DAVEH: John, have you invited your Mother-in-Law to join TT?
As I read your words, here, I could not help but think of the recent "conversion" of my mother-in-law and the power of the gospel message existing within itself. Gibson's movie, the Passion, was so well attended because of the power of the message -- it portrayed the heart of the gospel message. But back to my mother-in-law. She recently visited our daughter in Colorado Springs during the passion season. The congregation there puts on a passion play involving nearly 1,000 of its membership. It is "narrated" by the apostle John. Not a spoken word from "the Christ." It is just a moving picture of the trail, death and resurrection. My mother-in-law (a Mormon born and raised) had never been exposed to the full impact of the gospel message (how true for so many Christians). At the conclusion of that passion play, she prayed a prayer of commitment and confession!!!! What she does regarding her "Mormonism" is of little concern to me. She is no scholar but very intelligent, not pious but well mannered as so many of generation, wanting to be right but afraid to be wrong. She may never "leave" the Mormon church because of who she is, but she is definitely a child of God. The point is this: when you speak of the natural response, you have described the very circumstance experienced by Mom. Again, well put with the ring of truth-in-reality. We all need the lesson that when we fail, it is not because we have disobeyed, per se, but that we have not loved and believed enough. Thanks for putting it in a such a way that I could say those words with some confidence and a grand sense of divine approval. We (I) need to accept that Christ has given us the ability to reclaim the sovereignty of the God's influence in our lives.
Grace
J David Smithson
God bless the Reagans
Mom is not a computer type. But I do intend for her to read this post. She needs to know that it is not the changes she makes but the changes made by the Lord that are important. Everything in due time -- God is in control.
God Bless
Smithson, out!
