Third Watch Ministries, NFP Bob & Ellen Bollow
P.O. Box 1283 March 10, 2018
Wheaton, IL 60187-1283
Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope you’ve been having a good 2018 so far and find your hopes fulfilled for an early Spring. We are doing well absent the occasional bug that got us in winter. We’ve had a good year as 114 students have prayed to receive Jesus on campus, with 27 so far this Spring semester.
New Believers 2017-18
Dante, Alex, Xavier, Josh, Samantha, Kayla, Korin, Maria*, Ruben, Nicole, Emrah, Aristaia, Lisa, Phillip, Alex, Brigitte, Razy, Oni, Thomas, Daisy, Caitlin, Joe, Mason, Tom, Jimmy, Luis, Felix, Dan, Jordan, Abby, David, Katie, Stephanie*, Remy, Issac, Tae, Zay, Shannon, Kyle, Jocellyn, Jay, Michelle, Brian, Taylor, Samantha, Jasmine, Zac, Jared*, Walter, Jenee, Annalisa, Nick, Mark, Celine, Peter, Deionte, Zach, Miracle, DeAnte, Kaylin, Chris, Juan, Imani, Honey, Sherin, Mike, Axel, Khardajah, Jenna, Olivia, Conner, Cole*, Alexus, Destini, Richard, Sal, David, Liam, Hira, Mikaela, Frank, Mathew , Tom, Andrew, Larry, Cole, Alexis, Jennifer, Marcus, Christina, Joseph, Rachel*, Savannah, Grace, John, Emmett, Ramy, Tatyana, Shoniece, Thomas, Naila Sean*, Gordon, Trinity, Christine*, Michael, Angelica, Tammy, Amani, Hope, Jordann, Fernando, Josh, Jake, Jennifer, Andrea, Serena*, Jehieli, Abby, Jasna Ryan*, Jacob, Rich
One of the students who came to Christ this year, and has been coming to Bible study at school, was struggling to forgive an estranged parent who had done a lot of damage to her family and to her. She wanted to forgive, but as the pain (and offense) was ongoing, she was not sure she could. I explained that just like everything else in the Christian life, we needed the power of God by the Holy Spirit in us to forgive. Everything God asks us to do in this life He also gives us the power to do. We are not forced to just suck it up and obey by force of will. We live in the New Covenant and “the peace that surpasses all understanding will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). But this is a process that we may have to renew every morning for a time. In our hearts, we know it is right to forgive when God had forgiven us of everything we have ever done. Our resistance is in part from real hurt. It costs us something to forgive, just as it cost God Christ on the cross to forgive us. God promises more than only the power to help us, but also to make “all things work together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose” Romans 8:28. God can even use sins against us to work into good, as He states through Joseph addressing his brothers in Genesis 50:20 “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” We don’t know the great good God is going to accomplish. But when it is difficult to trust Him, we can ask for more trust, and even ask for other Christians to pray that we have it when that also proves difficult. By fellowship, prayer and the Holy Spirit’s power we can live and find the “peace that surpasses all understanding” Phil 4:7.
When God requires that we forgive others as we have been, He also means this for our good. Mayo clinic has an online article on their website “Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness” that I recently read, talking about how a failure to forgive can affect your immune system and the health of your heart. We know from Matthew 18:34 that life tortures the unforgiving. “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.”
One of the best ways to begin to forgive someone is to pray for them. Jesus encourages this in Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” This seems unfair. They hurt us and now we must pray for them? But then who knows better what your persecutor needs prayer for than you? After all, they often have many other people tricked into thinking they are great. Many of us have had hypocrites attack us in life, people that everyone else thinks are fine, even good Christians. But they gossip about us, or slander us or defraud us in business. Sometimes the lost do this to us too, in which case we can pray they come to either judgment or repentance. But the important thing is that we forgive them, give the right to exact justice over to God and He will take care of it. Most of the people who have hurt us have probably forgotten about us altogether. So we might as well not continue to give them a piece of power in our lives, where they continue to do that same hurtful thing in our remembrance, over and over again. Instead we can give it over to God and let it go by His power. Possibly, for our own protection, we will need to remember the fact that they are untrustworthy. The old peanuts comic strip was of Charlie Brown attempting to place-kick a football that, year after year, Lucy would pull away at the last minute. I wonder how many times Charles Schultz, the writer of the strip, wrote that up. Probably it was in the newspaper every Fall. We are not to become Charlie Brown, kicking the air, naïve to someone’s trickery. But we can give them over to God and say, “As far as it is in my power to exact revenge, I give it over to God.” As Romans 12:19 teaches, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” In Heaven they will give you a much deserved apology, if they have arrived.
Life is filled with tribulation and trials, but Jesus has provided a way through it. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Thank you for helping us overcome the world and its’ darkness on the college campus, by your kindness and the power of your prayers. I know one day we will rejoice in Heaven with you at the good things God has done. We are praying each night for those we know of that support us and pray for us. We really are just so very grateful for your help.
In Him, bob.thirdwatch@sbcglobal.net www.thethirdwatch.org