Good Morning, after its blue sky beginning, the weather yesterday turned cloudy and dropped a bit of rain in the afternoon and again in the evening. This morning the clouds remain but there are a few blue holes in them. We will wait and see what the weather will deliver. I do notice that the humidity is much higher today. It is inconvenient for those who have done a bit of laundry this morning. Here in Poland, and in most of Europe, having an electric clothes dryer is a rather rare thing. Electricity here is very expensive and only wealthy or foolish people would waste it to dry clothing that a simple metal rack will allow to air dry in a day or two.
Last evening Ian and his friend Michael came to have dinner with us. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen preparing food this time, we simply purchased some delicious broiled chickens and some prepared pasta salad. We complemented the entree with some salad and a lovely simple cake for dessert. The whole meal preparation was simple and the results delicious. One of the important things in the process of loving people is hearing Father about which details are important and which ones can be glossed over with simpler less time consuming solutions. Last week it was important to Him for the meal to be one we cooked. This week it was totally unimportant. But, it was important that it be simple and no fuss for the men eating it. There is simply no substitute for hearing Holy Spirit moment by moment.
Michael is a factory worker in a plant that makes cast aluminum products. His job is moving casks of molten aluminum through the plant to the right spot and then pouring the molten aluminum into the molds.
I intentionally gave you that accurate description of Michael's employment. When I tell you that and nothing more, it is very likely that you begin to believe things about Michael. I suspect you might already imagine him as a big muscular fellow who you might meet in a bar after his day of work. There you would find him all sweaty and a bit dirty sucking down three cold beers while engrossed in watching a football game on the television. If he has a family he would arrive home a little drunk and with no energy for wife or children. He would eat, belch loudly, and then fall asleep in his chair while watching the television. In fact all this stereotype of a factory worker would be completely wrong.
Michael is actually a follower of Jesus. He is a very handsome young man who is slim and trim and very neat in his appearance. He is a man who is truly a gentle man with true gracious humility. He is continually attentive to the people around him. He is quick to pick up on any opportunity to serve people gently and graciously. His strong drink appears to be Coca Cola (he seems to prefer it over Pepsi). And he is destined to serve the Bride of Christ in powerful ways throughout Europe and Asia. Currently, so far as I know, he has neither wife nor children, although, he seems willing for that to change. As the five of us sat together eating and chatting, Michael was continuously attentive asking the questions that would maximize what he was learning about the Kingdom of God.
Michael was so refreshing to the group. In part this was because he came to us with very little religious baggage to burden the conversation. This was in such stark contrast to Ian who was caught up in a terrible struggle between his desire to have a true intimate love affair with Jesus and his feeling of need to cling to his religious rules and rituals. Throughout the conversation Ian seemed to think in a world where the book of Galatians had been removed from all the Bibles. While Michael was thrilled with the concept that in Christ he could find and live in true FREEDOM.
IT WAS FOR FREEDOM CHRIST SET YOU FREE.
Like the Apostle Paul, I implore you. For God's sake; for the sake of the people around you; for your own sake; PLEASE let go of your religious rituals; PLEASE let go of your self imposed rules that "make you" pleasing to God; PLEASE walk away from all of those entanglements and walk into the glorious freedom that Jesus has for you. It is there, and only there, that you can serve others and help to set them free also.
Let go of your false belief that it is only when you pray or worship or discipline yourself that you can enter into the presence of God. The curtain that separated you from the Holy of Holies was completely ripped apart. You are welcome in Father's presence continually. His Holy Spirit lives within you. There is NOTHING you can do to get any closer to Him than you already are. He lives IN you.
Please as you work and walk and enjoy life today, with no religious thoughts at all, just enjoy His companionship. He actually likes you just as you are. He is not your critic. He is a Father filled with hope, and life, and laughter, and gentle encouragement for you His beloved child in whom He takes great pleasure.
His, thus Yours,
Stuart
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