Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today and you are happy it is almost Spring. I personally like baseball and equally enjoy not feeling freezing air getting to my truck. May God provide a warm Spring.  I had a good day on campus and Lucas, Robert and Alex each prayed to receive Jesus today. I’ll be praying they grow in faith.

Lucas was sitting in the first set of couches as you exit the lounge. He had an oval face and light brown short hair had a jacket and jeans on, he looked like the actor Aaron Paul. He had a slight speech impediment. He was raised Catholic and had grown up in the Church but did not seem to be in regular attendance any longer. When I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven he said, “I lived a happy life.” I think he meant he had made others happy. He thought the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 90%. He was affirming of every point I made concerning the Gospel often saying, “Exactly.” Though he struggled with what Jesus had done to take away his sins, not remembering. When I asked him if he would want to be forgiven for his sins or thought something else he struggled a bit thinking at first saying he thought something else saying, “I think… it’s tough.” So after a moment I just asked, “Do you think you would like to trust in Jesus and be forgiven for your sins?” “Yeah,” he said in a tone of voice as if to say, For sure. I think he had misunderstood my first question, possibly thinking I was asking him to add something to what I had said.  I said if he’d like to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and I talked him through it and asked if it was the desire of his heart. He thought for a moment and said, “Yeah.” I said he could pray it silently, not that I would hear him but God would hear and forgive him and live inside him giving him strength. He nodded and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. He said he had a Bible and I explained living “Inside Out” asking God to change him and give him strength. I said Christianity was just asking God for help in all things. He was grateful and I explained that if he trusted in Jesus’ righteousness to be his, the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. He did not want a book of any kind, so I said I would keep him in my prayers and headed into the cafeteria. I will look for him and chat him up in the future. He was a bit of a strange bird but really nice.

Robert was sitting inside the Cafeteria at the counter looking outside. He had a couple days’ growth of beard on him and a Doughboy face. Real nice guy, stick straight dishwater-blonde hair. He wore black sweats and brown t-shirt. When I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven he said, “That’s a fantastic question, pretty loaded…” and then, “very good question.” He continued thinking and finally said, “I tried my best to honor the Church in life. I tried to honor my neighbor and parents. I tried my best to observe what is right.” He had gone to Church as a kid but it had been a while. He thought he had a 60% chance of going to Heaven. He listened closely to the Gospel and he knew Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. When I had finished explaining that He had died as a perfect payment to God for what we owed Him and His blood cleansed us and his righteousness was to our credit he said, “OK.” With an I get it now tone of voice. I explained God wanted to adopt us and make us his Children and we did so by faith.” “So it’s faith?” he asked and I said, “Yep.” I asked if he wanted to be forgiven for his sins, trusting in Jesus, or thought something else he said, “A life entrusted to Christ,” choosing that line reading it as the description of the circle with God inside written in the booklet. I said if, as an adult, he wanted to place his trust in Jesus to be forgiven, there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through it, asking if it was the desire of his heart and he said, “Yeah.” So I said he could pray it silently so only God would hear and he said, “OK.” And he prayed to receive Jesus. He thanked me a number of times saying “Thank you so much. “ I explained the Christian life living “Inside out to him also and gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do writing his name and the date and “forgiven” along with “Just ask by the Spirit’s power.” I gave him a Bible study too and explained that now trusting in Christ’s righteousness to be his, the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. “Thanks for this. I’ve been thinking about it lately,” he told me. I told him I would pray for him and he said he’d pray for me too saying God would know who he meant. I thanked him. “You have a wonderful day,” he said as I got up to go. “You too,” I replied and headed out.

Later in the day I returned to the Cafeteria and found Alex sitting at the same counter about 25 feet further down. He had on a black shirt and jeans, well groomed mop of hair combed back on top of his head and a high forehead. His head was round and face was puffy, another nice guy. He said he’d attended the Greek Orthodox Church but the one near school he’d gone to had closed from lack of funding. But he attended church with his mother still. I don’t think the ones he attended now were the same denomination.  When I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven if he died he said, “That’s a tough one.” Then he said, “Pretty much be myself, treat people how I like to be treated, no point in spreading hate.” He was sure he’d go to Heaven 100%. When I asked him what the big thing Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world he said, “He forgives?” I said He did forgive but the reason he forgives is because He is just and He gets paid. I explained that we owed God something perfect for anything we had damaged in life or hurt since everything belonged to Him. We could not pay, so God became a man and lived a perfect life for us. Then when He dies, His perfect life pays God back for all we owe Him. So our sins are forgiven and He can live inside. He had a wry smile as we talked that seemed to say, “Oh I get this now and I should know this.” As I finished, I asked if he’d want to be forgiven, trusting in Jesus or thought something else. “Definitely this one over here,” he said, placing his finger on the circle with God inside. “It seems like you hadn’t had a chance to put all this together before?” I asked. He agreed.  So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray accepting God’s forgiveness. I talked him through it asking if it was the desire of his heart and he seriously said in an affirming soft tone, “Yeah sure.” I said he could pray it silently so only God would hear and asked if he’d like to. He nodded silently and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. That was great. I explained the Christian life to him, suggesting he read the book of John and also explained the Fruit of the Spirit and living “Inside Out.” I explained that now, trusting in the righteousness of Jesus to be his righteousness, the likelihood he would go to Heaven was in fact 100%.  I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do writing his name and the date and “forgiven” along with “Just Ask by the Spirit” in the front. I gave him a Bible study also explaining it a bit. I said I’d keep him in my prayers and since I was old and would get to Heaven first, when he got there I’d show him where all the cool places were and he laughed. I got up to go and Alex said seriously, “Thank you.” “Yeah God bless you man,” I replied. “Likewise,” he said and I headed out happy.

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

In Him,

Bob