Christian Men Cry

Nothing long today, think I'm a bit dehydrated from the day before...

After watching Fireproof yesterday, I find it hard to believe that someone who is a Christian can not cry or at the least be very moved by the film. The rejection and declaration of "I do not love you" is an inadequate representation of our behavior towards God. And despite that he remains faithful. That alone should bring a Christian who has a slight grasp of his unworthiness/sinfulness to break out in tears. How can someone continue to love someone even though it continues to respect and reject him. Trying to grasp the greatness of God's love moved me to tears as I saw my sins and the blessings from him I ignore and complain about.

Its been a long while since I've cried like that. Out of joy and gratitude for His overflowing love or out of hate and disgust of my own sins.

Everyone should go watch this film, because of its clear presentation of the gospel it has the power to change your life. Bring friends with relationship problems and your unsaved friends.


Just my thoughts(they mean nothing much, just somethings I thought of... don't build a church on them) I've come to realize something... Before being saved I rarely cried. Now that I'm saved there are a lot of things that can make me cry. Might be because not crying is part of being cool and now that I now know being cool and being a Christian don't really work together. (Not saying you should make your decision based on emotions... Feelings are just that feelings.)

From Seeker Sensitive Squish Bomb to Christ Centered Fellowship

What better way to finally start my blog with the start of the school year.

From Seeker Sensitive Squish bomb to Christ Centered fellowship… that basically sums up my first week of my 2nd year at UCLA. The week began with me deciding to "fellowship hop", which is when students (most often first years) decide to go get a sample of the fellowships available at the school. The large variety of acronyms such as AACF, GOC, CCC, KCC, CCA, CS, ICA, IV, and so on is often overwhelming for most.

I had gone through a few the year before and had settled with 1.5 fellowships(due to schedule conflicts) being AACF(Asian American Christian Fellowship) and GOC(Grace On Campus) when every so often when I had the chance.
There however were a few groups I had refused to touch due to the result of researching the groups such as the social gospel(IV) and the man centered gospel groups(CCC).


CCC
This year though, I decided to go to CCC, with my guard up, and see how they sway freshmen to join their ranks. They welcomed me to their gathering with open arms and smiles. Their hospitality was as I had expected and I began making conversation with as many individuals as I could. I asked the freshmen that I encountered which other fellowships had they looked into so far, most responded with IV, and ICA. A few heard of GOC but responded with notions of preaching that was extreme. Then the welcome meeting began with music that had shallow lyrics, you know the typical evangelical worship songs. When the singing subsided they introduced a second year and something called a freshimony (a testimony of a former freshmen). It started off much like my own testimony, grew up in a professing family and raised in the church. After that is when our stories differ, he began saying how he had been a Christian since childhood but never felt that he belonged that was missing something. He continued on by saying how after getting involved with CCC he now feels that he belongs and is feeling closer to God. Hearing feeling after feeling I couldn't help from praying for this young man that is lead by mere feelings and for the unsaved following his call looking for the something missing. There was no gospel, no repentance, to faith, not even the poorly worded accept Jesus in your heart. I was heartbreaking to see the smiling faces of those who know they are not right with God but will now most likely follow in his path of without the gospel.
Things then got worst with the pastor/leader of the group coming out, there was slight hope he would now preach the gospel since the testimony as lacking but he simply introduced himself. He made have mentioned something about a plan for your life which you needed Jesus for, by this time I was busy fighting myself from storming out of the place. I reminded myself of the freshmen who have only been in college for a day or two now. "I have to do something, I have to do something." repeated in my mind. I had barely had time to regain my composure when cheering began as the staff began handing out blue little sheets of paper. The paper asked for contact info and also was a raffle ticket for... you guessed a nintendo wii!!...
I might have been in less despair if had had seen the add for the event before coming(See Below). As people handed in their tickets I placed the blue sheet handed to me under my seat, I would have no part in this marketing scheme. I cried out in a desperate prayer for the Lord to save the lost around me. After drawing a winner they organized the people there based on their living quarters. The words in my mind returned. "I have to do something." I just began telling everyone that was willing to talk that we should all go check out GOC too before picking a fellowship. I wanted to preach the gospel and the error of this group but knew i would be asked to leave. So I continued to encourage all the freshmen I introduced myself to go to the GOC first meeting. I told them of the good things I "heard" of them and just prayed that they will hear the gospel there.
Eventually I became wary, my heart was heavy with thought and my body tired from the time. As I headed out, someone called my name, it was an old acquaintance. I was unaware of their profession until then. As we talked I became aware he had been a member of this group for a year now and was encouraging me to join. My heart grew heavier then before, I just wanted to leave. As I returned to my bed I felt helpless, powerless to do a thing. I quickly was reminded of the work of salvation, of Christ doing all the work. I only had to preach the gospel and let Jesus do the work. That was all I had to do and I still utterly failed. I vow to glorify God the next time I meet the acquaintance by using the mirror of the law and have him examine himself and his profession of faith. Now I'm just praying for everyone one that is under the bad teaching and for another chance to witness to them.

GOC
There was a change of pace when on the next night I went to the GOC fellowship. The lyrics had theology, the testimonies were simply called testimonies and contained realization of false assurance and their sinful nature that resulted in the need for Jesus Christ(one bad thing is one student used the lingo accept Christ, even though its Christ doing the accepting and not us, knew what he meant though). A sermon was preached on Matt 7 about the wise and unwise builders, asking the listeners to examine themselves to see if they were truly in the faith and not false converts. Little can be said, it was the best possible type of sermon possible for their first meeting for many will not be returning for the rest of the year but at least now they have heard the gospel of repentance and belief in Jesus Christ.