One Day At J.M.U.

MINISTRY PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

NOV 06 COURT SQUARE 18
NOV 07 JAMES MADISON 20
NOV 08 CROSS LIGHT 00
NOV 13 COURT SQUARE 22
NOV 14 JAMES MADISON 18
NOV 15 CROSS LIGHT 01
NOV 16 IMPACT BAZAAR 19

Last Thursday at J.M.U. was a really special day. I would like to share this day with you. If you only have time to read one story, scroll down to 'AN AMAZING STORY'.

Thanks to Johan Weiss for sitting next to me and praying for four hours. Thankful to Karen Brooks for joining me for the next four hours.

UNUSUAL JOY

I experienced a special liberty as I shared with the first few students. The more that I share, the more I learn to relax and love people. You would think after all these years I would have figured this out.

Salvation is truly of the Lord. I just need to relax, love people, and completely rely upon the saving power of the Holy Spirit. God really helped me with this on this special day.

It is really interesting how God works. For the first 10 -15 minutes, student after student either completely ignored me or declined my offer of a bracelet. The more this happened, the more I let go and trusted God.

At some point, I started giggling. What a joy to invite students over, even if no one is interested. Yes, sometimes the rejection can wear on me, but for some reason, not this day. One student yelled as she walked off, back turned towards me...

"No, I don't want a bracelet!, You're a predator!"

Inexplicably, I just felt joy well up in my heart for this student. I yelled back, "I love you...Have a great day!"

When God fills our hearts with His unconditional love, regardless of how people treat us, we are happy indeed. "He who the Son sets free, is free indeed."

God, continue to set me free!

Tucker was the first 'victim' of the unusual fountain of joy...

"HE SAVED ME...GRATEFUL"

A TYPICAL RESPONSE FOR PROFESSING CHRISTIANS

Gracelyn's response is typical of many Christians who don't understand the gospel. Even many Muslims give this answer...

"I do good, and I cover all my bad with repenting."

Here is someone trying to work their way into Heaven by 'doing good' and constantly saying, 'Please forgive me I'm sorry', for all the bad they do. This is a roller coaster 'hope to get to Heaven' lifestyle.

Gracelyn heard the gospel of the finished work of Christ on her behalf and really seemed to get delivered as she placed all of her trust in Him. Her reactions and facial expressions were priceless...

"HE ALLOWED ME TO PUT MY TRUST IN HIM...GREAT."

TRUE PURPOSE AND VISION

Nick, like many we talk to, had been exposed to the things of God..."I hope to get into Heaven because I have purpose and vision."

Purpose and vision are popular subjects for today's preachers. Unfortunately, the gospel is not. Today, Nick heard the gospel and placed his trust in God...that is true purpose and vision.

"HE SAVED ME...THANKFUL...I'M THANKFUL FOR HIM DYING FOR ME."

MORE JOY

Lots of joy here with Lexi. I don't remember what her initial responses were, but I wrote down her responses at the end...

"HE GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE...GREAT!...THANK YOU!...THANKS FOR SAVING ME!"

DEAD WORKS

Lauren sat down next to me. I didn't even ask her to, she just did it spontaneously. This really helps me relax even more.

Lauren was "98-99%" sure of going to Heaven because "I'm a Catholic and I pray and I have good actions."

Lauren didn't need to 'repent for her sins'. She needed to 'repent for her works', the dead works that she was trusting in.

"...not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works..." (Hebrews 6:1) The foundation of our salvation is repentance from dead works.

The gospel became clear to Lauren in the context of a courtroom. As a guilty criminal, Lauren's initial responses would not justify her with God. Only the work of Christ would justify her. He sat in her electric chair, taking God's judgment for her.

Lauren wanted to repent...i.e...transfer her trust from her dead works to the work of Christ alone...

"HE SAVED ME..FEEL GOOD."

WHAT MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE

Zach said, "I'm not a terrible person...He forgives everyone." This is what most people believe.

Step 1--Show Zach through the ten commandments that he is more terrible than he realizes.

Step 2--Show Zach that God's forgiveness is conditional. He must 'realize his terribleness' and trust only in the Son. Right there is God's forgiveness.

"HE SAVED ME...THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME."

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

I really thought Ally was going to walk off. She stayed and prayed with me, trusting Christ as her Savior...

"HE GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE TODAY"

Listen to her prayer to God at the end...

"I LOVE YOU."

Here is her text she sent me later that evening...

"Hi Mike! Thank you so much for your time and insight. I will let you know if I have any questions along the way! :-)"

AN AMAZING STORY

About a month ago at J.M.U., I shared the gospel with Emma and Alex. Alex stood in the background, unbelieving and not interested. Emma placed her faith in Christ.

Alex came back this past Thursday. Here is what he told me, paraphrased...

"Three weeks ago, after you shared with me, I was driving in Verona, traveling about 40-45 mph. Someone pulled out in front of me and I slammed on the brakes and crashed into them. The air bags did not go off, but the seat belt caught me and left a mark.

Just this morning, the same thing happened here in Harrisonburg. This time I was a passenger riding with a friend. Someone pulled out in front of us, and we slammed on the brakes and crashed into them. This time the air bags went off."

Needless to say, Alex was eager to hear the gospel again. The first time he wasn't ready. Now, God had gotten him ready but he still needed to hear the gospel again.

Alex told me, "I think I am a good person, but it is not about that, it is about having Jesus in your heart." This is what Alex had remembered from last time.

The commandments showed Alex that he was not a good person. Grace showed him that God had taken his punishment, and that he could be saved if he only placed his trust in Him.

Honestly, as I shared with Alex it was as if I was sharing with a robot. All of his answers were textbook for someone who was really ready to place his trust in Christ.

We share, God prepares. We share, God saves. God prepares and God saves, but He so honors his gospel messengers that many times He won't save without them!

"HE SAVED ME...GRATEFUL." (that's a smile!)

THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND

Vince thought he would get in because he 'was friendly'. He understood this plea would not hold up as a guilty criminal in God's courtroom. Vince placed his trust in Christ instead...

"HE SAVED ME...AMAZING!"

ENLIGHTENED

After trusting Christ, Jason told me...

"HE HAS GIVEN ME ETERNAL LIFE NOW THAT I BELIEVE IN HIM. (MY HEART FEELS) FULL, COMPLETE, AND HAPPY."

He also sent me a text message later that evening...

"Thank you Mike. I love what you're doing, and I just wanna say thank you for the enlightening you have given me. Godspeed."

A NEW RESPONSE

Of the thousands of times I have shared the gospel, no one has ever given me the following response after trusting Christ and praying with me...

"HE STARTED WATCHING ME." (This one is new to me) (Jehovah-shammah...The Lord is there)

"HE OPENED UP MY HEART SO I CAN LIVE FOR HIM ETERNALLY...(MY HEART FEELS) INSPIRED."

This is Michael...

THE WRONG ATONEMENT

Zeke told me he was 70% sure of going to Heaven..."I have done bad but I atone for my sins by prayer, bible study, and church."

I shared the law. Then, I simply shared Christ's atonement and contrasted that with Zeke's atonement.

Zeke chose the former...

"I PUT MY FAITH IN HIM SO HE COULD GIVE ME ETERNAL LIFE. THANKS FOR STOPPING ME AND SHOWING ME THE WAY. THANKS FOR TEACHING ME THE WAY TO PUT MY FAITH IN HIM."

CAN ANYONE BE 100% SURE?

Reeves went to church and he even said he had faith in the Son. However, he said no one could be 100% sure of going to Heaven.

What was the problem here? Reeves was mingling works with grace. He knew Jesus died for him but he was also trusting his 'emulating Him'.

When we trust Christ alone we are justified. As a result, we emulate Him. Don't mix the two for your justification. Reeves became 100% sure through the distinction...

"HE GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE...GRATEFUL."

ANOTHER TYPICAL RESPONSE

Alex believed in God and he knew right from wrong. He was 30% sure of going to Heaven.

After hearing the law and the gospel, Alex told me...

"I wanted to trust in Him..." (he just did not know how)

After praying with me, he told me...

"I WAS 50%, BUT NOW I'M 100%. HE SAVED ME...(MY HEART FEELS)...FULL."

Alex then told me about a preacher who came a month ago who was screaming at the students. Some students who were listening to the guy commented...

"The guy on the cooler is way better..." (Guess who sits on a cooler and shares the gospel?) (lol)

ANOTHER AMAZING STORY

Carol made a bee-line over to talk with us. She is a leader of a well known campus ministry, and had come over to thank us, having heard some wonderful things about us. In fact, in 20 minutes she was going to teach some freshman girls about what it means to be saved.

Carol was 95% sure of Heaven..."I believe He died for me...I have given my life to Him...I serve Him." Carol wanted to know how she could be 100% sure.

Without getting into all the details, I basically used the electric chair illustration as a double-edged sword, separating her works from her faith. Like many others, Carol was unwittingly mingling works with grace.

At the end, Carol saw where she had been trusting in herself, instead of Christ alone. She wanted to place all of her faith in Jesus...

"HE TOOK ALL THE LIES AWAY. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR. HE ALLOWED ME TO TRUST IN HIM COMPLETELY."

When I asked her how her heart felt, she breathed a sigh of relief and said...

"AT PEACE."

RELIGIOUS TRAINING

Tim had received 13 years of Catholic training. I told him...

"Let me summarize in about 10 minutes."

Tim heard the summary and wanted to trust in Christ alone...

"HE RELIEVED ME OF SIN AND GAVE ME ETERNAL LIFE...THANKFUL."

I KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS

Like Tim, the next student Will was also a Catholic...

"I'm Catholic and I keep the commandments."

'Will, let's find out how well you have kept the commandments...'

Yes, Will, like the rest of us, failed miserably...liar, thief, adulterer, murderer, blasphemer.

Will wanted to place his faith in Christ alone...

"HE STARTED WATCHING OVER ME." (Now twice in one day!) (Jehovah-shammah)

"KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"

I HAVE A GOOD HEART

Kevin was hoping he would get in because, 'I have good intentions and a good heart.'

Try that in a court of law as a guilty criminal. Sorry, that won't work. The gospel makes perfect sense when you break it down.

"No one is good, except God alone."

"The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked."

Kevin realized he wasn't good. He then realized that Christ had taken his punishment, and would justify him, if he only trusted Him.

"HE SAVED ME...GREAT."

His prayer at the end really blessed me...

"I LOVE YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO TRUSTING YOU."

IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL DAY AT J.M.U.

THANK YOU GOD!

SOLI DEO GLORIA!