a 90% chance of going to Heaven and went to church regularly. When I asked him what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world so he could be cleansed and God would live inside him he knew Jesus had died saying, “He was crucified.” He listened to the Gospel following along well and after I had explained that Jesus had also lived a perfect life and when he poured out His blood it paid God back for all the imperfect things we’ve done that we own God something perfect for. The real reason God forgave him was because He got paid, but he had to pay himself. I said he could receive Jesus, believe in His name, by faith. I asked if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or if he believed something else.  “I would like to be forgiven trusting in Jesus,” he replied. I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and I talked him through it reading the line that follows it in the booklet, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” “I would think so,” he replied. I suggested he pray it silently and I wouldn’t hear but God would hear and he’d know he was forgiven. “Wanna do that?” I asked. “Umm sure,” he replied and he prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to him living “Inside > Out” asking God not just to forgiven him but to transform him by His Holy Spirit. I said that now trusting in what Jesus had done the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to blessed him. He had a Bible. I gave him Bible Promises for You writing his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I gave him a Bible study explaining it a bit and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. He seemed happy and I shook his hand saying I’d see him in Heaven. He asked, “What was your name again?” I told him it was Bob and said it was in the email. “Oh, ok.” (If I did not write a student’s name down right away I would forget it after a few minutes too, often enough. I memorize everyone’s names when I get home so if I see them again I can call it to mind but sometimes forget in the first moments talking to them.) “Thanks for your time,” I said. “Of course,” he replied. And I headed off.

I came across Rosa in the Cafeteria. She had a full attractive face and mouth, and long stick straight black hair, a big bright smile. She wore black leggings, white Crocs and a black winter jacket. She had a medium build to her. When I asked her what she would say to God to get into Heaven if she died she said, “I would say I grew up believing in God. I used to go regularly to Church and I used to be closer to God before.” She thought she had a 60% chance of going to Heaven. I explained that God wanted to live inside her with His Holy Spirit but first he had to take away her sin, to make her His type (like a blood transfusion). I asked what the big thing was that Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world but she could not recall in the moment. She was very engaged as we talked and laughed at a couple of the illustrations. I began to go through the atonement with her and she was very tuned in. I said she could receive the blood and righteousness of God in Christ by faith. Finally, I asked. “Would you want to be forgiven based on what Jesus has done or do you think something else.” “Be forgiven,” she said without hesitation. I said there was a prayer she could pray and asked if it was the desire of her heart after explaining it. “It dies,” she replied. So I said she could pray it silently and God would hear. “Wanna do that?” I asked. “Um Hum,” she replied and she took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. It turned out she did not have her own Bible so I gave her one explaining all the study helps. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. She was grateful for the Bible. I explained the Christian life to her as well “By the Spirit’s Power”, living “Inside > Out” I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day until a year from Spring of next year.  I gave her Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I also gave her a Bible study on the ways Jesus claims to be God.  She wanted to be a Vet so at the end I gave her a Creation Magazine (https://www.icr.org/aaf) and told her a few quick defeaters for Evolution (which she also disregarded as impossible) as we parted.  I explained that now trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. “So nice to meet you,” I said getting up to go. “So nice to meet you too. Thank you so much.” She said in reply. “You’re welcome, Merry Christmas,” I said and she wished me Merry Christmas too and I headed off.

Fernanda was sitting on the second floor near main North SRC doorway on a small balcony area that overlooks the stairs going down to the bookstore. She had a grey Hoodie on that had block printing the looked like it might be a school. Since I was knelling at her feet and leaning on the wall a bit to spare my sciatic nerve pain I didn’t get the angle to ever see it. She was a pretty girl with a pointed chin a small nose and mouth and near round glasses flat at the top. The right knee of her powder blue jeans was completely torn away showing 9 inches of kneecap and leg as she sat. Her name would suggest she was a Latina but she had very fair skin. She had curly/wavy brown hair past her shoulders. She asked if the survey was on line I said, “No right here, I write things down and I walk away. 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 asks, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?’ It’s basically what the Bible says is the answer to that question.  So ya got any interest in that or not so much?” She said OK so I gave her my name and got her name (one I had never heard before though I think it is pretty common from looking on line) and started in. When I asked her something she’d like to do before she died she said “Sky Diving” and when I asked her why God should let her into Heaven she said, “I’m a good person”.  I get many different answers but those two are the ones I get more than others. I asked her the likelihood she would get into heaven and she said, “70-80% I would hope.” She listened to the Gospel and she knew Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. I explained everything I usually say and told her some word pictures which got a cleaver smirk. She had a nice smile. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven for her sins or thought something else and she said, “Well this is what I’ve been taught my entire life,” she said pointing at the circle Jesus on the throne.” Well,” I replied, “When you’ve asked for forgiveness for your sins were you thinking God would forgive you because of what Jesus had done or was what he’d done a story you know and you never really processed it before?” “I never processed it before,” she replied. I suggested, “You grow up and for a time you are covered by the faith of your parents but then you have to decide for yourself. If you’d want to be forgiven for your sins and you’ve never told God you would want to be forgiven, trusting in what Jesus had done, there’s a prayer you can pray.” I walked her through the prayer and asked if it “expressed the desire of your heart?” She said it was. I said “If you want you can pray this silently right now, I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. Wanna do it?” She seemed to agree and she took the booklet and then said, “Right now?” “Yeah sure,” I said. “Out loud?” she said like she was a bit scandalized by that. “No. It’s none of my business,” I replied. “Just between you and God.” She looked down at it then and prayed to receive Jesus. I had explained that the Bible verses I read were the symbolism in the Mass as I often do with Roman Catholic students. “The wafer is symbolic of His body and wine is symbolic of His blood, so when you take it you should just say, ‘Thank you.’ as it is reminding you you’re forgiven.” When she finished praying I explained the Christian life to her too, “By the Spirit’s Power” and said, “Everything in the Christian life is “Just Ask”. God wants to give you all the strength you need to live.” I said I would pray a Bible verse for her every day until a year from spring. I gave her a clever pocket-size book of John with a million dollar cover  another student group gave me. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside which she liked. I also gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study on the ways Jesus claims to be God. As I got up to leave I said of the little stack, “So there you go Merry Christmas.” She put on a big smile and said, “Thank you.” “You’re welcome. Have a good one,” I replied. “You too, thank you,” she said again and I headed off.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and the nearness of God was felt in your heart. I had a good day on campus, Jonathon and DiLo (DiAngelo) each prayed with me to receive Jesus today. Their stories are below if you have a moment. Please pray they are sanctified in the Spirit.

Jonathon was sitting at the counter in the cafeteria eating some kind of wrap. He had on a gray zip up hoodie that read Chicago in Cubs blue and blue jeans on. He was a smallish guy with a boyish good-looking face a couple day beard coming out on his chin and under his nose. His dark brown wavy hair was a mop on top of his head. I asked him one thing he wanted to do before he died and he said, “Be free.” When I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven he said, “I don’t know I don’t know a good reason to be let into Heaven yet. I don’t feel like I know a good reason.” He thought he had a 35% of going to Heaven.  He said he had been to Church when he was a kid. I began to go through the Gospel with him asking what Jesus had done to take away his sins. He said he didn’t know and it had been a while since he’d been to Church. So I just said “Well this is how it works,” and explained the blood shed on the Cross and righteousness of God earned by Jesus to his credit when God adopted him. I explained he could believe by faith. He listened and took an occasional bite of his wrap sandwich. Finishing the Gospel, I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else with God on the outside of his life using the 2 circles one with Jesus on the throne of your life on the right and one with Him outside it. After thinking a moment, he pointed to the circle on the right and said, “This one right here.” I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through if asking if it was the desire of his heart. “Yeah,” he replied. So I said he could pray it silently and know he was forgiven. “Wanna do it?” “Sure,” he replied. And I said, “Just pretend I’m not here,” and he prayed to receive Jesus. I said the likelihood now he would go to Heaven was 100%. I began to go through the Christian life asking if he had a Bible. He did not have a Bible of his own so I gave him one showing him how some of the study tools worked. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front with John 8:31,32 and turned to it marking the book of John with the marker and read him the verse. I told him when I was a Philosophy major I was talking to a theologian and he asked me why I was a Philosophy major. I said I wanted to know the truth and be free, saying, “Doesn’t the Bible say, You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free?” He asked if I knew what the verse before it said and then turned to John 8:31 which read if you are in my word then you are my disciples and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” I reminded Jonathon what he’d said in the survey and I put a little star by the verses. “That’s a great verse,” he said. I agreed. I gave him Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ answer Booklet and a Bible study, each with some explanation. I went on to finish the Christian life explaining living by the Spirit’s power, “Inside > Out”. “Thanks for this, I’ll take it all in,” he said.  I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after to bless him. We fist bumped because he had dressing on his hand. “I’ll see you in Heaven,” I said getting up to leave. “Thank you, I appreciate it,” he replied and I walked off.

DiLo was sitting at the end of a row of chairs just past the first NW 2^nd floor door of the BIC waiting for a friend to get out of class. He had on clay red pants with grey pockets and a big curly mop of hair but shaved on the sides. He was good looking, had a mustache and goatee, not too tall though.  He appeared Latino in coloring and had on a black winter jacket, (it was cold today). He said had maybe 5 minutes I asked him if he just wanted to answer the main question and he agreed. “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?” He said something like, “That’d be interesting to stand before God.” I asked if he would want to hear some Bible verses that told him how to get to Heaven. He agreed so I kneeled leaning against the wall to spare my sciatica pain. I began going through the Gospel on my knees. He tuned in, focusing. He knew Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. I just went straight through everything God loved him, wanted to know and live inside him, could not because of sin, took away his sin with Jesus. I went through the cleansing blood the payment for sin, righteousness of God resurrection and adoption. I asked if he wanted to be forgiven for his sins trusting in Jesus had done or thought something else. “I would want to be forgiven,” he replied. I explained the prayer to him and asked if it was the desire of His heart. He said it was. I said he could pray it silently and know he was forgiven, “Wanna to it?” “Yeah he replied and I gave him the booklet and he said, “Thank you.” He read it a bit and then said “Can I have this?” I said sure and asked if he’d prayed and he seemed to have forgotten that part and prayed then to receive Jesus. I quickly explained the Christian life living “Inside > Out” and said, “Let me give you a book,” and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside of Bible Promises for You and also gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study. His friend had come so I said I would pray a Bible verse for him each day. He was grateful and I said, “I hope I didn’t make you late for anything.” “You’re good, you’re good,” he replied and he headed off, putting everything in his backpack.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Alex prayed to receive Christ today. Before that Willy (African American with almond Asian eyes and a small nose in the PE building) answered the question by saying, “I know how to get to Heaven I’m just not living it.” He thought Christ would forgive him for his obedience. He knew John 3:16 but hadn’t put the Gospel together. “Yeah that all makes sense,” he said when I had finished. His friends were leaving the building and they were his ride, we’d been sitting on the counter. “Next time I see you I’ll see if you prayed that prayer,” I said. “I definitely will,” he replied. Thanks so much for your help in prayer. Alex story is below if you have time for it in the busy Holiday time.

Alex, a Latino, was sitting by the Student Services center offices in some couch chairs with an 18×24 table top that swings around from the side. He wore a silver cross that would fit inside a quarter. He had a diamond shape face that looked flat from the side, his chin pronounced. He had stick straight black hair, short on the sides. He had jeans on and a green sweatshirt (with white writing I did not have the angle to read when sitting next to him). Working on a beard it seemed to be mostly side burns and a thin mustache. He immediately said, “Yes,” to a student survey about God and asked where it was at I said, “Right here,” and got his name. I asked what he would say to God if he died and was asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “That’s pretty hard… I’ve been a pretty good person all my life. I Usually put others before myself, I’ve done the right things,” he replied. He thought he had a 70% chance of going to Heaven and had recently been to church with his family who were all religious. He thought Church was OK. He didn’t seem excited about it at all. Everyone in his family seemed to be Christian but him. So I was praying as I talked that God would break in on him as I figured they were praying for him. He took in the Gospel attentively though and when I asked what Jesus had done to take away his sins he said, “The crucifixion.” I went on to explain what it meant that Jesus had died. I explained Christ’s righteousness and that God wanted to adopt him and give him the blessings of His family. He was taking it all in but I couldn’t tell if he was actually interested. He could be “believing on His name, that Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the Dead”. I asked if he would want to be forgiven or thought something else, describing a couple options and then repeated asking if he’d want to be forgiven he said “Yes.” I was pleasantly surprised and said if he wanted to be there was a prayer he could pray. I went through it and asked, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” He nodded it did and said “Yeah,” when I said he could pray it silently. I handed him the booklet and I said, “Just pretend I’m not here.” “Thank you,” he replied taking the booklet in hand. And he prayed then to receive Christ. He did not have a Bible of his own though he said his family had Bibles. So I gave him one and after showing him all the stuff in it I wrote his name “Alexander” and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside and put it back in the box saying he could have it too and gave it to him, “All of it?” he said rhetorically kind of. Then I gave him Bible promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study. I went through the Christian life more with him explaining “Inside > Out” asking for God to transform him and then I said the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100% now trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. I told him I would pray for him through Spring and for one year after. I shook his hand and he thanked me and I thanked him for his time and headed off to meet another student who needed some guidance.

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 holiday left you blessed and filled. We took in a restaurant with Ellen’s parents and nephew in town and Ellen made a pumpkin pie. So I was blessed. On Tuesday, which now seems like a week ago, Kailey trusted in Christ as her savior praying to receive Him which I was thankful for. I’d be grateful for your prayers for her to come into a deeper walk with Christ. She attends an evangelical church in Naperville. Thanks for your help.

 Kailey was sitting on the NE corner of the second floor of the BIC building. She had light brown hair in a random bun and had a small lovely face. She had petite pointed nose and sharp jaw line pretty mouth and a tiny diamond like stud in her left nostril.  Thin, she wore a fleece zip-neck gray pull over with snowflakes all over it and maroon red leggings. She was outside her classroom in a row of chairs because the door appeared to be locked and by God’s providence, no one was going inside. I asked her if she wanted to do a student survey for a Bible study group. As I recall she had talked to someone about a Bible Study already. I said that the big question of the survey was this: “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?”  “What would you say?” She asked. Usually when someone turns it back on me for an answer tell them I will tell them what I’d say after they tell me, “I asked you first.” But for whatever reason, maybe kind of intuitively realizing I did not have much time, I just began to go through the Gospel with her beginning with “Christianity is like a blood transfusion…” She tuned right in and as I began to explain that God wanted to live inside her but first had to take away her sins, to make her His type.  I asked what it was that Jesus had done to take away her sins and she thought as I rephrased it and said, “He died.” I said, “Right.” Then I began to quickly clarify the implications of the death of death in the death of Christ. The guys near us had begun talking again and I prayed there’d be a longer delay. At one point her professor walked up, he could not get the door open either and I heard his call to the facilities number complaining his door was locked. I explained the righteousness of God (Christ earned) to her and that God wished to adopt her and give her, “…the blessings of His family, He gives us the sacrifice for our sins the blood that cleanses us and the righteousness of God that surrounds us. So ya got some place to go, Heaven, and something to wear when ya get there, the righteousness of God.” I said all this could be hers by Grace through faith. I asked her if she wanted to be forgiven for her sins and she said, “Yes”. So I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. And I went through it with her saying she could pray it silently. She took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life by the Spirit’s Power living “Inside out”. Then I went back to the questionnaire I only had her name on. I said one of the questions had she done the survey was what is the likelihood she would now go to Heaven. I said it was 100% trusting in the righteousness of Jesus and His be her righteousness and His blood, both were worth an infinite amount.  “I’m old, so I have sinned way more than you. I sin each year and it just adds up and I have to ask forgiven for those sins. But if we both died right now, if there was an earthquake or something, there would be enough of Christ’s righteousness to cover us both because it is worth an infinite amount. And His blood to pay for our sins because He is God is worth an infinite amount.” I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. “Thank you so much,” she said as I gave it to her. I said I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now through spring and then one year after asking that she would be blessed. I also gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study saying, “I’m making you late for class.” But she seemed in no hurry. Her teacher had somehow moved the handle a different way and he and a couple guys had gone in. “Well it was nice to meet you, thank you for everything,” she said earnestly. “Nice to meet you too,” I replied and I got up and headed down the hall to the south and she went into the corner classroom where conversation had already begun on the inside.

So thanks for your prayer for the ministry and for evangelism during the week. There are just two more weeks until we break for Christmas for the Semester. 75 Students had prayed to receive Jesus after I told them the Gospel this fall.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed with life and peace from the Lord. I had a good day on campus giving assurance of salvation to one new Christian and Yami prayed to receive Jesus today. Please pray for those who heard the Gospel today that they would be blessed.

Another girl Breana who first described herself as “lost right now” said, after hearing the Gospel, “I’m like spiritual, I used to be a Christian, this kind of resonates with me.” She was very focused as we spoke and asked for my contact information. Slight, she had a pretty oval face and almond shaped eyes her long brown hair pouring out under a winter cap and a coat on. She said she was going to think about it and I gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and then I offered her Bible Promises for You saying she could pray the verses too. “I’ll take it,” she said. Later I gave a book to Mo (Mohammed) comparing Christ of the Scriptures (Dear Muslim Friend by Mattix) to the Isa of the Quran. He was friendly but believed the Quran was universalistic in offering salvation to any sincere practicing Christian. I encouraged some Christians too it was a blessed day.

Yami was sitting outside some administration offices in a row of chairs on the third floor. It’s kind of a bridge through the Student Services Center. Her back was to the lounge below. She was a pretty girl her face was kind of a wide diamond shape framed by brown hair the edges dyed blue. She had a bright smile. I think she was a Latina based on her coloring. She wore black leggings and a faux black leather shirt over a blue t-shirt. She was very upbeat and said right away she would do a survey, I told her the main question (Why should God let you into Heaven?) and asked if she was interested in some Bible verses to give the answer. She said she was but only had 10 minutes. I began to go through the booklet with her and she tuned right in with expressions of sort of surprised interest at what was being said, “This is sweet,” she said sweetly, she really seemed to be touched by the love of God. I asked what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world so God could live inside her. She knew Jesus had died but had said she did not go to Church. I explained the payment for her sin and how God was paid through the blood of Christ. I explained trusting in what Jesus had done by faith. I asked if she would want to be forgiven. “Yes I would want to be forgiven,” she replied. I explained then how God living inside her to transform her was living the Christian life, “Inside > Out” which I usually say later. (as I wasn’t sure how I was doing on time). I said if she wanted to trust in Christ to be forgiven and know she was going to Heaven there was a prayer she could pray. I talked her through it and she wanted to pray. She took the booklet, checked if she could pray it silently and then prayed to receive Jesus. I gave her Bible Promises for You writing her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet writing her name in that and a Bible study. I told her I would keep her in my prayers each day praying a Bible verse for her until spring and one year after.  It seemed like she still had moment so I explained the righteousness of God Christ had earned that was to her credit. “Oh my heart,” she exclaimed. “Thank you so much! I’m gonna cry!” She was such a sweet kid. We parted ways and she took my contact information. Then in a moment I looked at my hand where I had written her name at first and realized I had spelled it Yani in the books I gave her. I hurried back over and found her in the lounge and checked and I said, I think I spelled her name wrong in the books. “Oh that’s OK I can fix it later,” she said. “Would you like me to fix it quick?” “Yes,” she said with a smile and it was easy to turn and “n: into and “m”. She thanked me happily and I left the inner lounge grateful to have been given the grace to fix my mistake.

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 week was blessed with Grace and Peace from the Lord. I had a blessed week on campus and 7 students (Gabriel, Alissa, Christopher, Kadin, Emerson, Lexi, Caliah) trusted Christ, though I don’t know the date the last one, Caliah, trusted Christ. She is a thin, tall, cute Black girl who yesterday had red thin braids down to her elbows. The last time I had seen her they were thicker and black and blue. Her glasses are in the shape of “aviators” and she has a narrow face. I found out she had prayed to receive Jesus talking with her on Thursday. I first went through the Gospel with her the week of September 20 in the Science and health buildings and later seeing her there gave her a Creation Science Magazine called “Acts & Facts”. I had also had given her a copy of Bible Promises for You. Thursday she told me, under the stairs in the PE building, she had found two promises to pray as I had encouraged her to do and was praying them before class and each day, she believed the Lord had been helping her. She was happy with how well she’d done on a couple of tests in a hard class she used as an example. When I had first asked her what she would say to God to get into Heaven she said, “I have a lot of love for [others]. If He wants to look at my previous records, I have nothing to ashamed of, I’m a truly positive person.” I was grateful she had trusted in Christ and not her own goodness and was in the Word.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed with good things and the nearness of God was your good. We took a guy we are discipling out to lunch for his birthday. I did not know if I would get back to school for certain. The afternoon was pretty much over when I did but Lexi and Emerson each prayed with me to receive Christ. The Lord blessed in the little time I had. Please pray they are blessed in their walk with the Lord.

Lexi and Emerson were sitting together in the hallway around the bend from the student activities area, some ministries often set up just down the hall, the Gideons and some churches and the Jehovah’s Witnesses (who no one talks to). They were just chatting waiting for the next class and were willing to do a survey together. Lexi with long brown hair had high cheekbones and a cute face and Emerson with long blonde hair had a narrow oval face, they were attractive girls. Each wore black leggings and Emerson had a red hoodie from ISU and Lexi wore a black vest. They were nice girls and it turned out they went to Catholic Church. I sat “Indian style” (as we said as kids watching Westerns) on the floor in front of them. Lexi was a bit more talkative and took the lead a bit.  Both were intelligent. I asked what they would say to God to get into Heaven if they died. Lexi said, “I don’t think I’ve done anything to say why He should.” “Have any good reason why He should,” Emerson put in to clarify and agree. I asked what the likelihood was they would go to Heaven. Lexi said, “I think I would, there’s more I could do, I feel like I could do more.” “I agree,” Emerson said. “I’d [like to be] getting closer to God,” Lexi put in and Emerson agreed again. I began to go through the Gospel with them saying God had to take away their sin to make them “His type” so He could live inside them and asked What Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. Neither of them could think of anything, the atonement is not always spoken of that way in the Catholic Church.  I have had students reply, “Reconciliation” not knowing what Jesus did but knowing from CCD that He did it. But once I begin to explain that Jesus died for their sins and this cleansed them and was a payment for sins they tuned in and tracked with all the Bible verses. I said then that all God had done for them was theirs by faith believing that Jesus was God had died for their sins and rose from the dead. They probably had the faith of their parents as kids but now if someone would ask them why God should let them into Heaven they should say, “Because Jesus died for me.” “Not that you just know the story but that that is what you place your trust in to be forgiven.” Then the Bible said “By grace you have been saved by faith… not by works so no one can boast.” I asked if they would want to be forgiven for their sins trusting in what Jesus had done for them on the cross or thought something else. “Be forgiven,” Lexi said “always.” I said then to Emerson would you want to be forgiven then too. “Yeah,” she replied in agreement. So I said there was a prayer they could pray, if they hadn’t had a chance as an adult, to say to God that they wanted to trust in what Jesus had done. I walked them through the prayer, asking if it was the desire of their hearts. They nodded.  I said they could pray it silently “and know you were forgiven and going to Heaven”. I compared this to the symbolism in the mass where it was commemorating that Jesus had died for them and so they were forgiven.  “Wanna do it?” “Sure,” Lexi said and I asked Emerson if she would like to do it too and she said, “Sure.” They each took a booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I waited for them and Lexi when she’d finished asked Emerson if she had and she said, “Yeah I was just reading a bit more”. I told them they could keep the booklets and I said to Emerson I’ll just write a couple verses in yours and I took it back filling them in. Then I took Lexi’s book and talked about living “Inside > Out” by the Spirit’s power. I said God wanted them to ask Him for strength for everything they did in life. I explained that they might fail to obey God but they could confess their sins knowing God’s anger was poured out on the cross and he knew ahead of time they would fail and had a plan to fix it. They were thankful but had to go so I quickly gave each of them Bible Promises for You writing their name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. And I gave them each a copy of The Case for Christ Answer Book and a Bible study with a quick explanation. I said I would pray a Bible verse for them each day from now until Spring and one year after asking that they would be blessed. I said I would see them in Heaven. They thanked me and headed off.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism. God blessed today.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today walking in the Spirit. I had a good day on campus and Alissa, Christopher and Kadin each prayed to receive Jesus today. I’d be grateful for your prayers to bless them. Thanks so much for praying for the ministry. God blessed and guided me. Their stories are below if you have the time.

Alissa was sitting in the MAC Arts center lounge. She had a painting in front of her on the table. She was dressed in black and had long brown hair past her shoulders, her bangs swept to the right she had an oval face and wore glasses and looked a bit Asian. I asked her if she’d want to do a student survey. She said she was already in a Bible Study group and had gone to 2 Bible studies it seemed, the one they just did was on “The New Name” but she could not seem to remember what it was about. I asked her if she’d like to hear the big question she could use to start a conversation about faith. She said “OK.” So 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?” “What would you say?” she quickly replied. “You tell me first and then I’ll tell ya what I’d say.” She thought for a bit and said she did not know what to say. I asked if she went church and what they’d say got you into Heaven and she said the Bible Study group was the “Chicago Church of Christ”. She did not know the answer still. I thought the cult group by that name (that emphasizes works righteousness and baptismal regeneration) went by another name on campus this year. There is a regular church called the “Church of Christ”. So not knowing what the Church was I could not condemn it outright. She said she was really new to Christianity. I asked if she would want to hear some Bible verses that explained how you would get into Heaven. She said she would. I sat down and got her name gave her mine and began to go through the Gospel. I said God wanted to know and live inside her and asked what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world to make that possible. She did not know so I began to explain how Jesus had died and this cleansed her and was the payment for sin. I explained the righteousness of Christ and salvation by faith. I explained why her good deeds would not be a payment for her bad deeds and I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done for her on the cross or thought something else. I think she said, “A life entrusted to Christ”. (The booklet uses that phrase so sometimes people say it, as it the first sentence by the circle they chose.) I said since she had not put all this together before there was a prayer she could pray and know she was forgiven. I walked her through it. I asked if it expressed the desire of her heart. She read it again and said it did so I said she could pray it right now and know she would be forgiven. She agreed she’d like to and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I began to explain the Christian life living “Inside > Out” by the Spirit’s power to do any good thing she wanted to do. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside which she liked. She already had a copy of The Case for Christ and had Bible Study’s with her group. I said I would keep her in my prayers praying a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and on year after. I showed her the survey (she had not done) and said one of the questions was “What is the likelihood you will go to Heaven.” I said for her now this was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, both being of infinite value. She thanked me and I said if she had any questions about anything my email was on the back of the booklet. I’ve already been praying if she’s in a bad church something will happen that she can’t attend anymore. I said I’d see her around and headed out.

 Christopher was sitting right across from the locker I used. I had forgotten to put more booklets in my back pack so went out to my truck to get a few and passed him on the way in. He’d heard me go through things before with a friend and was back at school this year after a semester (at least) away. He wanted to hear the Bible verses after I asked him, “Did I ever ask you the question…”  the question I had asked Alissa. He said no and so I asked if he’d want to hear what the Bible said was an answer. He said sure he had 10 minutes before class. He had an oval face and looked like a classic Latino with a narrow mustache a small goatee. He had a truckers cap he and on backwards a blue zip up hoodie and Khaki cargo pants that looked a bit deeper than the typical color. I began to go through the Gospel with him and he could not remember what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world saying, “I haven’t been to Church in a couple months.” I explained the atonement to him also. I began saying “God sees you can’t come up to Him because of your sin. So He comes down and becomes a man Jesus. And Jesus lives a perfect life.”  “Oh,” he said, I think remembering what Christ did in seeing the picture of the cross on the page. I continued to say he was supposed to live a perfect life. He couldn’t so Jesus lived a perfect life for him. I explained then he was a sacrifice for sin, the blood of Jesus cleansing him from sin and being a perfect payment to God. He listened then to the rest and after I had explained John 1:12 “the right to become Children of God” and “Believe on His Name” to mean “If you believe Jesus is God died for your sins and rose from the dead. Not that you just knew the story from Church but that that’s what you place your trust in to be forgiven. So if someone would say to you, ‘Why should God let you into Heaven you’d say, Because Jesus died for me.” “Jesus died for me,” he repeated.  He needed to believe by faith and faith saved him. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in Jesus so God could live inside him. Or did he think something else. “Well, I’m a Catholic,” he replied. “So that one.” He pointed then at the circle with Christ on the throne of his life. I had shortened a bit of what I usually said by illustration knowing he had little time and asked if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through it mentioning the symbolism in the Mass. I asked if he’d like to pray it silently after he affirmed it was where he was at. “Sure,” he said. He took the booklet then and prayed to receive Jesus. I quickly gave him a Bible Study and Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. Knowing he had to run I said he could read the rest of the booklet. He stood up and reached out his hand to shake mine saying, “Appreciate it.” I said sure and I’d see him in Heaven and he headed off to class.

I passed Kadin walking in the hallway ramp that is above the bookstore and leads to the library. I asked him if he’d do a survey a bit passed him, feeling compelled. I usually look for people with some time sitting down. He had ear-buds in and did not hear me so I turned around and caught up to him and asked if he’d do a student survey about God for a Bible Study group. I saw then he had a couple gold necklaces on and one had a cross on it. He was African American, shorter than me and his hair dyed rust on the top in thin braids, straight up. It was short on the sides. He had a gold ring in his left nostril and wore a black corduroy (sort of) jacket that zipped up and jeans. Wider nose, classic features, good-looking guy. I asked him what he would say to God. “I’ve tried to begin following Him, not earlier but in the last 2 or 3 years I’ve done better giving my life to Christ. I wouldn’t say I haven’t done anything bad. But I would say I haven’t done anything that meets the criteria of going to Hell.” I asked if he went to Church at all. “When I was younger, 13, I’m 19 now so it’s been a few years. My parents made me go.” I began to go through the Gospel with him and when I asked him what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world he said, “He sacrificed Himself.” I explained what the atonement meant then to purify him and as a payment to God. I explained the righteousness of Christ to His credit if he was adopted by God as His child. I explained salvation by faith not by works and the rest. I asked if he would want to be forgiven, trusting in Jesus’ work to save him or thought something else. “What else is there to think,” he said enthusiastically. “I want to be forgiven.” I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it. I asked if it expressed the desire of his heart and he nodded. I said then he could pray it silently and he said, “Yeah.” And took the booklet saying, “Out loud?” “No silently, it’s not my business,” and he smiled and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained then the Christian life “Inside > Out” By the Spirit’s Power. He had a Bible so I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I gave him a Bible Study illustrating one of the points for him and The case for Christ Answer Booklet. I said the likelihood he would go to Heaven was now 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Christ. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after. And I said God would bless him when he asked as much as would help him follow God. “This was good,” he said. “I’ll see you in Heaven,” I said shaking his hand. “I like that, I’m gonna use it.”  “Thank you Mr. Bob,” he said as we parted. I said he was welcome and thanked him for his time.

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 walking in the kind intention of His will for you. I had a good day on campus as Gabriel prayed to receive Jesus today and a long brown haired Latina girl Cierra might have been close in the science building. I’ll check with her if I see her again. She was busy with studying so I had to leave her in hope. I felt like she wanted to process it all some more. Gabriel’s story is below if you have some time.

Gabriel was sitting at the counter in the cafeteria having I think just finished lunch. He had a small build, his blondish hair combed over to the right and part of it tied in the beginning of a short not in back. He had sharp features and a pointed nose and wore a match pair of sweats, grey zip up hoodie and pants that had the Under Armor symbol on them. I asked him what he would say to God if asked, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ “I need to think that through a second,” he replied. He thought a few moments and then said, “I guess I’ve done the best that I could… maybe.” He thought he had a 90% chance of going to Heaven. He went to church regularly. I began to go through the Gospel with him telling him God wanted to live inside him and if He did it would be like he was the Energizer Bunny and God was the batteries, when he died it was like he didn’t die, “Because God’s inside.” “Hmh,” he said not having thought about God inside him before. I asked him what it was Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. But he said he could not think of anything. I began to explain the atonement to Him and the righteousness of God Jesus earned that could be to his credit if God adopted him and made him His child. I said that if He believed Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the dead; not that he just knew the story from Church but that that was what he put his faith in to be forgiven and go to Heaven. That would mean he had faith. And faith would save him. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins believing in what Jesus had done on the cross to forgive him or if he thought something else. “Accept Jesus into my life,” he replied. I went through the prayer with him and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart, he nodded. I said he could pray it silently and he decided to do it and took the booklet and prayed to receive Christ. When he’d finished I said he could keep the booklet and he replied, “I would like that.” I told him now trusting in Jesus the likelihood he would go to Heaven trusting in the blood and righteousness of Christ was 100%. I explained the Christian life living “Inside > Out” and “by the Spirit’s Power” and gave him back the booklet. “Thank you sir,” he said. He’d forgotten my name and asked me of it a couple minutes later. I gave him, Bible Promises for You writing his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside and a Bible Study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I said I would keep in in my prayers praying a bible verse for him each day through Spring and next school year. “Nice to meet ya, have a good one,” I said getting up to go. “You too Bob,” he said 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 with gratitude in your heart, it’s a blessing to feel thankful. Pablo trusted in Jesus today so that was great. I hope I helped clear a path to truly trusting Jesus in a few Christians who had been trusting in their works. Lord willing that takes root too. It’s hard sometimes to know if people were trusting in Christ. The nomenclature of their answers is correct, even saying they believe Jesus is their savior, but then can’t tell you what Jesus did to take away the sins of the world.  Later they seem to be hoping in that they have been good people and so they’d be saved. Two back girls Moyo and Auri were that way today. After going through the Gospel, I asked if when they asked for forgiveness they knew they’d be forgiven because Jesus died for them or they hoped they would be forgiven being good enough. One said “A little of both” and the other parroted the same response. So I asked, “Do you now trust in Jesus’ righteousness and blood to forgive you for your sins?” saying twice; once to each. And each said, “Yes.”. So by confession they are in Christ. I hope they are not merely religious people any longer. Sometimes it is hard when 2 are sitting together to help them focus. I showed them the prayer and said if they had never told this to God they could pray it on their own. [Gal 3:2] Another guy (Oscar) was in the cult group on campus, they believe baptism saves with your good works, struggled with him too. But we shook hands at the end and he gave me a hug so I hope I got through. The group likes me because I am doing good works in their view I guess. I think he was in the group because he was attracted to a girl in it, but hey.

Pablo was a Latino he had a narrow mustache in two pieces (like Charles Bronson) and a chin beard. He had a gold necklace with his name spelled on it and a gold cross. He had a solid oval face. First glance he looked like a very tough guy. He was a kind, quiet, nice guy however, wore a baseball cap backward and had a black t-shirt with a scull over the left chest and jeans on. He said one day he wanted to buy a house for his parents, which reminded me I was blessed to grow up in a house. He was studying to go into Law Enforcement.  I asked what he would say to God if he died and was asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “I would say I want to see my grandfather,” he replied. It turned out he and his brother were about to go to see their grandfather, (they had never met) when they were teenagers. It seemed his grandfather lived in Mexico or another state. But before they could get there, he died. I began to go through the Gospel with him and when I asked him what Jesus had done to take away his sins he said, “He died.” Other than that, he made eye contact as I went through the Gospel and told of the blood and righteousness of God to save him by faith. I compared what I had said saying in the Mass, the wafer was symbolic of Jesus Body and the Wine symbolic of His blood. So when he went to Church and took it he could just say “Thank you” because it was reminding him Jesus had died for him and so he was forgiven. I asked if he wanted to be forgiven for his sins, trusting in Jesus, or thought something else, explaining Islam, as an example of a different god where their god is not a father because he did not have a son. God does not live inside humans and there is no sacrifice for sin. He looked me in the eye and did not say anything so I repeated, “Would you want to be forgiven for your sins, trusting in what Jesus did for you on the Cross?” He nodded. So I said there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it asking if it represented the desire of his heart. He nodded again. I asked if he wanted to pray it silently. He nodded a third time. Then he took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. He did not have a Bible so I gave him one writing his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside and then told him the likelihood he would go to Heaven was now 100%. I explained the Christian life “Inside > Out”. I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You. He didn’t like to read so he did not want anything more but a Bible Study. I said I would keep him in my prayers each day until spring and a year after. He seemed appreciative and I shook his hand saying, “God bless you.” And he said, “God bless you too.” And I headed off.

Thanks so much for your prayers. For the ministry God blessed today and I hope I had the right words for the students.

In Him,

Bob