Those great friends who arrive at late hours, with a half hour notice, are the most welcome!
We were treated to some deep conversation, and my sleep was permeated with the thoughts.
I got up this morning and felt I had to write some of it down, so here I sit, processing our ideas from last night.
As a believer, a Christ-follower, a Christian---I am always in search of new ways to share my faith.
I know that faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and that His invitation to faith can be as simple as the unexpected reading of a blog post on spirituality---or a random comment about religion.
He works in mysterious ways.
But when committed believers get together and "jam" about faith after a lifelong friendship and shared beliefs, there is always something fresh and exciting to ponder.
God is amazing.
We talked about the things Christ Jesus, Yeshua, commanded His followers to do. Christ's commands. The commands of Christ.
NOT the Old Testament commands and Levitical laws which Moses laid down for us, but the ones recorded in the New Testament. The things Jesus said to his followers.
Things like, "Turn the other cheek."
"Go the second mile."
Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
If you study the sermon on the mount, you will be astonished at the complexity and the perceived impossibility of following his admonishment therein. What human can do this?
So many layers---we humans cannot do the acts of the spirit without the Spirit helping. But we CAN follow Christ in our hearts. We CAN be accountable to our own merciful God, striving for obedience in our spirits and hearts and lives each day.
How freeing.
God gave a workable, fair, just societal structure in the law of Moses. God, holy, gave a feasible, valuable, ingenious pattern for living in the Old Testament. It worked for the nation of Israel for thousands of years. God's commands still stand, driving human society to this day. And it pointed to Christ.
But the law of Christ is of the heart and spirit.
When you are under the law of Christ your existence is all and only about HIM.
What pleases HIM?
That question drives every thought, every action, every breath you take.
It is all that matters in life.
All the complexities of sin just fade away and disappear! No one has to argue what is "acceptable" or "righteous."
The law of the Spirit completely settles any question.
The heart that is governed by Christ's commands has no question about righteousness. It's clear.
What a gift.
And it's free! With love attached! Eternal life! Knowledge of the Holy, peaceful heart, all in one beautiful package.
Christ Jesus.
Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Jesus is LORD.
Even so, come LORD JESUS!
Maranatha!
So was our conversation, partly. We march to a different drum, and that is the enigma of spiritual life. It encompasses and surpasses the mundane, and we yearn for more and more!
Never ending, always satisfying, constant stretching.
It's good.
We were treated to some deep conversation, and my sleep was permeated with the thoughts.
I got up this morning and felt I had to write some of it down, so here I sit, processing our ideas from last night.
As a believer, a Christ-follower, a Christian---I am always in search of new ways to share my faith.
I know that faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and that His invitation to faith can be as simple as the unexpected reading of a blog post on spirituality---or a random comment about religion.
He works in mysterious ways.
But when committed believers get together and "jam" about faith after a lifelong friendship and shared beliefs, there is always something fresh and exciting to ponder.
God is amazing.
We talked about the things Christ Jesus, Yeshua, commanded His followers to do. Christ's commands. The commands of Christ.
NOT the Old Testament commands and Levitical laws which Moses laid down for us, but the ones recorded in the New Testament. The things Jesus said to his followers.
Things like, "Turn the other cheek."
"Go the second mile."
Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.
If you study the sermon on the mount, you will be astonished at the complexity and the perceived impossibility of following his admonishment therein. What human can do this?
So many layers---we humans cannot do the acts of the spirit without the Spirit helping. But we CAN follow Christ in our hearts. We CAN be accountable to our own merciful God, striving for obedience in our spirits and hearts and lives each day.
How freeing.
God gave a workable, fair, just societal structure in the law of Moses. God, holy, gave a feasible, valuable, ingenious pattern for living in the Old Testament. It worked for the nation of Israel for thousands of years. God's commands still stand, driving human society to this day. And it pointed to Christ.
But the law of Christ is of the heart and spirit.
When you are under the law of Christ your existence is all and only about HIM.
What pleases HIM?
That question drives every thought, every action, every breath you take.
It is all that matters in life.
All the complexities of sin just fade away and disappear! No one has to argue what is "acceptable" or "righteous."
The law of the Spirit completely settles any question.
The heart that is governed by Christ's commands has no question about righteousness. It's clear.
What a gift.
And it's free! With love attached! Eternal life! Knowledge of the Holy, peaceful heart, all in one beautiful package.
Christ Jesus.
Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. Jesus is LORD.
Even so, come LORD JESUS!
Maranatha!
So was our conversation, partly. We march to a different drum, and that is the enigma of spiritual life. It encompasses and surpasses the mundane, and we yearn for more and more!
Never ending, always satisfying, constant stretching.
It's good.
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