Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you were blessed today in all you did!  Mandy prayed to receive Jesus today, so that was great.

I was looking for the last person I’d talked to and my Jaw was sore so I thought I’d head out. I prayed to talk to one more person who would trust Jesus before I left. Mandy was sitting in the chairs along the wall as you go into the Cafeteria.  She was waiting for class to start and, as it turned out, miscalculating her day had gotten her to school way early.  As she later described the events that brought her to school early, I realized God had been at work.  She was a sweet, cute Latino looking girl, tall.  She had a good sense of humor.  Her long brown hair was pulled up behind her head and the bangs on the left hung down across her face.  Perfect, smooth skin. Ha, I didn’t notice that stuff until mine began to wrinkle.  But I am now solidly into the age bracket where the kids I talk to could be my children.  She had blue jeans on, cuffed up at the bottom a couple times, wearing sandals and a V-neck white t-shirt.  She said she wanted to build her own house, which isn’t as impossible as it once would have been, with pneumatic nailers and laser guided chop saws, but I suggested she’d need some help with the roof and heavy stuff.  I asked her what she would tell God if He asked ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’  “I would say… Wow that’s a tough one,” she said, thinking a bit more.  “Because I tried in almost everything I’ve done in my life.  I don’t give up easily and that includes people.  Because people make mistakes.”  She thought she’d have a 50/50 shot at going to Heaven, and went to a couple different catholic churches locally.  I told her the last part of the survey was what she thought about Christianity and there were 4 quick points, so I began going through a little bit of the booklet I use and scribble in. I pretty much just use the Bible verses and make my own points as it doesn’t have quite enough content.  She listened to the Gospel and knew Christ had died. She agreed with or liked the stories I told her. When I explained the crucifixion and that Christ wanted to die that “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” she said, “Oh that’s like what we do at church with the bread and the wine.”  I said that was symbolic, and it was a good time to remember that Christ had died so she could be forgiven.  I explained how she needed to receive Christ and trust in what He’d done.  “So if someone said why should God let you into Heaven you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died on the cross for my sins.’”  I said it seemed like she was trying to do good things and that pleased God, but she needed to do them with His power living in her and that her good stuff could not fix her bad stuff.  I explained that it seemed like she was familiar with the story, but that she had been doing good things hoping that justified her with God. But nothing she did was perfect enough to offer to God. She saw that and wanted to be forgiven.  So when I offered her the opportunity to pray, talking her through what it meant, she just took the booklet and prayed without responding to me.  She ended saying “Amen thank you Lord.”  I explained the Christian life to her some more and asking for power by the Spirit.  I asked her if she had her own Bible and she said she had 3, so I explained the differences in the Gospels and said John was a good place to read.  I gave her a Bible study on the Deity of Christ and a Rose Publications hand out on our identity in Christ that we had used at Bible Study the night before. I offered her a book explaining some of the content.  “I don’t know, which one do you think I should have?” Mandy asked. I asked her if she had any doubts or questions. She said she did some times, like anyone, but she prayed regularly.  So I gave her 20 Things God Can’t Do and The Case for Christ, at first offering her the student edition. But she said she’d like the longer one and that she liked to read.  We talked about the differences between some Roman Catholic teaching and the Bible.  But it turned out she did not believe in the sacramental power of the Church when I explained that the bible taught this power actually came from the Holy Spirit’s work directly in you.  She asked if she needed the Church and I said in as much as it supported her world view it was good to be in the company of likeminded people. And that as long as she was comfortable there, she could go. (It is my hope the Holy Spirit will lead people into good churches.) But I said, “Many people go to churches where they overlook things they disagree with, as long as they are teaching that Jesus is God and that He died for your sins and trusting in that is most important. I don’t criticize people going to a Christian Church. I know there are priests that don’t teach stuff that is not in the Bible in Roman Catholic Churches.”  I explained some of Mormonism to her as an exception, saying they were not Christians.  I said I had gone to a funeral of a woman and the Catholic priest said she was in Heaven, I knew she had been genuinely saved before she died, but he did not say she was going to purgatory.  I don’t think he believed in it.  It turned out Mandy did not find it to be a reasonable idea either.  We talked a lot.  I said the Bible study we had was not a particular denomination and some students occasionally bring up things their church believes that is not in the Bible.  I tell them that since there is a denomination that teaches that, they are free to believe it. But I explain that when the Bible does not teach something, some denominations have added it.  It was a long conversation and we covered a lot.  I gave her my name again, showing her my email and she said, “Bob you’re awesome.” I told her that wasn’t true, but I had been worse and God was making me better.  She thought she’d make it to Bible study and said “Thanks so much,” and we shook hands.

So thanks for your prayers of the ministry and for evangelism if you had a chance today. God blessed. I also went through the Gospel with a Muslim, Ramin, but he wasn’t very reflective at all.  I gave materials to several Christians to strengthen their faith.

In Him,

Bob