Great Morning

What a fantastic start to the day! I was able to sit and have a great conversation with a new friend about some differences in our spiritual backgrounds and belief systems. What a wonderful way to reach understanding and common ground with such an open and frank dialogue.

It reminded me of Paul's teaching to his young disciple Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2-3 "Preach the word in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

Earlier he had warned Timothy of such false teachers in 1 Timothy 1:4-7 "These (false teachers) promote controversies rather than God's work - which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm."

I constantly run into people who want to argue scripture and interpretations. This morning was so refreshing because there was none of that. Just a simple dialogue of where we were each coming from with our understanding and I think both of us were encouraged.

Those that want to spend time arguing over this translation or that one, this interpretation or that one, or even if God is male or female are picking at the bone and missing the meat.

God loves you and he loved you enough to send his only son (Jesus, God in flesh) to die for you so that you could have a good life now and a wonderful eternity. The choice is left to us to believe that in faith or not. If you choose not to believe and it is real the result of your choice is eternally devastating!