The Worst of the Sins

Drinking, smoking, drug use, swearing, loose sexual morals, some may even say dancing are sins that Christians should avoid. The idea is that these sins somehow have greater impact on us than other sins. That is these sins in particular prevent us from being Good Christian folk.  The truth is Christians often debate which sin is the greatest or worst or most unpardonable. And many hold to the answer that all sins are mortal sins in that they separate us from God and a chance at eternal life.  This however may not be entirely true, and may simply be an easy out. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists sins that God hates:

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

 You do not see drinking, smoking, or loose sexual morals listed among them, Indeed, the sins listed in this verse from Proverbs deal for the most part with things that we do to others.  Of them only haughty eyes might be a sin that we commit towards ourselves. There are other places in the Holy Bible that indicate not all sins are the same. John 9:41 seems to indicate that learning of Jesus and rejecting him warrants greater punishment than those who sin with no knowledge of the Savior:

Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.

That is the sin of non-belief is sufficient to keep one out of Heaven. You see it mentioned again in the following verses:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him

should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6)

 Finally, there is one sin that is said to be unforgivable, a sin that falls outside God's Grace to pardon. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to commit an eternal sin, one that simply will not go away:

 "Truly I tell you, all sins and blasphemes will be forgiven for the sons of men. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin. He said this because they [the Pharisees] were saying, 'He has an evil spirit'." (Mark 3:28-30)

Going by the Bible then, there are indeed sins that are worse than others, although all sins separate us from God. Generally, those sins considered worse in some way are either those that express disbelief in Jesus as the Messiah, or the extreme of not believing in God or the Holy Spirit. These are followed by sins that deal with how we treat others. What many Protestant Americans consider unpardonable sins such as drinking, partying, smoking, drug use actually fall behind these other two sets of sin. Therefore when we want to think of a clean living life. we should not be concentrating necessarily on not drinking, smoking, or using illicit drugs, but instead look at our relationship with God and others.

We must ask the questions, do we truly accept Jesus Christ as our Savior? Do we truly believe in the Holy Spirit? Do we see God as our Father in Heaven?  And after those questions we must look to how we treat others. Do we truly love our neighbors as we do ourselves? Do we seek to treat others as we would wish to be treated? Do we try not to make judgements of others' sins and shortcomings?

One thing I have learned since returning to Christianity is that a good Christian is one that loves God, and loves others, and believes in all his or her heart that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. If one can do those things, I feel all sort of things people may feel are wrong, God will more swiftly forgive. I have said it time in and time out, it is how we treat others that  is at the heart of our religion. Throughout the New Testament Jesus talks about how we should help the poor, and be kind to others. My Church's mission I think sums it up all nicely:

Jesus is Lord!

Love God - Love Others!

The Question is not, "Do You Believe in Santa?"

Every year at Christmas time, one of the aching questions for children is, "Do you believe in Santa?" Believing in Santa is one of those hallmarks of childhood. That a child believes in Santa is a indicator that they are still indeed a child, naive with a bit of innocence, things we as parents want to keep as long as possible. As adults though, the most important question at Christmas should be, "Do you believe in Jesus?" Oh, I have no doubt many, if  not most of us would answer, "yes," but do we truly believe?

You see there is a difference between thinking someone is real, and truly believing in them. I know for a fact that President Trump is real, but do I believe in him? Since this blog is about religion and not politics I will not answer that question, but I will say that one can believe someone is or was a real person without ever believing in them. The word, "believe" comes from Old English,  belyfan "to have faith or confidence." It was the word that the newly converted Anglo-Saxons chose to describe their relationship with their new found Savior, Our Lord, Jesus Christ. You see they had faith in him, they had confidence in him as their Savior. They knew with their conversion to Christianity that their souls were saved from eternal damnation. And what's more they knew that their souls were saved by doing what Jesus asked of them. They knew if they did things Jesus' way, that they were being lead to an afterlife of bliss in Heaven.

So answering the question, "Do you believe in Jesus?" is not one so easily answered. Yes, I think many if not most of us think he is real, but do we truly believe his way is best? Look at the world around us. Look at how people treat other people. Look at how you yourself treat others. Can we truly say that any of us believe in Jesus? Can you say we are confident that practicing his teachings will make this a better world? Or do we believe that selfish opportunist practices are the best way to

lead life?

How many times have you seen people look judgingly down on the downtrodden? Instead of lending a helping hand, too many times people ask questions like, "Why don't they just get a better job?" or "They would be better off without all those children?" We do not see it as our place to care for others. We think they should look out for themselves.

America is a nation of Individualists, we are not a Union, or a Community. We are, I fear, a nation that encourages people to lookout for their own self interests. And this flies in the face of what Jesus taught. While we glorify those that have achieved wealth or fame by looking out for themselves in the drive to hoard wealth, Jesus told us instead to look after those who need it most.

Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you (Matthew 5:42). 

He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:12-14).

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise (Luke 3:11).

By following those that have sought material gain, hoard wealth, and encourage us to do the same we are not believing in Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to hold dear to our hearts the Sacrifice He made for us to save us from our sins, and in holding his Sacrifice dear to our hearts, to practice what he taught. If we follow the ways of the World, we are saying that the ways of the Koch Brothers Charles and David H., and George Soros are better than those of our own Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are saying that stepping on the disenfranchised to get ourselves ahead is the way to live life, and that the way of Jesus is one for suckers and those gullible enough to believe all those hard luck stories of the poor, sick, and lame. And in doing so we are not believing in Jesus. We are not holding faith, being confident that what he taught is the way we should behave.Instead we have chosen the way of the World as being somehow superior in seeking our rewards. We are saying that those that encourage us to seek material gain at all costs and hoard material wealth know better than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And in choosing to believe in the World, we are also choosing not to believe in Jesus.

And if you consider yourself a True Christian, this is very sad as being selfish, stepping on others to get ahead may get us what we want in the short term (and that short term may be our entire lives), but in the long term, that is, all eternity it is the way of Jesus that will reap the greatest reward.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:18)

Believing in Jesus means so much more than just believing he was a real person, or even thinking he is the Savior, it means having faith in that practicing what he taught us about leading our lives, about how to treat others is the way to eternal Salvation, and that the opportunist ways of the World are a sure path to Hell. So when you are asked the question, "Do you believe in Jesus?" ask yourself, "Do I hold faith, have confidence that Jesus' teachings are the best way to live my life? Or do I believe instead in the wicked ways of the World?" Do you BELIEVE in Jesus?

Christmastide Huntsville Missouri 2018

After my divorce, I found it very difficult to be happy at Christmas. Even though I was pagan, we celebrated a holiday at Christmas time called Yule. Many of our current Christmas traditions come from that pagan holiday. Things such as drinking wassail or eggnog, eating ham, decking the halls with greenery, even gift giving stem from Yule. So all through those years I was pagan I celebrated Christmas in a fashion. When I returned to Christianity Christmas took on a new meaning. It was the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ. Christmas symbolized leaving my sinful, pagan past behind, and looking forward to a life as a man reborn.

Those first few years as a Christian again, Christmas was all about the Christmas lights, Christmas dinner, Christmas carols, and giving gifts. I enjoyed helping decorate Downtown Huntsville for Christmas.I decorated the house for Christmas. I went around and looked at the Christmas lights. I listened to Christmas carols on my car stereo. Now, with a new job, new place, and new girlfriend I am finding I do not have time for many of those things. And you know what? I do not miss them. Many of these were things I also enjoyed as a pagan, and had little bearing on me as a Christian. They were just superficial trappings that come with a winter holiday. No, what I enjoy now is time with my church family, my friends, and my family. It is the sense of togetherness, of oneness with my Church and with Christ that brings me happiness. And it is not just that, it is also in the way I treat strangers.

You see, people behave differently at Christmas. It is the time for the highest giving to charities. It is the time when folks truly believe in Peace on Earth and try to practice Good Will to Men. People are kinder, gentler, and nicer to one another. Oh, you still get those rude individuals unhappy Wal-Mart is out of the toy their child wanted, or the one irked because someone got to "their parking space" before they did, but for the most part many people do do unto others as they would have them do unto themselves. And I am no different. My behavior changes. I treat people better as Christmas approaches.

So what do we have to learn from this? The way many of us behave at Christmastide is the way we should behave year round. In essence, we as Christians should behave as if Christmas were every, single day of the year. We should be kind and considerate to our fellow man. We should not judge others. We should take time out of our day to be nice to those around us. We should attend church. Think of how nice the world around us could become if we just believed in Peace on Earth and Good Will towards Men everyday of the year?

Currently, it is my "weekend." I put weekend in quotation marks because my weekend comes in the middle of the workweek, I work the weekend shift at my job. So I am spending this last "weekend" of mine before Christmas getting ready. Yesterday, I did the bulletins for the Last Sunday in Advent and the Christmas Eve services at the Huntsville United Methodist Church. I have planned out my last minute Christmas shopping. I am in the last stages of getting ready for my Savior's birthday. With Christmas Day all that work will end, but one thing I do not hope ends, is the joy I get from being kind to my fellow human beings whether they be Christian, Jew, Muslim, pagan, white, black, yellow... to me kindness is what being Christian is all about, and not just something we should do at Christmas time. We should act as if it is Christmas everyday with joy at the birth of our Savior, and the drive to be kind to others. I think everyone's New Year's Resolution should be, act as if everyday were Christmas, and carry the joy and kindness of the Christmas season throughout the year.

Bringing Christ into Everyday Life

Too many of us only think about the Lord on Sunday morning. We wake up Sunday morning, shower, fix breakfast, relax a little, and then get ready for Church. We attend the service, visit with friends, sing, pray, put money in the collection plate, listen to the sermon, and then we get out of church, and go on with our lives. By Monday morning our minds are on bills, car repairs, miscellaneous expenses, work, and what we are going to have for supper that night. The rest of the work week is pretty much the same. On Saturday, we relax, maybe play golf, go to the movies, go to the club, spend time outdoors eat out, go to a special event like a fair or concert, or just stay home and watch TV. By Sunday morning, our minds are finally back to God again.

This is how it is for millions of Americans. We make hundreds of things more important than Christ. Worshipping the Lord is something we just do once a week. The rest of the time we are preoccupied with other things. It doesn't have to be that way. We can bring God into our everyday life. The obvious is attending Church activities throughout the week such as Wednesday night Bible study, men's and women's groups, volunteering for a Church charity. Then there are also daily Bible readings and such publications as The Upper Room and Our Daily Bread,  not to mention various Christian programs on TV. But to be real Christians we have to move beyond such things. These are only the trappings of Christianity, things to keep our mind to be focus on God. To be truly Christian one must practice the teachings of Jesus Christ every - single - day.

It's all right there in the Bible, Jesus tells us how to live. I probably do not need to tell people these Bible verses. Any Christian worth his or her mettle knows them, but here are a few anyway.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 22:37-39)

 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them: for this

is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12).

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven (Matthew 6:1)

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you (Matthew 7:1-3)

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away (Matthew 5:42)

He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise (Luke 3:11).

Christians are to treat others as they wish to be treated, love God and love others, not judge, and give to the less fortunate. There are many other verses on how to behave oneself, but to me these are the core of being Christian. Too often we get caught up in trying to get ahead, of thinking about ourselves and the ones we care for that we are mean or disrespectful of others, treat the less fortunate poorly, and otherwise focus on ourselves. We are, to quote a George Harrison song all about, "I, Me, Mine." We forget what Jesus has told us to do.

I am as guilty of it as anyone. I become focused on work. I do things to make my own life more enjoyable and comfortable without a thought of others. I am overly proud of my accomplishments, I step on other people to further my own ambitions. Then I have to remind myself, that is not what Jesus has told me to do. Please make sure not to do the same.

Sin

Here I am, sitting in my living room, waiting to go to work. I woke up early, and since I didn't write a blog post over the weekend, I decided to write one this morning. Trying to think of a topic, I decided on sin. Specifically, I cannot stop sinning. Oh, I do not do drugs, nor do I drink to access anymore. I have no sexual perversions. Those are not issues. My problem is being kind to people. Now most people will tell you I am kind to everyone, but I know that is not true. I have this problem of wanting to treat people as they have treated me, and not as I want them to treat me. And in the past year, some people have not treated me very nice. And so my reaction is perhaps that of most people, I want to get even, to hurt them as they have hurt me. I have tried to control it, tried to forgive, but it is so very hard to.

So I turn to the Bible, and use it as my strength to get me past these hateful thoughts. The Bible has much to say on hate. Here are a few passages:

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice

(Ephesians 4:31)

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12).

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27-28)

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:15)

In addition to turning to the Bible, I turn to the Lord in prayer. By praying for those that have hurt me I am able to work through my hatred of them. I try to do this everyday. I really need to get into a routine of it, and with time I can get past my hatred of those that have wronged me.

Hatred is no doubt, my greatest sin, but I hope with time, clinging to the Bible and praying through to the Lord I can work my way through it.

When It is Hard to Forgive

Having been pagan for a couple of decades, forgiveness is something I struggle with. In Asatru, you did not have to forgive. Indeed, many saw forgiveness as a weakness.You were supposed to hold people accountable to their actions. That might sound all noble in that it made people responsible for what they do, but what it really came down to is getting even for every little slight, hurtful word, or even nasty look someone gave you. In the long run, I realized it was no way to live. Forgiveness is necessary to survive in the world, even when it is difficult to forgive. and yet I struggle with it.

Years of emotional abuse from a religious community that did not believe in forgiveness and lacked

compassion left me not just weary of forgiving those that wronged me, but also with thoughts of, "I must get even." Even now, years after returning to the fold, I find myself wanting to right some wrong done me. I had a recent situation in which an acquaintance was trying to take advantage of a young mother I care for. At the same time he was running me down, making jokes of me, and how I felt and thought. He somehow thought the very qualities that make me Christian, being kind, considerate, thoughtful, compassionate were weaknesses to be made fun of. The thing is he really doesn't know me, having not seen me in decades. In the end, I was a far stronger person that he ever will be. The situation is resolved now, not to my satisfaction, but the young mother is safe. Still, a part of me wants to hurt this guy in ways that are unimaginable, and put him through the same pain he did me. I had to force myself to forgive him, and to much lesser degree to forgive her for believing him.

There are many other situations like that one in the past in which I found it hard to forgive the people involved. Somehow though, I found the strength to forgive, and it does take strength to forgive someone.  It is far easier to brood over some wrong done you, to plot revenge, sometimes even act on it. If someone is saying bad things about you, then it is so much easier to say bad things about them, than to just forgive them and move on. Forgiveness means controlling one's feelings, thoughts, and actions. And that is why it takes strength to forgive. It is not easy to forgive. It goes against human instinct which is to fight back.

Jesus was very clear on forgiving others. Indeed, we can not expect to be forgiven by him without forgiving others. This from the Lord's Prayer:

"And forgive us our tresspasses, as we also have forgiven our trespassers (Matthew 6:12)"

He had much else to say about forgiveness:

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins (Matthew 6:14-15)."

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? “Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times (Mathew 18: 21-22)"

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven (Luke 6:37)"

These are only three of the many, many passages on forgiveness in the Bible. If we are to expect to go to Heaven, we must forgive. But forgiving has its benefits in this world too. Forgiving others actually makes us experience less anxiety, hostility, and depression as well as lowers our blood pressure, and improves our immune system according to some studies. As for myself, I will probably have to struggle with forgiveness the rest of my life. Luckily, it is not in my nature to be a vindictive person anyway. Whatever, bad habits of not forgiving I picked up were while I was pagan. But I will forever have to guard against not forgiving others. As a Christian I must forgive! The Bible tells me so.

My (Second) Baptism

Yesterday, Sunday, July 29, 2018 I was baptized for the second time, this time as an adult knowing what I was in for. A little story here, I was baptized by sprinkling at age nine into the New Hope United Methodist Church. It was a little country church in a community known as Fort Henry about five miles west of Huntsville, MO. I went through confirmation classes, and for the next 15 years I was a Christian. I taught Sunday School, and at one point as a teen I thought about being a minister. But after high school I drifted away, but remained a Believer. But then amongst the worst things that can happen to a young man that is just starting out happened, my father died after a four year bought of cancer. I turned on God and the Church. In three years I was pagan, and years later I became a writer of pagan books. But God had a plan, slowly he showed me the flaws of what I believed, and guided me back to Christ. The turning point came while I was writing on ethics, and it occured to me that the Great Commandment and the Golden Rule were the answer to all my problems.

I started attending Church again. My own Church had closed years before so I attended Huntsville United Methodist Church. I knew most everyone there as I had grown up around them and was warmly welcomed. I never spoke a word of my pagan past. Then at my first Communion after returning to the Church, I accepted in my mind Jesus Christ as my Savior. I continued attending Church and slowly opened up about my life of idolatry. No one batted an eye, I was accepted with love and kindness. I was asked to be on the Admin Council. I hardly missed a Sunday. When Reverend Mike White became our pastor he preached often about the importance of baptism. One Sunday after Church I mentioned being baptized again. Rev. Mike is well awake of my pagan past, and was at the time, and said he thought given my past it would be a good idea.

And that brings us to yesterday. It started out as any Sunday, save I slept later than usual. I got up and prepared for Church. I came early as I had promised Matt, who usually runs the video screens I would do it to give him a break. That way he could for once sit and enjoy the service and not fret about getting the right hymn on the screens, It was Communion Sunday, my favorite service of the Ordinary Days ( a time when there are no major Church holidays). I went through the service doing my "job" and took Communion. After Church I ran to Dollar General after relaxing at home a bit, and then to Walmart to pick up some things, and finally to Taco Bell to grab something to eat. Once home, I composed a letter to a friend which I still have not decided whether to send as it is a touchy issue. And then fearing I would be late, I left for Rev, Mike and his wife Linda's beautiful home on Lake Nehai northwest of Salisbury, Mo. I made it there with time to spare, and slowly members of my Church family showed up.

Then the time arrived for the rites to begin. Another church member, Diane was also getting baptized, so it was quite an event for the church, Rev. Mike gave a short sermon on baptism, we sang hymns, and then Diane and I went out in the lake with Rev. Mike to be baptized. The water was at first cold, and I am no fan of water not being a good swimmer. Rev. Mike baptized me first. He had me cross my arms, inhale, and hold my noise. And then he plunged me underwater. Usually I close my eyes under water, but I left them open, and the feeling was exhilarating. I came up and had the most amazing feeling. It was not just the rush of the water, but the feeling I had been cleansed of my sins. It was am amazing feeling after a year of dealing with a whole host of problems ranging from rumors about my pagan past among other things, a prostate infection, a brief return to drinking, and trying to withdraw from an addictive prescription medication. All that along with issues among my circle of friends had brought bitterness, and some hatred or those that had wronged me. Now, though I was able to let that go. It was God that helped me make it through all of that, and now God had brought it full circle, and brought me back at last to Christ.

I feel like a new man. It has been a long process. I went from being a struggling writer to having a descent job since I returned to the Church. My family is healthy and doing better than they have. My circle of friends is smaller, but a much happier circle. All this I owe to God, and my choice to return to Christ. If you are a Believer, and have never been baptized, I strongly encourage you to do so. It is a life changer.

Addiction and God

Some of my friends have been addicts, some still are. Personally, I was addicted to alcohol at one point in my life. Many people do not understand addictions, and say silly things like, "Why don't they just stop?" Well, it is not as simple as that. Addiction usually starts out as a way of self medicating to control depression or forget some trauma in one's life. With truly addictive drugs like meth, heroin, cocaine this is truly dangerous as they are physically as well as psychologically addictive. Essentially, the mind and body will not function properly without them once addicted. So long after one is past their depression or trauma that started them using to begin with the need for the drug continues. People that have never done drugs may never understand, and therefore really have no reason to comment. And addicts are great at denial, no they are not addicted to the drug they can quit at anytime, they just do the drug to get things done, or all my friends do drugs are some of the common

excuses. The sad thing is they will put drugs ahead of everything else, friends, children, jobs, homes, and even God. They will compromise their morals while still clinging to some image of being Christian. I have seen kind and caring individuals turn into monsters that mock the non-user and even turn on those that truly care for them in favor of druggie friends whose only drive is to do more drugs. They will turn to bad people in order to get more drugs that will simply use them for sex, money, or anything else they can get off them. Any attempt to try to convince the addict they are an addict in need of help is likely to be met with hostility. It doesn't need to be that way. God can do anything even help an addict during recovery. By praying for addicts, and once they see they have a problem getting them to pray for their own recovery we can help them get back to a life of clean living.  Once sweet, loving, and kind individuals can return to being that again. Many addicts that are truly kind wage a war within themselves trying to remain kind and caring while fighting the selfishness and cruelty that comes with drug addiction. They do cruel things which they regret, and then try to make up for them with acts of kindness. Somehow the two never balance out with the bad outweighing the good. What does the Bible have to say about addiction?

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10)

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7)

I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22)

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:4)

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:18)

As you see, the Bible over and over and over tells us that God can help us overcome temptations of

the flesh. It also tells us giving into such temptations take us away from Christ. If we are to be Godly, caring individuals we must step away from such temptations as meth, cocaine, heroin, alcohol, and turn back to God. No one should place drugs above their sons and daughters, their jobs, their homes, their lives, their God. People are meant to love God, their friends, their family, and especially their children. Drugs take them away from all these people. I do not judge the addict. It is hard to stop, even harder to recognize one has a problem. Usually one has to hit rock bottom, and that is painful for anyone that truly loves them to see. Most addicts will see me as being self righteous with this post. That is the addiction talking for what I say is true, and I would hope that on some level they see a need to return to a life of sanity, to a life of caring for their children, their friends, their family, and turn back to God.  But until the time that my addict friends realize they have a problem and seek recovery, I will pray to God that they see their way to the other side of addiction, and that God lets them know I will be waiting for them on the other side.

The Importance of Fellowship

I try to make it a point to attend both Sunday Services at Huntsville United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Missouri as well as Wednesday night Bible Study. I feel worship and studying with others helps reinforce my faith. Many times I forget how Christians are to behave. I fail to forgive people or to love them as Jesus told us to do. I find it all too easy to hate those that have wronged the ones I love. Attending services reminds me of what I should be doing.  But in this day and age, many have made the church second to family outings, vacations, school activities, or sports. Guaranteed on the day after high school prom or a day when some sports tournament is going on church attendance will be lower. For many people Church is something they attend when nothing else is going on. This is not how it should be. Only once have I not attended Church in the past year because something else was happening, and that was to help a friend move. All other times I have missed I was too ill to attend.

So why has Church become secondary to other things? That is anyone's guess. Personally, I always try to make time for Church. I have turned down invitations to do other things so I could attend. It therefore mystifies me why someone would not attend church.  I have had late Saturday nights when I did not get in until the wee hours and still got up and attended Church. And I have turned down invitations to do other things as they were happening when I should be in Church. To me, the most important activity of the week is fellowship with my Church family. This is what the Bible has to say on fellowship:

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day

drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24–25)

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew 18:20)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ( Colossians 3:16)

Whether one chooses to attend Church or not is his or her own choice, but the Bible is clear on the importance of fellowship. Being with our Church family makes us stronger in our faith in my opinion. It lifts us up when we are down. It inspires us. It gives us food for thought. And I think it makes us better Christians

Anger is not Righteous

I can, at times be an angry man. When I was younger, I was prone to angry outbursts, sometimes outright temper tantrums. Since I have grown older I have learned self control but that does not mean I am not still angry at times. I have merely learned to control it. If you notice I am being stoic it means I am brooding, and you best steer clear. It is a demon I have to learn to fight because being angry is very Unchristian. The Bible is very clear on anger:

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20)

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:22)

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)

The key to controlling anger is to be quick to forgive. Most of time when we are angry it is because

someone has done something we feel it is wrong. Whether the wrong was done ourselves, or done to someone else it is best to forgive. It does not matter if someone has hurt us or someone we care about,  or the sheer magnitude of the sin we must forgive. The Bible tells us to forgive others, and how often we should.

21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22)

Sometimes it is hard to forgive. But it is something we must learn to do if we are to control anger.

By the Grace of God

I was raised in the United Methodist Church. It was where I spent the first 24 years of my life. I was baptized at age nine, taught Sunday School as a teenager, and at one point thought about becoming a minister. Then the worst thing that could happen to a young man that deeply admired his father happened. My Dad came down with lung cancer when I was 19. And he passed away when I was 24. I had been slowly drifting away from the church. Oh, I still believed, but it no longer played the role it once did. With my Dad's death though, I very wrongly blamed God. Here are all these people living the good life that prey on others, and then there was my father, a good man, made to suffer four years of slowly dying. He did not deserve that. How could a loving God do that to an honest, hard working man? What's more, what difference did being a good person make if it just ended in sorrow and suffering? Being one of those people that needed a higher power, I went looking elsewhere. I went looking for gods that would not make me be a good person just to suffer.

Two years later I found it in the form of the religion Asatru which believes in the old Norse gods

Odin, Thor, Frigga, Frey, among others. I devoted many years of my life to it, wrote seven books under the pen name Swain Wodening. It was not however, a very loving religion. People were prone to petty rivalries. I got accused of many things I did not do as were others. And as a result of that and my father's death I drifted in and out of depression, and turned to alcohol and drugs. Life after my father died was hard. Most of the time I was barely getting by. At one point I was homeless and living on bagels (long story). It was a far cry from the fairly privileged life I had known as a child.

Slowly, I made something of myself, got a job at a law office, got engaged, then got married to someone else. I moved to Texas. I was not happy though.  Asatru lacks compassion. There are no commandments telling people not to judge others, or commandments telling people to be kind. It very much encouraged sociopaths looking out for themselves. Don't like someone? Make up convincing lies about them and spread them everywhere you can. Don't want to take the blame for something you did? Blame someone else. Jealous of someone else's achievements? Do everything you can to bring them down. Many if not most Asatruar that are well known are falsely accused of something once in their life. Tricks included forged confessions to bad deeds supposedly written by the target of a smear campaign, false accusations, rumor mongering,  harassment, among other things. And having written seven books, been the leader of one of the several organizations, I was forever the target. In my time as a Heathen I was accused of beating my ex-wife, being schizophrenic, being a sex addict, abusing my position, among many other things. Now I must point out most Asatruar are good people. They are not mean to others, and like to lend a helping hand, but there are those few that use the lack of commandments for compassion to their advantage. Being prone to depression I made an easy target. They knew if they poked me enough they could get a reaction. As a result, I did things in anger, said things I am not very proud of.  In essence, I fought back. That combined with the alcohol led very much to a life of sin.

Around 2012, I had had enough, and decided to try to change Asatru. I had always written about

honor and the consequences of one's actions, that was enough to get people mad at me, but then I started throwing in bits about compassion. It was not received well. People said I had gone soft, that I had sold out, or was carrying Christian baggage. Disgusted at Asatru by 2014 I went looking elsewhere. Then one night while working on a blog post, it struck me, the Golden Rule was the answer. And everything changed. And thus began the journey back to Christ. I toyed with Christian Deism for a while, but then once I began attending church again, I began to realize Christ was my Savior. And with my first Communion since returning to the church it came to me Christ was indeed my Savior. And this is where God's Grace came in.

One of the things I was dealing with was the shame of having ever become Heathen, not to mention things I had done to hurt others. But with the Blood of Christ all that was washed away. All my sins were gone, and I was born again with a clean slate. It gave me the strength to begin to rebuild my life. I joined a community organization and organized the local fall festival. I began to be active in church. I began to interact with my friends more. I wrote my first books about something other than Heathenry. And I continue to build on that. I got a new job, and am preparing to move to a new place. It was the Grace of God, the gift of Salvation that has allowed me to do this. And Salvation is there for everyone. All you have to do is believe in Jesus the Son, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It took me decades to realize that. I had to follow false gods to do so. But now I am so glad I am saved.

A Guide for Treating Others

The Holy Bible has the perfect guide for how to treat others, and in a world where everyone is trying to get ahead it can give the guidance we need. It's message is simple.

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40)

This is not the only place that the Bible gives guidance on how to treat others:

Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets. (Luke 6:31)

Further, Christ also had this to say:

For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. (Matthew 7:2)

What more do we need to know? We are to love others as we love ourselves. We are to treat others as

we want to be treated. And you are not to judge others. This is more difficult to do than it seems. Are you to love the person that threatened your child? Are you to treat the person that stole your car as you want to be treated? Should you not pass judgement on those who wrong you? Jesus was clear on these things. I do not think he meant love others, but only when they do not wrong you. He did not mean only treat others that treat you well as you would yourself. He meant to do these things with everyone.

These are things I have struggled with since returning to the Lord. Am I to love my ex-wife even when she withholds contact with my son? Am I to treat the person that hit my car and drove off without so much as leaving a note as I want to be treated? Am I to not to judge the guy that threatened a female friend of mine with physical violence? I know what the Bible tells me to do, but emotions get in my way, and I find myself hating, treating others badly, and judging people. I have found that the best I can do is keep trying to do what the Bible tells me to do. And if I keep trying to do those things, maybe eventually I will.

The Importance of Forgiveness

From a previous post, you know that I spent years as a pagan. The form of paganism I was a part of was known as Germanic Heathenry, also sometimes called Asatru. I have talked in other places in the past about it's lack of compassion, and I have been quick to blame a lot of my issues on that. The honest truth is that I was partly to blame. Following my father's death, I blamed God for what had happened. I went through years of being critical of Christianity. I saw God as unloving and uncaring. No one, but myself had turned on the religion of my childhood.

Before I even became Heathen, I had become a person that was not very nice. I was selfish, caring only about myself. I turned to alcohol, and to a lesser degree drugs. By the time, I converted to Heathenry, I had already turned my back on my Savior. And part of the reason I turned to Heathenry was the very reason I am now critical of it. Heathenry allowed me to be the person I had become. Instead of finding a religion that would cure me of my woes, I had found one that would encourage them. I lacked compassion, and so I turned to a religion that also lacked it. And one of the things I turned away from was forgiveness.

Forgiveness is an important part of Christianity. We are to to forgive others. To me, at the heart of forgiveness is giving others the chance to change. Everyone has issues in their past that they would rather forget. Issues that they have long since atoned for. Forgiveness is allowing them to show that they have indeed changed. That is the same chance God has given us. The chance that by being born again, one has truly changed. I know for myself I have tried hard to change. I still have problems. I still blame others for what in all honesty I should accept full responsibility for. I still engage in behaviors I should not. But I am trying to change, and I want others to see I have changed. Forgiveness allows us to allow others to show they have changed just as it allows them too to change. Forgiveness allows us to let go of a past of sin, and look to a future of living with Christ.

Judge Not

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? (Matthew 7 1-3 KJV)

It is there in black in white in the Gospel of Matthew (and appears elsewhere as well), do not judge others. Unfortunately, it is easier said than done. We all make judgements about other people, whether it is by assuming what kind of a person someone is based on the clothes they wear, assuming they are immoral because of the friends they keep, or deciding they are a bad person based on a current or former addiction. We have all heard parents tell their children not to hang out with certain people. And there are even some Christians that do not want a certain class of people (meth addicts, alcoholics, gamblers, people that listen to different kinds of music) attending their church. Here's the thing, while it may be okay for a father and mother to decide who their children can and cannot see, it  is certainly is not okay in my opinion for a church member to decide who can or cannot attend his or her church. A church is in many ways like a hospital. Hospital systems generally do not exclude people based on the ailment or injury they have. They admit everyone, and sometimes transfer them to another part of the hospital system. Nor should churches exclude people based on what kind of sins they have committed.

When I think of judging others and deciding on whether they should or should not attend your church, I am always reminded of this passage about Rahab the prostitute from the Book of Hebrews:

By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (11:31)

The tale of Rahab told in the Book of Joshua in the Hebrew Bible was one of how a harlot was turned into a person of virtue through her faith in God. When Joshua sent spies into Jericho, Rahab instead of turning them in, hid them, and in return when Joshua attacked the city, her life and that of her family were spared and they became members of the Jewish nation.

Rahab showed faith in God, and as a result Joshua allowed her to join the Hebrews. Should we not also reward former and even current sinners that are seeking the Lord? We all sin, we are born with sin. Therefore, who are we to judge others simply because they do not sin as we do? So you do not condone drug use, does that give you the right to judge a recovering meth addict when you yourself have sins of your own?

Part of being a Christian is to help others stop sinning. Is there any better place to do that than in one's own church. Is there any better way to get someone to repent than by making them a member of a loving and caring congregation? So instead of looking down your nose at someone and saying, "We do not want their kind in this congregation," allow them to attend, show them the path back to God. Do you suspect they are continuing to commit the sins they once said they repented from? Have patience, some sins are hard to stop committing. Addictions can be tough to beat, someone raised in an unloving home might find it hard to be kind, a once shady businessman might find it hard to be totally honest. Our patience should be unending just as God's love for us is, and we should never give up on urging someone to stop doing what they know is wrong. And the easiest way to do that is as a community. Give fellow sinners the love and support they need to stop sinning. Do not turn them away at the door.

As Christians, we are supposed to be loving, caring, compassionate. It is not our place to judge others. My pastor, a very wise man of the world (literally, he was a Navy chaplain and travelled the world) once told me one sin is no worse than the rest. They are all just as bad. Lying is as bad as murder, theft is as bad as adultery. In the eyes of the Lord, they are all sins. So sure, that person you are judging may be a shoplifter...drug addict..compulsive gambler...ex-stripper...ex-con. but his or her sin is no worse than any sin, and none of us are free of sin, that you may have committed.

So I urge my fellow Christians, welcome the disenfranchised, the downtrodden, the rejects into your congregations. Many a sinner has been born again, and become loving contributing members of churches around the world. Wasn't that the whole point of our Savior Jesus Christ's self sacrifice, to save the sinners?  Then perhaps we should be helping others find their own Salvation through the Lord.

Photo of cross by Carol M. Highsmith - Library of CongressCatalog: http://lccn.loc.gov/2014633749Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/master/pnp/highsm/29500/29549a.tifOriginal url: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/highsm.29549, Public Domain, Link

Gossip is Godlessness

It is only natural people talk about other people. This is because people are interested in what others are doing, what is going on in their lives. And if everyone were honest about others and seeking to help them this would not be an issue. It becomes an issue when people are not being honest. It becomes a problem when people deliberately try to spread hurtful rumors about others. There are those that do not want to see other people successful. There are people that are prone to pettiness, to talking about people behind their backs with the sole intent of being hurtful. This may stem from vindictiveness, or from envy, or from jealousy to half a dozen other things. And some people may genuinely not want others to be happy. They are not happy in their own lives, so they do not want others to be happy in theirs. In my former religion, Heathenry (also sometimes called Asatru), this sort of gossipping behavior ran rampant. Many people used word of mouth as a way to bring others down. Not everyone was this way. Most Heathens are caring people, if not compassionate. But there was and is an element that simply wants to bring other people down. And with no tenets promoting compassion or forgiveness or discouraging judging others many people wind up hurt her by lies and deceit. It was this sort of behavior that made me realize Heatherny was not for me.

Sadly, many people that consider themselves Christian are also this way. It is not a behavior limited to pagans alone. Go to any small town in the nation, and you will have your town gossips. Usually, this is harmless talk about what others did on vacation, the birth of a neighbor's new grandbaby, the job that your friend just got. Sometimes though the gossip is about stuff that can hurt others' lives. People may claim a husband is having an affair, when indeed he is merely helping an old friend get through her hard times, and the wife is actually in on the helping. Or they may take someone having problems finding a job as meaning that person is lazy and does not want to work. Sometimes, rumors are prone to exaggeration, a night on the town may be taken as a person being an alcoholic. A speeding ticket that results in the search of a vehicle because someone drives the same make and model of car of a wanted felon may suddenly be spun into a drug bust.  Some folks simply want to spin tales, tell tall stories about others to make their lives more interesting. We all know that one person that seems to know everything about everyone.

The Holy Bible has several things to say on gossip. To put it bluntly, gossip, or at least malicious gossip is a sin. Here are a few passages:

A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. (Proverbs 16:28 ESV)

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. (James 1:26 ESV)

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak. (Matthew 12:36 ESV)

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit (Psalm 34:13 ESV)

And these are just a few of the passages on gossip. There are many others. And yet, many have no issue about saying things that are hurtful about others. Even if a hurtful rumor is true, what good comes of it? As Christians are we not to seek to help others and not hurt them? If your neighbor's son is a drug addict what good is it to spread it about town that he is a worthless lowlife? Would it not be better to encourage the young man to become a clean living boy dedicated to the Lord? If we speak good of others and not ill, it builds them up, and encourages them to be good people. To speak woe of them does the opposite. The Bible has much to say on this as well:

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1 ESV)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:1-11)

Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3) 

It is clear then what we as Christians are to do. We are to build others up, and not tear them down. We are not to judge others, but instead to love them, and to look out for their best interests. We are all prone to gossip. I know I am guilty of it at times. People like to talk. It is a way to pass the time. But we must be careful with what we say. We should always seek to build others up, and not tear them down.