Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed. I had a good day on campus and Rachel prayed with me to receive Jesus. Ariel took the student edition of The Case for Christ, uncertain she wanted to give her life to God since she wanted to do things on her own but was interested and wanted to talk things over with her boy friend, Joshua, as well. When I asked her if she believed Jesus was God had died for her sins and rose from the dead she said, well yes because the Bible says that, but she was not ready to trust in Christ by faith. So I’ll pray for her and Joshua for a while.

Rachel is friends with Justin, a guy on the track team who received Jesus this semester. She’d asked me to pray for her since I’ve seen her walking around the PE building a lot this semester, so I said I would. She was sitting in the PE lounge today where I usually see her at the long table with some guys. She took a break from her math homework to talk. When I was going through the Gospel with Justin she could not answer “the big question” as she walked by so I’d been praying I would have a chance to go through the Gospel with her. She is tall, long legs, runs and jumps for the track team. She wore a blue workout jacket and runners shorts today. I think she is from Nigeria originally. She has a oval face rarely wears make-up, has an inch and a half afro she sometimes dyes brown, wears near round oval glasses, cute kid. She is usually kind of gregarious (described herself as Hilarious) but by the end of our conversation was somewhat reserved. When I asked her what she would say to God if she died and He asked “Why should I let you into Heaven?” she said, “Because I feel like… ah… I lived a pretty God-fearing life I guess. I know my faults and acknowledge them.” She thought she had about a 70% chance of going to Heaven. I went through the Gospel with her and she knew John 3:16 and 14:6, she knew Jesus had died to take away her sins. She said she’d want to be forgiven but had “gone through a lot”. “I feel like He owes me.” she said. “Because of all you went through.” “Right,” she replied. I talked to her about the way the world worked and that because sin had entered the world sometimes God allowed a bad thing to happen so a worse thing would not happen talking. I illustrated with a story where she was making all the stoplights going to work and then end up missing the last one because someone was driving slowly in front of her and it made her late. Later you ask God why He couldn’t have just let you make one light, but what you didn’t know is you have to cross the railroad tracks one more time before you get to work and the crossing gates are broken. While you were stopped at the light, the train went by, so you missed the stop light, but didn’t get hit by the train, but you never found out about the train because you were stopped at the light. I talked with her about the complexities of the world more and she seemed to accept it more. I said her knowledge needed to become faith and told her she could ask for more trust and faith. I walked her through the prayer and she decided to pray to receive Jesus. She was still a little somber after. I explained the Christian life to her where everything God was asking her to do He would give her the power to do. I explained living “inside out” and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven” on the inside of 20 Things God Can’t Do and I gave her a Bible study and explained if she was trusting in Jesus righteousness to be hers the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. She gave me her Email and I said I would send her something. “Thanks for talking to me for so long,” I said as I got up to go. “That’s cool, anytime,” she said getting back to her math. So I’m glad to know her better and know how to pray for her and hopefully I’ll be able to connect with her some more.

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 was blessed, it is a beautiful day here, just over 60 but sunny which is great. I only had a few conversations on campus, some with peeps I know. It is close to exams and kids are studying and it is hard to find someone sitting around with free time to talk. But Nick prayed with me to receive Christ so that was great.

He was sitting in the PE building at a long table that’s in the lounge as you walk in the ground floor doors off the parking lot. He had tight twisted lengths of hair that from a distance looked like thin braids; they were pulled back on his head. African American, he had a wide nose and full lips with just a fraction of a mustache and a chin beard, good-looking kid. He wore black sweats and a black fleece. There are so many black athletes in the PE lounge that I kinda assume if you are sitting in there you are at COD to play a sport but he wasn’t, he said he just played around. He said he’d answer some questions. I asked him what he would say to God if asked if “Why should I let you into heaven?” The answer came out in fragments, he said, “It depends [on the] case… about… repented before maybe. Honestly don’t know what I would say.” He thought the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. He listened to the Gospel and knew Jesus had died for his sins. He went to church every week. I asked him if he would want to be forgiven where God could live inside him after finishing the Gospel and he said he did want that. I then tried to find out what he was trusting in, we went around a bit. I asked if he thought God would forgive him because he was doing the right things and went to Church. “Well it’s not just going to Church my mom says you need to do good and speak in a tongue and be baptized.” I pointed out that those things were fine but they did not save him. “I know you knew he died but that is just knowledge, but knowledge needs to become faith.” I could not tell if he followed entirely so I said do you think, “I’m a good man and go to church and that’s why God forgives you or have you been thinking I know God will forgive me because Jesus died for me.” “The first thing you said,” he replied. I thought for a second he meant something I had said at the beginning of our discussion which had gotten long but he meant the last sentence I said, I guess I’m a bit tired by this point in the semester. I talked him through the prayer then and said he could pray it silently and he did. When he finished he began rereading the Bible verses on receiving Christ by faith and then handed it back to me. I told him he could keep it which he was grateful for and walked him through the Christian life, having already explained living “inside out” I clarified it again. I gave him a Bible Study on the Deity of Christ. I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do. Explaining everything God was asking him to do He would given him the power to do.  I wrote “By the Spirit” in the front then wrote his name and the Date and then ‘forgiven” in the front also. “I’ll show this to my mom she’ll like this,” he said. So I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You for his mom who he said was very religious. I explained how we trusted in Christ’s righteousness to be ours again and told him I would pray for him and invited him to Bible Study. “Thank you Bob,” he said shaking my hand. “You’re welcome. God Bless you and now you can know you are forgiven by the Blood of Jesus.” And I headed out.

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,

Hope your day was really blessed. I had a good day on campus and Johnny prayed with me to receive Christ. Cat a pretty American/Chinese girl (long straight hair parted on the side she had a bright smile and a wide nose and long yellow finger nails and a bad cold) wanted to be forgiven but her father was Buddhist and her mom Catholic and she’d never gone to Church. The Gospel was completely new and she was not sure what to think about Jesus. But she happily took the student edition of The Case for Christ. She also took a Bible study on the deity of Christ so that seemed like a good seed planted.

Johnny was sitting in a lounge on the first floor of the BIC and said he’d answer some questions for the Bible Study group. He had a Clark Kent hair cut and was wearing a zip up hoodie and gray sweats, clean shaven. He was very fair skinned; my skin hasn’t looked that nice since I was 16. LOL! He said he’d like to go to Mexico and see the town where his parents had grown up. When I asked him what he would say to God if he died and He asked, “Why should I let you into heaven?” he thought for a second and said, “That’s actually a really good question. I think I’ve done… I went to a Catholic school when I was a kid, so I have those morals. I’ve been a pretty active follower in my religious community.” He thought he had about a 75% chance of going to Heaven. When I asked him what the big thing was that had taken away his sins he thought for a while and said, “Baptism?” I said Augustine would say that had taken away his original sin but the sins you commit each day God takes away with Jesus. I explained the Gospel to Him and the imputed righteousness of Christ and he said he wanted to be forgiven. So I asked if when he had done something he was asking for forgiveness for had he thought he was a good religious person and God would forgive him or had he been thinking, I know I’ll be forgiven because Jesus died for me. He said something like, “I really should be thinking that, I’m more thinking I should try…” and then he trailed off realizing he wouldn’t be trusting in God if he was trying somehow to justify himself. I said what God wanted from him was the same thing he would want in a relationship with a woman he would marry, for her to believe him and him to believe her and be faithful. I explained living inside out asking God to transform him on the inside so he would become a good man and do good things on the outside. I suggested growing up in the Church it all works for you well enough when you are just a kid in your family but when you are a man you have to decide on your own where you will land. So I said that if he wanted to be forgiven he could ask and talked him through the prayer and we talked a bit more and I offered the opportunity to pray and receive forgiveness and he thought for a moment and said, “Yeah, for sure.” And he prayed to receive Christ. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven” on the inside of 20 Things God Can’t Do and then explaining that everything God was asking him to do He would given him the power t do I wrote “by the Spirit’s power” on the inside too.  I explained the Mass was commemorating that Jesus had died for him and so he was forgiven so when that part of the church service came he could just say to God, “Thank you.” He took a Bible study and I said I would pray for him the next year and said, “God bless you.” “You too, thanks,” he said and we each 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 Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and you have joy from the Lord. I had a good day on campus and Aiden and Alisha Each prayed with me to receive Jesus today.

Aiden was sitting at the counter in the cafeteria looking out the window, just finishing his lunch and said he had a few minutes before class to answer some questions. He was a nice guy, not very tall had a curly afro that touched the top of his ears, the sides were shaved in a bit of a fade. He had a blue track jacket on and grey sweats, small nose, mustache and chin beard, good looking kid. He said he went to Church a few times a year, to a “Christian Church”. When I asked him what he would say if asked by God why He should let him into Heaven he said, Because…ahh, hmm “Even though I might not have always done the right thing, I always try to do the right thing.” He knew that Jesus had died to take away our sins. He thought he had a 90% chance of going to Heaven. I went through the Gospel with him and the imputed righteousness of Christ explaining that he needed to receive Christ. He had kind of a wry smile here and there but I could not really get a read on him. I then asked him if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or if he thought something else. “Be forgiven,” he said. So I said if he wanted to he could ask for God’s forgiveness and He would live inside him. I talked him through the prayer to receive Jesus and asked if he’d like to pray and he said, “Yeah sure.” and he prayed to receive Christ. He was going to class soon so I hurriedly explained living “inside out”. I wrote his name and the date in the front of 20 Things God Can’t Do and “forgiven” and “By the Spirit’s Power” telling him everything God was asking him to do He’d give him the power to do with His Spirit. I said that if he trusted in the righteousness of Jesus to be his righteousness he could be 100% sure he was going to Heaven.  “Paul in the Bible did many wonderful things,” I said. “But he said that it was not by his own righteousness but by the righteousness that is by faith that he would go to Heaven.” I got his email; I gave him a Bible Study too and said, “You’re forgiven,” shaking his hand. “Have a good one man.”Thanks you too.” he replied.

Alisha was sitting at a table in front of the conference room at the top of the stairs about 40 feet from the entrance to the bridge over to the Science building. Almost no one has been around the doorway at the base of those stairs it has been closed for construction that seems to have stalled. Alisha has long brown hair that did not looked straitened, more Filipino, fair skin and a pug nose, cute kid. Her skin tone and facial features seemed in part African American. Petite, she was dressed in a red hooded sweatshirt and black sweats and described herself as athletic. When I asked her what she would say to God to let her into heaven she said “Because I’ve helped… I’m a nurse; I’ve helped many people in the world. I made an impact in a positive way. I did more positive things than negative things.” She thought she had an 80% chance of going to Heaven. She said she went to Church sometimes with her mom. I went through the Gospel with her and she knew Jesus had died for her sins. I explained more thoroughly how Christ’s blood and cleansed her and allowed God to live inside her. And (if she believed) His righteousness was too her credit. I said she “had knowledge of these things but her knowledge had to become faith” and she agreed right away that was true. I asked her if she wanted to be forgiven with God living inside her or if she thought something else. “I would want God inside me,” she said earnestly. So I talked her through the prayer and asked if she would like to pray to be forgiven and she said she did with an, “Umhum.” She thanked me after she had prayed and I explained living “inside out” and by the Spirit’s power. I forgot to put a bible in my pack and took out my bin of extra stuff when I went camping on the weekend. But I had a Gideon NT to give her and I am hopeful she will make it to Bible Study tomorrow to give her a complete Bible since she said she shared one with her mom. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven’ in the front of the pocket bible. I gave her 20 Things God Can’t Do writing “By the Spirit” in the front. She thanked me again and I said something like, “Sure, maybe I’ll see ya around.” “I’ll probably see you tomorrow, thank you,” she replied and I headed off. Then I went back to give her a Bible study and took off.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry on campus and for Evangelism today of you got a chance, God was truly with me to bless my steps.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you are doing great and life in the Lord is sweet. I had a good day on campus. Maria prayed to receive Jesus Thursday and I went through the Gospel with a guy Abdul a guy from a Muslim family who took a copy of the Gospel with him and a pamphlet, “Jesus and the Quran”.

Maria was sitting in one of the cubbies that look down out over the lounge in the Science building. She had straight brown hair past her shoulders; she has a pretty Latina face, was petite and was wearing a tan coat with a broad collar and a double breasted front. She wore jeans and white Converse All-stars. She wasn’t sure she had much time, 10 minutes she thought, (or maybe wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to me for long) so I said she could just answer the couple main questions and she said OK. When I asked her what she would say to God if He asked why He should let her into Heaven she said, “Because I’ve done nice things on Earth I’ve helped many people in different ways.” She said she went to Catholic Church each week. When I asked what God had done to take away her sins she kind of guessed Baptism so I said that took away her original sin. (As an aside here: This is according to St. Augustine, but I am not an Augustinian I am a Baptist. I don’t believe that the Scripture teaches original sin but just a propensity toward sin [sin nature] so we do not have Adam’s guilt. So for the purposes of a Romanianist belief about the condition of infants it is usually too complicated to get into in contact evangelism. This is the Baptist Position if you wish to look at it http://peterlumpkins.typepad.com/peter_lumpkins/2013/09/baptist-confession-of-1679-all-little-children-dying-in-infancy-saved-by-the-grace-of-god.html  I went on to talk about the sins that you commit that God takes away so I said, “This is how it works,” And I began to teach her the Gospel, the imputed righteousness of Christ. I told her that though we should do good things to please God or we would be hypocrites, our good things can’t fix our bad things. But Jesus had to die so we would not have to in Hell. She had thought she had a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven. She listened and took it all in and so I suggested as an adult she needed to say to God where she landed, if she trusted in Christ to save her. She said she wanted to be forgiven so I talked her through a prayer and asked if that expressed the desire of her heart. “Umhum,” she replied so I suggested she could pray that prayer and God could forgive her because she was trusting in Jesus. She prayed silently then and I explained living “inside out” writing “by the Spirit’s power” in the front of 20 Things God Can’t Do and since she did not have a Bible I gave her one showing her the “Where to Turn” section to help her and wrote her name, the date and “forgiven” in the front. I explained that if she was trusting in the Righteousness of Jesus to be her righteousness the likelihood she would go to Heaven was not 100%. I gave her a Bible study on “Doubt” and said I would keep her in my prayers. She thanked me and I headed out to a chiropractors appointment to try to get rid of some of the tension in my neck causing my headaches.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism Thursday if you had a chance, God truly blessed. Today we are meeting a student for a late lunch and then I am going overnight on a camp out with 3 of our godchildren, upon which it will be my privilege to freeze. Please pray it remains warmer than expected tonight.

Love ya,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed walking in the Lord. I had a good day on campus and  Belgo prayed with me to receive Jesus.

Belgo is African American and was sitting in the hall at the BIC. He had braids a random accounting of mustache hairs and a goatee. He wore a hoodie and the front of his jeans was randomly shredded in the style that has become common. (You can also go with patches which are my preference in winter.) It turned out he went to Church every Sunday because of something that had happened in his life He had already done a survey saying to me when I asked, “I think I already did that”. “Did they ask, ‘Your 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? Did they ask you that?” I asked. “No” he replied. “Well would you like to know what the Bible says gets you into Heaven or not so much?” “You can tell me, yeah” he said. So I took out a booklet and using some of the bible verses and as many more in addition from memory I went through the Gospel and the imputed righteousness of Christ. After telling him God wanted to live inside him but first had to take away his sins I asked what the big thing was that God did to take away his sins. “The biggest thing?” he asked. I said, “Right the biggest thing.” “Well, I was near death and people prayed over me and healed me,” he replied. I said that was cool.  But this is what God does to take away sins and continued with the Gospel. I asked him if he wanted to be forgiven with God living inside him and he said. “I would be with God.” So I talked him through the prayer and said if he wanted he could ask God to forgive him trusting in what Jesus had done for him and he would be forgiven. He took the booklet from me and prayed to receive Christ. He said they had given him a Bible at Church. I explained living “inside out” by the power of God’s Holy Spirit living in Him. Writing “By the Spirit’s Power” in the front I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do also writing his name and the date and “forgiven” saying he could remember this was the day he had been forgiven for his sins. He thanked me then. I gave him a Bible study too and he kept the booklet and he thanked me again as I got up to leave. “Yeah, I’ll see you in Heaven,” I said. “Yeah,” he said with a big smile and I headed out to meet the student I was meeting at the top of the hour.

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 was blessed and you felt the nearness of God. I had a good day on campus and Alli prayed with me to receive Christ.

Alli’s sister Katie was sitting on some chairs waiting for her to come as they intended to leave together. I had asked her to do a student survey for the Bible study before when she did not have time but she said she had a few minutes today, it ended up taking much longer. We’d just started when her sister Alli sat down. Alli’s hair was died reddish and she had a bit rounder face than Katie whose hair was more golden blonde, they both had long hair past their shoulders. Alli wore her hair flat to her head and Katie’s was pulled back with a hair band that lifted it up it was wavy to her shoulders. Ali looked a little worn out and described herself as tire and Katie said she was stressed, but that’s par for the course in college, both were really sweet nice looking girls. It turned out Katie was a Christian but when I asked Alli what she would say to God to get into Heaven she said, “Probably wouldn’t, I’ve been struggling.” They went to a “Bible kind of Church” but neither had full assurance of salvation Katie said her likelihood of going to heaven as 75% and Alli said she had a 50/50 shot. I went through the Gospel with them and Alli said she’d want to be forgiven. Katie felt she already had believed on Jesus  and so I explained living inside out with them trusting in God’s power and talked about doubting your doubts and then showed them the prayer in the booklet walking them through it. Katie said again she had done something like that but Alli hadn’t so I offered her the chance to ask for forgiveness and Alli prayed silently to receive Christ. I explained that if they were trusting in the righteousness of Jesus to be their righteousness the likelihood that they would go to Heaven was now 100%. I gave them each books writing their names in them and in Alli’s the date and “forgiven” and I gave them both Bible studies and they seemed very happy. I got an email to send them some stuff and gave them each a side by side hug across the shoulders and said I would pray for them which they liked. And Katie said they’d pray for me too and that it was really great what I was doing.

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 Friday was blessed by the Lord and you had a good weekend so far.  No one prayed with me to receive Christ on Friday but I had several good seeds planted with the Gospel. Sean was a very tall (had a mop of hair and a few days growth of beard), formerly Lutheran, guy sadly turned off my his parents forcing church on him. But he said what I had said to him about a relationship with God was attractive to him and took the Student Edition of the Case For Christ. Josh was an Indian born here his parents were immigrants from the south. Raised Catholic he was not sure yet where he landed with faith in God. He had a short trimmed bear, fair skinned with a short trimmed beard trimmed as high as the mustache across each cheek. He took the Student Edition of the Case For Faith though he seemed less moved by the Gospel. I had a good discussion about God’s love in sending Jesus with Max, he took the Gospel with him to reread some verses on his own. He was a big guy with a couple days growth of beard, brown hair. Finally I spoke with Patrick who was raised in a Lithuanian Catholic Church and now had a Muslim step father. He was a good looking guy with a military hair cut, clean cut, in the PE building. I talk with him about other religions and the difference between Christianity and other religions. He was interested after I went through the Gospel with him so I gave him the Student Edition of the Case For a Creator saying his step father would also like a lot of it. He seemed very receptive.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry. I felt God leading me and I think a couple of the students I spoke with were close to the kingdom of God.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and if you live near me you are bracing for the next cold snap this weekend. The lake keeps us warm longer in fall and cold longer in spring I guess. I had a good day on campus and Erick prayed with me to receive Jesus.

Erick was sitting in a line of chairs and benches along the wall outside the cafeteria. He was wearing dark blue shorts and a t-shirt of the same color. He had a mop of dark hair, short and slight he looked Latino with a Roman nose. He said he went to a Christian church pretty often. When I asked him what he would say to God to get into heaven he said, “I don’t know if saying something would get you into Heaven, I think it’s your actions from before.” He was sure he would get into heaven however, 100%. He liked the illustrations and I asked him, “How does God take away your sin?” Auspiciously so He can live inside you and he said, “I don’t know, because I died?” I went on to explain the Gospel then and he took it all in and believed. I asked him if he would want to be forgiven for his sins with God living inside him or if he thought something else and he said, “I would want to be forgiven.” I walked him through the prayer and asked if that expressed the desire of his heart and he said, “Pretty much.” So I said he could pray it then silently to receive forgiveness and he said, “Can I do it in my head?” And I said, “For sure.” He was thankful it seemed then and so I went on to explain living inside out saying in Christianity we don’t do good things on the outside to transform us on the inside we ask God to transform us on the inside and become good men and do good things on the outside. He didn’t have a Bible so I gave him one and showed him the “Where to Turn” section which he liked since it gives you places to turn. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven” under it. I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do and wrote “By the Spirits Power” in the front explaining that anything God was asking him to do he would given him the power to do. I also gave him a Bible Study. “Thanks,” he said getting up to leave. I said maybe I’d see him in heaven and he smiled at that and said, “Have a good one.” “Thanks, you too man.” I replied and headed into the cafeteria.

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 your day was blessed and if you live near us you enjoyed the warm air. I had a good day on campus and Ayowole [ I owe waal ai] prayed with me to receive Christ. I had a good apologetic discussion with a guy named Luke too. He had sharp features, a couple days growth of beard and brown hair combed back. He took The Case for a Creator to read, having lost his faith to the pseudo-science he had forced on him in High School.

Ayowole was from Nigeria and was headed out the door of the BIC I came in, cutting across from the PE building. He had a few minutes or so to answer some questions. He had a rough-top afro, rough skin and was wearing a jacket and jeans. (We sat at the south east end of the BIC building doors on some chairs). When I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven, he thought for a moment and said, “Because I’ve tried my best everyday to make people around me happy.” He said he’d been raised in a Christian home and went to church. “So basically you’d say being a good person gets you to Heaven and that’s what you meant?” He agreed he’d thought that. When I asked him the likelihood was he would go to Heaven when he died he said, “I can’t say.” He knew Jesus had died to take away his sins and so was familiar in part with the Gospel. So I explained, “Well you pretty much knew this but you were not trusting in it. You have knowledge. Your knowledge has to become faith, where you are trusting in what Jesus has done.” As I finished explaining everything, I asked if he wanted to be forgiven, or if he thought something else. He wanted to be forgiven with God living inside him.  I said if he wanted to be forgiven, then all he needed to do was tell God he had faith in this and he could pray. So I read through the prayer with him and asked if he wanted to pray it silently so only God could hear. “Yeah, ” he replied. “I like that.” And he prayed with me to receive Christ and thanked me. I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do writing “By the Spirit’s power” in the front, having explained a bit of living “Inside out.” I used the book to show him a couple chapters, saying everything God was asking him to do He also gave him the power to do.  I wrote his name and the date and ‘forgiven”. “Thanks for sharing this with me,” he said. I told him he was welcome and I would see him in Heaven giving him a Bible Study and I headed out.

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

In Him,

Bob