By: Huw

Huw — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 09:16:46 +0000

Thanks Peter. I was thinking along similar lines recently; I was struck by similar thoughts recently when reading Romans 11. As gentiles we seem to have lost the sense of privilege of being ‘grafted in’ to God’s people, we tend to think of it as our birthright in the West.

And yes, why does the Old Covenant seem so attractive to us? My pride simply doesn’t want to me to rely on a gift, I’d much rather try and ‘pay my own way’. Grrrr.

By: DUANE WATTS

DUANE WATTS — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:31:57 +0000

Yes Peter, ever since what you call the “new covenant” has begun to come alive to me (since early January), juxtaposed against my old life as a Christian: believing, but not beginning to grasp the Trinitarian Love of God, I have prayed that I would not return to the old slough. There have been days and even a week or two when things were quite bleak, and I began to “backslide” into despondency. The Lord always cycles us. I don’t doubt there are desert seasons to come. I think if we don’t know better, and the Lord seems distant to us, we can fall back into a legal framework, because there seems to be security there. I can also surmise that if one is flying high, he can also fall into a legal framework with others in order to control their ability to “break the spell”.

I have to say, I like the practical bent of Cor Deo and Ron’s place. I like that we are talking about how we walk out that relationship with Him. I can’t think of anything I would rather do.
Incidentally, I’m spreading the word. Since January, we are sponsoring a couple of kids through Compassion Int’l. It’s a wonderful opportunity to minister to very poor children around the world, one on one through letters and through their local church. We also have a new social network site for sponsors. We talk about the kids, and about life. So, I’ve been blogging about what the Lord has been doing in my life, how that for the first time, I really know that the Lord loves me, and why, and that it is not just me. Many of my friends there have responded positively. One friend who has been going through a particularly hard time, broke my heart when she described herself as a “seeker” (I do alot of crying over there). Many of us are Christians, but it is not required. I thought about her: “you and your family are going through such a hard time and you don’t even have the Lord?” So, I wrote her an open letter (we don’t have private messaging there), omitting her name. I told my story, the simplicity of the Gospel as I know it, plus what I’ve learned in the past 9 months: the how I can know and the why of God’s love for me. She disappeared for a week, and I thought “uh oh, I’ve offended or embarassed her” and then she came back and said the most wonderful things! She thanked everyone on OC for their love and friendship and care and she thanked me. She said that even though she went to a christian college, she did not know these things until now. Your message (The Lord’s message) has given her Jesus. I’m crying to think about it.
I would like to gently lead some of my friends over here to get the straight skinny. Either way, I’ll keep preachin’ it. We do have a read the Bible through group, each person is on the program of their choice. Some are on a 90 day program. Some are reading through in a year. I’m slower than all ya’ll.
Well, this fine blog looked kind of lonely, and I thought you might like to know.
Thank you, and our Loving Lord continue to bless you and this project.

Comments on: Covenants Familiar and Forsaken

By: Huw

By: DUANE WATTS