Results of the Work – 4/5/23

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

I hope you had a great day knowing the kindness of the Lord. I had a good day on campus and John, Billy and Bobby each prayed with me to receive Jesus today. Please pray each of them grows in their faith. Thanks so much for your prayers. We’re grateful for your help in ministry, very grateful.

 

John was sitting at the counter in the cafeteria. It turned out on a field trip and said he was a senior in High School. “Well you’re a student. Would you still like to do a survey?” I asked. He was still willing to do it..  In the Spring there are young students that come in to check out the College of DuPage. He had curly tight hair, nearly an afro, black rectangle rimmed glasses. He had a mostly white sweater with green horizontal stripes black jeans and blue tennis shoes. He wore a gold cross around his neck that was on a chain that looked a bit like a rosary or prayer beads.  He had an oval face, fair skin and something of an accent, his syntax as sometimes disordered in English. I asked him where is parents were from and he said, “Egypt.” I asked him what was one thing he’d like to do before he died. “Got any big dreams?” I asked.  “I wanna go and teach about God. Jesus,” he replied I asked what he would say to God to get into Heaven and he said, “I’m your son, you should let me in,” he paused and then confirmed, “That’s what I would say.” I asked the likelihood he would go to Heaven and he said, “65%”. So I asked why it was not 100%. “I feel like I’m a believer, I know God, I speak with Him, pray. But I’m not a servant. There’s a few more points I need to get there.” I began to go through the Gospel with him reading the verses. And he took it all in listening. I asked him what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. He said, “I know He did that.” I went on to explain the Gospel and the blood and righteousness of Christ, salvation by faith and not by works and he tracked with these thoughts and I explained he needed to receive Jesus by faith “So if someone would say to you ‘Why should God let you into Heaven?’ you’d say Because Jesus died for me. Not that you just know the story from Church but that that’s what you place your trust in.”  I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in Jesus or thought something else. “I would be with Jesus,” he said. So I said if he would want to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and after reading through it with him asked if he would like to pray it silently. “Absolutely yes,” he said. And he prayed to receive Jesus. I noticed his classmates had left. They were once seated behind me. But he said not to worry he’d find them. I explained living inside out by the power of the Spirit and told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day for the next year and he thanked me. He did not have his own Bible so I gave him a Study Bible showing him the 99 doctrines page and the cross-references and devotionals and maps in it saying there was probably one with Egypt. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front which he really liked. I gave him Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Book and a Bible study. “Can I tell you something?” he asked. “Sure,” I replied. “Please keep doing what you do,” he said. “Thanks,” I said. “That’s a real encouragement.” “I want to give you something for all these,” he went on pulling out his wallet. “No that’s ok,” I replied. “I don’t pay for these people give me money to buy books to give away.” He handed me 2 $5 bills and put them on the counter in front of me. “I want to donate,” he replied. “How about if you just give me one of these.” “No,” he said smiling and thanked me and I thanked him and he walked away to find his classmates who had wandered out of the cafeteria.

 

Billy was sitting in one of the lounges that has doors to an atrium displaying a path and trees growing in the middle of the BIC building. I asked him if he wanted to do a student survey and he said, “Sure I don’t have anything to do.” He had a brown shaggy head of hair in a 70’s vintage haircut, spit randomly on top. He had a dark blue hoodie and grey sweats on and long oval face, good hearted guy. He wanted to climb the highest mountain in North America and I told him I’d known a guy who froze off his fingers and toes doing that and we talked a bit about climbing. I asked him what he would say to God if asked why He should let him into Heaven. “Hmm, well, um,” he said pondering and then, “I do go to church every Sunday,” then, “Because I have to,” he added with a smile. “I’m nice to everybody, my kindness is contagious,” he said with a grin. He thought he had a 75% chance of getting into Heaven and then changed it to 80%. I went through the Gospel with him and when I asked what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world he said, “He died.” I then explained the blood and righteousness of Christ, explaining that he needed to receive all Jesus had done for him by faith. I asked if he wanted to be forgiven or thought something else. I’d be forgiven,” he said leaning back in the chair and at the table we sat at and raising his arms like he was stretching. I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talking through it I asked if it was the desire of his heart. “Yeah,” he replied.” I said he could pray it right then silently, “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. Wanna do it?” “Yeah,” he said and took the booklet and prayed to receive Christ. I explained living the Christian life inside out, first transformed by the Power of the Holy Spirit then doing good things. I told him the likelihood he would go to Heaven trusting in Jesus was now 100%. I told him I’d pray a Bible verse for him each day for the next year. I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front and handing it to him I said, “Happy Easter.” He grinned at that. I gave him Strobel’s Case for Christ Answer Booklet and he thought he’d heard of him saying he’d tried to disprove Christianity and then believed. I agreed and said he had youtube videos he could watch. Getting ready to go I said, “God bless you man.” I appreciate it,” he replied and I headed out saying I’d see him in Heaven.

 

I found Bobby up on the third floor. He was tall and thin about my stature and wore a purple windbreaker and running shorts. He was chilling out in the SE corner lounge of the BIC. It looks out onto the outdoor terrace where they have concerts. He had a short fade haircut on the sides and straight blondish hair on top. He had a short very neatly trimmed beard and a thin mustache. I asked him what he’d say to God to get into Heaven. “I don’t know, I’d probably say I was raised Catholic, and I believed. I wouldn’t say I’m perfect. But who is?” He thought he had a 90% chance of going to Heaven. He was a really soft-spoken guy and listened closely to the Gospel. He knew, when I asked what He had done, that Jesus had died for our sins. As I finished I asked if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done. “Mumhm,” he replied. I walked him through the prayer and asked if it was the desire of his heart and he nodded. Saying he could pray it silently and offing that to him he replied with another “Mumhm.” And took the booklet as I said, “Just pretend I’m not here,” then prayed to receive Christ. When he’d finished I explained the Christian life living inside out by the power of the Spirit. I told him the likelihood he would go to Heaven was now 100% saying that trusting in the righteousness of God, He would forgive both of us.  I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You writing Eph 1:13 on the page with promises concerning Eternal Life. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I also gave him a Bible Study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day for the next year and he thanked me. “Happy Easter,” I said to him. “Happy Easter. Nice to meet you,” he replied. “Nice to meet you too, I’ll see you in Heaven,” I said with a smile and he smiled back. I headed off then down the hall.

 

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

 

 

Bob