Could I have a dash of Salt on my Ice Cream Sundae?

ByPat

I heard from my young friends that last weeks “Twirty Girls” meeting lasted until well past 1am!

These young women are serious about chewing on some tough issues. I left last night at 10:30 and they were still in sweet conversation. My brain, on the other hand, was deep fried!!

Our meeting last night took us into the the only letter in the New Testament that was written to a woman. 2 John.

My personal study of these 13 power packed verses told me that this woman was probably not too different from those of us in the group. She was a woman who had been given lots of different opinions about what God says or doesn’t say about this and that. She had apparently written to the Apostle John with a boatload of questions about matters of concern regarding her faith walk. She was not sure of how to evaluate the variety of perspectives coming her way and turned to her “Elder” John for counsel.

This is what I sent the ladies to prepare them for last nights discussion:

Ladies,

Imagine yourself walking along a primitive and secluded beach shore with the waves rolling in and out leaving rust colored sea foam on the tops of your feet.
This beach is untouched by modern life, in fact, you are all alone with your thoughts, surrounded by silence boxed in by screeching sea gulls and sea breeze ruffling the tall pines overhead.
The beach has dead tree trunks scattered along the waters edge and seas grass rolling in and out of their bent branches.
Imagine your feet stepping along the cool water and the wet soggy sand squishing quickly in to fill the places your feet leave behind as you stroll along. The only thing on your mind is the choice between lifting your face up to the fluffy white clouds above you or the edgeless deep blue canvas of blue water that reflects that same sky scene across it’s glassy table top.
All is right with the world. No demands. No fears. No timelines. Just you and God.
Suddenly, your feet hit something rolling along the waters edge. You are tempted to kick it aside and keep walking. This moment is too sweet to allow anything to break it’s rhythm. But as you begin passing you catch the item from the corner of your eye. It’s an old bottle. Green, battered, milky with age and covered with sea mold. You kind of giggle to the no-one beside you. Right, and old sea bottle with a secret message inside. You lean in to capture it as the tide begins to draw it away.
Sure enough, something is inside. hmm…looks like an old letter 🙂
You plop yourself on the next dead tree stretching across the pathway and twist away the rusty cap protecting the contents deeply inside. You have to grab a piece of tree branch to dig into the bottle and drag out the paper. Your heart begins to pound a little as you draw the cracking worn paper to the bottle top.
Although the paper is thin and brittle you can see that it has writing on it as you tenderly pull it out and watch it unroll.
Unbelievable. This stuff only happens in movies, right?? Is this actually and old letter?? You heart is pounding and your head is spinning as you lay the bottle on the beach next to your feet and you begin to read
The Letter begins…….
To you sweet lady chosen by God and whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know you and know the truth— because of the truth, which lives in us connects our hearts and will be with us forever:

I send you my prayers for Grace, Mercy and Peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, who is with us and provides this truth and love.

It has given me great joy to find you walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing to stir up in you a new command but one that is really not new but that we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to God’s commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

I want to warn you, many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Those who should know better and have heard The Way have fallen by the wayside and are focusing on outward adornment and  worthless laws. Any such person is motivated by the deceiver, the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead , or falls behind, and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Beautiful  woman,If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not allow them into your heart, or welcome them into your world. Anyone who welcomes them or believes their deception unknowingly shares in their wicked work.

I have much to write to you precious lady, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

Your sisters, your friends, your family, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

All my love and prayers,

2 John,

God’s Timeless and Holy Letters

As you look up from the letter you see that the sun has made it’s way down from the sky and sits just slightly above the shoreline illuminating it’s flat edge in orange and reds.

You lift yourself off the water smoothed branch, gather the bottle, roll the letter safely into a size that slips easily back into it’s protective shell, tuck it under your arm and turn to walk home.

Back to the place where everyone lives.

Pondering these questions……

What 2 factors must always be taken into consideration when facing a problem of any kind??

What is the greatest challenge to those two qualities?

What are the 2 fundamental forms of false teaching found in this letter?

What do we risk loosing if we fall into that false teaching?

Take a shot at these questions and I’ll share what the ladies had to say about what Salt does to Sugar.

 

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5 Comments

  1. Thanks for this post, Pat. It send me to 2 John for the afternoon! If you would come finish my laundry for me now, I would appreciate it! LOL. My answers to the questions were too long for a comment, so I posted them on my blog.
    Love you, mv

    Reply

  2. Molly,
    You bless my heart. Thank you for virtually being part of this group of young women.
    I have been to your blog and recommend all who visit here ti head there next 🙂
    hugs,
    pat

    Reply

  3. Pat, thank you so much for sharing this love letter with me this week. As I’ve been pondering a few problems that I have been faced with recently, this book has been very insightful. If only I had been reminded of this “love letter” sooner, I may have handled the situations differently and avoided myself and others a lot of pain. It is funny how God knows exactly what we need to hear at every moment. I love it when I hear Him speaking directly to me! I’m looking forward to next week.

    Reply

  4. Stacy,
    Isn’t this tiny little book of the Bible jammmed packed with revelation and direction? I have kind of been testing it out on a few things I have going on this week and have found the golden recipe of TRUTH and LOVE to be a sure thing. Even when it doesn’t change the situation, it gives me a strong foundation and keeps MY heart right before the Lord.
    I love it when He speaks too. Period!!
    Can’t wait to see you again,
    p

    Reply

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