September 2024

Dear Praying Friends,

Frequently, after we send out a Prayer Letter, more students talk to us at our literature table. So thank you for praying!

Over the past 3 weeks, some of the conversations at our lit table include:

CHARLiE told us that he believes in evolution. So I brought up the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another;” and he admitted that he didn’t have an answer to how life began….

ARMON told us that he’s Catholic. I asked him if he knew about the major differences between Catholicism & the Reformers, & we talked about grace alone & Scripture alone….

TAREQ (from Saudi Arabia) began our discussion by reading verses off the internet / his phone that (he argued) teach that Jesus isn’t God. I explained that Jesus has a submissive role to His Father, & I showed him Isa. 9:6 & John 1:1. I also asked him, “Was there an authoritative, reliable Holy Book for the millions of people who lived before the Koran was written in A.D. 600?” He replied, “Yes, the Bible, but the Bible became corrupt.” I countered, “But early manuscripts of the Bible say, repeatedly, that Jesus was the Son of God; so if Jesus isn’t the Son of God, the Bible would have been corrupt from the git go. So the millions of people before A.D. 600 didn’t have an authoritative, reliable Holy Book. But why would the true God wait until A.D. 600 to tell us that Jesus isn’t the Son of God? (& didn’t die on the cross)?”

JUSTiN asked, “What is the difference between Judaism & Christianity?” And I replied, “Most Jews believe that Jesus isn’t the Messiah; Christians believe that Jesus the Messiah.” He then told me that his dad is a Jew, but he’s not religious. I then explained our [Jesus is the] “Bridge” tract….

PAiGE, (who was providentially manning a table beside our table), told us that her dad is a non-practicing Jew; Paige is an atheist. I initiated: 1) “Are you aware that the Hebrew Bible says, in 3 different places, that the Messiah would be ‘pierced?’” (“No.”) “Well, you know, when Jesus was crucified, His hands & feet were pierced; therefore Jesus could be the Messiah.” 2) “Do you know the reason why the Passover & Jesus’ crucifixion are at the same time of year?” (“No.”) “B/c Jesus is “our Passover lamb” (1 Cor. 5:7).

DiEGO told us that he didn’t believe in God. So I kindly argued that only God could create people, animals, plants & the cosmos (Rom. 1:20).

Unsaved JOSH & CAM, (who I’ve mentioned in several previous Prayer Letters), continue to sit w/ us at our table (every other week)? They’ve been very kind to me by including me on their basketball team at the CU Rec Center.

ALEC recognized Josh (above) & me from basketball & stopped to talk. He told us that he was raised Catholic & has lived in Muslim countries; and he briefly attended Liberty U, but he doesn’t believe in “Southern Baptist interpretation.”

IMOGENE told us that she’s an agnostic. She asked: “I’ve been wanting to know this for a long time: What is the difference between Christianity & Catholicism?” So I talked about grace alone vs. works; & I showed her Eph. 2:8-9; and I explained our [Jesus is the] “Bridge” tract.

Last week, Charlie asked us: “If we become Christians, are we not enslaved to God?” I answered, “Yes, we’re ‘slaves of the one whom [we] obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness’ (Rom. 6:16). Moreover, being a slave to the one who loves me so much that He would die an ignominious death on a cross to pay for my sins – works for me!”

Later, DiLANEY told us that her major is Philosophy of Religion. I replied: “Philosophy is a great major, b/c you’re dealing w/ life’s sine qua non questions. However, in philosophy classes you hear a theory, followed by a counter theory, followed by a counter, counter theory, et. al. And many philosophy students never settle on a worldview, when, according to the Bible, we’re all sinners. And you desperately need to believe in the God who can forgive your sins!”

ZARA asked us: “If a person claims to be a Christian, but he doesn’t act like a Christian, & he negatively influences someone to not believe in God, that wouldn’t be fair.” I kindly argued, “It may not have been ‘fair’ that the Canaanite woman (in Matt. 15) had to jump thru 4 difficult hoops (but she did): After the Canaanite woman cried to Jesus, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David:’ 1) Jesus didn’t answer her a word. 2) Jesus’ disciples begged Jesus, ‘Send her away…’. 3) Jesus told the Canaanite, ‘I was sent only to … Israel.’ But she knelt before Jesus, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’ 4) Jesus answered, ‘It isn’t right to take the children’s bread & throw it to the dogs.’ The woman replied, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus healed her daughter!”

Zara also told me about “Philosophy Club” which I later attended. The moderator providentially suggested that we go around the room & briefly say if we do or don’t believe that God exists. So I said: “I believe that God exists for 3 reasons: 1) The Bible says that God exists; 2) People, animals, plants & the cosmos could have only been created by God; 3) When I was 5, I received God’s Son into my life; as a result, God & I have been friends for 65 years!”

At our American & International Bible Study on Friday nights, we shared the Gospel extensively w/ KA. But b/c her Visa is problematic, she had to return to China after having been here for only 2 months. But she’s planning to come back to CU. After she told us that her grandma is a Christian, I encouraged her to show our [Jesus is the] “Bridge” tract to her grandma.

(Unsaved) HAiZiNG is also attending on Friday nights, (tho he’s attending the Bible study that’s in Chinese). In a previous Prayer Letter, I told you that I met Haizing in a CU dining center, when he was reading the Book of Numbers; and I gave him examples of how the Pentateuch is all about Jesus!

Via Zoom, Nancy is continuing to teach the Bible to people who have returned to Korea: JUN, SOYOUNG & her 2 kids & KYUNGA & her 2 kids.

As I was typing this at our lit table, MARCUS stopped by again, &, as usual, he shared another Bible verse. And Justin (from China) said “hi.” And, now, AMiR (from Iran) & YE (from Vietnam) are sitting & eating w/ me which is a pristine opportunity to disciple them! So I better run.

“That my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6),

Tom & Nancy Miller (U of Colorado / Campus Bible Fellowship / Baptist Mid-Missions)