5/10/25

Here are some pictures from my hike this morning!

Here are a few updates from this week's ministry!

• This week, Nick and I met with a young man named *Levi who attends CSUF and has been desiring to learn more about Jesus and religion. Nick met *Levi on campus in a previous semester and was super surprised when he received the text from *Levi asking to meet up and talk! We've met with him only a few times, and read only as far as Mark 1:1-11 together (along with additional passages for greater context and additional questions) and *Levi has expressed that he believes in the deity, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, so we are excited to continue meeting with his as we further explore the cost of discipleship to Christ. There is a greater obedience required for Jesus' disciples as even the demons believe in the deity, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Please pray for *Levi as we continue to meet and he grows in relationship with Jesus!

• We met with *Jacob on Monday and were relieved to find him no longer listening to the YouTube false teacher who was causing him a number of theological issues. We were able to discuss some of his questions and confusion regarding eschatology as that was a largely emphasized subject with his previous exposures. He's had a number of things come up that have prevented him from meeting with us the past couple weeks, but it sounds like he is open to joining us for evangelistic endeavors in the summer. Please pray for *Jacob as he continues to sort through his past and present worldview and that above all that he might solely pursue Jesus and conformity to Him image!

• We talked with a Muslim student at our whiteboard one day, and he was very hesitant to engage with us as he realized that we were Christians. He had a strange repulsion to answering our question as we clearly desired for people to come to the conclusions that Jesus is God. We had an interesting conversation with him in which he could only provide claims and no evidence, which is terribly hard to work with for either of us, so we encouraged him to find evidence and come back to continue the conversation. Later that same day, we saw another Muslim young man that we've briefly talked to before. We wanted to talk with him, but he was on the phone at the time, so we sat down in the area, read our Bibles, and waited to see what might happen. Low and behold, the Muslim that we met prior that day found us and brought a Surah that he had googled as evidence for one of his prior claims. We talked with him and explained how this verse didn't work as he was trying to use it, but *James (The other Muslim) overheard our conversation and joined in after the first guy left. We had a great conversation with *James and found that God has already been at work in his life to open his heart towards Christianity as he went to a Christian school growing up, is dating a Christian, was born in Bethlehem, his mother was born in Nazareth, and he does not like the Hadith (Islamic texts with quite disturbing stories). We talked about the reliability of the Quranic manuscripts and the variations in early manuscripts which threaten one of the most predominate teachings in Islam: that the Quran has never changed and is perfectly preserved. With *James's genuine interest in the topic, Nick gave him a book on the corrections in early Quranic manuscripts which shows where changes were made over time. *James insisted that he just borrow the book, so he now has our contact information to meet up after reading it. Please pray that his heart would be opened as he reads this book and that God would rescue him from the demonic doctrines of Islam!  

• We had a great meeting with *Titus this week and he is opening up more and more in our talks. We feel that he is very close to accepting the Gospel, but he is currently sorting through his previous experiences and understandings as well as how they shape his current view of Jesus and His message. Please pray that God would continue to draw *Titus into His presence and extend His healing into the life and experiences of *Titus!

• I also met and talked with *Lance and *Zoe, Jehovah’s Witnesses from my neighborhood. After reasoning with them for about an hour, I asked if they would be open to changing their position on the deity of Christ or the supposed invisible return of Jesus in 1914 if I could provide compelling biblical evidence. They said they would not—because they’re already convinced, believe it’s working for them, and claim to have done their own research. While they claim to be in a community that simply reads and follows the Bible, they certainly have a low view of its authority and value as they uphold their feelings and the Watchtower doctrines above the truth of scripture. I pointed out plainly their extreme prejudice that disregards the text of scripture inasmuch as it clashes or challenges their own beliefs, but they were unphased. If we follow the Bible inasmuch as we agree with it, then we actually are just following ourselves and have no reverence for the true authority of God's word. Please pray that God would open their eyes to see how they are actually worshipping the Watchtower and not God! 

• Today, after starting my day with an early-morning hike with the Friends Church Fullerton young adults' group and eating acai bowls, I saw a new couple of Jehovah's Witnesses on the corner in my neighborhood that I hadn't met yet. I couldn't resist and had to pop in! I met *Mark and *Kennedy who both grew up JWs and have deep emotional ties with the church. I started the conversation asking how they become involved with the church, what convinced them that it was true, and we moved into the topics of interest around Jesus and the Trinity. I did a lot of listening and asking questions this time, but they were very open to hearing my responses and they seemed to actually use more verses than merely the standard set - which is encouraging as they actually read their Bibles! They actually live in my neighborhood and hope to continue our conversation another time as they had to leave for an appointment eventually. Please be praying for their hearts to be open to the scriptures and not hardened by the doctrines that they grew up on - which is really hard to hold with an open hand sometimes! May the truth of God's word succeed in our conversation, and may this couple be a lighthouse for the true Gospel and nature of Christ to the JW community they have grown up in!

• I now have a whole handful of JWs from the same fellowship that I've met and talked with, and I'm working to either point out where the Bible contradicts the Watchtower teaching or point out their clear prejudice they have against any other view as they disregard biblical evidence. It's a terrifying thing when we stop worshipping God and transition to worshipping tradition or leaders, whether it be a cult or something else - when we set aside the Bible to protect our preferences and prejudices we should be filled with a holy fear of rebelling against God and making ourselves out to be like Him. May God open our hearts to conform to His image and submit to His word, regardless of what we must lay aside!