Results of the Work – 5/6/19

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed, we got a cold snap this afternoon here but it got sunny. I had a good day on campus and Melanie prayed with me to receive Jesus.

Melanie was sitting outside the bookstore in the hallway. She’s had a practical pretty face, Latina with lighter brown relish hair. She had a gray cardigan on over a solid blouse and skinny jeans cuffed at the ankles. She had her shoes off with her feet up on the table sitting in a cushy chair. Her black peds socks had stripes across the toes. I asked if she wanted to do a student survey and she asked if I was with CRU. I said I wasn’t but I’d started the group here (in 2002) and in 2009 decided to do my own thing. So she said she’d do it probably out of curiosity. When I asked her what she’d say to God to get into Heaven she said with a quick “ha” laugh, “‘Cause I think I’m pretty decent, I’ve had a relationship with Him before. I don’t think I’ve done anything that would be unforgivable.” I asked what the likelihood she would go to Heaven when she died and she said, “I don’t know, I don’t want to be cocky 80%.” I began to go through the Gospel with her and she knew that Jesus had died for her sins. She’d been going to a Christian Church for about 5 years and liked it there. So I explained to her the rest of the Gospel, that Jesus blood had cleansed her so God could live inside her. Then I explained Jesus righteousness that was too her credit and that we’re clothed with Jesus. “You don’t go to Heaven because you’re good but because Jesus is good and you’re connected to Him. I used analogies and illustrations all the way through. I asked her if she’d want to be forgiven for her sins or thought something else and she said, “I’d want to be forgiven.” So I said that it seemed like she was hoping she’d be good enough to go to Heaven but if she wanted to trust in what Jesus had done there was a prayer she could pray it between her and God so only he would hear, “Wanna do it?” “Well, probably but let me ask you what if someone prayed a prayer like this and then thought they could do whatever they want?” I said I wouldn’t let someone else’s hypocrisy change what I did with God. You can never see someone’s heart and Jesus says not to judge that but we can judge external things. I said 145 people had prayed with me to receive Christ this year and Christians had asked me how I knew if they were really Christians, but the truth is I don’t know if the person asking me is really a Christian or not either. I explained that “Christianity is inside out not outside in, God changes us on the inside and we become good people who do good things on the outside, but doing good things on the outside does not make us Christians or change us on the inside, only God does that.” If someone committed to their wife in marriage but slept with Sally next door they lied in their wedding ceremony. But I’d still get married. I explained life in the Spirit to her a bit too, asking for God’s help and she was satisfied. I explained that everyone was “has” a relationship with God as their Creator but not everyone was “in” a relationship with God trusting in Him as their savior where He can live inside them. I asked again if shed want to pray. “Yeah,” she replied. “Just pretend I’m not here,” I said. “Ok,” she replied and prayed to receive Jesus. I gave her a Rose publication “Following Jesus” and found out she’d attended the Crusade group on campus all year. “You explained this better than anyone ever has at church or in CRU,” she told me. I thanked her and talked about how often Churches do not talk about the Holy Spirit and seemed to be just trying to create a lot of good people by their own effort but that’s not the Christian life. I said was under the impression from talking to others they did not teach much to students in CRU. “No it’s just games,” she replied. I also gave her a Bible study and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven” in the front and also wrote “Just ask” and “By the Spirit’s Power”. She thanked me and I explained a few more things to her. She shook my hand and I said, “Nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too,” she replied. I got up to go saying I would keep her in my prayers every night until the end of spring and then for one year after that. “Thank you,” she said and was grateful and I headed off.

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

In Him,

Bob