In the wake of the impeachment yesterday, this evening President Basescu announced that he is refusing to resign his office, even though an interim president had already been appointed.  Basescu said he is invoking a constitutional procedure that allows him to call for a referendum vote of the people in 30 days, in which they would vote to retain or expel him as president.  It is hard to say what is actually going to happen at this point.  The president in his press conference announcing this decision said he knew that this decision would result in "extreme anger" on the part of those who wanted to "expel me from political life" but that they need to understand that "sometimes we just don't get what we plan in life." 

   Disclaimer: The "quotes" above should be seen as paraphrase because they are on-the-spot translations into English of his Romanian comments--not precise wording but still capturing the meaning and spirit of what he was saying. 

Why Share the Gospel?  14 Biblical Motivations for Witnessing

1) For the glory of God – God is worthy of worship and praise, and evangelism will bring Him what He has earned on the cross.
See Psalm 96

2) To evangelize is to fight evil with the most effective weapon for doing so. 

See Jonah 1:2

3)  The lost world around us needs our witness, and waits for it in the storms of life, so that they may be spared God’s wrath—our witness being the means by which God has chosen to set them free.

See Jonah 1:7-11

4) Because even though you’ve failed in the past, you’re still called.

See Jonah 3:1-3a  

5) Because sometimes a great harvest is awaiting you among the “least likely.”

See Jonah 3:5-10 

6) To walk with God means to put aside our needs and share His sacrificial concerns for the lost.

See Jonah 4:10-11

7) Because of eternal reward He offers –

See Luke 19:11-26

Also note that every NT writer and almost every NT book holds out reward for a motivation to serve God well, and serving Him in evangelism is one way that is key to this reward.  Jesus not only suggested we seek heavenly reward, but commanded us to.    

8) Because of the needs you see and the compassion He gives you. 

See Matthew 9:35-38

9) Because somehow, somewhere, you will have success. 

See Mark 4:8; and Gal. 6:9

10) Because He protects you.

See Acts 26:16-18

11) Because He compels you.

See 1 Cor. 9:16; and Acts 4:18-20

12) Because He chooses, calls, and sends you.

See Acts 26:16-18

13) Because of all that the lost will receive after  you proclaim Christ to them – a) open eyes, b) a turning from darkness to light, c) deliverance from Satan to God, d) forgiveness of sins, e) a place among us who are already His, f) sanctification, g) saving faith in Him-a relationship.

See Acts 26:16-18

14)  Because it is a matter of obedience.

See Luke 5:5-6 –What God needs from us in evangelism isn’t our opinion or viewpoint; just our obedience to fish when and where He says, just because He says so.

   The Romanian constitutional court had ruled that Romanian President Traian Basescu hadn't done anything in violation of the constitution and that there wasn't a solid case for his impeachment, but the parliament today voted by a 3 to 1 margin to "suspend" him. 

   The suspension has prompted some very large, vocal, and angry (but peaceful) protests in the nation's capital and other cities, since public opinion is largely behind the president, with 75-80 percent favoring his staying in office.  The suspended president spoke to the crowd in Bucharest, saying he was surrendering power now, but vowing to govern "the same way" when he is restored to the presidency, which he expects to happen eventually. 

   Romania's national government has been going through something of a crisis lately, as the influential parties in the Parliament have been at political war against the president.  The president wants new elections to settle the issue, and some in the parliament are seeking his impeachment.  The vote on that impeachment is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and President Basescu has said he will resign if they vote to impeach. 

   Please pray for our government, that God will orchestrate circumstances according to HIs will, and will bring about whatever glorifies Him and opens doors for the proclamation of His word and the advancing of His kingdom in the hearts and lives of Romania's people. 

   This week the gospel was presented through the tract to more than 300 young people, as we did outreach in the city's three largest parks and also distributed them at a music festival Sunday night. 

   The kids are now back in school, so we'll be using the tracts distributing them outside of school grounds to students in the coming weeks as we have opportunity. 

   Since Friday, we've also shared the gospel with families in two homes that invited us over, and we have three dinner appointments with people in our homes coming up in the next 7 days, with people we're trying to reach for Christ. 

   Our Sunday night meetings are no longer well attended, and are sometimes unattended by anyone but us.  Although we had two people join us this week, neither is someone now that could be considered committed to it at this time.  The location is also causing us some problems now, so after April, we might be stopping the weekly scheduled meetings for a while and concentrating again on one-on-one outreach in our home and in visits to others' homes for a while as we seek those who might not just make a profession of faith, but do so and then go on to discipleship and have a hunger for God's word and for prayer.  We'll continue to have people over to our home on Sunday as a group if they are willing, and we know that at least when gypsy people want to come, they won't be turned away as they might be at the hotel where we've been meeting.   

   I praise the Lord for the opportunities that are before us, and pray that God will call forth His elect out of this generation of Buzauans.  I also ask for prayer for God to give us boldness for the ministry, since opposition to our work is greater than we have had before.  The police were going to fine me for posting flyers promoting a Bible study (which isn't illegal, but the police have some limited power to legislate and pass sentence of a fine on the spot when they see something they dislike), but a new friend who isn't a believer yet intervened and used his influence to get the officers to change their minds.  We also see much more vocal opposition to the gospel message from those who oppose it than we used to see here, so that when we go out to do ministry in the parks, there is greater risk than before of "causing a scene,"  I'd like to say I'm so spiritual and strong in the Lord that I can face down such challenges without being fazed, but that wouldn't be true, so I need your prayers that God will give us boldness, enable us to speak the truth in love, to not be ashamed of the gospel in any situation, and for the attacks of the enemy of our souls not to escalate to the point that they prevent the proclamation of the gospel in this city to those who want to hear. 

   Our children's gospel tracts are printed, and thanks be to the Lord, the printing job was done very well by a printing house we found right here in our own neighborhood.  We got our first copy of the tract just an hour ago, and on our trip back we already saw evidence of how effective a witnessing tool for children this is going to be.  The comic-book style and the attractive photos of the tract cause children to see them in our hands and want them even before we take any proactive step to share the gospel.  We praise the Lord for this opportunity that the tract is presenting us to share the gospel.   

   Tomorrow, Lord-willing, Lili's mom is coming up to help us with the baby for a few days so that we can do a mass evangelism campaign of outreach to children and families, using these tracts with our balloon animal ministry in the parks Friday (kids out of school for Easter break still), and then again on Saturday and Sunday.  Lord-willing, Monday, we'll be going to one of the public schools for students up to 8th grade and distributing the tracts to students who want them as they enter or leave the school grounds at the end of their day. 

   Please pray for the fruitfulness of this outreach in young people's lives, as they are at an open-hearted stage of life, and pray also for open doors for parents and family members to hear the gospel through it.  Pray for open doors so that opposition to our work for the gospel will not prevail.  And pray for us to have boldness from the Holy Spirit to do this witnessing.  We need prayers for boldness even more than we did when we came here two years ago this month to begin the church-planting ministry, because now that we've been here a while, we are recognized by a large segment of the city's population, and it is well-known why we are here, so opposition to us is much more vocal and fears can rise up within us much more easily than ever before.  So pray for God to strengthen us and our resolve, to never be ashamed of the gospel and always be willing to share God's love and His message with others, even if there is a cost to us personally for doing so. 

   On one other note, if you'd like to have the gospel tract for use in your ministry in Romania, contact us about that, and if you want English or Spanish language versions for ministry in America, visit the tract's publishers at Evantell and look up the "Welcome to Heaven" tract. 

   The annual national conference for Calvary Chapel Romania is coming up in late May, and I've been given the opportunity to do a workshop for the men at the conference on the topic of "Being God's Man." 

   After spending time praying and thinking about how to approach that topic, I've arrived at the idea of doing the session as a study of John the Baptist, and finding from his life some spiritual principles that every man can learn from in his quest to be used of God for the glory of Jesus Christ on earth. 

   Lord-willing, as I develop the teaching over the next few weeks, I might post some brief notes on the topic from my study here on the blog.  Pray with me that God will guide and make the session one that is worthwhile for all the men who attend; and if you have thoughts about the life of John the Baptist and how his life teaches us to "be God's man," feel free to either post them here or send them in an email to me directly.

Christ is risen indeed!

                But have you ever thought about what that means for us?  Did you know that Christ's resurrection will affect your eternal destiny?  Have you read in the Bible how His crucifixion and resurrection can bring you forgiveness of all your sins and guarantee you eternal life with God in heaven as His free gift to you?

                Before raising Lazarus from the dead, the Lord Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies."  (Jn 11:25)  Jesus proved Himself the Son of God who has all power over life, death, and resurrection, by raising Himself from the dead, which we celebrate on Easter.  And as "the resurrection and the life," he raised Lazarus from the grave, proving that He also has power over our death and power to give us eternal life.  He promised that all who trust in Him will inherit eternal life by our faith. 

                So what do we need to believe in order to receive Christ's offer of eternal life?  1) First, we must believe that He is the only way.  As the only Son of God and the only one to conquer death, He said this is so.  He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me." (Jn. 14:6)  So, church, religious rituals, fasting, and doing good works are not the way to get to heaven.  Trusting in Jesus alone is the only way to heaven.  It is not because of who we are or what we do that we can go to heaven; it is only by trusting in Who He is and what He did that we can go there.  The Lord Jesus Christ said so, and we must believe Him if we want to go to heaven, no matter what others--even religious leaders--tell us about obtaining eternal life.

                2) Second, we must believe in what the Bible says Jesus did to purchase eternal life for us:  "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3-4)   Before Christ came, God promised in the Old Testament that He would come, that He would die for our sins, and that He would rise again to give us new life.  Then Jesus came and did all those things as promised.  What does it mean that "Christ died for our sins"?  It means that our sins deserve God's punishment.  We deserve death and eternal separation from God in hell.  But because of God's love for us, He allowed His Son to die in our place and absorb all of the punishment we deserve on the cross.

                Right this moment, if you believe these things, and make a decision to trust only in what Christ did by dying for you in your place on the cross, by that trust you will receive eternal life with Christ.  Not because you earned it, but because Jesus earned it for you, and offers it to you today.  Start by telling God that you believe you have sinned against Him and that you are unworthy of heaven, just as His word says.  Then tell Him you believe that Jesus died in your place and took all of the punishment for your sins, just like the Bible says.  Then tell Him you are trusting Him to give you eternal life in heaven, because you believe Jesus loves you and died for you and rose again.  God, who cannot lie, promised you this free gift.  He will keep His promise, hear your prayer, and give you life in heaven.