What is salvation? How can I be saved?

Please pray that these questions become clear to these boys. The boys from the orphanage have a different power structure this year. Five have “graduated.” Meaning that they have turned 18 and must leave and find work. We met Titus at the REAL store in Sibiu. He is a stock boy and has an apartment with another boy his age that doesn’t work. So he treads a fine line. He was very happy to see us at his workplace. He is proud of his job. Pray he sees value in a church family. He came to the Lord last year with three others who debated the possibility that God has made a way to his throne-room other than the Orthadox church.

The bully- kings of last year are not here this year. A new tier has risen to power.
Pray for Gheza. He is no longer protected by any of these boys it seems. He has grown five inches i think but he is still small. His spirit is broken and he is struggling with suicide thoughts. I pray for him at every small opportunity. Jesus help this boy!

Bogdan was hit by a car four years ago. He has lost control of his right arm and knee.
He is cutting himself. He has lost hope that he will ever marry and have a family. Family is very important here as that is where the hope of happiness lies. I have been building his faith in Jesus as his healer. He has met Jesus as savior but has not heard of anyone getting healed. He wishes he lived in bible times so Jesus could heal him. I told him that our New Covenant is better. The Holy Spirit is very active in healing around the world. In training in Righteousness and revealing the gifts to man provided for by the cross. He loves hearing the testimonies of people that have come to Maui to tell of their healings. Bogdan is now praying that God use him to pray for other’s healings. And that we pray for his new gift and against his unbelief. He agrees that he is living in bible times, Acts 29 times where “we will do more than these” miracles and healings. He is also agreeing that forgiveness is a great weapon against the “snares of the enemy.” In the orphanage the strong retaliate, the weak are victimized. Forgiveness equals surrender to bullies there. He is moving from darkness to light. His face is brighter and softer, hope is returning!

Marcus celebrated his twentieth birthday with us today. At the evening meal we sang rousing rounds of the Roman birthday song. His smile was large. I’ve learned to pray fervently at these peak moments; self -or other sabotage often cycles in on these boys who have parented and been parented by each other. Low- grade love is better than no love at all. Later at bible study, outside by the river, Marcus is full of a hateful, revengeful spirit, boiling just below the surface. I ask him to come aside and pray it out.
He is determined to act it out. I have not seen the harm done to him in the few hours since breakfast from his “family’s” hearts colored dark green by jealousy. But I am about to see it full blown. Marcus will not stop throwing rocks at two other boys during our teaching on Samson. Two warnings only increase the stealth mode. He is trying to fly under radar, but the cries of his “targets” give him away. How he has a fist- size stone and up out of his chair charging a boy. I’m amazed how fast he moves with a bad leg and arm from some right-weakness. By the Spirit ( I hope ) I take him to the ground, pin him with an open hand on the chest, rebuking him sternly. His eyes are darting then focus on mine. If he sees anger, he will esculate. He had an epeleptic sesure two days ago. Jesus Help! is a short, intense prayer. God is faithful and a right spirit returns. There is more flip- flopping here than in a presidential campaign, the staff included. To be with the boys is a full on strap in jet powered roller- coaster ride. The two other boys are up to stomp Marcus. I block one, the other direct hits his weak right ankle. A smaller boy but one of our soccer stars. Alena has been trying to teach. Now she is up and has my back, dragging our soccer star away, praying out-loud with authority. She will be eighteen next year and has a quiet, gentle spirit, usually, I know she is Spirit led. She is fast, a trained volley-ball player on her high school team. Damage inspection reveals our object lesson. Marcus had stuffed stones under his low-cut socks. Now he is swelling up as I watch. “between a rock and a hard place” Danni, my budding high school inturpretor has another American idiom for his collection. Marcus has lost pjneyata striking rights later today. He has struck enough for one day. Florin has broken a chair in the ruckus and must stand to eat at lunch. He is in a group of four, standing and eating. Our birthday boy is alone with me. No other boy will eat with him.

John baptized into repentance to make hearts ready for Jesus. Jesus taught us to trust him on issues like forgiving 7x70 times, ongoing, as we go along. Some here have never said they were sorry for anything. They are too strong or too right. They are too afraid. Afraid to appear weak, afraid of being targeted. We pray God grant them a gift of repentance. The supernatural ability to say “I’m sorry.” Lord save us from needing to be right, or strong: from settling for “success” with sorrows in it. For a desire to live apart from you. We are afraid, weak and pitiful. SAVE US!

How do we get saved? Do we pray the sinner’s prayer once? Do we say we’re sorry once? Ask for forgiveness once? OK.
If we only sin once. I lead them in the sinner’s prayer. I ask that they pray whenever they sin. I pray we all live a life of repentance; a life of trusting Jesus. When Jesus returns will he find faith on the earth? Faith is the noun, trusting is the verb. I pray these boys are trusting in Jesus when he returns. I prey one of them reminds me if I forget: “The just will live by faith.”

Altar call? No altar call? I tell them to call out to Jesus. Our sin is against others and against God. For those who cannot or will not I tell them I’ll continue to pray that God grant them a gift of repentance. Will it come in the form of yet another life crises? Is it God’s goodness to give us whatever is required? How long will we kick against the goads? I issue a warning. Until we repent we will not like where are so determined to go. I offer my life as a warning. A close call, a near disaster. 41 years needing to be right above needing to be loved. We are born into a world of rebellion to God. How long will we ignore love?, truth?. How long will we avoid saying that we’re wrong? That we are sorry? We have nothing apart from Jesus, yet our sin nature will fight to the death to defend this “nothing.” The prodigal came to his senses. I pray we all come to our senses. I know Jesus is praying in intercession for us. Will we join in that prayer?
Will you pray for us and these boys? Thank you for believing that God’s salvation plan is perfect. Please pray that it be perfectly clear, perfectly powerful.
Frank for Team Romania