Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was fill with good things from above in the midst of the trials of life. I had a good day on campus and RJ and Wendy and Jimmy each prayed to receive Jesus today. I also went through the Gospel with 4 Christian students who had already believed. So that was great. The stories of the new believers are below if you wish to spend the time. Please pray they grow in their faith.

RJ was sitting just past the Student Services Lounge in the hall in some chairs. He’s a tall slender black guy with pencil width dreadlocks to his neck some of them across his face that he looked through as we talked. He had smooth skin, clean-shaven an oval face, pointed chin and a smaller nose. Good-looking guy. He had pale blue straight leg jeans on that had Old-English font letters randomly monogramed on them every which way in a cream thread, they were about the size of a quarter and a black t-shirt that had some kind of silver depiction on it I could never make out. I asked him one thing he would like to do before he died and he said, “Reproduction—raising a child, raise a child to be something.” That’s not exactly “Have a Family” in so many words but it’s a good character sign he’d be open to the Gospel. I asked what he would say to God to get into Heaven. “I pray before I eat and go to sleep. I do not go to Church [enough] I should more.” He thought he had an 80% chance of going to Heaven. I began to go through the Gospel with him and he listened closely as I began to explain. I said that eternal life was knowing God. And knowing God meant He lived inside you but to do that He needed to take away your sin so you were perfect inside, since God could not be in the same place as sin. I asked him what Jesus had done to take away his sin and he thought and said, “I don’t got anything.” So I explained the sacrifice of Jesus and His righteousness. When I finished everything I asked if he would want to be forgiven or thought something else. “Be forgiven,” he replied. So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it asking if it was the desire of his heart. He nodded it was so I asked if he would want to pray it silently and know he was forgiven. He nodded again and I handed him the booklet and he prayed then to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to him then living by the Spirit’s power. He attended Church. I gave him a Bible study on the Deity of Christ and gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven” in the front of Bible Promises for You. He was happy and I told him I would keep him in my prayers from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless him. He got up then shaking my hand and was off.

Wendy was sitting near a door on the North side of the BIC building on the second floor. She had on a maroon sweater and faded blue jeans. She was shorter, pretty (farm girl look) with an oval face and full lips. She had long straight brown hair to the middle of her arms, long eye lashes. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and were asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “I mean, I’m a Christian. I used to go to Church more. (She had been to several Churches but said it was hard to find one that worked with her family she explained it.) I’m not scared to die. If I do I know where I’m going. I gave my heart to God.” She thought the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100%. I began to go through the Gospel with her and asked what Jesus had done to take away her sins so God could live inside her. “He forgives you?” she replied. I said He did but asked what the big thing was that Jesus had done so He could forgive her. She struggled for a minute so I just said, “It works like this,” and I began to explain the blood and righteousness of Christ to pay for the imperfect things we had done that we owed God something perfect to repay. God would forgive her because of the sacrificial blood of Christ and God wanted to adopt her and give her the sacrifice for her sins the blood that cleansed her and the righteousness of God that surrounded her, and then fill her with the Spirit. I asked then if she would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done on the cross or thought something else. “Forgiven,” she replied. So I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it asking if it was the desire of her heart. She nodded it was. So I said if she wanted to she could pray it silently, I wouldn’t hear her but God would hear and she’d know she was forgiven trusting in Jesus, Wanna do that?” I asked. She nodded again so I handed her the booklet and she prayed to receive Jesus. I explained the Christian life to her encouraging her to read her Bible and to live by the Spirit’s power. I gave her a Bible Study on the Deity of Christ and I wrote her name and the date and “Forgiven” in the front of Bible Promises for You and also gave her The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her too that I would pray for her each day from now until Spring and one year after. She got up to go and said, “Thank you,! Nice to meet you.” “Nice to meet you too”, I said as she walked away and headed out the door.

Jimmy was sitting on the stairs just down from the entrance to the bookstore and in front of the food pantry. He wore a light blue shirt and dark blue shorts. He had a square chin and an angular face unshaven with some white blonde beard barely coming in. His hair was blonde parted off center to the left and stick straight. He had a bemused smile like he was enjoying the conversation the entire time. He thought he wanted to travel the world and visit Japan, so I told him about a friend there who’d studied Japanese at COD. I asked him what he would say to God if he died and God asked why should I let you into Heaven. “I have no idea”, he replied. I asked what he thought it was that got you into Heaven. “Believe in God,” he replied. I asked if he went to Church. He said he did, it was a Bible Study Church and he thought he’d been also to a Baptist church. “What would you say to the question?” he asked. I said it was in this booklet and began to explain it to him. He knew Jesus had died on the cross to take away his sins. I explained the Atonement and how God forgave him because He was paid by the blood of Christ. I explained how the righteousness of God was earned by Christ and explained it with a story about extra credit in a class where he receives 100% because another student’s credit in the class was given to him. ‘Cool,” he replied. I asked him (saying I knew he’d known the story) if he thought he had been trusting in what Jesus had done and asked God to forgive him based on that or if he had just known it and hoped it worked for him. “A little of both,” he replied uncertainly. So I said, “Say you were hanging out a lot in High School with a girl you liked and it is getting near prom so you try this on her, ‘So when are we going to prom?’ and she says, ‘As soon as you ask me.’ God’s like a pretty girl. He wants to be asked.” He laughed. I showed him the prayer and asked him if it expressed the desire of his heart. It did. I then said something like “So is that something you already did or do you would want to do it?” I want to do it he replied. So I said, “Just pretend I’m not here.” He took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I told him I’d be praying for him and explained the Christian life and a Bible study. His friend who’d been hovering nearby said, “I don’t want to interrupt but we’re late for class.” I quickly apologized for the delay and wrote his name and the date and “Forgiven” in the front of Bible promises for you. He was grateful and thanked me and 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

“The joy of the Lord is your strength”

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your summer was blessed with good things and God gave you joy as your strength, as in Nehemiah 8:10. I spent the summer listening to and reading through Institute of Creation Research materials and stumbled onto a guy named Wes Huff who works for an apologetics group in Canada. His expertise in manuscripts far exceeds any I could hope to have even second-hand. The modern finds of ancient manuscripts continue to validate the text of the Bible as we now have access to it in Greek and Hebrew. Robert Spencer has also provided some interesting information this summer as I studied Islam a bit.

We got to a couple weddings this summer. One for a nephew in North Carolina, where a college girl prayed with me to receive Christ at the reception. The other wedding we attended was for a girl who came to Christ through my telling her the Gospel at COD several years ago. She married a good Christian man in Georgia. And we were able to spend a few days last week hiking around Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin.

I got some stuff done around the house this summer in spite of the heat and Ellen kept the Earth stable where she works and kept us up to date with Third Watch. This Monday, the 25^th of August, ministry begins at school. I’ll be hoping the angels will sing for joy, as “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents” (Luke 15:10). So it’s “once again into the breach” to quote Shakespeare’s play “Henry V”, which comes to mind as I return each Fall to campus.

We covet your prayers as I begin, and know that your help in prayer has brought so many to start a life in Christ by the Spirit’s power.

Thanks so much for your help and support to minister on campus again this school year.

May God bless you this Fall.

In Him,

Bob & Ellen

Third Watch Ministries, NFP                                                          Bob & Ellen Bollow

P.O. Box 1283                                                                                           May 31, 2025

Wheaton, IL 60187  

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your summer has begun with grace as you look forward to getting some plants in the ground or other projects done. I turned a saddle into a swing in the neighbor’s yard (my buddy David got me one from the farm) and it’s a big hit with the shorter humans on the street so far. Just looking around the little cape cod we’ve lived in since I began doing college ministry (while painting part-time in 2002) was kind of a load this morning. I saw a Facebook reel on stretching your sciatica on the floor. Looking up I was forced to see some cracks in the ceiling I know I need to repair. I fixed some over 20 years ago, they sadly came back. Things wear out. But hey I’ve got a summer to chip away at them. At school each year I go out each day to do evangelism and chip away at whatever God’s goal will be for the year. It’s kind of an overwhelming thought as the year begins, knowing how many people I will talk to mostly one at a time. I went through the Gospel with about 350 students this year. Though this was less than usual, 160 students prayed to receive Christ after I told them the Gospel, more than any previous year. I pray a verse for each every day and a for few others. I’m a little worn out to be frank, though I know God did all of it. Some students questions I could resolve for them. But most from my angle of observation simply heard the Gospel, wanted to be forgiven and believed they could be trusting in the person and work of Christ.

Pascal writes, “Do not wonder to see simple people believe without reasoning. God imparts to them love of Him and hatred of self. He inclines their heart to believe. Men will never believe with a saving and real faith, unless God inclines their heart; and they will believe as soon as He inclines it. And this is what David knew well, when he said: ‘Incline my heart, O Lord, unto thy testimonies.’” (Psalm 119:36)

So I quoted the Gospel verses to my captive audience and God brought these students to Himself. Sometimes I get a nudge to go to a certain place on campus. Or even to turn down a hall or go to a building. Sometimes when I get there, I meet a student who I have talked to before or has prayed with me and in talking to them I’m encouraged they are still walking with the Lord and that’s what God had for me there. Sometimes they pray to receive Christ. One of my favorite guys to talk to this past school year was Roy from Ghana and I was led right to him. He was upbeat and we hit it off right away. Here’s his story again if ya missed it during the year:

At the end of the afternoon I got a picture in my mind of the patio area at the top of the waterfall and started making my way there. No one wanted to talk on the way. Once on the patio I did bump into Sabine, (long braids, black girl, wide nose, cute, small girl) who I’d gone through the Gospel with but was not sure she believed, though she semi-regularly went to church. I chat her up when I see her. I thought that might have been the plan as she headed off, but then I saw the only other soul out there, Roy, sitting at a table. I got to talking with him and asked him if he’d want to do a survey. He had an easy laugh. He had one front tooth that was broken off by a 3^rd on one corner, which with large white teeth was kind of striking. He wore a baseball cap and an American Eagle Brand zip-up grey hoodie and jeans. He had a big cheerful smile and traditional black features, oval face. He was from Ghana and had a bit of an accent and also spoke French, saying they made them learn it as children. I said I’d wished I managed to do the same {long story there}. He laughed at some things I said which I don’t remember and it made him open to do the survey. He said he wanted to be a medical missionary. I asked what he would say to God if he died and were asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “Why would you?” he said musing the question. “Hum..” He looked at me and said more pointedly, “How would I justify myself?” I let him keep thinking. “I don’t know. Nothing we have done. There’s nothing we can do to deserve it. Usually by mercy. It says in the Holy Book no one deserves it.” I agreed, quoting, “There is none righteous, no not one.” With a smile “We try to do good things,” he continued. “Do good deeds, read the Holy Word. I would just say, ‘Lord have mercy there’s nothing I have done to deserve it.’” I asked him what the likelihood he would go to Heaven was. “At this point in my life I think I’d just go to Hell,” he said and he laughed. “I need to reconcile with a lot of people and I have drifted away. So at this point I’d go to Hell.” So I said “Well the rest of this is what you think about Christianity. 4 quick points and you say what you think.” I started in and began to go through the Gospel and the love of God who wanted to know him, to live inside him, but the problem was sin. So God took away his sin. “What’s the big thing Jesus did to take away the sins of the world?” I asked. “He died on the Cross,” Roy replied. “Right” and I began to explain what that meant: That the blood cleansed him and paid what he owed for his sins. The righteousness of God was to his credit and God wanted to adopt him and give it all to him. He could receive Christ and be saved by faith. He was engaged all the way through and I got a laugh for some of the illustrations. All are amusing or somber depending on the tone I say them in. I keep in the spirit they seem to be received. “So would you want to be forgiven for your sins or do you think something else?” I asked. “I want to be forgiven,” he replied. “Well if you want to be forgiven there’s a prayer you can pray,” and I talked him through it. I asked if it was the desire of his heart. He nodded and I asked if he’d want to pray it silently and know he was forgiven. “Yes,” he said. He prayed then to receive Christ. When he finished he was happy and I told him the likelihood he would now go to Heaven, trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, was 100%. He shook my hand firmly. I said I was old and had sinned more them him as a result, but the blood of Christ was of infinite value because He’s God and so too was His righteousness infinite because He (God) earned it. He had a Bible so I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I gave him a Bible study and he liked it. I also gave him The Case for Christianity Answer Book. (I had run out of the much shorter booklets so I thought it was God’s providence to give him that one.) He was grateful.  Roy reached out and shook my hand again firmly and thanked me earnestly, “Thank you for telling me this. You could be somewhere resting, but you came out to talk to me. Thank you.” I said, “You are the best conversation I’ve had all day. Thanks.” We had hit it off and laughed a lot. I got up to head out and I gave him my contact information if he wanted to do a Bible study to let me know. I went to the truck then feeling blessed.

I bumped into Roy towards the end of Spring. He was happy to see me and grateful.

So thanks for your prayers and gifts to bless our college ministry this last school year. These are the names of the 160 who believed; to mention in prayer if you have a moment. The * means they said they would pray later.  David, Jonah, Skylar, Rosslyn, Phil, John, Erick, Lilly, Erick, Matt, Sergio, Jaydi, Brandon, Adrian, Lauren, Camille, Ella, Madi, AJ, Charles, Jomally, Ellie, Madison, Odalys, Jess*, Rebecca, India, Jorie, Markail, Monse, Ethan, Kevin, Kai, Alijana, Michael, Adam, Rita, Arielle, Samantha, Michael, Josh, Reanne, Danielle, Marisa, Tamara, Annette, Ellis, Savannah, Lena, Joseph, Kaycee, Alexa, Malcolm, Daniel, Abbie, Ozzy, Michael, John, Roger, Connor, Q, Brandon, John, J, Diego, Damo, Roy, Victor, Daniel, KD, Charlie, John, Areli, Tamryn, Pablo, Mari, Julianna, Alijah, Cam, Keith, Matthew, Julia, Jessica, Panos, Dailen, Max, Jon, Moe, Salvador, Keri, Yace [ya say], Gianna, Jude, Donte, Jack, Dajah, Aly, Yvonne*, Kiyla, Ian (recommitted), Gabe, Cory, Nyla, Anthony, Ryan, James, Melody, Quami, Shaun, Zach, Stepan, Alenka, Thomas, Mercy, Emily, Sam, Brendan, Kevin, Jayda, Elizabeth, Jeremiah, Ashley, Joe, Drew, Jess, Natalie, Josh, Julyssa, Joseph, James, Daniel, Kyran, Matthew, Steve*, Shay, Jabari, Jorge, Kejsi [KC], Jose, Brandon, Kaitlyn, Ivy, Vanna, Princess, Afonso, Anzhelo [Angelo], Jack*, Jackson*, Yaireli, Jay, Sam, Mohammed, Tim*, Rachel, Natalie, Stephanie, Nikola, Tari, Hunter, Yanni, Katie, Gisela, Nataly, Sandra, Olga, Noah, Tony

Your financial gifts and prayers are an essential part of this ministry. We need them and know times are tight and we are truly grateful.

In Him,

bob.thirdwatch@sbcglobal.net

www.thethirdwatch.org

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your week was blessed with the favor of God in Christ. I had a good last week on campus for the semester. A girl, Olga received Jesus on Monday then for a couple days I was spending time with some lost students I know. Thursday Noah and Tony prayed with me to receive Christ. So I was grateful for God’s blessing to wind things up. Their stories are below if you have some time you wish to spend the time. Please pray they grow in faith. 160 Students prayed to receive Jesus after I told them the Gospel this school year, either in front of me or I found out later and about 7 others seemed close. Thanks for the blessing of your prayers this year if you had a chance.

Noah was sitting at a table by himself in the cafeteria. He was from Bloomington IL and had come up here to play football. He was returning home to attend community college near him, as the expense of living up here had not proved valuable enough. Sometimes it just takes a year for guys to give up on football so that might have been it. He was a white guy wearing a maroon T-shirt and grey old school sweats. He looked like a classic stereotype of a farm kid. He had a boyish looking oval face with real short hair and was a big dude. I asked him one thing he wanted to do before he died and he said “Skydiving”. I said as I often do there’s an airport nearby and a lot of kids say that and it’d be a fun way to meet your wife. I asked him what he would say to God if he died and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “I don’t know, I’m a sinner just like everybody else,” he replied. He thought he had a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven. He’d gone with his family to a Methodist church. (I told him I had once been a Methodist Youth Pastor). His family moved and the church was too far away and they hadn’t liked their new one as well. I said when a smaller church is a place where you know everyone it’s hard to get that back if you leave it and he agreed. I began to go through the Gospel with him He knew Jesus had died to take away the sins of the world. He liked all the analogies responding periodically with a grin. God wants to know and live inside you, that’s eternal life, “like you’re the Energizer Bunny and God’s the batteries.”  “Christianity is like a blood transfusion.” And, “The real reason God forgives you is He got paid.” I explained he needed to receive Christ, “Not that you just know the story but that that’s what you put your trust in, so if someone would ask you ‘Why should God let you into Heaven?’ you’d say, ‘Because Jesus died for me’.” I said this was faith and faith saved him. I asked if he’d want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done, then He would live inside him and give him strength (describing the circle on the right with Jesus on the throne of his life) and take him to Heaven when he died. Or did he think something else? I gave him the cliff notes version of Islam and the Buddha. “I’d be the guy on the right,” he replied. I said if he wanted to be forgiven there’s a prayer he could pray. I talked him through it and asked if it “expressed the desire of his heart”. “Yeah,” he replied. I said he could pray it silently and know he was forgiven and asked if he’d wanna do that? “Yeah,” he said and took the booklet and said, “Thank you.” He finished after a bit with an “Amen.” He handed me back the booklet saying, “Thank you,” again. I told him then the likelihood he would go to Heaven was now 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. I went through the Christian life with him. He had a Bible. I explained living “By the Spirit’s Power”. So first asking God to transform you and then as a transformed person doing good things by His power, “Inside out”. I gave him Bible Promises for You writing his name and the date and forgiven in the front. I gave him The Case for Christianity Answer Booklet and a Bible Study on ways Jesus claims to be God from the Old Testament.  “Awesome to meet you Bob,” he said shaking my hand. We talked about his future a bit given his geographic home in IL I asked if he liked farming. He said less than some guys he knew. We talked about the undependable nature of machines in an AI world for farming. I got up to go and told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day asking God to bless him for the next year. “Awesome to meet you Bob,” he said again with another shake of my hand and a big smile. “Great to meet you too,” I said and headed off.

I came across Tony sitting at a table just on the side of the foyer of the first outside 2^nd floor doors to the BIC. It’s a little lounge with an elevator across from it right beyond the SSC Lounge they just reopened. He had swept back dark hair, shorter on the sides and looked Middle Eastern in coloring. He had on a black T-shirt and sat the entire time. He was average looking guy, clean-shaven. He was just looking at a black laptop. I asked him if he wanted to do a survey and he said, “OK.” His bucket list was too long to pick one thing but he thought of himself as a “resilient, passionate” guy. I asked what he would say to God if he was killed by a bus and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “Oh, you shouldn’t let me in,” he replied. Then added, “Just being realistic here.” I asked him the likelihood he would go to Heaven when he died. “I would say 50/50. That’s fair.” I asked if he went to Church and he said he did saying, “I’m Coptic. I’m a Christian. I’m Egyptian.”  I began to go through the Gospel with him and he knew Jesus had been a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. He took everything in attentively. The atoning blood of Jesus to cleanse him and as a payment to God. I explained the Righteousness of God Jesus earned (Isaiah 61:10 and Gal 3:27) and that he would not go to Heaven because he was good enough but because Jesus was good and he was connected to him. “Like if you marry a millionaire you got a million bucks or if you get adopted into a billionaire’s family you get to live in the mansion and drive the cars,” I explained. I said God wanted to adopt him and give him the blessings of His family. “He gives you the sacrifice for your sins the blood that cleanses you and the righteousness of God that surrounds you. So you got some place to go, Heaven, something to wear when you get there, the righteousness of God.” I said he needed to receive Jesus placing his trust in the Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the dead to be forgiven. I asked if he would want to be forgiven or thought something else. “Be forgiven,” he replied. I talked him through the prayer and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. “Um Hmm,” he agreed it did. So I said he could pray it silently and know he was forgiven, “I wouldn’t hear you but God would hear and you’d know you were forgiven,” I said. “Wanna do it?” I asked. “Yeah,” he replied and he silently prayed to receive Jesus. I explained then that if he was now trusting in the righteousness of Jesus to be His righteousness and His blood to save him the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. He had a Bible. I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study and explained it a bit. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him every day for the next year. “Thank you for your time,” he said shaking my hand. “See you in Heaven,” I replied. “Hopefully,” he replied. “No I’m sure, I’ll see you there,” I replied. “Thank you for your time,” he said shaking my hand again with a big smile. And I headed off.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry this school year and for evangelism last week if you had the time. God has truly blessed this year.

In Him,

Bob

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed and you put your trust in your Lord and were established in success. Olga prayed with me to receive Jesus today. Her story is below if you have some time. Please pray she grows in her faith.

Olga was sitting under the stairs just east of the doors that are up and in front of the bookstore in a set of some tied together stuffed chairs there. She was Latina, her dark brown hair was randomly parted on the right and was in kind of a shag cut. She had firm angular features that might be considered traditional Native American from a Fredric Remington painting. Her skin was scarred like mine on her cheeks. She had on a black t-shirt with white lettering I couldn’t read and black leggings with a small hole in the right knee. She said she’d like to travel to Japan so I told her the story of how my friend there met his wife. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “’Cause I want to see my family,” she replied. I asked her if she went to Church and she said she did so I asked her what she thought they would say as to how you get into Heaven. “I guess your character,” she replied. I asked her the likelihood was that she would get into Heaven. “I think I’ll go to Heaven,” she replied. I began to go through the Gospel with her to finish the survey and she crossed her arms to listen. Telling her that to live inside her and give her eternal life God had to take away her sin, I asked what Jesus had done to take away the sins of the world. “What did He do?” she asked. “Yeah, what did Jesus do?” I asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “OK, well it will come back to ya,” I said. She uncrossed her arms then as I began to go through the Gospel. I said we owed God a perfect life, explaining the blood of Jesus cleansed her and that “In Him was life”. He was a payment for the life we had taken and owed God for. The real reason God forgave her was “He got Paid”. I explained the righteousness of God, we did not go to Heaven because we are good but because Jesus is good and we are connected to Him.  We inherit His righteousness when we are adopted. So God loves her, wants to know and live inside her but can’t because of sin. So Christ takes away her sin and the Bible says God demonstrates His love for us while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I said we had to receive Christ by faith and said that if someone asked, “Why should God let you into Heaven you’d say, “Because Jesus died for me.” She smiled then as if someone had given her an answer she’d missed but should have known. This would mean she had faith in Jesus and by grace she was saved by faith. So I asked if she would want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus or thought something else. She said she’d want to be forgiven. So I said then there was a prayer she could pray and talked her through it asking if it was the desire of her heart. “Yes,” she replied. I said she could pray it silently. “I just did,” she replied with a smile. “OK, Amen.” I said and she nodded. I told her the likelihood she would now go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. I said I would pray a Bible verse for her each day asking God to bless her for the next year. She did not have a Bible so I gave her one and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front and showed her some of the study helps in it. I ribbon marked John’s Gospel. I gave her Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I also gave her a Bible study. “Thank you so much. I appreciate it,” she said as I got up to go. “Oh you’re welcome,” I replied. “Have a good day,” she said cheerfully. “OK, you too, thanks for talking to me,” I said and 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

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope ya had a good day walking with the Lord in His blessings. I had a good day on campus, 3 Latina girls, Gisela, Nataly and Sandra each prayed to receive Jesus today so that was great. God blessed me today. They were all bright cheerful young women. Their stories are below if you have some time. Please pray they grow in their faith.

Gisela was sitting at a counter height table at the end of the cafeteria. She is a had a cute short elflike face with a pretty smile and wore rhinestone dangling bling earrings and a necklace of the same look. She had shoulder-length brown hair and glasses with light brown rounded corner rectangle lenses, bright eyes.  She had a black T-shirt on with some kind of gold logo on it. She wanted to help her parents when they got old. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “I don’t think I’m worthy of going to Heaven,” she replied. “I’m not worthy of going to Heaven either,” I replied softly. She thought she had a 60% chance of going to Heaven. She said she pretty much only went to church, “on the big holidays, when it is really crowded.” I began to go through verses with her. I quoted Jesus saying eternal life was knowing God and this meant God lived inside us with the Holy Spirit. In comparing it to a blood transfusion I said for God to transfuse His life into her he would have to make her His type by taking away her sins. I asked her what the big thing was that Jesus had done to take away our sins and she knew saying, “He died for us.” I agreed and explained how Jesus’ blood cleansed us from all sin and was a payment to God. I told her that Jesus had earned the righteousness of God by perfectly fulfilling the Old Testament Law and so He can give this righteousness to whomever He wants. I told her Isaiah 61:10 saying we were wrapped in a robe of God’s Righteousness and clothed with His salvation. The New Testament tells us this garment of salvation is Jesus in Galatians 3:27, we are clothed with Him. “You don’t go to Heaven because you are good enough but because Jesus is good and you are connected with Him. Like if you marry a millionaire you got a million bucks or if you get adopted into a billionaire’s family you get to live in the mansion and drive the cars.” God adopts us and gives us these things as the blessings of His family. Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead and many saw Him. All this is ours by receiving Christ. Believing Jesus was God He died for our sins and rose from the dead. We are saved by Grace through faith. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven for her sins trusting in what Jesus had done, then He would live inside her and give her strength and take her to Heaven when she died, or if she thought something else. “I would want to be forgiven, “she replied. So I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it and read, “It says here does this prayer express the desire of your heart, so would you say it does?” “Yes,” she said. I said that then if she wanted to she could pray it silently and I wouldn’t hear her but God would hear and she’d know she was forgiven and asked if she’d like to do that and she replied “Yes,” again. She took the booklet and prayed to receive Jesus. I explained to her then the likelihood now she would go to Heaven trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus was 100%. I offered her a Bible and she said she had just bought one. Several people I talked to this year had just recently bought a Bible; it seems like God leads me to them to get them started. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day for the next year. I explained the Christian life living “By the Spirit’s Power, Inside Out. “First you ask God to transform you on the inside then you do good things on the outside,” I said to her. I gave her Bible Promises for You and wrote her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I gave her a Bible study explained it a bit and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I said it was nice to meet her and I’d see her in Heaven. Thank you so much I appreciate it,” she said joyfully. And I headed out.

It was a beautiful day. I walked out of the MAC arts building finding no one to talk to inside and saw some girls on a bench on the east sidewalk of the BIC building. I had asked a guy there on my way into the building who was not interested but he’d left. Nataly and Sandra were there instead. Nataly looked pretty average she had a slightly larger nose and a long oval face, nice smile, long dark brown hair. She was wearing black leggings and a grey hoodie. Sandra was pretty her hair was in two braids behind her head and a couple finger width strands ran the length of her face. She could have been Selena Gomez little sister. She wore bright blue sweats and a black shirt. When they stood as we parted I realized they were only 5 foot tall. I asked them if they would like to do a student survey for a Bible Study group. Nataly said they were in a Bible study group. I asked them the name of it and they were not sure but they were going to meet with someone this week. So I asked them if they’d like to hear a big question they could think about and they both said, “OK.” “You’re walking down the road,” I began, “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?” Sandra asked me to repeat the question and Nataly, still thinking said, “You’re dead.” I repeated it to Sandra. Neither of them knew what to say so I asked if they would like to hear some Bible verses that tell them how to get to Heaven. They both said, “Sure.” So I sat down Indian style at their feet and began to explain the Gospel starting with, “Christianity is like a blood transfusion, I have A+ blood, if you fill me with B- blood I would clot up and die. So God wants to transfuse his life into you, fill you with His Holy Spirit but first He has to make you his type and take away your sin.” I explained how Jesus’ blood had cleansed them from all sins and in random order of the points I make. I told them stories and illustrations to explain salvation by faith. I asked them if they would want to be forgiven by asking if they thought when they were asking for forgiveness for their sins if they were thinking “I know I’ll be forgiven because Jesus died for me or if they thought they hoped they would be forgiven because God saw that they were trying to be good and would do better. Sandra thought she hadn’t been trusting in Jesus and Nataly processed it a bit realizing she thought she would try harder. So then I took out some booklets and I explained that if they wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer they could pray and talked them through it. They both wanted to pray to receive Christ. So I opened a booklet for each of them to the prayer and they each prayed. I took the booklets back skimming over the points and filling in Bible verses on the righteousness of God Jesus earned and how God makes all things into Good. I explained living by the Spirit’s power and wrote that and “Inside out” and “Just ask” inside the booklets. I gave them each Bible Promises for You writing their name and the date and “forgiven!” in each which they liked. I gave them a Bible study retelling the story of Jesus walking on the water for them and gave them The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told them I would pray a Bible verse for them each day for the next year. I said that if they did not like their Bible study they could always leave it, because I was a bit afraid they were hooked up with the works righteousness cult on campus. I said they’d know if it wasn’t any good, so I’ll pry about that for them. They’d known me for 10 minutes and I did not know the name of the group.  They were both happy. Sandra said, “Thank you,” and Nataly who seemed to know a bit of the Gospel as I went through said, “Thank you. You’re amazing!” “Thank you that’s kind of you to say, “I replied. And they headed off to the north and to the parking lot. It seemed they had just decided to sit for a minute and take in the outside and God led me to them.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope ya had a good day walking with God as He’s guided you. I had a good day on campus after the road trip we took Thursday through the weekend to attend the wedding of a young woman who had come to Christ through evangelism work at COD 7 years ago. She married a great Christian guy. I’m feeling a little worn from all the driving but Yanni and Katie each prayed with me to receive Jesus today. Their stories are below if you have some time to spend. Please pray they grow in their faith.

Yanni, a Latino guy, was sitting in some benches just inside the doors to the patio at the top of the waterfall. He had a long rectangular face with a block chin and thick nearly straight hair parted down the middle. He wore black sweats and a grey zip up hoodie. He shook my hand as I sat down. He was very reserved but shot me a grin periodically in response to an illustration. I asked him what he would say to God if he died and were asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven. “I don’t want to make excuses,” he began. “I’d ask for forgiveness. I wouldn’t say I was a bad person. I’d ask for forgiveness for wrongs that I’ve done and hope I’d be let in.” He thought he had a 60-70% chance of going to Heaven. He said he went to a Roman Catholic Church. I said that knowing God was that he lived inside you and explained that God had to take away his sins so that was possible. I asked what Jesus had done to take away his sins. “Yeah,” he replied. “What did he do?” I asked. And finally he said, “I know He forgives you I’m not sure how.” So I went on to explain that we owed God a perfect life and that since we could not live a perfect life to merit Heaven Jesus lived a perfect life for us. Then they killed Him, “But that’s what Jesus wants He wants to die because the Bible says without the shedding of blood there’s no forgiveness of sin. Life is in the blood. So when He pours out His blood He pours out a life force on the world and it says in 1John 1:9 ‘the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.’” I explained that this was also a payment to God for what we owed Him for wrecking His world and hurting the people in it. Jesus earns the righteousness of God and it is given to us when God adopts us as His children. I said this was his by faith in that Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the dead. This faith saved him. I asked if he would want to be forgiven for his sins trusting in what Jesus had done. Then God could live inside him and give him strength and take him to Heaven when he died or did he think something else. He said he wanted to be forgiven. So I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. He nodded. I said he could pray it silently and know he was forgiven. He nodded again and so I gave him the booklet and he prayed to receive Jesus. I told him the likelihood he would go to Heaven now trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus was 100%. I explained the Christian life to him. He did not have a Bible so I gave him one and showed him the study helps in it. I wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside. I also gave him Bible Promises for You and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study. He was grateful and said, “Take all this?” I said, “Yeah,” and he said “Thank you.” I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day through the end of the year and all the next asking God to bless him. He shook my hand again and I headed off.

I came across Katie up on the north side of the third floor of the BIC building. She was sitting in a lounge that had a window that looked out on the atrium. She was a plump Latina girl with a round face and high cheek bones, a pretty mouth. Her curly hair was pulled up into a bun. She had on a bright blue sweatshirt and black shorts and had clear semi-round glasses on. She was really friendly and happy to talk. She said she wanted to travel to all 50 states and had been to 40 of them. I asked her what she would say to God if she died and He asked, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” “Honestly—I don’t know. I’d probably say there’s other people that deserve it more than me,” she replied. I told her there wasn’t a shortage of space and she grinned. I asked her the likelihood she would go to Heaven. “A solid 96%,” she replied. I asked if she went to Church. “More or less, here and there,” she said. When I asked her what Jesus had done to take away her sin (so God could live inside her) she said she didn’t know, explaining that she hadn’t been to church lately. I explained the Gospel to her. The blood of Jesus cleansing her from all sin and His life as a payment for the life we owed God. I explained the righteousness of God Chris earned to her credit by adoption and that she could receive Christ and by faith be saved. She liked all the examples. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven for her sins trusting in Jesus. Then He would live in her giving her strength by His Spirit and take her to Heaven when she died. Or did she think something else. “I think that I’d like to be forgiven,” she replied. I said if she wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer she could pray and I talked her through it asking if it expressed the desire of her heart. “Yeah,” she replied. I said she could pray it silently right now and know she was forgiven. “Wanna do it?” I asked. “Yeah,” she replied. She prayed then to receive Christ and crossed herself as she finished. I told her then the likelihood she would go to Heaven was 100% trusting in the blood and righteousness of Jesus. I gave her Bible Promises for You and write her name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave her a Bible Study and The case for Christ Answer Booklet. I told her I would pray a Bible verse for her each day asking God to bless her for a year. “God bless you, it was nice to meet you,” I said getting up to go. “Thank you. It was nice to meet you too,” she replied and 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

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day was filled with the comfort of the God who makes us complete in Christ. I had a good day on campus.  I came across Hunter who hadn’t known had prayed to receive Christ last semester after I told him the Gospel. Please pray he grows in his faith. I also gave Mo (Mohammed a Twelver Shi’ism Muslim) a book of 60 questions Lee Strobel answers called The Case for Christianity Answer Book. He looked like a thin slightly built Persian Jesus, long hair a beard and an angular pointed nose, wearing Jeans and a Hoodie. When I explained that God’s justice was satisfied by Jesus’ blood which was filled with life he said, “I always wondered how God’s mercy and justice could go together, [as] when He extends his mercy His justice isn’t complete.” I agreed. He said he knew more about Christianity than any of his other family members and was interested in it finding things matching it in the Quran. He had read the Divine Comedy and other Christian works.  I agreed saying that the Quran in many places affirms the teaching of the Bible but nowhere condemns it. He agreed. He felt Ḥusayn was a martyr like a Christ who he believed also went directly to Heaven. Ḥusayn had died heroically. We had a good conversation and I felt God led me to him. Please pray these men come closer to God and Mo finds faith.

Hunter had not prayed until he got home. So I did not find out until today. He has narrow braids that hang in his eyes touching the top of his nose coming out of a nylon cap, same look he had last fall. He had been baptized 4months before we talked then but had not understood the Gospel. When I asked him what he would say to God, if he died and were asked, “Why should I let you into heaven?” he said. “I mean I don’t think I could say anything except, ‘Let my actions speak for themselves.’” He then told me he’d just been baptized. I asked him the likelihood he would get into Heaven and he said, “I hope like 90%. Not just that I’ve been actually working to be better.” He had not understood that Jesus had died for him and he needed to trust in that blood to be forgiven. He also had not understood the righteousness of Christ that was to his credit when God adopted him. So today I gave him Bible Promises for You and a Bible study and The Case for Christ Answer Booklet. He was glad to talk with me and was grateful. So I will be praying for him.

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

In Him,

Bob

Hey Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope your day found you filled up with the fullness of God as you walked with Him in newness of life. I had a good day on campus and Tari prayed with me to receive Jesus. I went through the Gospel with Molly, who thought she had been believing on Jesus already, though she had not seemed to understand the Gospel until I told her. She had mixed blonde hair in the PE, really friendly kid. And I got a quick seed planted with Ashley, a pretty Asian girl at a break in her class in the Science Building. Tari’s story is below if you have time. Please pray he grows in his faith.

Tari was sitting at the base of the stairs where you walk into the SRC building and the bookstore. African American he was a big dude with a short beard and a 3–4-inch afro like a smooth dome on his head. He wore a black polo shirt and faded blue jeans. He had kind of a mischievous grin when something amused him. I asked him if he wanted to do a student survey for a Bible Study group. He said he was in a group already so I asked if he would want to just answer one big metaphysical question. He said, “OK,” without much enthusiasm. 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 asks: ‘Why should I let you into Heaven?’ What would you say?” He at first said that Christianity was part of his identity. He said he woke up each morning thinking about how he could improve. He had one more line that had something to do with good works towards other in the way he treated them. I said that Christianity was like a blood transfusion. “I have A+ blood, if you fill me up with B- blood by mistake I would clot up and die. So God wants to know and live inside you, transfuse His life into you, fill you with His Holy Spirit, but first he has to make you His type.” So I asked him what God had done to take away his sins. He guessed saying, “The Holy Spirit in you?” I told him the Holy Spirit could not live in him until his sins were removed first. I asked if he would like to hear some Bible verses that explained what God had done, I could show him really quick. He said he would, so I took out a booklet and showed him the verses in it and added more about the Blood of Jesus and the Righteousness of God Christ earned. I explained how Jesus’ blood was a payment of life for the life we owed God for hurting His stuff, taking life. I said that God wanted to adopt Him and give him the blessings of His family, the sacrifice for his sins the blood that cleansed him and the righteousness of God that surrounded him. He received Jesus by faith, so if he believes Jesus was God had died for his sins and rose from the death, not that he just knew the story (which he hadn’t) but that he put his trust in that as a man. So if someone said to him, “Why should God let you into Heaven?” he’d say, “Because Jesus died for me.” That would mean he had faith in Jesus, and Grace, by faith, saved him. I asked if he wanted to be forgiven for his sins trusting in Jesus. Then God could live inside him and give him strength and take him to Heaven when he died. I gave him the Clif Notes version of Islam and the Buddha as alternatives and then asked again if he’d want to be forgiven trusting in Jesus. He nodded. I said if he wanted to be forgiven there was a prayer he could pray and talked him through it and asked if it expressed the desire of his heart. He nodded again. I said he could pray it silently and I would not hear him but God would—would he like to do that? He nodded again so I gave him the booklet and he prayed then to receive Christ. I explained the Christian life to him then. He had a Bible to read and so I gave him a copy of Bible Promises for You writing his name and the date and “forgiven!” in the front. I also gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and a Bible Study showing some ways Jesus claimed to be the God of the Old Testament. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless him. I got up to go and he said, “Thank you so much I really appreciate it.” And a big smile, “This was great!” You’re welcome I replied. “I’ll see you in Heaven.” “Thank you so much!” he said again and 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

Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you had a great day marching with the righteous and standing on the promises of God. Nikola prayed to receive Jesus today and I prayed over a couple different students who shared some life struggles with me so that was a blessing too. Please pray Nikola grows in faith. His story is below if you want to spend the time.

Nikola was sitting on one of a group of benches against the wall by the exit to the patio, it’s the top of the waterfall turned off still from the winter. He had a mop of semi curly brown hair and a mustache only over his lip, a bit gapped in the middle beard under his chin, good-looking guy. He wore a black Bulls T-shirt with some colorful images on it and black shorts. He was a solid guy, 5×5. He said he went to a Macedonia Orthodox Church and thought he’d like to go back to Macedonia where he had some family and his parents were from. He looked Macedonian to me. I asked him if he was hit by a bus and died what he would say to God to get into Heaven. “That’s a good question,” he replied. I replied that a lot of people I ask that to hadn’t thought about it before. He thought for a minute and then asked me to read him the question again, I did and he then said, “Sorry give me a moment.” I said, “Sure.” He finally came up with, “I’d say, ‘Maybe I didn’t live a good life here, but I’d hope to make it better over there.” I asked him what the likelihood was he was going to Heaven and he thought it was up to God but he’d guess 80%. I began to go through the Gospel with him and after a little rephrasing (in the way I asked the question) he knew Jesus had sacrificed Himself to take away our sins. He then he agreed with the blood of Jesus cleansing us from all sin and I explained the payment of Christ’s blood. The Bible says, “Life is in the blood” [Lev. 17:11] Jesus is the source of all life and when we sin we take life. “If I rollover your foot (with my truck) I took some of your life, if I steal money from you spent your time and life to get that money so now I am stealing life from you,” I explained. So we owe God life. Jesus’ blood is life and so when He pours it out it pays God back for the life we owe Him. “So the real reason God forgives you is He got paid, but He had to pay Himself with the blood of Jesus.” I went on to explained the righteousness of God earned by Christ and given to us because we had no righteousness in our selves because we could not do anything perfect. God adopted us and gave this to us. He needed to receive Christ then to believe Jesus was God died for his sins and rose from the dead. Grace by faith saved him. I asked if he would want to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done. “Definitely,” he replied. I said then there was a prayer he could pray and read it through for him asking if it expressed the desire of his heart. “Yeah absolutely,” he replied. I said he could pray it silently and asked if he’d want to. “Yeah,” he replied. I handed him the booklet and he prayed to receive Jesus. “I guess you want this,” he said about the booklet but I said he could keep it. I explained the Christian life to him—praying, confessing, he had several Bibles. I explained him the Christian life was by the Spirit’s power inside out, asking God to transform him on the inside so he could do good things on the outside. I gave him Bible Promises for You and wrote his name and the date and “forgiven!” on the inside and he was grateful saying “Thank you” as I handed it to him. I gave him The Case for Christ Answer Booklet and he thought he might have heard of Strobel. I also gave him a Bible Study showing passages where Jesus claimed to be God. “Thank you. I appreciate it,” he said. I told him I would pray a Bible verse for him each day from now until Spring and one year after asking God to bless him. “Nice to talk with you,” he said shaking my hand. “Yeah God bless you,” I replied. “See you around hopefully,” he said. “Yeah, see you around,” I replied. And I headed out the doors.

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

In Him,

Bob