Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
I hope your day was blessed today and you are on the receiving end of some nice fall weather. I had a good day on campus and Ayleen and Daniel each prayed to receive Jesus today. Their stories are below if you have some time. Please pray they are blessed in their faith. Thanks for your help in prayer.
Ayleen [I lean] was sitting in the west most of the science buildings, on the second floor of the lounge that connects them, on a couch that faced toward the vending machines. A Latina, she had a row of dark brown braids on either side of her head and wore black rimmed glasses. Her face was pretty tan yet from summer. She had a snow vest on and a long sleeve blue shirt, wore jeans. She had a cute small slightly round face and a nice smile. She said she wanted to travel, she’d been to Mexico she said and a couple states. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and was asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” She gave kind of a musical “Humm.” Then she said, “Interesting question,” under her breath, thinking. “Mainly for believing in Him, trusting,” she finally replied. She thought she had a 70% chance of going to Heaven. I asked her what the big thing was that Jesus had done to take away her sin after saying God wanted to live inside her but first had to make her His type. “He forgives you,” she guessed. I said, “He does forgive you and it works like this,” and I began to explain that Jesus had died for her, after he lived a perfect life we could not live. His blood cleansed her so now she was perfect and holy inside and God could live inside her. Then I explained how God got paid by Jesus pouring out His blood that was worth an infinite amount. She tracked with everything looking at me once in a while but primarily looking at the booklet. I explained that we received Jesus by faith, “So if someone asks Why should God let you into Heaven you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me’. “Ok,” she replied like she was making a note of that. Finally I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. “Be forgiven,” she replied. So I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it and asked if it was the desire of her heart. “She gave a slight sound of acknowledgement so I asked if she would like to pray silently right now. “Yeah,” she said and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. When she finished, I said that now trusting in Jesus’ righteousness to be her righteousness and in His blood and righteousness to save her, the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I began to explain the Christian life to her. She did not have her own Bible so I gave her one and showed her the study helps, maps, cross references devotionals and 99 essential doctrines in the front and where to find them. I wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. Then I explained going to God when we fail to obey and the fruit of the Spirit. I explained the Christian life was “Inside > Out” first asking to be transformed by His Spirit and then He makes us good people who do good things. “Everything in Christianity is Just Ask.” Saying God wanted to help her. I handed her the booklet then and she said “Thank you.” I gave her Bible Promises for You and a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her then I would pray a verse for her each day to be blessed through Spring and one year after. Have a good day I said getting up to go. “You too,” she replied. “Thank you.” And I headed off.
I later came across Daniel on the 3rd floor of the BIC in the hallway alone at the end of a set of chairs. He had sandy hair and a slight mustache that matched and wore glasses. He had a red button-neck golf shirt on and khaki shorts square jaw and sharp features. When I asked him one thing he would want to do before he died he said, “Start a family.’ And usually when a guy says that he prays to receive Jesus, if he is not already a Christian. I asked him if he died what he would say to God if asked why He should let him into Heaven. “That’s a good question, I don’t know.” He replied, then answering he said, “It’s your decision at the end of the day.” I asked the likelihood he would go to Heaven and he said, “I have no idea ‘cause I’m not God,” he replied. I asked if he went to Church and he said he was a confirmed Catholic. I began to go through the Gospel with him and I asked him, “What is the big thing Jesus does that takes away your sins, the sins of the world?” “Confession?” he guessed. “Well the standing doctrine of the Catholic Church is that only God can forgive sins. The priest is like an insurance agent, not to diminish him in any way, but you buy insurance for your car from an insurance agent. Then if you get in a wreck you call the agent and he says he will notify the company and tells you were to go to fix it but the agent does not pay, the company pays. So the priest is telling you God forgives your sins and he can do this because he knows God got paid. I went on to explain what Jesus had done to forgive his sins. His blood cleansing him and as a payment for his sin and God could then live inside him. “What happens when you sin after that?” he asked. I said that he should ask God for forgiveness but when I sinned I also ask Him to transform me so I would not sin more. Then live by God’s power in His Spirit. I went to the back of the booklet and explained living “Inside > Out” by the power of the Spirit. I explained the righteousness of Christ to his credit then and that he was saved by faith. I asked him if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in what Jesus had done or thought something else. He said he would want to be forgiven, so told him if he wanted there was a prayer he could pray. I talked him through the prayer and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “I think it does, yeah,” he said affirmingly. I said he could pray it now silently and asked if he’d like to and he said, “Yeah,” So I handed the booklet and he prayed to receive the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus. I explained when he’d finished the likelihood he would be forgiven was 100% trusting in the righteousness of Christ quoting part of Philippians 3:9. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and he took out a zipped portfolio to put it in. He was highly organized and said he was taking 18 credits. I also gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and forgiven in the front and lastly gave him a Bible Study quickly explaining it as the next class was beginning. I told him I would pray for him each day until next Spring and one year after. “Thank you sir,” he said when I shook his hand. “God bless you,” I said “I’ll see you in Heaven.” “See you sir,” he replied happily and I headed off.
So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. God truly blessed.
In Him,
Bob