On Being A Christian

Being a Christian is the hardest thing in the world. It is the most painful thing, it is the most selfless thing, it is the most hurtful thing… I know millions of people have it far, far worse than I do but I have to tell myself that it’s okay to hurt.

I do what I don’t want to do and I don’t do what I do want. Of course, sometimes I do what I want but it leaves me empty afterward.

I am feeling so sad. I will spare the details and jump to the conclusion: I just pray that God sends me someone. Someone of my own and someone very soon. All too often I’ve been the one to look at or talk to or laugh with when the other’s not looking. And it’s not like it’s done on purpose. I’m just, for some reason, too often put in that situation.

Do you realize how much that hurts? Like no man could ever be attracted to me unless I’m pleasing to him when his own woman isn’t.

Or if a man is attracted to me, once I don’t satisfy or do exactly what he wants or (one time) doing nothing wrong at all, I am just thrown out and tossed to the side like I never even mattered. Like I wasn’t there in the first place and with the assumption that I’ll “get over it.”

Sometimes, I really just want to do what I want and ditch this whole “waiting” thing.

But that would be foolish of me.

With all the hurt, though, sometimes it sure sounds like a good idea.

Purify Your Camp!

Why have we become afraid to address issues within the church? We’ve become used to keeping the peace rather than spreading the truth, possibly because the truth is the hard truth.
So, I must say, and very frankly,… Brothers and sisters, if you’re watching a movie or reading a book or whatever it is about witchcraft and wizards and magic, that is of the DEVIL. What are we doing?! Way too often, even at a God-fearing school, I have seen and heard references to Harry Potter and since it’s October, Hocus Pocus. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS?! It gets me so upset because it’s right in your face!!!! Do you not realize it or do you not care?! Purify your camp! Stop! That is of the devil!

It’s Not About YOU.

We’ve become so used to agreeing with everyone and keeping everyone satisfied. We try to keep Christianity happy and pleasing all the time. If you want to be a Christian, be prepared to get people angry, to have people disagree with you, even your own brothers and sisters. Christianity is the belief in God (and Jesus, the Son of God and the Messiah, and the Holy Spirit, the One sent by God after the death of Jesus). God is all love, yes, but that is not all that God is and the Bible says so. God is a jealous God. God experiences sadness. God’s anger blazes like fire. When God spoke to His people, He wasn’t stating everything that they should do, trying to persuade them to do the right thing. No, he told them what they should do and what they should not do and Christ did that as well. We’ve become so used to avoiding disagreements and discomfort but that’s what this is all about. You’ll never make anyone happy in this life and it’s a lot easier to not make anyone happy when you’re a Christian. Be prepared to speak the truth and if the truth upsets a non-believer, then pray for that conviction. If it takes the voice of God to speak to reach believers’ hearts and for them to accept the truth then were they believers in the first place? Look at the Pharisees. They believed in God and followed His Law better than anyone. Of course many of them were corrupted, as we know, but when Jesus came, the way, the TRUTH, and the life, they couldn’t believe in Him because he didn’t meet their needs and it went against their beliefs and their feelings. Jesus made them uncomfortable. Look at the rich man who was true to the Law his whole life but couldn’t let go of his riches. He walked away sad. He couldn’t let go because he found comfort in his riches. Christianity isn’t about what you believe and what you feel. It’s about what the Word of God says and if that makes you mad then you need to die out and give in to the LORD. The day you try to make the Word of God, Christianity, etc. about you, is the day you need to seek repentance.

October 31st.

It’s October 31st. For some, this is a “holiday” where you get to dress up, have fun, get scared, and eat free candy!

Oh, my dear brothers and sisters, aren’t we supposed to be apart from (not a part OF) the world? All these ghosts and monsters and vampires and witches and spells and darkness… Does ANYONE see anything wrong with that? Of course it looks cute and harmless because we see adorable children in their costumes and because dressing up is just so much fun. But if we’re participating in this, aren’t we blending in with everyone else in the world?

“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can’t be a friend of God.” (James 4:4, NLT) This is what the BIBLE says, not what Jermane says!

“Oh, Jermane, you’re overdoing it. It’s JUST halloween. It’s fun! The kids love it! It’s a great time for the whole family as long as you stay away from that one too-creepy-for-halloween house down the street. You’re thinking about this way too much. We’ve done it for years- it’s tradition now! It’s honestly no big deal.” Get me behind me, satan! If Jesus came back on October 31st while you were participating and CELEBRATING this day of the devil himself, what would you do? How would you feel? You can’t cover it up! “‘Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. What I say to you I say to everyone: Watch for his return!'” (Mark 13:36-37, NLT) Those words are in RED!… But I think I am getting too beyond the matter at hand.

Don’t call yourself a Christian and confuse non-believers, skeptics, new Christians, etc. by being involved with the world. We were called to be different so be different. This day is a pagan “holiday” created by the devil himself. Where in Heaven will you ever get scared or see some ghost hanging out of a tree? I’ve yet to go, but I HIGHLY doubt that will happen. (In fact, it won’t.) Those seem fit to belong somewhere else. And if it’s not Heaven then where?

Come on, brothers and sisters, if this day is not honoring God then there is only one other thing it could be honoring. Please, please wake up.