Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope God was your refuge and strength today in any and all troubles. I had a good day on campus and encouraged a couple Christians who were struggling with the Christian life. TJ and Jurgen each prayed to receive Christ today also so that was a good thing. Their stories are below if you have some time you wish to spend. Please pray they grow in faith by the power of the Spirit.

 TJ was sitting against the wall in the PE lounge. He had a rough top 4-inch afro and a high forehead, a small rounded nose and circles under his eyes, his skin was a little damaged and a bit lighter. He wore a white T-shirt and black nylon sweats. He was a receiver for the football team and had a slight build. His face looked a little sad, but I don’t think he was, but he was low-key. He said he did not have time to do a survey. I said something like maybe I’d catch up with him another time, He was sure that would work out saying, “I love God.” I said, “Oh, well hey you wanna hear the big metaphysical question you can think about as you go through your day?” “Ok,” he agreed. So I asked, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” He went on a bit but said words to the effect of “I don’t know I guess I’d say I do what the Lord wants me to do.” He added an “I don’t know,” at the end. I asked if he would like to hear some Bible verses that told him how to get to Heaven. He agreed so I began to go through the booklet adding verses and all the things I say to illustrate them. It all seemed completely novel to him. I said knowing God was that He lived inside you with the Holy Spirit. But everyone is a sinner. God can’t be in the same place as sin so he takes away your sin, I asked, “So what was the big thing Jesus did back in History to take away the sins of the world?” He thought for a minute and said he didn’t know. So from there I began to explain the rest of the Gospel telling him of the blood and righteousness of Christ. I wanted to be clear but I realized he might be blowing something off he was supposed to do to listen to me so I cut some little things that were not Bible verses. When I had finished explaining everything I asked (using the circles in the booklet), “So what kind of person are you or would you want to be? Some people God is on the outside of their life. Would you want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done to forgive you on the cross? Then God would live inside you, give you strength take you to Heaven when you die.” “Definitely,” he said with conviction. So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray. I talked through it and asked if expressed the desire of his heart and he agreed it did. I asked if he would want to pray it silently. “Yeah,” he replied. So he took the booklet and prayed the prayer to receive God’s forgiveness and thank Him. I said then that the likelihood now he would go to heaven trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus was certain. I explained the Christian life living by the Spirit’s power saying God would give him strength. I asked if I could give him a book. He agreed and I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and forgiven in the front. He said he didn’t read much so I gave him a Bible study and explained it a bit. I found out he was a receiver and I said God could give him help on the field and by the Spirit give him strength in his hands and even speed. “I don’t ask for that,” he said. I just ask God to help me be the best I can be each morning and if I drop a hundred balls I know when the game comes he will help me still.” He said he trusted God to help him. I wanted to help him understand just a bit better so I said, “Well you believe God can do whatever He wants to do.” “Yes,” he was sure that was true. “So if He wanted to he could become a man.” He agreed that was true also. “So if God became a man would he tell people the truth?” He nodded. “Well, if you knew the truth about everyone and went to Washington DC and started telling people they’d kill you in about a week because they are wicked.” He agreed. “That’s what Jesus did and so they killed Him. But if you kill God what will he do next? He’d rise from the dead, because you can’t kill God for good.” “Oh!” he said, realizing how that worked. “And we know why God would become a man and take on flesh because He had to die for our sins and pay for them with His blood.” “Oh,” he said realizing and somehow had some more of the picture down. I said that Jesus always existed but He became a man but kept it on the down low so he could trick Satan into killing Him, Satan got played. (1Cor. 2:8). He asked if I was around and I said I was and he said he’d see me. “Thanks for talking I always have time to hear (the Bible). I feel like God brings people into your life for a reason and He brought you to me today.” I agreed and said God wanted him to have a little more understanding. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day. He shook my hand and thanked me and we both headed out.

 I was tied up for a while talking to a guy, Cameron, who had dreads and a dew rag on his head nice features and seemed to be struggling with his faith. I went through the Gospel with him and explained a life in the Spirit. It was getting kind of late and I was tired when we finished. I cut across from the MAC Arts building and through the sunshine to the BIC and passed a connecting hallway where Jurgen was sitting. I blew right by but about 15 yards later I felt like I should go talk to him so I turned back. He was a big guy with an, on again off again beard, a round face small nose and fair skin a curly mop of brown hair. He told me his name and I asked if it was a family name and he said it was German. “Are you German?” I asked. “I’m Mexican,” he said. “So where did your parents get that?” “I think it’s the name of a soccer player they liked,” he replied. “Cool at least you got a story,” I said. “Right,” he said and grinned. He was wearing a light grey hoodie and dark grey sweats. I asked him, “You’re walking down the road and you get hit by a bus. So you’re dead. And you stand before God and He says, ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” “Umm, I would say because of the time and effort I give to people.” He thought he had, “At least a 75%” chance of going to Heaven. He had been to church when he was younger. I asked what the big thing was that Jesus had done back in History to take away the sins of the world and he said, “He died on the cross.” I went through the rest of the Gospel with him and he didn’t interact at all or make any statements as I explained all I usually say. He’d described himself as quiet and lived up to the billing. I asked if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done and gave him the quick once over of Islam and the Buddha and asked again if he’d want to be forgiven for his sins or thought something else. “Probably forgiven,” he said. So I said, “If you’d like to be forgiven there’s a prayer you can pray,” and I read through it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “Yeah,” he replied. Well if you want you could pray it silently right now, I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven. “Sure,” he replied and he prayed then to receive Jesus. I told him then the likelihood he would go to Heaven trusting now in the blood and righteousness of Jesus was 100%. He said he had a Bible and so I said John was a good place to read. I explained living by the Spirit’s power. I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I also told him a bit of Strobel’s story and give him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet saying he might find one of the Q and A chapters he’d like to read. I gave him a Bible study on the deity of Christ, and talked him through the idea. I told him I would pray for him through next year and he said, “Thank you.” Then 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