Rooms - James L. Rubart [54]
“You’re saying we don’t set up principles to live by?” Micah asked.
“I’m saying Jesus is our example and He was never led by rules or set formulas. He was led by the Holy Spirit. Period. And the Spirit rarely did things the same way twice. You can’t plug things into some formula and get the answer. Man would like to reduce walking with God to some rule book of pat answers. But that’s not Christianity. Man has turned Christianity back into Mosaic Law. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t swear, and don’t go to R-rated movies. Bingo. You’re a Christian. Most churches use those four unwritten rules to judge whether someone is saved or not. But I don’t think any of those things have a lick to do with true relationship with God. Do you?”
“I’d think more than twice about a guy who smokes, swears like a trucker, drinks like a whale, watches NC-17 movies, and then tells me he’s a follower of Jesus.”
“Me, too.” Rick leaned down to pick up half a sand dollar and slipped it into his pocket.
“You’re just going to let that little contradiction hang in the air?” Micah asked.
“The Pharisees were the ultimate followers of principles and rules. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs. Look the right way. Say the right things. Do this; don’t do that! Jesus blew their minds. He said the wrong things, hung out with the wrong kind of people: prostitutes and tax collectors. Ate the wrong kind of food, healed on the wrong day, sat down to dine too many times with the wrong kind of people.” Rick grabbed another half sand dollar off the beach.
“So they branded Him a drunkard and a glutton. A friend of sinners. But He only cared about one thing—setting something free that you abandoned and buried a long time ago.” Rick stared into Micah’s eyes. “The treasure of the Kingdom.”
“And this treasure is?”
Rick leaned in and smiled. “Your heart.”
“Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful beyond all wickedness.”
“Really?”
“You know this, Rick! God forgives us and washes us from sin. But our heart is good? Sorry. Why would David say, ‘Create in me a clean heart’ unless it’s unclean? To describe our hearts as good and pure and holy? It’s just not biblical.”
A wave of anger and concern passed over Rick’s face so quickly Micah wasn’t sure he’d actually seen it.
“You can’t change a man from the outside in. And to transform a son of Adam from the inside out, Jesus must go deep into the core and change the heart. Then the outside will change. It’s called the new covenant. All things, even your heart, become new.”
Micah’s head felt like it was full of molasses. Rick was as convincing as the voice had been the night before. “Let’s say you’re right. How do I change my heart?”
“Allow it to surface. Then invite Him in to do some fixing.” Rick turned to Micah, grabbed him by both shoulders, and smiled. “And guard it with everything in you.” Then he strode back the direction they’d come.
Micah stood watching the kite surfers free themselves from gravity for an hour before he headed back to town.
Pulling into his driveway, he thanked God that Wednesday—Archie day—was only three days away. Rick. The voice. Confusion. Maybe Micah would get some clear direction from Archie’s next letter. He needed it.
CHAPTER 21
Archie time would come early on Wednesday. Micah would make sure of it.
Tuesday night, before crashing into bed and crawling under his navy blue comforter, Micah set his cell phone alarm to go off at 12:01 a.m. Archie wanted him to wait a week before opening each letter? No problem. 12:01 Wednesday morning would qualify as a week. And Micah needed answers.
He’d avoided the voice room the past few days and Rick as well. Too much conflicting advice. He hoped Archie’s next letter could slice through some of the fog filling his brain.
July 13, 1991
Dear Micah,
As children we were told of the Big Bad Wolf and were introduced to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. In The Lord of the Rings Frodo faces the evil Lord Sauron. Luke Skywalker must face his father Darth Vader in Star