Christians: Are We Really One?

Hay! Just what is a Christian? You said the words someone led you with. Did you really mean it? I mean from the bottom of your heart truly mean what you said? Look at how many men and women, even men and men or woman and woman, who make the vow to love and cherish each other until death they do part, but end up in a stinking divorce. What happened to all those the commitments? Come on folks, wake up and smell the coffee. If you just said the sinners prayer but then live like the devil, there is some question as to if you were really saved or just thought you were. When I was saved back in May of 1970 and baptized the same night, was I really saved? I went around to several Churches giving my testimony of how Christ had saved me and people were moved and many accepted Christ as their Savior.

Now, I believed with all my heart that I was saved. Within two years I was licensed to preach the Gospel by my then Community Baptist Church. Shortly thereafter, I started preaching at the Louisiana State Penitentiary "Angola," a Local Prison Farm. To my surprise a few of the inmates were former friends of mine from my bad days before Christ. Preaching in a prison (if you could call what I was doing preaching), I wasn't very good as preachers go. However, the good thing was that I had a captive audience so to speak. After awhile my Pastor and one of the Church Elders came to my Karate Academy and asked me for my License they had given me. Boy! Was I surprised, and devastated. I asked why and what had I done and they said they would rather not discuss the matter.

WOW! Talk about a kick in the groin. OUCH! I suppose they felt that because I spent Sunday at the prison and not at my home Church like I guess I was supposed to do for first service and since I didn't tithe to them I wasn't doing what was required. I suppose they were right, however I would have gladly done what was required if they would have instructed me. I knew I wasn't a great preacher. I knew that ever since my first preaching assignment as a visitor at a nearby Church. After the service as I was walking to my car in the parking lot. Some fellow shot me with a shotgun. Ha! Lucky for me it was just a hunter in a field shooting doves and only birdshot from way across the lot rained down on me.

I remember looking up to heaven and thinking, dear God, I wasn't that bad was I? Hearing a gun blast and feeling bee, bees hitting me on the head like rice at a wedding, still was a bit frightening. Needless to say and possibly ironic as well, that was the last time I ever preached from the pulpit in a Church. With one exception when as part of my Bible college Timothy's class we were required to give a sermon at Church on a Wednesday night. It is during those times that many folks begin to wonder if they are in fact a Christian. The Enemy loves to jump on our backs and rob us of our faith, and replace it with doubt, suspicion, and depression. I wonder which is worse. Doubting ourselves and feeling like we have let God down by failing to be in His will, thus losing His blessings.

Or for those who just think they are a Christian who really doesn't live the life, as they should. There is more to being a Christian than simply saying a few words. God knows our heart and HE will NOT be mocked. Anyone who is living in the flesh and fornicating regularly is not obeying God. Call it rebellion or just plain old stupidity, either one is deadly, dangerous living. Young or mature, it makes no difference. Sin is sin and Hell is hell. I'm not saying that a real Christian is sin free. No, we all sin at one time or another. He who claims to be sinless is a liar. I do know this that couples that live together are asking for trouble. There is NO real commitment between the two, and if both have so little morals what is to prevent them from cheating on each other?

Many laws originate from some form of morals. Many started taken from the Judo-Christian Holy Bible. Take for example, it's against the law to murder someone. That comes from the Bible. Stealing is against civil law and that comes from the Bible also. There are many other examples that you can look up for yourselves. Tell me, if your daughter were sleeping with her boy friend, how would you feel? Or let's say you find out your husband or wife is sleeping around or has a lover, how would your mind accept that? Well, tell me what the difference is when you young people sleep around. It hurts your parents to the core. It's bad enough that you have no respect for your mom and dad, but you're sinning in the face of GOD. That takes a lot of stupidity on your part. The wicked shall not go unpunished, we are taught, and I for one can attest to the truth of that statement.

Ho! Boy, can I attest to that. Anyone who has first hand experienced the pain of a ten-penny nail going through his or her finger can attest to the fact of excruciating pain. (I did that, too). Anyway, I know for a fact that when we sin we pay a horrible price one way or another. When I was a young man I was guilty of the sin of fornication and even adultery. Here I was sinning and I had no remorse for sin. I didn't care that I was being disrespectful to the girl's father and mother, or to my own parents who had raised me to be a good Catholic boy, keeping my body pure, no sex of any kind including masturbation because that was sinful. However, when I did taste the sweetness of the apple, I was snagged, hooked, addicted to and in bondage to the belief that if a girl had sex with me she loved me.

You see folks it is not the sex act itself that hooks us, it is the thought that if someone cares enough for us to share their most important possession (their bodies) then they must care a lot about us. This is a boost in our morale. It lifts our self-esteem and confidence that we are a worthy person, despite what we feel about ourselves because of what someone (parent, family member, sibling, or anyone who matters who called us a loser or other self-defeating lie) says about us. The sad part of this is what sin does to one's personal relationship with their Savior and God.

You know with me and I can only suppose that a big problem with the sin of fornication is that way to many participants of this particular sin, is that they do not think of what they are doing as a sin. Couples living with each other out of wedlock have so many excuses that after awhile their neck stiffens up and their hearts harden and they become callused. Eventually, they justify their sin as nothing more than acting naturally. Talk about a lot of hogwash. "Just because we don't want to believe something is what it actually is doesn't make it what we want it to be". Hay! Just because YOU don't agree with me doesn't automatically make me wrong. Ignorance is only not knowing the truth. Stupidity is refusing to accept THE TRUTH. Now, what does all this sex talk have to do with being a Christian? I say a great deal. Look! It is not the sin I'm writing about. It is the fact that in many cases Christians are guilty of living like non-believers.

All too often I have counseled folks who say if so and so is a Christian, I don't want any part of that Christian stuff. Christians who are poor examples of what a Christian should be like are more like what hypocrites are like.

Christians should not be quick to anger, but I am. Sometimes I curse like a Marine Drill Sergeant. I am not always an ideal role model of what a Christian should be. When I was younger I was also unashamedly promiscuous. I confess that is not the behavior of a real Christian. Was I really saved? Back then? I believe so. Why? Because eventually God broke me. I mean everything I touched turned to poop. I was riddled with bad health and rotten luck. One day I was high on the hog. The next day my girlfriend chipped out on me. I started having anxiety and panic attacks. Then on top of that at only 40 years of age I had a mild stroke and found out I suffered from angina pectoris. From there on my life just plummeted down to hard times.

Even Christians can and do come on to difficult times. Several months earlier my second wife and I split up and she married a younger fellow within 6 weeks. Texas Divorce HA! I thought I was a good husband. We attended church every Sunday. I bought a nice home on an acre of land. I had a good job. I was faithful, not a substance abuser or wife beater. I don't know exactly what I did wrong, but I sure messed up royally. My ex-wife got a new husband and I got a girlfriend, then another and another. All the time not feeling like I was sinning. Now, that is what I'm talking about or should I say writing about. Christians living in sin and not fearing the wrath of God. Again my point is being a Christian doesn't stop us from sinning, however, we should be dying to the old self and becoming more like Christ by reading daily what the scriptures teach from the Bible.

When you're lonely and depressed most people pray for someone to love them and to share their life with. Instead we should be praying to be closer to Christ. Only God can fix our situations. Self-preservation is strong in most individuals. Most folks I have asked what are they searching for had the same answers.

Question: What are you wanting and searching to find in your life? Answers:

(1). "TRUTH"

(2). "THE WAY"

(3). " Peaceful LIFE"

(4). "ENLIGHTENMENT"

Well, that is not so difficult to explain to non-believers. The answer is simple: You need Jesus Christ. No man in the history of humanity has ever spoken these words except one. " I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE". Jesus Christ also said He was the LIGHT of the World. So, that covers everything the whole of mankind needs. Not the kind of wants they think they need, but the real necessary ingredients of living they really NEED. One thing too many individuals don't think about is that sin separates them from God's Blessings. You think God is going to say Oh! That's alright that you're fornicating or committing adultery and Bless you for doing that. You must be really deep, dumb, and dense. What you might get is a pregnancy, venereal disease, or used and a reputation of being easy. They have names for girls and women like that. Living with your boyfriend or girlfriend doesn't change the name you're labeled with the rest of your life.

Girls, men remember your name and locker talks in the men's room is vicious. Bragging rights run high, and 10 years or more you and your husband might run into one of your lovers, and ladies, that picture isn't pretty. Embarrassing does not even come close to the feeling. How will you feel if your husband goes to the men's room and one of your old lovers happens to be in there. Talk is bound to start, and how do you think your husband will feel if the other fellow or two of them say, "Hay, I see you married old easy wizzy." Look, what goes around comes around. You folks who have no respect for God will find out the hard way. Christians live by the Blessings of our ABBA Father God. Without these blessings life is not as fulfilling as with them.

When you're sick or need a job, maybe a raise, whatever our need, prayer is effective if we are right with our Father. I mean surely a daddy will buy a new bike for his child rather than for a stranger. HAY! Check this out. He (GOD) will fulfill the desire of those who FEAR him. Can anyone of you honestly say you fear God when you're fornicating? Come on, if your partner in sin really loved you, certainly they wouldn't stand between you and YOUR GOD, your Creator and Savior. Get real. Now hear this! " The Lord preserves all who love Him, But ALL the wicked He will destroy."

Now if that isn't enough to make you think, YOU need to get a life.

Any good Martial arts instructor worth his or her salt will tell you that conditioning is very important. My formula in teaching is:

(1) Technique First

(2) Speed Second

(3) Power Third

However, even more importantly, if you have all three mastered, unless you are able to perform them you will have worthless knowledge. This is the same with Christians. You might know the Bible inside and out. The devil and all his demons know the words of the Bible, but if you are not in condition, which comes from practice, you're road kill. All sports need certain conditioning so they can function properly. A boxer who cannot last the required rounds and poops out from exhaustion will very likely be defeated by a less skilled fighter who is in better shape. By training your mind through Spiritual exercise, reading and studying a Christian Bible, you are exercising your brain, mind and body.

If just looking at a woman and lusting after her body is the same as fornicating or if your married committing adultery, what do you think living with a person of the opposite sex and having sexual relations with that person does to your relationship with your Creator? Do you expect God to bless you for sinning? Most of the time we don't even think about the consequences of our actions. I never did, do you? Be honest. Well, what do you think? Do you really consider yourself a Christian? If so, great for you. If not, Hay! All you have to do is REPENT, ask God to forgive you for ALL your sins, and accept Jesus Christ as YOUR Lord and Savior. MEAN it from your heart and soul. Don't jive with God. HE knows your inner self. You try and fool with HIM and I guarantee you will come out on the short end of the stick.