What Would Jesus Do?

My time in Puerto Rico has allowed me to discover a lot about who God is in such a positive way. By diving into the word and coming to this project with an open heart, I have a better understanding of the magnitude of his love. I have seen that same power and love change people's character in less than three weeks.

One of the things it has also allowed me to do is become better educated in the beliefs and foundations of our movement. Just like politics there are over 34,000 different sects of Christians throughout the international world. Each have their own good and bad things. Even within Campus Outreach and the PCA church, there are things that need to improve drastically.

I however do not want my personal walk with Jesus to be defined by theology. It should be defined by love for a broken world that needs Jesus. How we get people to experience and be changed by that is the primary role of the "world church."

In Puerto Rico there is a lot of mainline Pentecostal churches scattered across the island. I would say about 30-40 percent of the churches on the island are Pentecostal. In fact the church we work with, La Travesia is the only one I know of preaching the gospel "through grace and faith alone."

What would Jesus do about a church that is defined by earning your works to get your way to heaven? What would he do about a church that is not defined by grace. I am totally ok with folks who speak and tongues and speak prophetically. (As long as the gospel of faith/grace alone is preached). But a movement that is defined by "losing your salvation, or telling people they will burn in hell if they do this or do that is not Jesus at all!

The reason I get so mad at this movement is because myself and other students I disciple were apart of it. In fact this movement of false teaching is what threw me away from pursuing God in the first place. It was not until three years later that I finally came face to face with the gospel through the ministry I work for now. I know I am making big assumptions about a movement that makes up nearly 60 million people, but there are false teachers out there with an agenda. Don't believe me? Check out this video from Dr. Daniel Akin, President of Southeast Baptist Theological Seminary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIU6lAv7wsM

And so many people wonder why an entire generation is missing the link and experience with God's glory. When part of my calling and job is to lead people and generations into God's presence, I want to make sure it is not false. I want to make sure their experience with Jesus, is actually an experience with him.