are you happy?

I cannot believe how disconnected I have felt, not being able to get on-line at home. But my little MacBaby came home today from the MacDoctor and all is well again!

An interesting thing happened the other day. That day I had been praying that God would direct my steps. I actually try to pray that every day, and so I trust that He will guide me wherever I need to be. So I was walking home at about 6:00ish and a car pulled up beside me and the guy started talking to me in Hebrew. (This is quite common here; people are usually asking for directions.) I told him I didn't speak Hebrew, and he said, "Are you happy?" That took me a little by surprise, but the conversation went something like this:

"Yes, I'm happy."
"Why are you happy?"
"Because I love God with all my heart."
"Do you have time to talk to me for a few minutes before you go shopping?"
"I'm not going shopping, and yes, I have a few minutes."

So I stood there talking to this guy for quite some time. He had gone to the hospital to see someone that day and asked a guy he met there if he was happy. The guy tried to give him some kind of formula for happiness, some penitent recitals and other things to do. This guy didn't think that would bring him happiness. He felt that God was upset with him and so he was not happy right now. And he wanted to be happy.

He asked me where I was from and what I was doing here. I told him that I was volunteering for Bridges for Peace, helping the people of the land. He asked if all of the people there were Jewish. I said, "No, we're Christians." He suddenly developed this shocked look on his face and said, "You're not Jewish?!" Nope. Then very quietly, he said, "I've read the New Testament. But I don't believe it." The street was kinda busy and I could tell that he didn't want anyone to hear him say that. I told him that was okay, I'm not here to try to convert anyone; I'm here to love and help the Jewish people."

The thing you have to know that is the whole time I'm talking to the guy, I'm praying like crazy to the Lord for him! But with Jewish people, it is so easy to turn them away before you ever get started. Their biggest fear is annhilation as a people and they see that it could happen in two ways: 1) they are literally killed off, as attempted by Hitler and the Crusaders and other persecuters through the years, and 2) through conversion or turning away from their Jewishness. This is not a people that you can just rattle off the sinner's prayer to; this is a people who have been butchered and humiliated and persecuted in the Name of Jesus for 2000 years. They will know we are Christians by seeing us walk out our love for Him, them and each other. It's as simple as that.

So I kept talking to the guy and finally agreed to meet him a little later to talk some more. He wanted me to bring my Bible. I did some praying and thinking before I met him, and I realized a very important thing: I am happy (at peace) because I know that I am forgiven; that there's nothing that I can mess up so badly that God is not able and willing to redeem. This is the way that I began my conversation with him and I ended up talking to him for a couple of hours about Yeshua (Jesus). He had great questions and was not trying to prove me wrong, and I wasn't trying to prove him wrong; we were just trying to understand one another. I was really put to the test and I'm not sure how I did. No doubt I didn't do the best job of explaining things, but he could tell that I really believed what I was saying and he seemed to like that. He asked me to pray for him and I did. In the Name of Jesus. Who knows? I may never see this guy again, but I pray that he finds his peace in Jesus, the only Name that is able to save him.

I did feel like I had some insight, but he stumped me on a couple of things. He said that they don't believe that Messiah will be God incarnate. Why would God need to come to the earth? He's God. He's the big boss. How could God be Yeshua's father? God is spirit, not flesh. I had some okay answers... Wasn't that God's original plan in the garden of Eden? To come down to earth to walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the evening; to fellowship with the humans He created? Once we blew it, He made an alternative plan of salvation/atonement for His children; first through the blood sacrifices in the Tabernacle and then the Temple. Then Yeshua became that perfect sacrifice for us; He shed His blood so we would no longer rely on animals and the law to make ourselves holy; now we could be holy through His sacrifice. And on God being His father? Who was Adam's father? Elohim. Why can He be Adam's father and not Yeshua's? The Prophets foretold that He would be born of a virgin; doesn't it make sense that God would be His father?

On and on we talked. He asked me what I do to prepare for prayer? Do I wash my hands? Where do I recite the prayers from? Do I wear a cross? These questions revealed a lot to me about our differences. I pray constantly, when I get up in the morning, walking to work, reading the news, going to the store, even now as I write. I once read "Practicing the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. It changed my life. Basically, Brother Lawrence tried to consciously think about God and talk to him all the time; to try to not go an hour without centering on God. He said he often failed, but would just keep trying when he realized his mind had strayed. This conversation I had made me realize how personal my relationship is WITH God. I think that was a big difference—he was relating TO God, and that in a more impersonal way—by reciting prayers, washing his hands before praying, going to the synagogue, etc.

It totally has to be the Holy Spirit that draws men to believe in Jesus. I can't talk someone into it—it doesn't last that way. But when the Spirit beckons, it's real. I pray so much for God to reveal Himself to the people here. When I walk through the park in the morning and I see workers there cleaning up the trash, or I get on the bus and see so many faces going here and there, I pray God's blessing on their lives. Then I do what I can, whether it's just a smile or giving my seat to someone on the bus. I believe that when Jesus walked here 2000 years ago, He could just melt a heart with one glance of His eyes. We have the same Holy Spirit that He has. We have that power in us, to look through the eyes of love and see beyond what the world sees. And that's the kind of love that will change lives forever. Amen!