Believers vs. the church

So the past two days have been pretty encouraging.  A lot has happened.  Much ministry, much fun, and much learning.  Here's the highlights. 

So yesterday we went out to campus we had some time to re focus as a team and for ourselves.  My good friend/birthday twin Chris Denning led worship for us (which was awesome) and we had some time to reflect on what God has done and what we would like to see him do.  Spent some time re visiting some of the goals I have set for the summer/making new ones, and praying for a lot of stuff and a lot of people.

We went to our home campuses and Aaron and I teamed up.  We went outside to the beach area (kingsborough has a beach which is way cool) and looked for someone to do Soularium with.  I spotted a girl who looked like she might be muslim(by her dress) and I thought to myself hmm we should talk to her...and before I could even suggest it, Aaron was already making his way over to her.  So began to do the Soularium  survey.   we found out she was indeed a Muslim (big time).  Aaron and I both don't really know too much about the Muslim faith so we asked her tons of questions, and she told us sooooo much! it was really neat...she kept saying that there are a lot of similarities between Islam and Christianity.  To make a very long story short, we talked for like 2 hours...We did get to share the gospel with her a little bit just by explaining what we believe and how its different from Islam.  However she kept sort of interupting ( i dont think it was on purpose) and bringing it back to Islam so I figured there was no way we were going to get through the KnowingGodPersonally booklet with her so I wrote my information down on a KGP and gave it to her and said that I would love for her to read it because it expresses what we believe as Christ followers...She sort of started looking through it and said she would...and I know for a fact she really will read it...so even though the conversation didn't lead to any kind of decision, it was still an amazing conversation, she even said she believed she was meant to meat us and it was just really cool. 

Today we went to City Tech (the campus we usually can't get into).  We prayer walked for a bit, cuz we really wanted to get on campus and we prayed that we might find a way on.  So we had previously been told that if you "go to the admissions office" you can go in...so we asked to go...we did go for like 2 seconds but then we went to go talk to students :) God provided!  We approached a girl named Natasha.  We went through Soularium with her and through the questions, her answers, and us just dialoging with her we found out that she desired to know God.  We went through the KGP with her and she seemed really receptive...she acknowledged that she did not have Christ in her life and wanted it...but just as we were going through the last part her friend came up...which was cool...she was really nice and got to listen in on the convo...but when we asked Natasha if she wanted to give her life to Christ she said she did but she wanted to do it later...I am convinced that if her friend had not come up she would have accepted Christ...but I know that happened for a reason! We got both of their contact info and gave them ours and hope that that will not be our last conversation...be praying for them!

After that Jenny and I talked to a girl named Monika.  She is actually from Poland.  Again we busted out the Soularium.  She told us that she moved here when she was 13, she is married and has a little boy.  I am guessing she is around the age of 24ish.  When we got to the God questions she told us that her family is Roman Catholic and she only goes to church sometimes.  She is in the middle between believing and not believing, and she would like to know God but doesn't know how that happens and wants proof.  I asked her if we could share what we believed with her, she agreed and so I went through the KGP with her and Jenny and I tried to explain the gospel in a way that she would best understand.  She had a lot of questions...and said she knew some of the things we were telling her because of church.  We tried to explain that each of us have to make the decision for ourselves and that God can change us from the inside out.  It was such a good conversation and I really think Monika will eventually come to Christ...she was so close today...but we gave her our info, the KGP (she wanted to continue to look over it,process it, which is really good) and we gave her a copy of the book A Case For Christ...which was so perfect because this morning we were given a couple copies to hand out and isn't cool how God works and the person we gave ours to was someone who needs proof of Jesus :)

I was so encouraged by all of that yesterday and today but also frustrated.  I feel like ever since I have gotten here I have felt the battle between Christianity and religion.  For example the girl we talked to yesterday thought that Christians had to go through someone else to know God.  Monika thought that you have to go to church/be good and follow all of the rules to know God.  Monika comes from a Roman Catholic background...and while im not ragging on the Catholic church I am ragging on tradition.  We face the same thing in the south...people some how get the idea that all we have to do to get to heaven/know God is to go to church and try to be good.  And if these people are in church and still think this then something is wrong with how the church (AS A WHOLE) is presenting the gospel...catholic, baptist, methodist, whatever...it frustrates me that so many people think that they meet God's standard for good...why do so many miss the truth.  I think part of the issue is a lot of times we are afraid we are going to "offend" someone...well let me tell ya, the gospel IS OFFENSIVE...just look at Jesus...the truth he spoke offended people, stepped on toes, and called them out.  We are doing man kind more of an injustice by not truthfully exposing the gospel to what it really is as opposed to telling people what they want to hear and putting a big ole layer of sugar on it.

Yes People need to know that church is improtant, and that God loves him...but they also need to know that we can not earn salvation!  We can not do ANYTHING to earn God's love, or prove our goodness to him because we WILL FAIL!  We fall short...ALL OF US! We ALL come out of the womb a sinner and no matter how "good" we try to be we will always mess up!  Therefore we are unacceptable to have fellowship with God...but we are made ACCEPTABLE by the grace given by Jesus...God sacrificed himself to be the bridge...so that we can have fellowship and a relationship with him.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (ephesians 2:8)

This miss understanding leaves people coming out of churches empty and confused as to why they can't feel God.  Leaving them wondering if he even exists.  I know many churches do an amazing job at making sure that people understand the gospel and God's requirement for us.  But it does frustrate me when I hear stories of people being taught distorted doctrine or believing the lies that satan has planted right under our noses.

Truth is that God longs to redeem us! to have a relationship with us, and to lead us to abundant life living for him.  All we have to do is ask him to come into our lives and surrender control to him...Revelation 3:20 says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."In Hebrew times, to eat with someone was very intimate, and was a sign of acceptance...when it says that he will come in and eat with us and us with him this means that he accepts us JUST AS WE ARE and all we have to do is invite him, accept him!then he does the rest...Accepting his grace means we no longer have to try to be good but he changes us from the inside out and we desire to live for him.  Thank God for GRACE. Im glad I gave my heart to Christ and not Religion.