Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed in the Lord, we are having beautiful spring weather today in Chicago, and summer comes next! Two guys prayed with me to receive Jesus today, Tearl and Joe.

Tearl was sitting alone at a table in the PE lounge on the ground floor by the Gym. He hesitated but then was willing to answer some questions. He is Huge, African American with short hair, his headphones were clamped to his temples and he was playing with his phone. He had short hair, a chin and jaw beard, glasses, friendly face wearing a t-shirt and shorts. He plays Offensive line for the football team and hopes to get into a Division 1 school next year. He had been going to Church with his grandma until she passed. He didn’t mention his parents at all so I think his grandparents might have raised him. I asked him what he would say if he died and God asked him why he should let him into heaven he said, “I don’t know, I don’t have a real reason. I just tried to give back as much as I could.” he thought his chance of going to heaven was 50%. He listened without much expression, very seriously. But he accepted the things I told him and knew Christ and died for sin. But he had not been trusting in it. I asked him if he’d want to be forgiven and he said he would. Do you think when you asked God for forgiveness you thought you were good enough to be forgiven or knew you would be forgiven because Jesus had died for you?” “I wasn’t really thinking about it either way.” he replied. I pointed out if he really wasn’t thinking about it he could not be trusting in it and he had to agree. “I’m gonna go back to church, get back on track [when I get back home] with my grandpa.” I pointed out going to church did not make him a Christian and he acknowledged that was true. “What I’m asking you is would you like to trust in Jesus to be forgiven.” I walked him through the prayer and asked him if he would like to pray to be forgiven silently between him and God and he decided he would. After he prayed he finally smiled a tiny bit then. I gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do writing his name and the date in it, and a Bible study and explained the Christian life to him and that if he was trusting in Jesus righteousness to be his righteousness, the likelihood he would go to heaven was 100%. I told him he could pray for strength in his hands and speed in his feet and God would help him and he could give Him the praise for his success. He wasn’t giving me much feedback so I just kept asking him if he understood, he always said he did and he seemed like a bright guy. Finally I said. “Well I’ll keep you in my prayers each night for a year, I’ll ask God to bless you with football and even that you get into the NFL, I don’t know if he will do that but I’ll ask Him to bless you.” He finally smiled a real smile and said, “Thank you, that means a lot.” I shook his hand and headed out. Then walked back and gave him my number encouraging him to text me if he had any request in prayer and he seemed thankful.

Joe was sitting in the Hallway of the BIC right by the doors that look out towards a fountain (strangely turned off though it is far warmer now than when it was on in the fall). He had dark almost black hair and wore black athletic shorts and a gray T-shirt, black shoes with black ankle socks. He was sitting waiting for his class to begin and said he’d do a student survey. Good looking guy, slight build and short. When I asked him what he would say to God if asked why He should let him into heaven he said, “Good question.” Then thinking more he said, “I want to see what heaven really looks like.” He was a really nice guy and had a hearing aid in his left ear on the side I sat on, his speech reflecting his impairment a bit, but he seemed to hear me clearly. He thought he’d have an 85% chance to go to heaven saying, “I read the Bible, went to church.” he had gone to a group Bible study at a nearby church called Salem. I asked him what Jesus had done to take away his sins and he thought for a minute and said, “I’m sorry I forgot.” I said that was OK and explained the Gospel to him and he listened closely. When I explained Christ’s imputed righteousness he said, “OK” getting it. Finally I asked which person he thought he was or would want to be someone who had asked God to forgive him based on what Jesus had done believing in that or if he thought something else, “Right there,” he said pointing to the circle with Christ inside your life. I offered him the prayer asking him if he would like to receive Christ praying it and he affirmed he did with an, “Um Hum” he took the booklet and said, “All right,” and prayed to receive Christ. I explained the Christian life to him living inside out and told him about the fruit of the Spirit and that God gave him all the strength he needed to live the Christian life by the Spirit. He took a Bible Study and 20 tings God Can’t Do writing his name and the date in it, and then his class was beginning so I shook his hand and said, “God bless you Joe.” All right, you too,” He replied and I headed off down the hall.

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

In Him,

Bob