Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed i the Lord. 3 students prayed with me to receive Christ today. An Indian guy Thomas and two Roman Catholic Girls Daisy and Caitlin. 21 peeps have prayed with me to receive Christ this school year.  Counting Joe, the guy who was seal coating the parking lot last Friday around the deck I was staining at Mission Eurasia in town.

Thomas was sitting in the hall of the BIC building at the end of one of the bench seats. He wore a polo shirt and tan pants, wore glasses and had his hair combed back (both Clark Kent style) and had a beard that did not meet his mustache. Nice friendly face, good looking guy on the small side. If an Indian guy is named “Thomas” there is a pretty good chance he came from a Christian background in southern India where tradition holds the original Thomas the Apostle brought the Gospel, probably arriving by boat. Thomas was from a Christian background and knew the Gospel. He wanted to help others in life. When I asked him what he would say to God if He asked ”Why should I let you into heaven?” he said, “I wouldn’t say anything He’s the one that chooses. It’s my actions that determine (my eternal destiny). I would probably unintentionally lie [If I tried to say I was good] because I would want to go to heaven but He would know that I did unknowingly.” When I explained imputation and went through the Gospel he was in agreement and knew Jesus had died, but I pointed out that though he knew Jesus had died for him it seemed like in his answer he was really trusting that his own righteousness would carry him, not the righteousness of God by faith. He suddenly realized that had been true and he decided he wanted to pray to receive Jesus. I explained the life in the Spirit living Inside out and that if he was trusting in Christ’s righteousness and not his own the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do writing his name and the date he had trusted Christ in the front and a Bible Study. He was interested to come to our Bible Study so I hope he will come. He seemed like a nice guy. As I got up to leave he shook my hand and said, “Thanks very much. Nice to meet you.” And I said he was welcome and it was nice to meet him too.

Daisy was sitting in the Science building lounge in one of the built in benches that overlooks the floor beneath. She had long dark straight hair parted in the middle, wearing black plastic framed glasses with an oval, kind face. She went to Catholic Church most weeks it seemed. Dressed in black she wore yoga pants and a fleece. When I asked her what she would say to God if He asked “Why should I let you into heaven?” she said. I would say I haven’t done anything wrong that wouldn’t let me go up to Heaven. I wouldn’t want to say I deserve it but I kinda feel like I do.” But she still only thought she had about a 60% chance of getting into Heaven. We talked a bit but her class was going to start so I quickly made the points I like to make in explaining the Gospel saying that she did not go to Heaven because she was good but because Jesus was good and she was connected to Him. I hoped I was not rushing too much but she wanted to be forgiven with Christ inside her so I asked, “Do you believe Jesus is God, He died for your sins and rise from the Dead?” She said she did and so I asked if she would want to trust in that and be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray.  I offered it to her after explaining it saying she could pray it right then and be forgiven. “Now,” she replied. “Yes just in your heart where God can hear you though not so I hear.” “OK,” she replied and prayed to receive Christ. She did not have her own Bible and so I gave her one putting her name and the date saying that she could remember that was when she had been forgiven. I showed her the “Where to Turn” section in the back that lists verses for specific questions. I also gave her 20 Things God Can’t Do writing By the Power of the Spirit” in the front having explained to her the power by which we live the Christian life. She thanked me and we parted.

I went to the truck to get some books then and got another Bible. I was pretty tanked but thought I would look for one more person and headed about with no takers until I got the PE building lounge 20 min. later. Caitlin was sitting on a bench seat facing the downstairs railing, turned a bit to the wall having plugged in her phone there. She had blonde hair in a flip ending in tube curls like horizontal pipes resting on her shoulders, parted on the side with bangs swept across her forehead, cute kid. She might have just finished working out as she had layered on a couple tank tops and wore running shorts. She did not want to do a survey and I said that’s cool and turned away and she asked, “What sect (of Christianity) is this? .” I said it was christian and offered her a booklet and began to explain the Gospel a little saying God wanted to live inside her with His holy Spirit and take away her sins. Then she asked something like, “How would you say that happens?” I guess God knew how tired I was and was helping me with promptings. So I sat down and explained how Jesus died in her place for her sins and His blood was like a power in the world that cleansed her from her sin and the death it had created inside her. I explained that then God could live in her as she matched God having become His type. “Do you understand what I mean?” Absolutely,” she replied. “My problem is that I don’t reach out to God enough,” she said. She said she did a reading each day and meditated on it. It unfortunately turned out she was reading Jesus Calling which is a popular devotional book. The author claims she is looking for something more than the Bible and has used channeling like in the new age book God Calling which uses occult practices of automatic writing.  I warned Caitlin that she should not read Jesus Calling but read the Bible instead and that the author, Sarah was letting a spirit communicate to her but apart from the Bible she could not know who that Spirit was and that she had gotten some things wrong. I explained living by the Spirit inside her and asked if she had trusted in that Jesus died for her sins so that God could forgive her and live inside her and give her the strength to live the Christian life. “I never thought about it that way before,” she replied. Then she could pray for God to remind her to call on Him and it wasn’t so much reaching out to Him but more reaching into Him inside her where she could ask him to transform her. I held up my hand showing her my wedding ring explaining that I was in a relationship with my wife, that I could have a relationship with her–we could meet up and have coffee once in a while or something but I could not be in q relationship with her as I already was married. You have a relationship with God but you can be in one if you trust in Jesus for forgiveness. I said if she would like to trust in Christ there was a prayer she could pray and walked her through it and she prayed to receive Christ. I gave her a Bible showing her the “Where to Turn” section in it. I wrote her name and the date saying she could know that was the day she was forgiven. She looked at her phone and had to leave so I gave her the book 20 Things God Can’t Do writing “By the Spirit’s Power” in the front and explaining that to her. I had to let her go wishing I could say more and told her I would keep her in my prayers and she said, “Thank you. Bless you, you did a good thing.” I said she was welcome and maybe I would see her around and headed out the doors into the sunshine.

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

In Him,

Bob