Hey Friends,
Well I hope you had a great summer so far. And unless you have peeps back in school, your summer goes until the end of September – so cheer up! When College of DuPage was on trimesters, we’d start at the end of September also. But those days are gone. So I’ll be back at it this Monday the 25th. Summer was a drag for me; in early June I broke a bone in each of my hands in an accident. One hand has not healed enough to do painting as yet, if doctors can be trusted in these sorts of things. So where I usually earn some money and get some projects done in the summer, I instead recovered from surgery on my left wrist. I did have the honor of officiating a wedding in Montana for Laura and Sam. Laura is a graduate of Elmhurst College and we have known her since our ministry time there. I also popped into C.O.D. a few times, but there were very few people sitting around. During the summer it is ‘take a class and leave for summer fun.’ But one guy, Brandon, who attends a Methodist Church in town did receive Christ while waiting for a ride. So I’ve been praying for him.
I pray for all the students who come to Christ and about 30 others who seemed like they might be close to the Kingdom of God in Christ but did not pray with me. It is sometimes difficult to be an Evangelist, not knowing what the Holy Spirit is doing in the lives of those who for whom it is no longer your piece of the chain to influence much. Like Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunuch, you move on your way, having declared the Gospel and hoping fruit will come, knowing it will in those who genuinely receive Jesus by faith.
I always try to teach the students something about the work of the Holy Spirit when there is time to do so. I wonder where is the power in your preaching otherwise, to live the Christian life? This life must be lived by the Spirit. Luther’s small catechism teaches the word and the Holy Spirit bring growth, inasmuch as it is the Spirit who teaches us in the Word, daily forgives our sins and even teaches us to pray. I don’t know if you follow Luther at all. I’m not Lutheran,(though I was raised in that church tradition until the age of 12,) but I follow the scriptural teaching that the Christian life is lived by an appeal to the Power of the Holy Spirit. Bill Bright said this: “Your walk with Christ depends upon what you allow Him to do in and through you, empowered by the Holy Spirit, not what you do through your own self effort.” I don’t remember the source of the quote but I think it applies: “Christians are simply beggars, telling others where they have found bread.” In Ephesians there are 2 verses that teach this; 1:19 “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might” & 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,” It is His power not ours. His work in us, not ours.By His Spirit.Eph. 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”And then directly speaking of the Spirit: Gal. 5:5 “For we through the Spirit, by faith, are awaiting for the hope of righteousness.” Gal. 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
The real difference between the true Christian and the corporate platitudes of someone like Joel Osteen’s mega-church is the Power of the Holy Spirit as opposed to the personal power of the individual human. Only because His power is there inside the Christian would one have the courage to do contact Evangelism outside a physical church setting. For the new believer is just like the old, growing in Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit, who does the follow-up. So knowing that, I will go out again next week and look for those who might know the Lord. If they respond to the preaching of the Word by Faith, I know they are the Elect and God has begun a work in them.
Please continue to pray for our ministry as the school year begins again.
In Him,
Bob & Ellen
To donate online to our college ministry:
http://www.razoo.com/story/Third-Watch-Ministries-Nfp