I got a little fired up the other night

This blog is a little tough for me to write because some of the things that I’m going to say won’t sound too friendly, but they are things that I feel have been laid on my heart for me to say. It will be long and if you are not willing to read it and see what I’ve felt convicted to say then don’t bother. I’m directing this blog towards the people who are truly serious about their religion and the things that I say I am talking to myself as well. In other words I’m gonna say things that I’m going to listen to too. I’m directing this towards people that are truly devoted to their religion because if you’re not then I doubt that you’d be willing to do the things that I’m going to ask. But I’m laying it all on the table and I’m not holding anything back. Even though it is directed towards a certain group anyone is welcome to read it.

First off if you are truly a Christian then you need to start acting like it. The main reason why non-believers find religion a joke is because they see people claiming to be Christians with them all the time doing the same things that they are doing. And guess what, you shouldn’t. You should be set apart from everyone else out there in the world and live the life that God asks for you to live. So many people find Christianity to be full of hypocrites because it is full of hypocrites, and I’m sorry this is just how I feel but if you are not seriously trying to live a Godly life then you should quit saying that you are something you are not! In Revelation 3 God himself says that one thing he can not stand is a lukewarm Christian and that he will spit you out of his mouth, he’d rather you are hot or cold. So if you are not willing to be hot then you need to just be cold and quit trying to be in between because the only one you are fooling is yourself. Quit being stupid and get straight or quit giving Christianity a bad name and start giving the ones that are truly trying to live the way they should a chance to make a good name for God.

Next thing goes along with what Christians need to do if they see someone slipping away. James 4:17 says, “Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is a sin.” Now this is one of my biggest pet peeves when you see one of your friends doing stuff they shouldn’t but you are afraid to confront them about it. I owe my life to Nathan Sapoch for busting my balls when he saw my slipping. Now I was mad at him for awhile because I was too stupid to understand that he was looking out for me but if it wasn’t for him I don’t know where I’d be right now, I know that I probably wouldn’t be sitting here typing this out. They will get mad at you for a little bit but it will all be alright in the end. Like it says in James that if you know what you should do and you do not do it you are sinning! Something else from James that goes along with that is 5:19, it says, ”Dear brothers, if anyone has slipped away from God and no longer trusts the Lord, and someone helps him understand the Truth again, that person who brings him back to God will have saved a wandering soul from death, bringing about the forgiveness of his many sins.” Listen to that, you know that if one of your friends is acting stupid then you should say something to them because it is the right thing to do, but you will also be rewarded for doing it! Everyone has a friend like this so don’t be afraid to confront them! Everyone needs to be set straight every now and then because no one is perfect. So don’t sit back and watch your friends and family go to hell.

Next off are the things that I was talking about in the second paragraph about how Christians seem to be in the same place as non-believers doing the same things. 1 John 2:15-17 says, “Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; for all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself. And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.” Also read 1 peter 4: 1-6, "Since Christ suffered while he was in his body; strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking Christ had. The person who has suffered in the body is finished sin. Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants, not the evil things people want. In the past you wasted too much time doing what nonbelievers enjoy. You were guilty of sexual sins, evil desires, drunkenness, wild and drunken parties, and hateful idol worship. Nonbelievers think it is strange that you do not do the wild and wasteful things they do, so they insult you. But they will have to explain this to God, who is ready to judge the living and the dead." I shouldn’t even have to explain this one. If you can read then you should be able to understand what this is saying, it’s not hard. But still we find these “Christians” with the non-believers doing these things, and you know what, you’re going to have explaining to do.

Next off is the importance of who we choose to hang around. We all know the saying that we are who we hang out with. Well that is true. 2 Corinthians says, “Don’t be teamed with those who do not love the Lord, for what do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? How can light live with darkness? And what harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a Christian be a partner with one who doesn’t believe? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For you are God’s temple, the home of the living God, and God has said of you, ‘I will live in them and walk among them, and I will be their God they will be my people’ that is why the Lord has said, ‘leave them; separate yourselves from them; don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you, and be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters.” Now don’t get me wrong it’d be hard to lead people to God if you shunned yourself away from all non-believers but you gotta realize that you don’t need to do the things that they do. We are called to be set apart from them.

Another thing Christians need work on is our knowledge of God’s word. I’m sorry but I know that if I went to church and asked 50 people to give me 20 bible verses, less then half would be able to do it. Now I’m included in this group too. I could probably give you more quotes from a Metallica cd then I could the bible. But if we are so serious about this then why do we not know more. Could you tell me the difference between John Mark and John the Baptist? If not then maybe you should go do some studying. It’s time that we get serious. Why would you be able to tell me exactly what happened last week on American idol or Laguna Beach but not tell me what the preacher talked about last week? Like I said it’s time to get serious.

I’m gonna start this last point with a question. It was the hardest question that I have ever been asked, not because the answer was hard to think of but because I knew the answer and it just shows how selfish we are as humans. The question was, if you were not promised Heaven would you still be a Christian? Well I know that the answer is no. And it was hard for me to accept that because no matter how many excuses I tried to come up with, I couldn’t. I’m leading this into the idea of Christians being content. One of the worst sins that Christians commit is not being content with what God has given them. Get off your high horse. We already have more then what we deserve. Don’t believe me? Well you are able to sit at your house and read a blog on the internet. Not only are you blessed because you have a computer, an internet connection, a house or some sort of shelter, but you are also able to read and you are alive! And you know what; we don’t deserve any of that stuff. But it’s been given to us because of the love that God has for us. So be happy with what you have. Don’t get me wrong its ok to ask God for things, but don’t be upset if you don’t get what you want, just be happy with what he’s allowed.

This is about all that I’ve wanted to say and it’s getting pretty long so I’m gonna end here and just save some of the other stuff for another blog. I hope that by reading this that most of you will feel convicted and will re-evaluate the way that you are living. Because we all have to admit that we’re not living the way God asks for us too, otherwise we’d be perfect. And to clarify again I am talking to myself here too. I need to be listening to this just as much as anyone, but I also know how important it is to have someone say something to help set us straight every now and then because we all need it. And as a Christian I feel that it is my duty to be your accountability partner even if it is in an indirect way as a blog, because it is my responsibility to do what is right. And I’m hoping that someway this has helped you out. Or at least helped you decide if you are willing to be hot or just be cold.