In case you don’t know Tamara, she’s a former drug addict and dropout who has worked with five U.S. presidents and numerous heads of state, including Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, according to the bio on her web site. She’s also worked with many celebrities, athletes, and newsmakers including Colin Powell, Joe Montana, George Foreman, Goldie Hawn, Charlton Heston, Bill Cosby, Christopher Reeve, Billy Graham, and Mother Teresa. Her work has been featured in Time, People, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, on 20/20, 60 Minutes and CNN.

Tamara is one of the world’s most successful speakers and consultants. She’s trained more than two million people in seventy countries. She’s also a respected author, educator and businesswoman. And she’s the co-founder and executive VP of Get Motivated Seminars, Inc., a business training company that produces America’s largest business seminars.

Enjoy!

…We speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  – I Corinthians 2:1-5

As we were on our way to Panera Bread, I asked if she’d like to try something more healthy, like a sausage and egg biscuit at Chick-fil-A (ha!).

She made the mistake of saying she’d never had breakfast at Chick-fil-A. That clinched it. No Bear Claw this time….

When we got to the restaurant I ordered my standard: sausage-egg-and-cheese biscuit, orange juice and decaf. She ordered a fruit cup, decaf and a cinnamon cluster (she couldn’t get the Bear Claw off her mind).

As the assistant manager entered our order into the register, I watched the numbers on the computer screen and mockingly said, “Ahh, yes, that will be $1.99″ — knowing full well that this small meal would cost over $10.

The man across the counter pulled a small card out of his shirt pocket and handed it to me. It said something about my receiving a “Random Act of Kindness” with the word Free on it.

After my sarcastic remark about the cost, I was confused and had to ask what the card meant. He told me the meal was free.

“What?” I asked.

“You have received a random act of kindness,” he said.

“Wait, you mean the whole meal is free?!”

“Yes sir,” he said, as he hurried to get our food onto a tray.

“But I was just acting like a smart aleck and don’t deserve it,” I told him.

“That’s okay, sir,” he replied. “I was going to do it anyway. When I saw you getting out of your car and walking toward the door, I decided to give it to you.”

I was so pleasantly surprised, I thanked him and said, “You know, if anyone ever asks you what the grace of God is, you can tell them it’s like this.”

After we finished our meal, I went back to the counter and spoke to the assistant manager once more to thank him again and make sure he understood what I had meant. “Your Random Act of Kindness is like the grace of God,” I told him. “His mercy and favor is given to us, totally undeserved, even though we haven’t earned it.”

He just smiled. Obviously, he understood completely.

God just wanted to remind me.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. 
           – Ephesians 2:6-9

I don’t remember a more discouraging Easter time in our nation. We are in the midst of war overseas. Thousands of husbands, wives, fathers and mothers are risking their lives on the front lines, separated from their loved ones. At home many millions are out of work. Many of those who are still working live in fear they will soon lose their jobs. Employers wonder if they’ll make it through the year. State and federal government leaders talk about “change,” while creating a socialist society destined to fail, bankrupting our economy, and creating a financial burden that our children and grandchildren cannot bear.

No matter who you lead — employees, soldiers, students, or your children — this is an Easter when we need some good news. Some supernatural encouragement. Not pie in the sky. We need real hope. So let’s remember a few very important things and share them with others:

First, the Creator of the universe loves us so much that He sent His very own Son to suffer on our behalf and pay the ultimate price for our sins. Jesus earned the right for us to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

And even when He was suffering terribly on the cross for our sakes, Jesus demonstrated His love — and the Father’s love — for us by saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Finally, after living a perfect, sinless life and dying a terribly painful death for our sins, He rose again. And He promised to send His Spirit to reside in us. He promised to strengthen and empower us. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Nothing is out of His reach or control. And nothing is impossible with Him.

Be Encouraged.
One of the stories I like most in all the Bible occurred after Jesus was resurrected. It’s recorded in the 21st chapter of the gospel of John, verses 3-12:

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his clothes, for he was stripped for work, and sprang into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. (From the RSV Bible)

So when it seems things couldn’t get any worse — and you’ve been working ”all night” just to eat — be encouraged. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will show up — often when you don’t expect Him and in ways you won’t recognize Him — to show you where to cast your net. He will not leave you or forsake you. He will watch over you, protect you, provide for you, and bless you. And if He doesn’t do what you want or expect, He’ll do something better.

Best of all, if you believe in Him and follow Him, He will eventually take you home to be with Himself — eternally — in paradise.

Happy Easter! Glory to God in the highest!

When I’m excited about what’s happening — or going to happen — I am upbeat and happy. Like when we’re leaving for vacation and I’m full of anticipation and joy. But when our vacation is coming to an end, I don’t always hide my disappointment. (Don’t believe her if she tells you I pouted like a spoiled brat years ago on the final day of our Caribbean cruise. I was just having a particularly bad day – dispite the fact that everything had been just like the weather for seven days straight – perfect!)

I should be happy all the time. I am an amazingly blessed man in this life here on earth.  And knowing that I will someday spend eternity with Him, I should be filled with hope and joy every minute of every day. But how quickly I forget … and whine. (My wife actually has a sign in our kitchen that says ‘Thou Shalt Not Whine.’)

How sad. And scary.
If we are happy, joyful and excited only when things are going well, how are we any different than those who don’t believe in Jesus? We aren’t. And that’s the point Paul was making with the “elementary truths” in Hebrews 6. We can’t move on to maturity until the basics are automatically part of our everyday lives.

What we do with the first five “elementary truths” that I’ve written about for the past few days will determine what happens with the sixth “elementary truth” — eternal judgment.

On the one hand this should be terrific news. We get to determine how and where we spend eternity — blessed beyond our wildest dreams, based on how we love and obey Him (What no eye has seen … God has prepared for those who love Him. – I Cor. 2:9), or cursed (God ‘Will render to each person according to his deeds:’ to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. – Rom. 2:6-8).

On the other hand, knowing we will all face eternal judgment can be terrifying news if we know that we didn’t make the right decision regarding the basics of our Christian faith. We don’t want to face God at judgment if we did not: 1) Repent (turn from our sins to Him) and love Him with all our hearts and minds; 2) walk with Him daily in faith; 3) get baptized in water to demonstrate our faith and get immersed in His Spirit; 4) receive and use the power that is available to us through the laying on of hands; or 5) understand and share the fact that Jesus was resurrected from the dead — and we will be, too.

Are You Ready?
If you haven’t chosen to join the ranks of Christianity and gone through boot camp — the basics of the Christian faith — do it now. It’s not too late. Tell Him you want to know Him better. Turn from your selfishness — 180 degrees — and obey Him. Ask Him to empower you to be different, and believe that He will do it. Find a group of strong believers who can help you grow in your faith. If you do, you’ll face Him with confidence on the day of eternal judgment. And here on earth you’ll have hope. And you’ll act differently.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.  – I John 4:11-17

Here are some more scripture verses on eternal judgment…

Jesus is Judge
“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.  – John 5:21-29

We Are Not
Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “Will render to each person according to his deeds:” to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.  – Romans 2:1-16

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.  – Romans 14:10-13

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.  – I Corinthians 4:5

Each Of Us Will Face Him
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  – II Corinthians 5:10

The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their sins follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.  – I Timothy 5:24-25

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.  – Hebrews 9:27-28

Not Everyone Will Reach Heaven
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and “The fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.”   – Hebrews 10:26-27

Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter….  – II Peter 2:2-6

For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.  – Jude 4:-7

Final Judgment
Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.  – II Peter 3:3-7

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth — men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. – I Timothy 2:1-9

Paul’s Charge to Timothy — And Us
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  – I Timothy 3:10-17

It all starts with a 180.
When we hear about the Way, the Truth and the Life — Jesus — we must make a choice: Will we follow Him?

Once we’ve heard that Jesus died for our sins and God made Him pay for our transgressions, will we continue as we have always lived, or become a genuine disciple of His? If we have tasted the grace of God — His totally undeserved mercy, forgiveness and favor — will we repent?

Jesus immediately starting preaching about repentance after His 40-day fast in the wilderness:

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  – Luke 4:17

Here are a couple of other passages (there are dozens in the New Testament) about repentance:

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  – Acts 2:36-38

In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  – Acts 17:30

The verses above indicate how critically important repentance is for our salvation. But there are many other references to ‘repent’ and ‘repentance’ in the New Testament. To read them, do a search at Studylight.org.

We can’t fool Him.
Like the guy in the 1990s “I Love You, Man” Bud Light commercial, we can’t fool God. So if you’ve ever wondered what genuine repentance looks like, and whether you’ve really done it, here are a few definitions:

Webster’s: to repent is “to feel so contrite over one’s sins as to change or decide to change one’s ways.”

Baker’s Dictionary of Christian Ethics: Repentance is “not just feeling sorry, or changing one’s mind, but turning right around, radically altering the course and directions of one’s life, its basic motives, attitudes and world view.”

Eerdman’s New Bible Dictionary: “Repentance consists of turning from sin unto God and His service. The necessity of repentance as a condition of salvation is clearly inscribed on the biblical witness.”

In a nutshell, it’s not just about feeling sorry for your sins.  It’s not about good intentions. It’s about taking responsibility for your sinful actions and deciding to stop and live for God. It’s about completely turning around and going the other way — a whole new way — and not continuing to do what scripture clearly tells you is wrong.

Turn from what?
Sin. It’s not what you think is right or wrong. You must submit to what God says is right and wrong. Search His word in the scriptures. Start with the Ten Commandments. Those are the basics — about worshipping, serving and glorifying God, murder, stealing, slandering, lust and covetousness. When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus put it this way:

” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   - Matthew 22:37-39

Paul didn’t mince words when he talked about who was and wasn’t getting in the Door…

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.  – I Corinthians 6:9-10

Still not sure?
Although He used many different parables to describe our new life with Him, and what it looks like to follow Him, one of the most popular is the one about the sower and the seeds…

A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop — a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  – Matthew 13:3-8

Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  – Matthew 13:18-23

What kind of crop are you producing?
When you think honestly about your life, what’s it look like? Has the word been snatched from your heart? Do trials tear you away from your walk with Him? Do the things of this world get your attention more than He does? If so, it’s time to turn around. Your life here on earth won’t get any better until you do. And even worse, you’ll spend eternity separated from Him.

The first session led by Johnny Hunt at his 18^th annual Men’s Conference last weekend was about our being useful to God. He quoted II Timothy 2:20-21…

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

“When you got saved, Jesus, like an artesian well, over-flooded your life with God the Holy Spirit and began to flow through you and use you for His greater glory,” Johnny said. “And then we allowed different things to come into our life and it’s dammed up the flow, and you’re no where near the believer you used to be. You’re not of value to God’s kingdom because of choices you’ve made and things you’ve allowed to come into your life.”

He went on to say that most of us desire to be of value to God’s kingdom. We want to enrich the lives of others and help them grow as a result of our influence. But many of us have made poor choices. We crossed the line, missed the mark, yielded to our sinful nature and willfully rebelled against God. As a result, we have become less useful and less effective than we once were in our service to God.

There’s Hope
“God is eager to get you where He wants you to be — actually more eager than you to get your there,” Johnny said.

Then he reminded us of King David’s failures — his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, his scheme to murder her husband, and his attempt to cover up and hide his sins. Your beaver dam may be alcohol, drugs, pornography or a sexual relationship. For years my stronghold was smoking. It separated me from other believers and kept me from being effective in ministry. It made me feel dirty, and I became spiritually hard of hearing.

I knew what it meant to live in the joyful, purposeful presence of God. I had experienced the excitement of walking with Him and serving Him. But I continually rebelled and created a distance between Him and me. I lost the sense of satisfaction, joy and peace that comes from obeying Him.

Father’s Discipline
Thankfully, in 1999 God let me suffer the consequence of my sin through a heart attack. Suddenly I had no choice but to quit. The doctors put a stent in one artery, performed angioplasty in another, and told me the nicotine would kill me if I didn’t quit immediately.

Of course God gave me the strength to do it. Then He restored my joy, peace and hope. Hopefully He’s making me useful again to His kingdom.

Come Home
If you’re feeling disgraced, distant, and depressed, and like nothing can cleanse your sin-stained soul, listen to these words from Johnny: “If you knew what I knew about God’s character, you’d feel greater liberty to come home… to know that He is a God of loving, tender mercy.”

So don’t do as I did and waste years of your  life. Instead, do as King David did. Cry out to God, obey Him, and get the River of Life flowing again…

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,  sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
                                                                      – Psalm 51:1-17

My behavior spiraled downhill fast in high school, where there were three groups of kids: greasers with the “wet look,” collegiates/jocks with the “dry look,” and the dozen or so guys I hung out with. We had the dry look, but we weren’t nice.

Wherever we went we caused trouble. We regularly drank too much, started fights at football games and parties, and stole cars for joy rides in the wee hours of the morning.

I wish those things were the worst of it.

We had two unofficial leaders. We didn’t vote for them. They just naturally took charge and made sure we had something crazy to do almost every night.

One of these two leaders was an amazing fighter. He was only about my height, but like David against Goliath, he was fearless and would take on guys much bigger. And I never saw him lose a fight.

Our other leader didn’t look for fights. He looked for girls. He could handle most guys when needed, but he also had a unique bad-boy charm that the girls loved. As a result, he dated some of the brightest and most beautiful girls in school. He was the kind of guy that every daughter’s father hated, and why some bought shotguns.

We admired the leader who could fight so well, but we envied the ”lover.” And as pathetic as it seems now, he became our hero. We actually tried to emulate the guy who broke girls’ hearts. And some of us formed habits that went from bad to worse.

Even after God made Himself known to me, I found myself continuing my selfish actions, and needing to confess my sin afterward. And no matter how many times I watched Good Will Hunting or heard “it’s not your fault” from a well-intentioned minister or counselor, I knew deep down it was my fault. I was guilty. I needed a redeemer, and someone who would empower me to change.

Thank God for Jesus Christ and His willingness to pay the price for my sins and send His Holy Spirit to us all.

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.     – I Cor. 6:9-11

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed….     – James 5:16

Usually, when someone asks me the So-how’s-that-working-for-you? question, the answer is obvious. It’s not working for me. And they know it before asking.

But if the issue is important — especially if it’s ‘life or death’ important — I hope whoever I’m talking to will have the courage to ask me anyway. That’s what my friend did many years ago when he came into my head shop and saw me reading scripture behind the counter. He walked up to me and asked if I understood what I was reading. It was a So-how’s-that-working-for-you? question without actually saying it.

This past weekend my wife heard some ‘life or death’ questions while she was at a Community Bible Study leadership conference in Charlotte, NC.

William Fay, one of the video-conference speakers, had an interesting background. He hasn’t always revered Jesus Christ. He used to run one of the largest houses of prostitution in the U.S., according to his video. He was also involved in racketeering, bookmaking, and gambling. In addition, he was president and CEO of a multi-million-dollar, international corporation. But over the years since then he has asked thousands of people the questions below. Read them carefully and see how you would answer them:

Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs?
What do you believe about Jesus?
Do you believe there is a heaven or hell?
If you died right now, where would you go, and why?

Here is Bill Fay’s ’So-how’s-that-working-for-you?’ question, without actually saying it: Suppose what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?

If your answer is no, close this Web page and move on.

But if you’re still curious, read the following scripture passages out loud, and think about what they mean to you.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(Romans 3:23)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23)

“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
(John 3:3)

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

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’”
(Romans 10:9-11)

Now, based on the scriptures you just read, answer these questions:

Are you a sinner? (“For all have sinned…”)
Do you want to be forgiven for your sins? (“For the wages of sin is death…”)
Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus Christ?
Are you ready to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and give Him your life?

If you want to invite Jesus into your life, say this simple prayer:

Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I want and need forgiveness for my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give you my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you’ve prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, your life will never be the same. But you must put your faith into action. Start looking today for others who believe as you do, by finding a church that believes strongly in Jesus Christ. Get plugged in so you can grow in your faith and experience God’s love regularly.

Here are a few church locators and/or directories for some of the Christian denominations:

Anglican
Assemblies of God
Baptist
Calvary Chapel
Christian & Missionary Alliance
Christian (Disciples of Christ)
Church of God International
Churches of Christ
Evangelical Covenant Church
Evangelical Free Church
Foursquare Church
Lutheran
Methodist
Presbyterian

In addition to the directories above, you will find many active, growing churches in the Yellow Pages under Churches>Non-Denominational, Churches>Independant, Churches>Charismatic, and Churches>Pentecostal.

God bless you in your new adventure with Jesus Christ. You’ve begun the ride of your life!

Sexual sins were my greatest problem when I was young. I believe a big part of it started when I was about ten, after my uncle, Father Joe (a Catholic priest) molested me. Those sickening memories haunted me until my mid-30s.

As a result, for many years I despised homosexuals. When a blantantly effeminate man would serve me in a restaurant, I would get very angry and often wanted to leave. My frustration and anger grew to a boiling point until shortly after my uncle died. Before his death I was too embarrassed to tell anyone about what had happened, and I doubted anyone would believe me. But when my mother — Father Joe’s sister — asked me to go to his funeral, I wouldn’t do it, and I told her why.

Just as I had always feared, I don’t think she believed me. Regardless, I started getting more out-spoken and angry around gays, which made my wife very uncomfortable.

Eventually, in my frustration and anger, I actually called the Catholic bishop’s office in Washington, DC. I’m not sure why, or what I planned to say. I only I knew I wanted to spew something hurtful and ugly. I wanted revenge.

 I didn’t get any further than the bishop’s secretary, who was an effeminate-sounding male. He screened my call, and asked why I was calling. I told him what had happened when I was a kid. He was barely polite when he informed me that there was no way he was going to put the call through… my anger turned to rage.

Not knowing where to turn, I called the local Catholic church that was only a mile or two from my office. A polite woman answered the phone. Without going into any detail, I asked to speak to a priest. She suggested I come over and visit, so I did.

Our Lady of Nazareth Catholic Church, Roanoke, Va.

When I got to the office, the secretary took me straight into the priest’s office. He was a thin, short, white-haired little-old-man. As I walked through the door he placed two chairs about four feet from each other and asked me to sit down facing him. Then like a gentle grandfather he asked, “How can I help you?”

I actually didn’t believe he could help. The decades-old incident was followed by so many sins that I couldn’t begin to imagine how he could help. So I angrily blurted out what had happened 25 years before. A minute or two later, when I was finished expressing my hatred and anger, he asked me a simple question:

“Do you want to be healed?”

What kind of question was that? Of course I want to be healed! But how?

He slowly and calmly said, “Close your eyes. Imagine your uncle standing on your left side, and imagine Jesus standing on your right. Now tell your uncle that you forgive him.”

I thought it was a wierd request and it felt a little creepy. But I was so desperate that I was ready to try anything. Despite how strange it seemed, I closed my eyes, imagined my uncle next to me, and said, “Father Joe, I forgive you.”

Then the priest said, “Now tell Jesus that you forgive your uncle.”

I did.

Immediately after I said, “Jesus, I forgive my uncle,” the priest prayed for me and it was over.

No, I mean it was finally, totally over. The anger, hatred, frustration, guilt, everything about it was over. Gone. For the first time in 25 years, I felt clean, forgiven, and ready to start a new life.

Some of my Protestant friends may struggle with the theology of what happened to me with that little white-haired man. I won’t defend it. I can’t explain it. But after more than 20 years, I know it worked. So if you frequently find yourself angry, hateful, or frustrated, give some thought to forgiveness — for your own sanity, as well as those around you.

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