A walk with the light

1 Peter 4:1-4 (NIV) "Therefore since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you." Christ was blameless and did not sin, yet suffered on the cross for our sins so that we may be eternally saved. Since Christ suffered here on this earth we can expect to do the same in our earthly bodies. We can expect to be looked down upon by sinners that do not know the love of Christ. We can expect persecution and for the devil to attack our every weakness. This is a harsh reality about being a Christian. I hear a lot of preache...

James 2:8-10 (NIV) “If you really keep the royal law found in scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” I have heard this in a church, “you wouldn’t give the shirt off of your back for a stranger, like you would for your children.” This is the mindset of the average Christian that I have met. There is favoritism when it comes to yourself, family, and friends over a stranger. Do you put your wants over other’s needs? It does not matter if you go to church every time the door is open, help those in church when they need it, or participate in every church activity. If you show favoritism, to any one person over another, you are guilty of sin. In God’s eyes, no matter how “small” the sin is, we are equivalent with murderers, adulterers, liars, thieves, homosexuals, a...

I grew up with a basic understanding of God. My parents quit going to church when I was about 7 years old. I am thankful that I had at least the foundation laid of church and the bible. I can remember hearing all of the basic stories and different churches that my family attended when I was a young child. However, between the ages of 7 and 16 I may have attended a church a handful of times. Carnality naturally sank in and took over my parents, siblings and of course myself.  I was still taught manners and how to be polite. I thought of myself as a "nice guy" and my elders thought of me as a young gentlemen. I did well in school and ran around with the "popular" crowd. Yet, no one invited me to church, no one took the time to share the gospel with me and tell me that I was on the path to hell. If anyone asked I would say that I was a Christian but, in all actuality I was not, and I did not even comprehend what it meant to be a true Christian. God called me first wh...