He came six years ago from an African country. By process of an educational lottery, he was chosen to come to the United States to receive his secondary education. A couple of years before, while still a teenager in his country, he accepted Christ as his Savior through the witness of some missionaries passing through his town. Though he was eager to learn more about his new-found faith, there were not many resources available in his town. However, when he came to the United States, it excited him to think that he would finally be able to learn more about God and Jesus Christ.
Sadly, but true, the first "religious" encounter he had on campus was with a couple of guys both wearing white shirts who were canvassing the campus for prospects. He went to a meeting and learned some of their doctrine. They gave him a book to supplement the Bible, telling him that in it he would find things that the Bible itself could not reveal. It took him a while, but he realized that what he was being taught by this group of people did not bear witness with the Spirit that lived within him. I find it amazing that he was so in tune with the Holy Spirit even though he knew very little about the work of salvation and all that comes with it! Ah, the power of the Holy Spirit!!
He then tried another "religious" group who seemed eager to welcome him and teach him the right way. They tried teaching him that God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were three separate gods, but that is when he become extremely disillusioned with this group also.
After that second botched encounter, he made a decision that he would not get involved in another religious group for a while. Feeling discouraged and lonely and somewhat confused, he continued his studies on this campus. One day, Jeff was sitting at a literature table by the bookstore. This student walked by the table, took a quick glance as he wondered what the man sitting behind the table believed. As he quickly scanned the literature on the table, he saw several booklets that had the name Jesus Christ in their titles, and he hesitated. He wanted so badly to learn more about Jesus Christ, but he wasn't sure he was ready for more wrong teaching. An intense desire to learn won over his fears and he walked back to the table and approached Jeff. "Excuse me, sir," the student said, "but I have just one question for you today. Do you believe God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as three gods or one God?" Jeff decisively and succintly explained that he believed that the Trinity was one God with three functioning parts. He offered the student some literature and they talked a little more. The student's heart jumped with joy within him! He knew he had finally found someone who could teach him TRUTH. They scheduled a meeting over coffee for later that week......that was only the beginning! How this student has grown in our Savior since that first encounter one year ago!
Our daily prayer as we work on this university campus:
Lord, send us seekers of your Truth!
