Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed walking with the Lord. I had a good day on campus and Xavier and Josh each prayed with me to receive Christ.

Xavier was standing by the doors leading out of the PE building, leaning against the railing. He had a map of the school in his hand, so it seemed to be his first year at school. He had a short afro and nice features and was about my build, though a bit shorter. He was wearing jeans and a black shirt. He said he wanted to have a million dollars. When I pointed out that although I didn’t have a million, it didn’t seem to go far anymore. He changed it to being a millionaire. When I asked him what he would say if he died and God asked him why he should be let into Heaven he said, “I’m a man of God. I respect You. I talk to others about You. I go to church, not that that is enough [in itself]. My name is in the Book.” He was 100% sure he would go to Heaven. But as I went through the Gospel, he didn’t know it. When I read him some verses about sin and asked him what was the big thing Jesus had done back in the day to take away his sins, He said, “I really don’t know about that…” Then changing his mind, he said something about how he knew Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and God forgave us and something about how in the material world there was sin. It really didn’t make any sense to me frankly, but I just let it go and said, “Well, God is just. And when you sin, you mess up His stuff. Something has to pay for the damage you did when you sinned and this is how God pays for it.” Then I began to explain the atoning work of Christ and His righteousness that is to our credit. Xavier agreed with every point, though they clearly were all novel to him. As I completed the Gospel and explained his need to receive Jesus by faith, I asked him if he wanted to be forgiven for his sins. He said he did and I said something like. “Well it seems like you had not quite put all the pieces together before right? Like you had some of the story around the edges but now you know the whole thing.” He agreed. I explained that he needed to place his trust in Jesus and His work on the Cross. I walked him through the prayer, offering it to him, and he prayed silently to receive Christ. I explained the Christian life in the Spirit to him and gave him a Bible (as he said his Grandfather had one but he didn’t) and wrote his name and the date he received Jesus in the front. I gave him the book 20 Things God Can’t Do, explaining this was the real riches of the Christian life; the promises of God to us, and that Spiritual riches that lasted for eternity were far better than the stuff that is only for a short time here. He agreed. He took a bible study also and I shook his hand and said I would see him in Heaven if he was trusting in the righteousness of Christ to be his righteousness. He agreed he now was.

Josh was sitting at a table in the MAC arts building lounge. Kind of a shorter guy, boyish good looks with a mop of wavy brown hair, wearing a t-shirt, looked young (Ha! but then I’m feeling pretty old these days). He was from an Italian background and wanted to visit Italy. He was regularly attending a Roman Catholic Church. Friendly, kind guy. When I asked him what he thought might get him into Heaven he said, “Maybe how I’ve treated people.” He thought he had about a 75% chance of going to Heaven. He tuned right in to the Gospel and listened closely. He knew that Jesus had died to take away his sins. After hearing the Gospel through, he wanted to be forgiven for his sins. So I asked him if he had been trusting in Christ for forgiveness. “I know you knew the story, but have you been trusting in Christ for forgiveness or going to Church and trying to be good…” Explaining that he had not been trusting in Jesus he said, “Throughout my life I was just trying to do the things He wanted.” I replied, “You know, you grow up in the Church and go along with it. But now you are a man and you have to decide what you’ll do on your own.” I told him he needed to trust in Christ and walked him through a prayer he could pray, explaining it to him. Josh prayed to receive Jesus. “Thanks,” he said, “I really needed this.” I said he was welcome. I then explained a life lived in the Spirit to him and gave him 20 Things God Can’t Do, writing his name and the date in the front. I also gave him a bible study on the Deity of Christ and got his email to send him another one. He thanked me a few more times. He was really nice and I said I’d see him in Heaven and left. A moment later, I went back to give him a symbolic view of the mass to think about too and he thanked me and we went our separate ways.

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

In Him,

Bob