2- Meeting Immortal Noah

Second Post in the Series "God, the Love Story: Autumn - 1"

I could hardly believe my eyes. Standing in front of me on the way to Christmas was Noah, THE Noah. What was he doing here and what did he want to tell me? Then it occurred to me how natural it was that Noah should appear on this barren road to Christmas when the earth awaits the great light of true life.

As I drew close enough for a conversation the excruciating pain in my feet turned to numbness. My heart was racing with the realization that I was about to talk with a patriarch of immortals. He held his hand out to help me climb up on the rock to sit beside him. “Welcome daughter.” Noah greeted me warmly.

“Father Noah why are you here?”

“My child, I could see your distress. I was sent to teach you how to walk on the earth.”

“It’s not me, I can walk fine! It’s these horrible pebbles. I have no choice but to step on them. If I don’t reach Christmas I will die!”

Noah bowed his head. Looking at the rocks at his feet he smiled pensively and then replied, “Your words reflect the brilliant intelligence but gross ignorance of a toddler.  Was I less of an aspiring immortal because I never experienced Christmas?”

“Father Noah, perhaps you forget, there was no rocky road to Christmas in your day. I am obligated to go to Christmas.”

“Ha-ha!” He seemed to be genuinely laughing at me! “When I walked the earth and the sons of God had children by the beautiful daughters of men; mankind thus corrupted the image of God. The pain of walking to Christmas is the pain of corruption and mortality.

Death and evil surround you, as the evil neighbors surrounded me and my family before the flood, and then even as it surrounded us in the Ark. There was no difference at all between the devastating flood and the evil men. Being in the Ark was a type of Baptism for my family, as it was for Jonah in the belly of the whale. Realize that the Spirit of God lies deep within your watery body, protecting you from corruption and mortality that surround you. Go there and find the righteousness that pleases God who does not want you to feel the pain of walking to Christmas. As long as Christmas is a remote place you struggle to reach, you will never get there. That is how you are to walk on the earth, my child.”

And he went on: “There are three things you must do to walk the earth pain-free. Listen to your conscience. Study and obey His commands, and receive your sight. Blind was the man who cried out saying, “Son of David, have mercy upon me.” When he received his sight and saw Jesus Christ, he acknowledged Him no longer as the Son of David but as the Son of God, and worshipped him. You too, my child must beg for spiritual sight to see the road that lies above the pebbles that torture you so. “

9- Precious Mercy

Part 9 in the Series, God the Love Story Autumn

I have come a long way since deciding to take the most isolated and difficult road to Christmas. Never in a million years did I expect to meet Noah. When I started this trek I didn't even know that to overcome mortality I had to listen to my conscience, obey the commands, and gain spiritual sight. All I knew then was that I wanted to become immortal and that at Christmas God would come to earth to make immortality possible.

Listening for my conscience was not so very hard to do, but these commands are another story. "Don't resist the evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other [and let him hit that one too]; and if anyone wants to sue you give him even more than what he is asking for; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you. If someone steals from you, don't demand it back. Don't worry about the future. Don't get divorced or marry a divorcee." (Mt5, Lk6)

Yesterday, I promised the commander that I would memorize these ninety-five commands so I will, but obeying them all is out of the question, especially in this day and age.

"Right-o!" chirped a little troll from behind me.

"Where did you come from?" I said masking my alarm with irritation.

Without reply he asked, "Are you talking to yourself?"

"No, Iím dictating my Journal entry. You happen to have intruded on my writing the Journal of an Aspiring Immortal; now go away!"

Ignoring banishment, the troll said, "Everyone decides for him or herself which commands to obey, and which they will dismiss. As for the acceptable commands, most are only for pretense. They fully expect to fail and ask for mercy like a crutch to fall back on because of their weakness or some other excuse. But is it weakness or hubris?"

"Did you hear me tell you to go away? You have no credibility troll!" I replied. And to myself I said, "How dare this imp interrupt my train of thought?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong humanoid, but credibility means NOTHING to you. When I entered you were saying that you didn't intend to obey God's commands. So why should I obey your command to leave?  I will not go away. Your little world will have to include me whether you want it to or not!"

It was true that I had no choice concerning who lives in my world. If I did I would certainly not admit this rude argumentative troll.

Continuing to taunt me the troll said, "Lucky for God that He decides who will live happily ever after and not you. When the moment comes for the narrow gate to the land of immortality to open who will pass? Will it be the aspiring immortals that focus on trimming themselves with the commands or will it be the fat cats who lay back and ask for mercy all day long? Mmm... I wonder?" [Command #35. Enter through the narrow gate -contracted by pressure and the way is straightened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are they who find it. [Zondervan Amplified Mt 7:14, Jer21:8, Deut 30:19]

The troll was really beginning to annoy me now.  "You are too hard on me. I am washed in the blood of the Lamb who set me free from sin and death. Jesus said, "In the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. I expect everyone to ignore most of the commands so I do too."

I thought that was a good answer, but the troll ignored it and went on with his tirade. "You walk to Christmas in joyful anticipation, a Christmas you can't even comprehend.  Christmas was actually more degrading than the Cross! Divesting himself of the flesh -- okay, but divesting himself of His power and wealth to become human, well, that is Credibility worthy of your obedience. Jesus led the way to become smaller for the greater good." And to show that he had heard me the troll exclaimed,"The Blood of Christ made immortality possible yes, but the Blood is not to be used as a license to ignore His commands, and His example. Don't fool yourself to death, mortal."

"What I have against you," said the troll relentlessly, "is that you don't even try. Is mercy magic that makes your duplicity appear to be sincerity?" [Command #87. Pay attention and be on guard, looking out for

one another; if your brother sins, solemnly tell him so and reprove him and if he repents, forgive him. Lk 17:3]

I yelled back, "So what is mercy good for?"

As expected, the troll had a ready response. "Mercy is for those who try, who are running the race with all their might and powers of concentration; it is for those athletes who fall. Mercy isn't a sweet melody of kirie

eleison to be used to calm nerves; it is the olive twig the Spirit dove presented after forty days of terror in the ark. Mercy is a gift you can't presume to receive."

With that the troll pierced my blue eyes with his. Lightening was followed by a roll of thunder. Petrified I turned to look for shelter, finding none. When I turned back the troll had disappeared. All was still. When my

heart stopped pounding I resumed my walk and wondered what made me so stubborn. Why didn't I even try to love the troll who was my enemy?

The Mercy King -13

This is the 13th entry of the series, God the Love Story Autumn about travelling the road to Christmas

The sudden disappearance of Moses was something of a relief to me. Being reminded of the importance of following the commands I admit is kind of boring and kind of troublesome. I suppose though that wherever Christianity has failed humanity, whether at the Church level or the personal level it is because the commands were neglected. Imagine how different the world would be if the Church had made and maintained peace instead of the Crusades? I feel sorry for God that His Will is not being done, even if, a million times a day, people say they want it to be. I guess people don’t take the commands seriously because God loves everyone so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our transgressions.

Did Jesus really die so we can be selfish and self-centered, argumentative, and dishonest without conscience because we will receive mercy? I really don’t know and I wish I did. All I know for sure is that I shan’t be judge and jury to anyone else on the planet, whether king or pauper, stranger or friend, Moslem or Jew. I must only judge myself and I will be a tough judge of me. I will judge myself harshly for the same reason I will run a mile, or do thirty push-ups when I don’t have to. I think if I am too easy on myself I won’t be ready or able, when the moment comes, if it comes in my lifetime, to go through the scary tribulation and to meet Jesus Christ in the air. Lamp oil.

Is it any wonder that so few people are on this road? So many bad aspiring immortals have darkened the path with hypocrisy that others can’t see the way at all or where it goes. The Church, to attract and retain enough people to pay their bills, hardly ever mentions how vital it is to obey the commands.

But I need mercy too. When I fall I am so glad to have a hand reach out to pick me up, even if I have to ask God to forgive me seventy times seven times a day, if I make myself change, He will forgive me and let me try again. If.

My next acquaintance is going to be no surprise. It can only be David, the mercy king, the forefather of the infant Christ. I wonder what he will look like, whether he will be Michelangelo’s David, young and beautiful, like perfect brand new Adam. Or maybe David will come to me when He is old and sorrowful. Either way I can’t wait to meet the one person in the whole wide world who can teach me about mercy. Yes, I want to meet David. We need to talk.