A Day At J.M.U

Two more blessed weeks of sharing the Gospel! Ben and I shared in front of the courthouse four times and saw 32 people profess saving faith in Christ alone. We shared at James Madison University twice and saw 25 students respond to the invitation.

I continue to hold the cross every Friday at the intersection of route 33 and Burgess Road. Notwithstanding the opposition and naysayers, many people continue to honk, wave, and smile as they see the cross with the JESUS SAVES sign on it. Four precious souls responded to the Gospel invitation after hearing the wonderful words of life.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support! Thank you Ben Varepa for continuing to come out and share the Gospel! There are so many beautiful stories and pictures. This time, I will focus on one day at J.M.U. Enjoy.

ONE DAY AT J.M.U.

We have been back out at J.M.U for about a month now. I would estimate that there are about 20% of the students on campus as compared to what things were like before Covid-19. Honestly, there are still plenty of students with whom to share, and the smaller numbers create less distractions for the ones who are hearing the Gospel presentation. It is a true blessing to be back out there!

The very first three students with whom we shared all responded to the Gospel invitation. It all seemed so Spirit led. After sharing with one, I would look up and invite the next person walking by to come over. Each time that person immediately came right over.

It usually doesn't work like this. You usually have to ask several students, some times fishing for up to five or ten minutes before one responds and comes over. Obviously, if I knew how to reproduce this, I would. All I know to do is to be humble and love. May God be pleased to keep moving in and through us!

THE VERY FIRST ONE!

If memory serves me correctly, as I was unpacking my stuff and setting up, I looked up and the first student I saw was Brayden. I threw out the line and he came right over!

I don't remember any of the details here except that he was initially trusting in himself and wanted to trust in Christ alone after hearing the Gospel.

'HE SAVED ME BECAUSE I PUT MY TRUST IN HIM. (MY HEART IS) THANKFUL...100%! (NOW).'

Brayden did respond to our text message later on...

'GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU BOTH!!!'

'PROPHETT' COMES TO THE LORD.

Just as I was finishing with Brayden, I looked up to invite the next student walking by to come over. Immediately the 'Prophett' came over. (That was his name, LOL)

Again, no details here as I immediately shared with the student after him. Like Brayden he was trusting in himself and needed to trust in Christ alone. I do remember telling him that with a name like 'Prophett' he really needed to be saved. We got to lead the 'Prophett' to the Lord!

'HE RELIEVED ME FROM MY SINS. I'M TRUSTING GOD. (MY HEART FEELS) RELIEVED AND THANKFUL...100% (NOW)'

He prayed to God at the end...

'I APPRECIATE YOU HELPING ME TRUST IN YOU.'

NO WAITING IN THE BOAT

Just like Prophett immediately came over after Brayden, so came Yanni right after Prophett. I believe he was the very next person that was offered a bracelet.

SINCERE GREEK ORTHODOX

Yanni was a 'sincere religious person'. He told us that he was 85% sure that he would go to Heaven because he 'prayed, read the bible, and was Greek Orthodox.'

Do you remember Cornelius in Acts 10? 'A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.' (Acts 10:2)

'...Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.' (Acts 10:4(c))

God saw Cornelius 'good works' and sent him the Gospel message. I believe that even today God sees sincere people like Yanni who don't know any better and He sends them the Gospel. Glory to King Jesus!

I asked Yanni if he thought that he measured up to God's standards. He wasn't sure. Then I told him that there was a special test in the bible that God had given to people to see if they measured up. Did he want to take this test? Sure!

The test of course is the ten commandments, God's moral law. We took the test and looked at five of the ten commandments. Like every other honest person, Yanni broke all five.

How sure was Yanni now that he would go to Heaven?...'60%'

I wanted to get him down to 0% before giving him grace. So, I had him read James 2:10...

'For the person who keeps all of the laws except one, is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws.' (James 2:10)

After reading this, Yanni exclaimed...

'I LIKE THAT!'

I asked him how sure he was now?...0%!

First mission accomplished. Let the law humble the person.

Now, before giving them grace, strip away any remaining self-righteousness.

In the courtroom before God would Yanni be innocent or guilty?...'guilty'.

What was the penalty?...'Hell'.

What could Yanni do now to avoid God's electric chair?

Yanni...'Follow the commandments'

After a person sees that they are not good enough to go to Heaven, what do most people turn to in order to be saved?

'Themselves...following the commandments.'

So we used the mirror illustration. Had Yanni played in the mud as a little boy?...'Sure' What did the mirror tell him?...'Dirty' How did he get clean?...'Shower' Did the mirror clean him?...'No!' What would that look like?...'Silly!'

So I explained to him that the ten commandments were a mirror to reflect our true condition. They were not designed by God to clean us, but just to show us our condition. (Romans 3:19,20)

So I asked him again, "What will keep you from the electric chair?"

Yanni...'Follow those rules'.

As I have said many times, self-righteousness is a hard nut to crack.

As God says in His Word...

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

Our flesh tells us, "Do something to be saved!"

So I explained to Yanni that he was still relying on the mirror to clean him. The ten commandments don't clean, they just show us our condition.

He appeared to understand and so I asked him a third time...

"What will keep you from the chair?"

What do you think he said this time?

Yanni...'Follow those rules'.

This is actually a really good thing. We are exposing what is truly deep in people's hearts. This is actually what is true in most people's hearts. Many professed believers have the same problem.

Remember people need to know they are not saved before they can be truly saved. People need to know that they are trusting themselves instead of Christ. As we go through the presentation, this truth is revealed to people as their hearts are exposed.

Look at what comes out of Yanni's heart next...

I just smiled and repeated what I had said the previous two times, "Yanni, you're still relying on the mirror." (law)

Exasperated, Yanni spoke up...

'YOU TELL ME!'

So I asked him who was the person mentioned in all of these answers...

'I pray...I read my bible...I follow the commandments...I follow the rules.'

He saw that it was indeed him. So I asked him who he was trusting?...'Me'

"Are you the Savior?"...'No'.

"Can you save yourself?"...'No'.

Yanni got the point.

"Who is the Savior?"...'Jesus'.

"What did He do for you so you could be saved?"...'Died'.

I then asked Yanni who Jesus was. Like most people he told me that He was the Son of God. Like most people, Yanni did not know if He was indeed God. He said that He was...'kind of God'.

Remember that salvation is trusting Christ alone: (1) His person and (2) His work.

We went through the Trinity and Yanni understood that Jesus is God...God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

Who sat in Yanni's electric chair?...'God!'
Who took Yanni's judgment?...'God!'

Was that enough to save Yanni?

It would be if Yanni let it be. In other words, Yanni needed to repent from the works that he was trusting in and instead only trust in the work of Christ. Then and only then he would be saved.

God the Son paid Yanni's 'spiritual death' penalty on the cross and then He rose from the grave to tell Yanni that his penalty had been 'PAID-IN-FULL!'

We did the dessert illustration for emphasis and then I asked Yanni when he wanted to trust in God alone...

'RIGHT NOW!'

We prayed and Yanni told me...

'I GAVE MYSELF UP AND I REPENT MY SINS AND I GAVE UP ALL MY TRUST. I PRAYED TO HIM...100%...MY TRUST IS IN GOD.'

His prayer to God at the end...

'THANK YOU FOR MIKE AND BEN. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO FULLY REPENT AND FULLY PUT MY TRUST IN YOU.'

IT'S NOT ALWAYS THAT SMOOTH!

These first three were pretty special. They were all ready and everything fell into place. Oh that it would always be like that!

The next several were different. A few had to get to class so we just gave them each three tracts to read. One or two walked off as we were going through the commandments. Some people don't like being told that they are 'not good'. It is a true blessing when anyone stays to hear the entire presentation.

Ben and I went to prayer and the Lord answered with Jason.

'I'M MAKING BETTER DECISIONS'

Like Yanni, Jason was also 85% sure of going to Heaven. Here is what he told me (paraphrased)...

'Recently I have been doing better. I have been making better decisions and am becoming a better person.'

This is a perfect transition into the Gospel...

"That's wonderful, Jason good job. But here is the real question, 'Do you think that you will ever be 'good enough'?'

I believe that Jason responded in the affirmative so we then moved to the 'good enough' test of the ten commandments to find out.

We took the test and he failed like everyone else.

How sure was he now that he would go to Heaven?...'50%'

James 2:10 again to the rescue. After reading that, Jason got down to 0%.

I explained to Jason that he never would be good enough and that he never would measure up. He needed to relax, exhale, and let all that go. He didn't need to bear that burden anymore.

In God's courtroom he saw that he was guilty and the penalty was Hell. What would keep him from God's electric chair?

Jason...'Do better.'

Just like Yanni, Jason needed to see that there was nothing that he could do. So I used the mirror illustration here as well.

Again, like Yanni, I asked him...

"Who is the person mentioned in all of these answers?"...'I am doing better, I am making better decisions, I will do better.'

Jason now saw that he had been trusting himself. He was not the savior and could not save himself.

Only God could do that. I preached the person and work of Christ to Jason and he wanted to transfer his trust to God alone...

We prayed...

'HE HELPED ME LEARN TO TRUST HIM AND UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT JUST ME. (MY HEART IS) HAPPY AND REALLY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE.'

Jason prayed to God at the end...

'THANK YOU FOR SENDING MIKE AND BEN. THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME JUST TO TRUST IN YOU.'

REALLY UNDERSTOOD AND GONE!

Next came Ava and her friend. They both were initially trusting themselves. They really seemed to understand the Gospel and were eager at the end to place their trust in Christ alone. They had to quickly leave to get to class.

CHRISTIAN SHOWS UP AND WATCHES

A young man showed up at the end of the previous encounter and complimented Ben and me for what we were doing. I then invited him to stay and watch. He stayed and got to watch the next interaction.

Maegen and Brianna were next. They, like Ava and her friend, really seemed to understand the Gospel as we shared with them. Both were eager to place their trust in God alone...

'RIGHT NOW.'

MAEGEN...'HE MADE ME PUT ALL OF MY TRUST IN HIM...100%...(MY HEART IS) FULL.'

Prayer at the end...

'THANKS FOR HELPING ME TRUST YOU.'

BRIANNA...'HE CAME INTO MY HEART AND I ACCEPTED HIM...100%...(MY HEART IS) FULL AND HAPPY.'

'THANKS FOR COMING INTO MY HEART.'

BEN SHARES THE GOSPEL

Ben shared with the next student named Christian. Ben did a great job. He is a very quick learner and really understands the Gospel. More importantly Ben loves people. Amen.

Christian wanted to place his trust in Christ alone...

'HE ENTERED MY HEART...100%...(MY HEART FEELS) GOOD.'

TRUSTING CHRIST AND WORKS...1000% NOW!

The final two that we shared with were Elena and Catherine. Elena said she was 80% sure because 'I believe Jesus Christ died.' Catherine said, 'We are good people'.

My response flowed from both of their answers...

"Is your salvation: (1) What Christ did (2) What you do (being good) or (3) both."

As expected they chose (3)...'both'.

Did they think they were 'good enough'?...'Hope so.'

We checked through the commandments and they were not. James 2:10 got them down to 0% sure.

Right before I brought up the penalty of Hell, Catherine spoke up...

'Other preachers always talk about Hell. Thanks for not being like them.'

The Spirit was really moving and we already had a great connection with these two girls. So, I chuckled and said...

"Guess what I am going to talk about next?"...'Hell!'

So we did. Maybe when they know that you really care about them it is okay to talk about Hell. Whatever the case may be, we talked about Hell and everything continued flowing very smoothly.

Love was really present and all was well.

When love is present, all is well.

They both were guilty and the penalty was Hell. What would keep them from the electric chair?

'We will repent.'

So I asked what they meant by that?

'Ask forgiveness.'

Use the speeding/parking ticket illustration. They had gotten a $50 parking ticket in which they mailed the payment in.

So I said...

"If you got the ticket and mailed it back without the payment with the words...'Please forgive me', what would they say?"

'PAY UP!'

"What will keep you from the electric chair?"

'We will confess.'

So I said...

"You get the parking ticket back and underneath 'Please forgive me', you write 'We confess', and mail it back without the payment. What will they do?"

'PAY UP!'

"What will keep you from the electric chair?"

'FOLLOW THE RULES!'

Continue using the speeding/parking ticket illustration...

'So you get the ticket back in the mail and underneath, 'Please forgive me', and 'We confess', you write, 'We will park correctly next time.' (follow the rules), but you don't mail the payment. What will they do?'

'PAY UP!'

"What can you do to avoid God's electric chair?"

Catherine exclaimed...

'NOTHING!'

Yes, Amen!, Hallelujah! Music to my soul!

I preached the person of Christ and then the work of Christ.

Elena thought that Jesus was part of God...1/3...'Father, Son, Spirit'.

No, "100% God...God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Godhead is fully God."

God had taken their place in judgment and had already sat in their electric chair. They needed to trust only in Him. Their salvation was found in trusting Him alone. It wasn't 'their goodness plus God', it was 'God alone'.

When did they want to place their trust in God alone?

'RIGHT NOW!'

We prayed...

ELENA...'HE FILLED MY HEART WITH LOVE. (MY HEART FEELS) VERY GOOD...100%!'

Prayer at the end...

ELENA...'THANK YOU FOR ETERNAL LIFE AND FILLING MY HEART'

CATHERINE...'HE GAVE ME THE CAPABILITY TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES (ETERNAL) OF MY SIN. HE GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE. (MY HEART FEELS) SO GOOD! 1000% SURE!'

AMEN!

THANK YOU JESUS!