An Interesting Chat…
I had an interesting chat with two women who came to the door. They said they were local Christians who were asking people about politics. I’m still a Ballymena newbie so I went along with it.
Julie & Ben were sleeping so I had a minute or two. I explained I worked a a pastor, they said well done (?) they said they had “good news” to share with me so we stood in the sun and chatted. They went into all the verses and stuff about politics and God’s kingdom and being a part of it. And how I have this offer.
We chatted about our need for humility, and one of them brought up Philippians 2:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
They then began to say that many mainstream “Christians” think that Jesus is God and they kind of chuckled. They must have thought I was softening to their ways and watched my reaction changing to horror. I asked what church they came from as Christians and they explained they were Jehovah’s Witnesses.
I, probably subconsciously sexist, thought that only men were missionaries for the J.W.’s but again, I repent of being ignorant.
However the girl said that many Christians she spoke to round the doors couldn’t tell her anywhere in the Bible where Jesus claimed to be God. So I asked how long they had.
They said they could take all day, as this interested them.
Fortunately it interests me a lot too. And it also happens that while Julie & Ben were away I devoured about 5 books on the subject and was studying for Sunday’s messages about Jesus being the I AM.
So we went to Exodus, then Daniel, then Isaiah, and then the Gospels and rest of the NT. Fair play to the younger girl who turned to all the verses quite quickly (and without going to the contents page!)
As we stopped in John’s gospel to see how many times Jesus declared Himself the I AM the older lady said, “Oh, remember we have that other meeting to go to.”
They shook my hand, said it was nice to chat, and then left our estate.
The downside is that most of my neighbours either think I’m a Jehovah’s Witness or a raving religious lunatic!
No funny comments please!
