Morning time with Barb sometimes starts at a ridiculous hour. Today, we began talking before 5 am. We talk about money, family, friends, business, plans for down-sizing, plans for spending time, going places, and work to do. We never quite get done with our conversations: we just continue on another day. We do this twice, sometimes three times a week. Our “axes to grind” list is getting less as years go by, but we both still have some “let me tell you the latest” areas to cover.
Bible study and discussion is always mixed into the morning time: why do people believe…, or why don’t people see…, and I wish they’d… But, we always thank the Lord for His word, salvation, eternal life in Christ, the fellowship of like believers, and the next event that draws us closer. Most of these things every morning time, though sometimes many words and sometimes just a few. It took me a lot of years to appreciate getting up really early, but I do now. Extended conversations occasionally is one of the best things.
I no longer have a desire to engage in long written debates about what other people believe biblically. I have a greater desire to preach and teach what I see in Scripture. I don’t have an agenda for gaining “followers,” but what I am zealous for is what the Word says. I’ll put some things here in short paragraphs so’s to not bore anyone.
Here’s one: 2 for.5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath given unto us the ministry of reconciliation.”—since God said that, let’s allow Him to have reconciled Himself to the whole world! God is not angry at the world anymore. period. Amen? And yes, since this verse is true, God isn’t sending anyone to hell today because they have sins in their life. He gave His Son for that price. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,”
SIMH today: “Islands in the Stream”—that is what we are…..(Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton)
Once had an employee who told me of his intentions to leave the job because he felt the Lord had called him to the “mission field.” I was very interested in this since I knew his affiliation and their doctrine. So I asked if he would mind telling me how that call came about. He began by saying how much he knew he would miss of our lifestyle here and something of the sacrifices, but that didn’t matter to him. This train of thought made me wonder where he was thinking of going, so I asked: West Germany, he said. I laughed out loud, “West Germany,” I said, “they are the only country in the world with a more affluent lifestyle than us!” That wasn’t a really wise thing for me to say, tho true (in 1977.) Conversation stopped.
On another day, I asked him if I could show him something in the Bible and he said ok. We looked at the “seal of the Holy Spirit” passages and I asked if he believed them. He replied, of course but that didn’t mean he was “once saved, always saved.” I advised him to not go on the mission field until he settled that question. He left the job and I never knew if he became a missionary or not.
Thanks for reading, the Elder
the Elder's Blog 