Third Watch Ministries, NFP Bob & Ellen Bollow
P.O. Box 1283, Wheaton, IL 60187-1283
Prayer Letter – May 31, 2012
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort,
with great patience and instruction.” 2Tim. 4:2
Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Well the year ended with my officiating a wedding in Mexico. Yeah well we didn’t get kidnapped or anything and the Lord gave me words for the couple, they were both former students we loved on at Elmhurst. On Memorial Day we had a gaggle over of some in the extended fellowship of our lives through ministry, loved and were loved on so that was cool and now it is back to learning to breathe a bit different for the summer. My painting business has collapsed by about 75% so I need to get something else going so I can have an evangelism ministry in the fall again, though we will plan some outings and picnics here at the home front for the peeps this summer. So what was the fruit of the year? Well, I went through the Gospel with right around 400 students. Many were already Christians, so I encouraged them to use the booklet I work off of to share their faith. 91 prayed with me to receive Christ and another 14 or so committed in some way, enough so that I felt I should pray for them, so that’s my prayer list every night along with other peeps in and around the ministry. I have them memorized in a list. I gave each of them something to read, all but a few a book. I would like to give them the option of connecting with someone from a local church to disciple them, so if you know anyone local that’s cool enough to walk through life for a bit with a college student you can have them contact us. Might be some rough sledding, it’s an evil world. But I cannot be an evangelist and discipler for very many. This emphasis is rooted in the notion that very few people seem to have the gift of evangelism and fewer still the calling for the kind of cold contact thing I am doing (and I don’t wonder over this, it is exhausting frankly.) So I am going to keep at the evangelism stuff until my face is too lined to get the peeps to talk to me.
The verse above kind of sums it up for me, “be ready in season and out of season.” Just on the face of it this is obviously impossible. But then see, so is the Christian life. And everyone knows this who has spent some time living it unless God has given you a mountain of Grace, but I have never met a mature Christian like that. It is a proverbial pet-peeve of mine in visiting Churches. They tell you what to do with no mention of the power in how to do it. I know this power is at work in what I am doing because I need a miracle, for I am talking to the blind and telling them what they should see. If you are in an evangelical church they give you the Word and ask you to do something. But see if that was all it took great! Then we could have an honest discussion concerning the claims of Christ and people would buy in as simply as if we were telling them the most obvious exit off the tollway to get to the mall, given every other exit for 100 miles was shut down with construction. So in church all that need be said is, “Here’s some good advice, do this and you won’t destroy yourself, you’ll be saved” and that is certainly a meaning of salvation in some passages of the New Testament. But it is not the word alone but as Calvin was convinced, Word & Spirit. Paul comes down that way too it seems in 1Thessalonians 1:4 & 5. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction…”. Basically without the Holy Spirit the Christian life is utterly impossible for not only does the Holy Spirit bring conviction but power to live. We see this in Acts 16:14 where Luke writes, “and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” We don’t know all Paul told her but it would seem to be more than the mere gospel preached unto salvation.
I think in our Churches we wonder often why we cannot get outsiders interested. I don’t believe Churches pray for this and I don’t believe hardly any end their sermons with the caveat, “Now if you are not a Christian or visiting today, you have probably heard me tell you to be good. I did, but what I want you to know is this is impossible with out seeking the aid of God in His Holy Spirit. If you would become a Christian the Holy Spirit will live inside you and give you the power, if you ask for it to live the very life I have encouraged you to live. Otherwise, unless you are a remarkable person, you’ll fail at what I have encouraged you to do and be frustrated. And you probably won’t come back here after awhile because you’ll feel like Church is the place for those who succeed at these things. But it is not. It is the place for those who know they cannot succeed and so ask God to work in them and do it.” Our Churches are filled with good people who already, by temperament or a great deal of effort, have managed to be good, and even some by seeking God’s power. And so when outsiders come they assume after what they hear that church is not the place for them, they don’t really even want to do the things talked about from the pulpit. Most of our churches, I believe, have ceased to regularly tell people they must walk in the Spirit. Quoting twice Paul again, Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Galatians 3:3 “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” Lest we be guilty as some in Paul’s time of
(2 Timothy 3:5) “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power;”
So with that said, thank you for your prayers. Without them and the power thereof so many would not have trusted Christ this past school year. And to be frank, without the financial support of people who believe in us I could not even afford the books and Bibles we give away.
In Him, bob.thirdwatch@sbcglobal.net
Here is a list of those who have received Christ this school year. Take a moment and simply ask God to bring them closer to Him by His Spirit won’t you? (An * means they committed but did not pray, so I am praying for them to come to trusting faith)
Demarco, Elsa, Deanna, Beullah, Kelly, Vienna, Haley, Dan, Brittany, Kassandra, Ashley, Luka, Matt, Ken, Nancy, Marianna*, Krystavia, Olivia, Jessie, Lisa, Kelly, Logan, Ashley, Sandra, Blaine*, Morgan, Loren, Anisa, Wesley, Ryan, Jasmine, Davion, Felicia, Agnes, Kc (Kirstie Clarice), Izabela, Lauren, Sarah*, Rich, Dianna*, Nicole, Tanya, Kat, Lauren*, Fabiole, Karen, Nate, Jim*, Jackie, Anthony, Laura, Elaine*, Thuy*, Kaileen, Blair, Elizabeth, Sandra, Nika, Kristin, Chris, Heather, Tyler, Monique, Eric, Julian, Ryan*, Lauren*, Kristina, Alissa, Senovio, Sylvia, Margaret*, Mirian*, Karen, Kristy, Terrence, Amanda, Victoria, Joanna, David, Mackenzie, Lily, Chris, Stephanie, Franklin, Stephen, Sarah*, Dandre, Trevor, Chauncey, Cedra*, Brad, Brian, Sara, Amara, Gaby, Quanell, Sandy*, Hashika, Raven, Natalie*, Mike, Ahmad, Ren* and Jake.