Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope you day was blessed and you are resting in God’s protection and peace.  I had a good day on campus. Elizabeth and Jeremiah prayed to receive Jesus. I also went through the Gospel with Joey who had been baptized yesterday at a church that meets at school but had no assurance of salvation though he said Jesus had done for him. He did not appeal to his works but just did not seem to understand what the criteria was to go to Heaven, he just hoped it would work out.  But he understood by the time I explained some verses to him. I also told him that as soon as he believed. Eph. 1:13 said, he was sealed by the Holy Spirit and so the Spirit sealing him did not leave him, he looked the verse up on His phone and saw this was true. Since God was then one with him and God can’t go to Hell he wouldn’t go there either. He was happy to have assurance. Elizabeth and Jeremiah’s stories are below if you have time. Please pray they grow in the faith.

 Elizabeth had a round sort of flat face brown eyes and long brown hair parted down the middle. She wore a blue, fleece lined hoodie and jeans.  She was a bit heavy set and cheerful. She sat against the counter in the cafeteria looking out toward the science and health buildings. I asked her what she would say to God if she’d died and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “I work in an animal program to help animals who are injured go back into the wild.” Later she said, speaking of it, “That’s why I’d get in,” later as we were talking. She said she went to a Lutheran Church and I said I was raised in the Lutheran Church too. I asked her what the likelihood was she would go to Heaven and she said, 50%. I began to go through the Gospel with her and asked her what Jesus had done to take away her sins so God could live inside her. “I don’t know,” she replied. As I continued to explain how Jesus lived a perfect life and His blood cleansed her and His righteousness was to her credit these facts seemed novel to her. I continued to tell her if she received these things by faith. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven or thought something else showing her the circles representing a life. She pointed to the circle with God in her life trusting in what Jesus had done saying, “That one.” I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray. I talked her through the prayer and asked if it expressed the desire of her heart. She said it did. I asked if she wanted to she could pray it right now, I wouldn’t hear her but God would hear and she’d know she was forgiven. “Wanna do it?’ I asked. “Yeah,” she replied and took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I went through the Christian life with her saying everything was “By the Spirit’s Power” Then I explained asking God to transform her on the inside so she would do good things on the outside. I explained now trusting in the Blood and Righteousness of Jesus the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I also gave her, The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible study. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless her. I got up to God and said if I saw her around I would just say “Hi.” “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you, you’re welcome,” I replied and headed off.

 Jeremiah was reclining on a hard bench under the stairs in the PE lounge. He had dreads, the longest of which was 10 inches some shorter. Most were the width of a pencil. He had a patch of beard under his chin and a mustache, sharp jaw line and a medium sized nose. Good looking guy with a very slight build. He ran sprints and short relays for the track team. He had on a black backpack that was completely stuffed and a black puffy coat, skinny jeans with a torn knee.  He said he lived in Chicago but went to church in Oak Park. He said he already went to a Bible study so I asked if he wanted to hear the big metaphysical question to think about. He said, “OK.” I asked, “So you’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He asks, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “I don’t know,” he replied. I asked if he’d like to hear the Bible verses that told him how you get to Heaven. He said, “OK,” again so I got his name and he reached out and shook my hand with a solid grip. I just took out the booklet using part of it as I always do and adding, that Jesus was God, His blood cleansed you and His righteousness was too your credit. These things are not in the booklet, nor is Hell. I added that too. He tuned right in to all of it. When I asked him What Jesus did to take away his sins so God could live inside him he said, “Repentance, baptism?” in a tone like he was guessing. So I said, “Yes you repent of your sins and Baptism is symbolic of it.” I began to explain what Jesus had done through his blood to cleanse him and be a payment to God and His righteousness to his credit when God adopted him. I explained receiving Christ by faith. I offered him the two circles and he said, “This one.” He pointed to the circle with Christ inside. I said if he wanted to be forgiven trusting in Jesus there was a prayer he could pray and I talked him through it. I asked if the prayer expressed the desire of his heart. He nodded. I said if he wanted to he could pray it silently, I wouldn’t hear him but God would hear and he’d know he was forgiven. He gave a nod with a tilt of his head took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to him also, living “By the Spirit’s Power” “Inside Out”. I gave him Bible Promises for You and also wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. “Thanks I appreciate it for real,” he said taking the book.  I wrote his name in The Case for Christ Answer Booklet (he hadn’t heard of Strobel) and a Bible study. I told Jeremiah I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless him. I offered him a Bible Study but he felt like he was in one. I asked, “If I ask now, do you believe Jesus is God, He died for you sins and rose from the dead?” “Yeah,” he replied. And do you place your trust in that to be forgiven?” He said he did so I shook his hand and said, “Ok so I’ll see you in Heaven? He said he’d see me in Heaven. I shook his hand and he said, “I was always trusting in Jesus.” “It’s what you trust in about what he did,” I replied. “Maybe there’s just a few things God wanted you to know,” I replied. He accepted that idea and was smiling. As far as I could tell he had not been trusting in Jesus for the forgiveness of his sins or fully understood the Gospel but he was sincere and God had been at work in his life. We shook hands and I got up with him and we parted.

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

 In Him,

Bob