Shock and Awe- Blasphemy at Market Night

Last night was a rare night that I had a week off in my Thursday Night Mens Bible Fellowship study so this enabled me to share my faith at Market Night (Redlands, California). I work with a small group of believers who go to The Packinghouse (Calvary Chapel in Redlands California) who share their faith through the revelation of God in Science and the Bible.

After a couple of witnessing opportunities and around an hour and a half I chose to head off to catch a bus back to Highland, but on the way down I wanted to check out a booth I had noticed on my walk of the street earlier. I had seen books and magazines and wanted to see if it was Christian and if their product was free.

So I walked over and felt in my Spirit that this was not of The Spirit. And of course The Spirit was entirely correct. What I found was not Christian but Adventist- and although the person sitting told me that items were free I knew in reality that they came at great cost. The cost of Slavery to the Law.

It was not however until I looked up that both the person who said that the items were free and I recognized each other. I used to be a member of the Redlands Adventist Church (and judging by what he said to his compatriot they’re still counting me as a member or perhaps he’s assuming I’m on the books) to be frank I don’t care I know what I am. I am free in Christ and Baptized into His death and live now a new Life by resting in my Lord and Savior.

We had a conversation, we talked about family, life, work and church- things were amicable until I told him  where I go to church. I won’t go into any details of the conversation except for one point at the end but he looked almost possessed as he ripped into Grace, Sunday Keeping and everything else that is available when the Believer enters into God’s Rest (Hebrews 4). He cited that I was damned, deceived, going against God, Breaking the eternal commandments- every word he spoke against the freedom found through Grace grieved both my Spirit and God the Holy Spirit who indwells and seals me- I could feel the pain, and my Spirit yearned for my old friend to understand the blessings of Grace.

One mentioning the Eternality of the Ten Commandments I pointed out the absurdities of an of the commands being eternal. Who would be told not to make a graven image in Heaven for example?!

However he was dogged and determined to keep the Ten Commandments as eternal.

This is how our conversation ended:

‘The Law is love’, he sneered at me. (I don’t believe he realized just how vehemently angry angry and vindictive he was coming across).

“God is love,” I responded in Grace, “God is bigger than the Law.”

“No He isn’t!” 

Inside me God’s Spirit and My Spirit were in tears, how could anyone who claimed to be Christian blaspheme God in that way. I wanted to contend further for the Faith but I was simply flabbergasted. I could not remain there a moment longer so I explained that I had to go and that it had been a pleasure to talk with them…and I left.

God is greater than everything.

When you make the Law into an idol you put God into a box and God becomes god…and He can no longer save you.

U.A.