Alex P. - February 2009 Report | Print |
Eastern Europe: Reports - Romania - Reports
Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:48
A student and I we to proclaim the Gospel on campus. We looked for Ioan. He was in his room with several colleagues. There were seven people. There was also a girl - Florin's girlfriend . I asked them whether they were husband and wife. They said no and they had no intention to get married. They even thought that one day they would break up. They went to an Evangelical Church. They played with their relationship and the idea of marriage - breaking God's commandments. They had a relationship based on self-interest. While I was preaching to them about sin and God's wrath against it - a student answered, "Why do you speak like that? I know God is full of mercy and love because I live in a religious environment. I also read the Bible". I told him, "You forget that God is also righteous." The others were orthodox and they criticized him immediately, "What's your religion?" He did not want to tell them. I continued to preach and they were very attentive till the end.  I told them that they would give account for their actions on the day of judgement. 
I went to Bacau and I met Daniel, the leader of the students group. He ministers with us. He was sad because there were no students who could join us. Then, we met the student group for evangelism. God performed a miracle and four new people came with the desire to minister with us. We managed to share the Gospel with sixteen students.

A student from our group shared the Gospel with Irinel some weeks ago. I told him my personal testimony. He got angry at a given moment, "why are telling me about God? You only know to talk about God? Let's talk about something else and I will listen you!" It was difficult to talk to him.

But there was another boy in Irinel's room. His name was Mihai and he listened to our discussion. We also talked to him. Mihai told us "my parents left for work abroad when I was 16. My grandparents took care of me. It was a difficult time for me, because even though I had money I actually needed the moral and emotional support of my parents. I did everything I wanted." I asked him, "Did you pray?" He answered, "I do not like to go to church and I did not pray. My father tried to have a deeper relationship with me, but I did not want it anymore."
I frequently meet students who are raised by atheistic families.

I met George and Marius. George's girlfriend also came. Her name is Loredana. She asked me, "Why is it spelled in your Bible Jesus' name with just one letter "I" instead of 2 ?" The orthodox priests teach their parishioners that the sectarians spell Jesus' name with just one "I", namely Isus instead of Iisus. The priests say that "Isus" with just one "I" means donkey. This is a blasphemy! Marius filled out our card a while ago, he wrote  that he was interested in God. But I could not talk to Marius, instead I had a discussion with George. At first George seemed less interested. I shared the Word with him and he said "I can not withhold myself from getting revenge on those who harm me." At first he said he believed in God. He realized from our discussion that he didn't have a real faith. George and Loredana said they would consider our discussion. I found out that he was a member of the Students' League.

We had an evangelistic trip. We invited Christian students who minister with us in Sibiu and Brasov. We also invited non-Christians students - Marius, Flori, Alex, Olimpia and Emanuela.
I preached the Gospel and I invited them to reconcile with God.

Alex has attended the Evangelical Church for while. But he was alienated from the church. I had a discussion with him and I asked him about his separation from the church. He told me "The members of the church judged me because I had long-hair and I wore a necklace." I shared the Gospel with him. We talked about being born again and how one can know if he is born again. I asked him, "What do you think? Are you a sinner?" He answered, "I am not a sinner." I understood his problem was in his heart, but he did not see it. He actually never saw himself as a sinner who needed God's forgiveness. How easily one can be deceived believing to be a Christian because they once said a prayer, "I gave myself to the Lord." But Lord Jesus said "You will know them by their fruits".

Marius - a student in Brasov. He came with his girlfriend on this evangelistic trip. I told him that he would not sleep in the same bed if he came with his girlfriend. He agreed, but he did not tell his girlfriend about that. When she arrived at the hotel she said "Marius I will sleep with you in the same bed." I told her that could not be. For the entire weekend she was rebellious and angry. When she heard we talked about God she went to her room. She rejected us because we were not orthodox as she was.

 

 
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