I read an atheist book called “How to have the hard conversations”.  I do not agree with everything in the book but I have learned some new tactics.  I have been having longer conversations that have allowed me to see where people are when the conversation is over.   I have been starting the conversation asking what do you think happens when you die?  Then I ask them on a scale from 1-10 how sure are you that you are correct?  If they are 5 or less then I know I can just move forward. After I have shared the gospel then I ask either “What is stopping you from repenting and trusting Jesus?” or How sure are you that your original view is true to see if they have changed their mind. 

I talked to a young man at Pitt and I asked him “Where will you end up when you die?”  He said heaven and I asked him why.  He told me because he goes to church and does good deeds.  I told him that going to church and doing good deeds would not get him to heaven.  He told me that he worked at a church in Oakland that I believe is a sound church.  He told me that his pastor would say that good deeds would get him into heaven.  I told him that his pastor adheres to the Westminster Confession of faith and I assured him that his pastor would not say that good deeds get you to heaven.  I told him he should talk to his pastor. I showed him that he had broken God’s law and would be judged.  I explained that when Jesus died and rose from the grave he paid the fine for those that repent and trust in Jesus.  He tried to tell me that was not the case.  It took a while to convince him.   In the end, I believe he finally believed me.  I bet he had a good conversation with his pastor.

I started going downtown a couple of Saturdays a month.  I have had many very good conversations with people downtown.  This past Saturday I talked to people I had talked to the week before.  The conversations were very long.  We were able to witness to JW’s, Mormons and then Black Hebrew Israelites set up near us.  I was tired but I told Ed and Eric that I would stay if they engaged the BHI.    While they were trying to engage them I handed out tracts while I waited for them to start a conversation.  I ended up starting a conversation with a young man named Steve.  He had lots of questions.  God granted that I had lots of answers.  We talked for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  It was an amazing conversation.  It was a wonderful theology lesson.

I asked a student if she died today what would happen to her?  She told me she would be in the grave.  I asked “On a scale of 1-10 how sure are you that is true?”  She said 100%.  I asked her what evidence could I give her to change her mind.  She shrugged her shoulders.  I asked if someone came back from the dead would she be less sure?  She said they would have to have evidence with them.  I asked her what if God wrote a book and said there were a heaven and hell.  She said I do not know.   I asked her if there was a heaven and a hell should good people go to hell?  She said good people should go to heaven.  She said she was a good person and then admitted to breaking God’s law, but when I asked her if she would go to heaven or hell.  She said I do not believe in heaven or hell.  I told her that she should pick a religion based on if it was true or not.  If you look at reality and you look at a religion they should lie up.  When you look at Christianity and reality you will see that it does.  I asked her if when she looked around if she saw bad things happening.  She said yes.  I asked her why do bad things happen?  She said she did not know.  I explained that bad things happen because people raise a fist to God and say I want to do it my way.  People lie, steal and murder and that is why bad things happen.  If you are nothing but matter why are these things wrong?  She said I do not know.  I said You know those things are wrong because God wrote the law on your heart.   You are made in the image of God.  Everyone is made in His image.  Bad things happen because we break God’s law.  She said “you are right, you are right” I have to think about this.  and had to run to class.  

 She went from a hundred percent sure there was no God to God wrote the law on her heart and bad things happen because people do bad things.  Please Pray for her.

 Thank you for your support.  There were so many wonderful conversations this month.  Thank you so much.  Without you I would not be able to talk to all these people about Jesus.