Wow! I can’t believe it’s already August! Not only that, but August is almost over. The time has really begun to fly.
The teaching this last week was on our identity in Christ and what the cross did for us. To be honest, last week was a little rough for me. Emotionally. The teacher (Andi) was the pastor from the church I am attending here in Constanta and I really enjoyed learning from him more than just what I hear on Sundays. He’s passionate and knowledgeable and just an all around encouraging person to get to know.
For me, I have heard sermons on “The Cross” many many times (as I’m sure many Christians have), but this week-long teaching was very powerful to me. Especially salvation past, present and future. I have never heard this teaching before, and it was difficult for me to process, but thanks to God and to the some people I am in DTS with, I feel like I understand a bit more.
Our spirit was saved when Christ died for us and we accepted it. Our soul is being saved. We are working out our salvation of the mind, emotions and will everyday and God is working through us. We have future salvation when we speak of eternal judgement and the rewards for the good deeds we do that were planned for us. This is not to be confused in saying the we can do good works to be saved, but we do good works BECAUSE we are saved. Salvation is the frame work of what God has given to us.
Three questions that were asked of us in the teaching were:
1. In what I did, did I do God’s will or my will?
2. In the works I did, did I draw attention to myself or God?
3. In what I did, did I do through my power, or His power?
I have been challenging myself with these questions daily. I think they are important for us to consider on our day to day lives.
Another part of the teaching that was very powerful for me was the reiteration that we cannot rely on our own strength, we must rely on God.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.
This is so true. We will just exhaust and frustrate ourselves if we try to fix our own problems. We need to give our burdens and struggles to God. He wants to take care of us! We all have strongholds from our past from what people have done to us, what we have done to others and what we have done to ourselves, but we need to release these lies that we live our lives by and give everything up to God. Nothing is too powerful for Him. Nothing is too much for Him. We need to turn everything over to Him with our hearts and trust in Him and HE will overcome these things for us.
Well, it’s starting to get late. Our entire base went bowling tonight in the mall instead of having small group and it was so much fun!! Hardly any of us can bowl, but we had a blast anyways. A few of us are meeting throughout the week to either study the bible together or to learn Romanian, including the ministries that we are part of and plan. There is always something going on!
Happy update : The store down the street got more Transformers in!! Haha, we’ll wipe them out in 3 days 
Peace be with you all and I will try to update some more pictures to this site! God bless!!
Melissa
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