Ladies Bible Study Group in Bucuresti

Heb 10:23 Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.
Heb 10:24 Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.
Heb 10:25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer. GNB

There is no greater feeling than knowing you are attempting your best at being obedient toward God. This brings joy, peace and spiritual growth. At the same time, obedience can place you in a position or place far away from all the familiar and comfortable aspects of daily life and routine. Obedience also requires sacrifice.
It is for certain, if you are a child of the Living God, obedience is REQUIRED!

The four women you see in the photo (we have one more lady in our group, she was unable to attend)are well acquainted with being separated from
the comfort and blessing received by worshiping in their home churches back in the States, where everyone speaks their language. They dearly miss the fellowship with the ladies from church and other groups in which they might have been active. Family.....it is impossible to measure how much one misses their family and close friends. Don't misunderstand me, you do form strong and dear friendships where God has placed you. Eventually you get settled in and manage to make your apartment look and "feel" like home. This is what we have all discovered. We have also discovered something else; we need each others fellowship on a regular basis. Recharged, revved-up, you know what I mean!

For this cause, we have made it a point to meet once a month. Each person has been assigned a month. On your day, you make the plans for the day, Bible study is always priority, after that the host takes charge and away we go for fellowship, fun and refreshing. Living in a foreign Country you can find yourself hungering for time with folk like yourself. Pray for us as we continue to meet together to encourage each other, fellowship, and enjoy some downtime. Also pray for us as we search to find ways to reach out to the lost all around us in this mega City, pray that each one of us will be a beacon of light shinning for Jesus Christ in everything we do and say.

Heb 10:25 Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Looking Ahead

Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phi 3:13-14

This is where Teresa and I find ourselves today. We cannot lament on what could have been but must look at what can be.



With this in mind, we should stop going over the elementary truths about Christ and move on to topics for more mature people. We shouldn't repeat the basics about turning away from the useless things we did and the basics about faith in God.
We shouldn't repeat the basic teachings about such things as baptisms, setting people apart for holy tasks, dead people coming back to life, and eternal judgment.
And this we will do, if indeed God permits. Heb 6:1-3

We plan to be working inside the local church in the southeastern part of Bucuresti with the expressed objective of making fishers of men. The church is full of people who love the Lord and want to serve Him, but not so many fishermen. Teresa plans to begin Saturday with youth Bible study in the church Emanual. I am hopeful to begin tomorrow with a young man from the church named Alexandru. Both our goals is to teach these people that God wants us to confess Him before the world. This is not a one time event, but a way of life, just as is Christianity. .

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Mat 10:32-33
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Rom 10:9

Christianity is not a religion but following Christ with your life. Jesus tells us that if we love Him we would obey Him also.

So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer: (your reasonable service). Rom 12:1
If ye love me, keep my commandments. Joh 14:15

A big contrast between American church and Romanian church is, Romanians understand the living the good moral life, but in most part do not understand the need to tell others that you are a Christians and they also can be saved too.
As I see the American church, they tell others they are Christians but their lives are so much like the world, the world says, “so what, you live worst then I do” leaving no witness at all.
Americans can tell you when they prayed a prayer asking God to save them but many have never been born again, a Romanian can not count the number of times they have said that prayer and still does not know if he is going to heaven.

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
1Jo 5:13 I've written this to those who believe in the Son of God so that they will know that they have eternal life.

Adrian Rogers put it this way:
“A Christian is not somebody who merely believes that Christ died for our sins. The devil believes that. A Christian is somebody who has repented of his sins and invited Christ into his heart to be his Savior and Lord. You can intellectually believe that an airplane can fly, but in order to fly you must try out its wings. In the same way, when you give your heart to Jesus Christ, He takes control of your life and begins to make you into the person He wants you to be.”

If this blog concerns you take time to read Galatians 5:19-25 and see if your life is one that will keep you out of Heaven or if you indeed have life eternal.

What human nature does is quite plain. It shows itself in immoral, filthy, and indecent actions; in worship of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. I warn you now as I have before: those who do these things will not possess the Kingdom of God. But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires. The Spirit has given us life; He must also control our lives. Gal 5:19-25