you here on Saturday.”
“Okay, Mick, I’ll call Joshua tonight and let him know that I can’t work on the engine this week. It’s not a problem, I’ll see you Saturday.” I left the race shop which was filled with the anticipation of future possibilities.
Nigel’s baseball practice began with fielding drills for all the players, then pitching practice for some, and base running for others. When the starting team took the field, Nigel joined the group on the bench. I could see his feet fidgeting with the thought of not being on the field. When it was his time to bat, he took a few good swings initially, but with first contact of the ball he fell back into his bad habit. One hit on fifteen pitches. He looked over at me and walked to the dugout in defeat.
He was quiet on our drive home. We stopped for a bottled fruit smoothie as was our custom. When he handed me my drink, I said, “Listen man, we just have more work to do. We will get there. I promise… You can do this.”
He nodded his head trying to believe what his father was telling him. I recognized the feeling because I felt the very same way about some of Joshua’s teachings. Especially those regarding overcoming my beliefs concerning sin.
The next morning, Mary Lynn reminded me of our evening reservations for the Wounded Warrior Project charity dinner. This was the annual fund-raising event for soldiers who had been disabled while fighting for our country. When I finished work at my office, we met our friends at the door of the banquet hall and found seats at the reserved table. After the usual greetings, it was time to join the buffet line for our meal.
Mary Lynn went ahead of me while I finished a conversation with an event coordinator. Once in line, I could see my wife speaking to one of the cooks dressed in white, who was standing behind the stainless-steel tray placed on the table in front of him. As I approached, I recognized the joyful servant, but this should not have surprised me. It was Joshua dressed in complete chef uniform, big hat and all. That familiar smile expressed his pleasure at knowing he had provided me with the unexpected.
“Good evening, Sir. Would you prefer the roast beef or chicken?” He was going to take his performance as far as possible.
I wasn’t about to acknowledge his success and responded with, “Tell me, kind man, did you cook the chicken or the beef?”
“Why… the chicken, Monsieur. Chef Pearson cooked the beef,” he explained and pointed to the uniformed server to his right.
I actually wanted the chicken for dinner, but I needed to try and keep up with his game, so I said, “Then, I will have the beef, please!” I did my best not to laugh with my answer.
He nodded in acceptance, smiled, and put the chicken on my plate anyway. He had won again! He politely stated, “Enjoy your evening, Sir. Later, there will be cookies for dessert.”
“I will be looking forward to them,” I replied and went to join our friends at the table.
My wife and I enjoyed the evening which raised considerable money for a marvelous cause. At the end of the night, Mary Lynn caught a ride back home with one of the other wives. Many husbands stayed late to help with clean up and stack the rented tables and chairs for morning pick up. When the work was completed, Joshua met me on the outside patio overlooking an adjacent lake. It was a brightly lit night as the moon cast its glow to banish the darkness. He brought a plate of several different types of cookies and two glasses of iced tea.
“Tea and cookies, Sir?” he asked, as he sat down next to me.
“Sounds great, Joshua, thanks. That was quite a surprise. I should have known you would be here, but a servant?”
He looked at me with a smile and took a small sugar cookie from the plate.
“I take great pleasure in serving the wounded, John. It is a task I truly enjoy.”
“Well, you did a wonderful job tonight. The food was excellent and it feels really good when I do this kind of thing, you know... giving freely while expecting nothing in return.”
“It does bring a special kind of comfort to the soul,” he replied, and paused to look at the beauty of the evening before presenting his first question.
“When you completely believe in what Jesus has given you, how long does it take God to act with his blessings?”
It was obvious my lesson had just begun.
CHAPTER 9
Two Wooden Chairs
I was lost in thought as I gazed at the silver streak of moonlight cutting a path across the water’s glassy surface. The tranquility of the moment was interrupted by his voice when he repeated the question.
“Did you hear what I said? When you believe with one hundred percent of your heart in what Jesus has given you, how long does it take God to act with his blessings?”
My answer came as easily and quickly as God’s response to our consummate belief. “Instantly!” I replied. “Why do you ask?”
He continued as if no time had passed since our lesson last Saturday.
“If you recall, God said your job is to believe in Jesus. He wants to be closer to you and sin will hurt the relationship he desires. Because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, God has forgiven your sins so you can live on a more intimate basis with him.”
I took a sip of iced tea while trying to catch up with his words.
“Remember, you are justified by faith in Jesus under the New Covenant. God’s law required a blood sacrifice in payment for the sins committed by his people. And Jesus’s death on the cross paid that price for all mankind, forever. The old Mosaic Law was known as the law of sin and death, and disobedience to that law carried the condemnation of sin, which resulted in death. But the new law, is called, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. If you believe in Jesus, you receive his Spirit, and, through faith, gain eternal life for your soul. The work of Christ on the cross fulfilled the requirements of God’s law and has set you free from its eternal consequences!
“I prefer the King James version for this one.
“Romans 8:1-4—There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law (the Mosaic Law) could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” He used fingers to express the parentheses when he inserted (the Mosaic Law) into the verse.
He reached for his glass while the beautiful simplicity of the passage found its home in my soul.
“John, you are not supposed to live according to the sinful nature of the flesh, but instead, walk according to the Spirit. Jesus put an end to the old law of sin and death. You now have the ability to gain righteousness for your soul, if you believe in Christ and what he has given you.”
He quoted from memory.
“Romans 10:4—Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
“You do not live under the old Law. It has come to an end for the Jewish nation and does not apply to any believer in Christ. Let me explain this in another way. If someone lives in your home, they live under a certain set of rules or laws you have established for living there. For example, if you are under ten years of age, you must go to bed by 9:00 p.m. and may not eat food or drink beverages except in the kitchen. You must take your shoes off at the door and finally, no dogs sleep on your pillow! These are all ‘Sins’ in your house and punishable by a near death experience.”
We both laughed at the inferred reality of what he said, then I pondered how he might know