Update #105

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Monterey Bay, California

“Either you’re crazy or I’ve been misled.” My blonde friend retorted.

“I’m not crazy.” I replied.

“I know; that’s what bothers me.”

A conservative, Midwestern-raised Christian guy slumped behind the steering wheel of his truck. His brow furrowing and unfurrowing, head shaking slightly as he argued with an internal thought, his eyes closing and slowly opening to look at me - revealing the confusion lying behind them.

He believes that all works of God stopped in Biblical times; that the miracles, signs and wonders, especially the New Testament, no longer happen today. And he was taught the only way God speaks is through the Bible.

Our whole discussion started with him asking about my last rēp trip. And I, per usual, started telling stories - stories that consisted of the miraculous, the awesome, and the incredible. Testimonies of allergies being healed, contracts eternally stalled in red tape being released, marriages supernaturally reconciled, father-son relationships restored after years of estrangement, sales occurring in one day to cover a month worth of business expenses after a long period of one to two sales a week, machines critical to business production “breaking” and then starting to work when the consultation was over…not to mention the products that just “popped” into peoples minds that are now organically cleaning large bodies of water, and a spice recipe packet to make a previously laborious Indian dish in less than 20 minutes without preservatives.

I watched my friend battle all the paradigms in his head. I watched him get angry, I watched uncertainty cross his face, I watched resolve creep into his demeanor. “How do I know this is real?”

Honestly there is no way for him to personally know that my stories are real. There is no way for him, outside travelling to Africa and conducting interviews, to personally experience what I saw, felt and heard. But, why would I lie? A lot of people think I am foolish and weird already…why would I give them more fuel for their fire?

His cross examination continued for over an hour – and as a courtroom attorney, he was good at it! But God always has an answer.

(Hebrews 13:8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That means his character, mode of action and way of handling things stay the same. He doesn’t do one thing for 2000 years and then change his mind. He is the SAME.

Jesus said that he would give us a helper who (John 16:13) will reveal the truth about God and would lead us. This is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not speak on his own authority, but will speak of what he hears and will tell us of things to come. This means the Holy Spirit hangs out with God and then tells us what is going on…and what is to happen. Yes, it can be through the Bible, but it can be through thoughts, another person, circumstances, nature – God is creative – he uses EVERYTHING to communicate with us. We all hear his voice (John 10:27).

Our debate rounded out over the point that Jesus said (John 14:12) ANY of us who believe in him have the capability to do ALL the things he did on Earth…and even greater things are possible. Jesus said that if we (John 15:3) stay close to him, we will bear fruit. Jesus healed. Jesus counseled. Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus loved the unlovely. Jesus read the minds of men. John 21:25 says that there were many other non-documented things that Jesus did – so what other things are we capable of?

I wish I could say that my friend went away with a new paradigm. He didn’t. In his book I am weird, eccentric, and one of the “few” who God chooses to work through and speak to. Sigh. I will keep praying Matthew 13:15 and hopefully one day his heart will realize that he too is part of the few, the chosen, the empowered; he too is part of God’s Kingdom and a very integral asset in winning the war.

Are you like my friend? What do you believe? Do you have stories of God’s dynamic power in your life or are you living off the testimonies of others? What will you do to get some stories of your own?

Updates:
Living – The car I have been driving is on its last little legs…its transmission gave out this week. The repairs are almost as much as the car is worth…will this be “Goodbye Blanche”?
Condo – Still for sale.
Work – Everyone who has been out of town starts to come in (Brett, Lyn, Gareth, Jodene) and those who have been here are going out (me, Kim)!
Travel – Visa approved and ticket purchased! I fly out on the 20th and will be back on the 7th of November. I am excited to visit a new country and I will be meeting several friends from South Africa, as well as reuniting with an Indian friend that I haven’t seen in 18 months! Got stickies Natchi?

Requests:
Condo – It needs to sell!
Living – Cars will be in high demand (and short supply) when I return from Chennai. Pray for clarity on what to do with “Blanche”.
Travel – Safety, protection, and that I grow a liking for curry! My flight lands at 1:30 in the morning in Chennai – I would love to be able to sleep a few hours after I land if possible; AND that my luggage would arrive with me!
Websites - If you would like to RSS my update vs. getting them by email visit my blog site http://www.denaandrews.blogspot.com/. To find out more about rēp visit http://www.repurposing.biz/ for information.