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A Christian seems to have varying meanings and definitions in today’s world. Many incorrectly define what a Christian is. Some people define a Christian as a polite person. Some define a Christian as a person who does good works. Others view a Christian as a person who goes to church, reads the Bible, or memorizes scriptures. Those things are attributes that outline some of the many things a Christian should do, but they don’t define a Christian. Many people do those things but aren’t Christian. Satan does some of those things, and he is certainly not a Christian.   “He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have done, but because of His own compassion and mercy, by the cleansing of the new birth (spiritual transformation, regeneration) and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5 AMP).   So the question that still begs to be answered is: What is the definition of a Christian?   The definition of a Christian is easy. But being a Christian is not easy. In order to become a Christian, you have to put off the old man and put on the new man. In other words, you have to reject your own or worldly ways for the ways of God. You will no longer live life according to yourself, but according to God’s ways. When a person does that, they become a Christian. The hard part is making that paradigm shift, changing your life from the ground up.   “Whoever says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him” (1 John 2:4 AMP).   No more living life to obtain personal gratification. No more living life to keep up with the Joneses. No more living life to get as much money as possible. No more viewing organic or inorganic beings and things as idols. No more worshiping anything or anyone else but God. No more living life for personal gain. No more being quick to anger. No more solely looking inwardly, but outwardly to be a blessing to others. No more looking to others or yourself to guide you in life, but looking upon God to always guide you. This doesn’t mean you ignore people’s advice, but you test that advice against the Bible and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When you have peace about it and it is compatible with the Bible, then you can act on that advice.   No more relying on medicine to heal you. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take medicine or go to the doctor, but don’t rely on them; rely on God’s will to give you understanding of the medicines He wants you to take when a doctor offers the choice, and for how long to take them. Basically, a Christian is a person who emulates Jesus Christ. “Followers of Jesus Christ were first called ‘Christians’ in Antioch (Acts 11:26 [and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For an entire year they met [with others] in the church and instructed large numbers; and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians]) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word ‘Christian’ literally means ‘belonging to the party of Christ’ or a ‘follower of Christ’” (Got Questions Ministries, 2022). A question every Christian should ask themselves is, “What would Jesus think, say, or do?” As the Scripture eloquently states, Christians are followers of Christ. You may ask or wonder, “What is a follower?” According to the applicable parts of Merriam-Webster’s definition of the word follower, below is their definition: fol·​low·​er 1    a: one in the service of another : retainer b: one that follows the opinions or teachings of another c: one that imitates another 2    archaic : one that chases 6 : fan, devotee Merriam-Webster’s definition perfectly describes what a Christian is to Christ: a servant or “retainer, one that follows the opinions or teachings, one that imitates, one that chases, and a devotee” (Merriam-Webster). Again, every Christian should ask themselves, “What would Jesus think, say, or do?” and then think, say, and do things according to Christ.   1. Titus 3 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/TIT.3.AMP . 2. 1 John 2 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/1JN.2.AMP . 3. Acts 11 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/ACT.11.AMP . 4. What is a Christian? Got Questions Ministries. (2022, January 4). https://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-a-Christian.html/ . 5. Merriam-Webster. Definition of Greed. Merriam-Webster.com . https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/follower .

I have come to disagree with the notion that the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money is greed. I, myself, believe that greed is actually the root of all evil. I am going to delve into greed in a way that you may not have been accustomed to before. Greed is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a selfish and excessive desire for more of something (such as money) than is needed” (Merriam-Webster). Greed is clearly evil and goes against all that God stands for. “[16] For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. [17] The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever” (1 John 2:16-17 AMP).   There are evil things out there that aren't tied to money, like the power one can have over people. Power and money are not necessarily connected. In this situation, the person would be full of greed, wanting more and more power. Think of an authoritarian, wanting absolute authority over their subjects, impeding the freedom of the people. Freedom that God has granted us through free will. Another example is gluttony. Greed is involved, because a person is not content with eating normally and wants to eat more and more on top of what they actually need to eat. This may be the result of many factors including low self-esteem. Maybe that person finds comfort in food. Regardless, gluttony is a sin, and one can find supernatural comfort in God.   Greed is even evident in a lie. Why do we lie? Isn’t it born out of the desire to escape from doing something or feeling one kind of way? One can lie to continue feeling good about oneself. They want more minutes of the day feeling good about themselves. Lest they face the consequences of their actions or the truth. So they lie to preserve their current state of mind and keep their life operating the way they want, without any change. They will do anything to preserve their current state of living. You can achieve the same thing by being honest and truthful. But many times, you may have to face the consequences in life head-on, while a liar lies to avoid facing them. Life isn’t a bed of roses. The desire to escape a situation that may make one lie, also involves murder. This will either include committing murder to hide one’s secret, committing murder to preserve one’s position, job, or authority, or committing murder because one is dissatisfied with their life and driven to murder by rage or envy. These are just some examples of the motives for murder. Murder is a product of greed.   The ultimate form of greed is the desire to preserve one’s current way of life—having one’s life operate the way they want it, without any change—by rejecting God. With God, a life change is required. They want to keep doing the things they want to do, unimpeded. There is always one thing that is present in all forms of greed, selfishness. Being content with your current situation neutralizes greed in all its forms. A person is able to be most content when they place their trust in God and not in material things or socioeconomic statuses. God will provide all we need. He makes a way for us to attain what we need. I used the word “attain” because it may not be as easy as manna falling from heaven. I used the word “need” because our wants and desires aren’t necessarily what we truly need. But in good time, He rewards us and satisfies our needs. 1. Merriam-Webster. Definition of Greed. Merriam-Webster.com . https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greed . 2. 1 John 2 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/1JN.2.AMP .

Christianity does not have as many adherents as many people assume. Don’t get me wrong. There are billions of Christians around the world, with people becoming Christian every day. Many people are included in the Christian population despite not fully practicing or embracing its beliefs. Some others will backslide but will eventually come back to God like the prodigal son. However, I’m referring to the ones that were not fully Christians to begin with. This blog entry will discuss those who weren’t fully Christian. The ongoing mass Christian exodus doesn’t include the fully invested born-again Christians. It's the thinning of the herd. It's the sifting of the body of Christ, distilling the true born-again Christians from the people who call themselves Christians but whose hearts aren't fully on God. Again, there are some who will eventually come back to God, but I am not talking about them. I am talking about the mere religious people who either think being a good person is enough or thought it would be nice to try out that Christian thing and got disinterested rather quickly.   Many people want to become Christian for the wrong reason. They think they can play both sides. They talk a good game in Christ but are not abiding by God in their lives. They want to eat all their cake and eat it later. Those people are either lukewarm or have gone in with faulty expectations. They thought that Christianity was easy but found out that it is actually hard. They soon realize that they can’t treat Christianity like a bank from which they can withdraw their desires at any time. Christianity is easy to discern for the most part but hard to implement at times. Christianity often goes against the worldly ways of life, and some people refuse to let go of their carnal mentality and worldly possessions. They ultimately want to do their own thing, which doesn't bode well for them in furthering their pursuit in Christ.   There is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus, not through the Pope or any man. Christianity is an exclusive membership with the best benefit of all, eternal life with God. But you have to go all in to become a true servant of Christ. Christianity is life-changing. Believe me, I speak from experience. I was once going the wrong way. My past experiences made me very aggressive and quick to anger. But when I had the chance to become born again as a teenager, I chose to fully accept Christ in my heart and was forever changed. Being born again doesn't exclude you from going through tribulations, believe me. But being born again affords you the power from God to get through to the other side. He will not let your situation become unbearable. He will always make a way. But that doesn't mean you won't face hardship.   If Jesus faced hardship in life, you will also face hardship. But with God’s grace, you will be able to soldier on through all things, and in the end, come out wanting nothing. Your needs will be met, not your wants, when the time comes for you to receive it—God’s time, not yours. However, you have to first choose to completely follow God. That is, putting off the old man [or woman], the person you used to be, and putting on the new man [or woman], the new person in Christ. It’s your choice, but God wants you to choose Him. So I hope you do choose Him.

Doing good works does not make you Christian. Same thing with going to church. Going to church doesn’t make you Christian. Even reading the Bible doesn’t make you Christian. And saying you are a Christian in a rote manner, or in parrot-fashion devoid of your heart, doesn’t make you Christian. Lastly, your parents being Christian doesn’t make you Christian. Christianity is simply becoming born again, aligning your life to God's Will through his Word. Becoming a new person in Christ, shedding your old ways that are inconsistent with God. You don't change who you are completely, but the catalytic event will make you become better. It is a transmogrifying process, like a caterpillar metamorphosing into a butterfly.   The Bible is the bedrock of Christianity. Christianity can be seen as the pursuit of being more like God by having a fellowship with Him through prayer and meditation, and learning from His Word. Seek the Word, the Bible, not the words that people say. No man is inherently righteous; only God makes us righteous. His Word shows us how we can accept Him in our lives. The truth is God's Word which is the Bible. Some people choose to believe in things that they can examine. However, science is not infallible. Science is not a medium to determine what is fact and what is not. Science keeps evolving.   Things in the past were deemed to be false, like the Earth being round, until science evolved and determined it to be true. Some things in the past are now deemed to be dangerous in excess. One of the best examples of this is the x-ray, which the “clinical use of the X-ray flourished, with little regard for potential side effects from radiation exposure,” in the early 1900s ( Columbiasurgery.org , 2025). But science has greatly evolved since then. “We now have a far better understanding of the risks associated with X-ray radiation and have developed protocols to greatly minimize unnecessary exposure,” ( Columbiasurgery.org , 2025). The science when the x-ray was discovered wasn't as robust as the science when the potential harmful effects of the x-ray were proven. Science is just a means to understand the world around us, and is limited by our advancement in thinking and understanding.   Science cannot explain everything. We are still much in the dark about many things in nature, let alone the human body. We as humans have made great strides to reveal things all around us, but many things are still puzzling to us and science still can't explain. Science can’t explain love, not lust, but love. Chemicals may explain lust, but it cannot explain love. Well, does it though? Or does the chemical reactions that do occur a byproduct of lust, not the cause of lust? For that matter, any emotions at all? No, science can’t define emotions. Science just helps us understand what happens to our body when emotions occur. Science certainly cannot explain why people can have different emotions when they are exposed to the same things. A show can evoke happiness in some, but boredom in others. If science was the end all, be all, then miracles wouldn’t exist. Let's not talk about all nature or reality as a whole in absolute terms, because there are multitudes we don't know and may never know.   Life is much about faith, whether you believe in God or not. We all have faith that this medicine won't cause side effects, faith that the car in the other lane will not come into my lane because there is only paint separating one lane from another on the road, faith that this airplane will not fall out of the sky, faith that these cars won't jump the curb when we are walking on the sidewalk. People still have faith even though accidents continue to happen. Then, why is it so hard to have faith that there is a God? I think the better question is this: why are some people so averse to the existence of God? Why is it so bad to believe in the existence of God? Why do some get so bothered by someone uttering the name of God or Jesus? Why do some people have a need to ridicule people who have faith in God when life revolves around faith every day? Is it that some are afraid of things they can’t fully understand? Is it that some don’t want their lives to change? Is it that some don’t want the conviction that comes with believing in God? Is it that some don’t want to entertain the revelation that there is a Heaven and a Hell and what that means for them?    You can choose to believe in God or not. Waiting for empirical evidence of the existence of God is a colossal waste of time. There will never be concrete evidence because God indeed gives us free will to choose. He doesn't want robots. Therefore, it takes faith to believe in God. You can either take the gamble that there is no afterlife, or you can have faith in the existence of God. You can harbor the sentiment that believing in God is not freedom, but God frees us from the bondage, tribulations, fruitless traditional and conventional thinking, and the endless, meaningless pursuit of material things of the world.   A Christian already knows the end: Heaven. Why worry or stress about the things in life when Heaven awaits? Having faith in God puts this life into perspective. This life is like a vapor. Before you know it, it is gone. Life is fleeting, but eternity is not. I choose to spend my eternity with God.   Where do you want to spend eternity?   1. History of Medicine: Dr. Roentgen’s Accidental X-Rays.  (2025, October 05). Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Department of Surgery, New York, NY. https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2015/09/17/history-medicine-dr-roentgen-s-accidental-x-rays .

Just because you are a Republican doesn't make you Christian. Reading the Bible, going to church, quoting scripture, and saying you're Christian doesn't make you Christian. What makes one a Christian is devoting your life to God, behaving like Jesus in all ways even when someone is not looking, and putting your entire trust in God.   In the same fashion, conservatism is not Christianity. Christianity is not liberal or conservative. Too many people associate Christianity with these things. Christianity, true Christianity, does not condone racism, pride, abortion, homosexuality [the act, not the person], and other sinful things that some condone or practice in the Republican party or in the Democratic party on a daily basis. Anyone can call themselves Christian, but one's actions demonstrate who really is Christian. One doesn’t embody Christianity by disparaging people, making fun of people, choosing violence or vandalism, or supporting abortion or same-sex marriage. It is important to not look down upon the ones who commit such sins or any other sins, because they are human beings and should be treated with respect and dignity as you would treat yourself or your family. You should stay ready for God to direct you to become a blessing in their lives, creating the foundation for God to work in their lives so that they can hopefully choose to experience the world as a born again Christian.   Christianity is apolitical. Jesus, to some, can be viewed as a liberal if you really know what he is all about. But Jesus was neither conservative nor liberal. Those are just labels many use to create division. Jesus was a person who possessed attributes and ideologies that can be seen as liberal and conservative. Jesus would rebuke both the Democratic and Republican ideologies as a whole. The “us vs them” attitude amongst both parties is especially caustic. You can see the “us vs them” play out in the world outside of America. How can you be a blessing to others if you see your fellow brethren as enemies? America is weakening because of all the political division we have as well as other divisions in America. America is woefully divided and is crumbling as a result. Divisions are taking root in the world, causing heartache and strife for so many people. Conflict is the product of division. It’s not just America; it’s a global plight.   Covid-19 was and still is somewhat of a global plight, though the pandemic is essentially over. For some reason, many people infused politics into the Covid-related discourses. You had people up in arms about mask mandates and vaccine mandates. You had some saying that they are Christian and shouldn’t be subjected to such mandates because God will protect them. Oh, how wrong those people were. Many paid with their lives. Their intentions were not pure of heart unlike Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:   “[22] Because the king’s [Nebuchadnezzar’s] command was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. [23] But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.   [24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [looked and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, “Did we not throw three men who were tied up into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, ‘Certainly, O king.’ [25] He answered, ‘Look! I see four men untied, walking around in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!’ [26] Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out [of there]! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire. [27] The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counselors gathered around them and saw that in regard to these men the fire had no effect on their bodies—their hair was not singed, their clothes were not scorched or damaged, even the smell of smoke was not on them.   [28] Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who believed in, trusted in, and relied on Him!” (Daniel 3:22-28 AMP).   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were righteous in their stand against Nebuchadnezzar and his order to worship his idols and gods. They were not the ones who chose to put themselves into danger. They were forced into that situation, because they would not sin. The people who carried out their misguided, self-centered crusade were not rebelling against sin. They were rebelling against a false perception of gross inconvenience, and a false view of science.   Vaccines or masks aren’t evil and are tools to combat certain kinds of evil, diseases like Covid. Didn't God create us all and instill in us the ability to create? God is compatible with all true science. He is incompatible with junk science we tend to see nowadays, including Evolution. Science involves the scientific method which in reductive terms is having a hypothesis or an educated guess and testing out that hypothesis. One cannot test the hypotheses within Evolution; therefore, Evolution is not true science but is just a collection of educated conjectures without any ways to be verified.   While I’m at it, where is the science within the abortion discourse? How can one justify an “elective” abortion [an abortion without a life-saving need or is rape-based and not to be confused with the medical term], with the response that the fetus at a certain point is just a clump of cells? Aren’t embryonic stem cells living? Thus, if you destroy those cells, you destroy a living organism. In this case, you destroy life that would have advanced to a fully formed baby in the womb? Without those living cells, life cannot be. Those cells are different from other cells in your body. In the end, abortion destroys living embryonic stem cells, which is taking away life which is murder. Furthermore, the saying, “my body, my choice,” is rooted in a misconception that it is the woman’s body that is in question. It is not. The child, another entity, is the crux of the matter. A woman with child, which is when there is a zygote at conception, has a human being inside her. “At the moment of fertilization, an unborn baby possesses all the DNA-coded information” (Choices Pregnancy Centers, 2025). The fertilized egg is called a zygote. “The zygote contains all of the genetic information (DNA) needed to become a baby,” and half the DNA comes from the mother and the other half comes from the father ( Medlineplus.gov , 2025). Thus, another person is involved, not just the mother. The soon-to-be-fully-formed baby has a separate DNA from the mother. A person’s DNA ensures that they are a human being. In short, DNA makes a human, a human.   So what else do some people want so that they come to the realization that the collection of embryonic stem cells in the embryo are human beings? That scientific thinking is devoid in many people’s thinking as they proclaim all abortion as vital health care. Medically needed or rape-based abortions are examples of vital health care, not “elective” abortions. Women should still take pause when deciding whether they want to do an abortion when rape is involved. Many women who decide to carry their baby full-term and give their child up for adoption still change their minds and want the baby after giving birth. So, some rape victims may have a different viewpoint after they choose to give birth. This decision should not be taken lightly and should involve the husband, if the woman is married. Let's talk about when rape is not involved. It takes a woman and a man biologically to create a baby, so the father should have a say in the decision as well. Abortion is not entirely involving the woman. Again, the baby is a separate person. And it involves the man’s body as well. The baby has half the DNA from his father. Rightfully so, a man should equally take part in the decision. There are three people involved. Sadly the child can’t speak for themselves, so it rests with the parents, the mother and the father. I digress. Let me get back to my previous point.   Where one misses the mark, is when they depend on science instead of God. God directs people to take medicine while having faith in Him for healing them completely without any significant side effects from that medicine. Note, being Christian isn’t some means to avoid pain and tribulations. So, you may have some side effects from medicine and will see some pain and tribulations in your life. God will not allow there to be too much for you to bear. Jesus underwent the most that anyone could ever suffer. If Jesus felt pain and saw tribulations, we will undoubtedly see pain and tribulations ourselves. However, we have God to lean on to get us through all of it. God may also direct people to not take medicine. Thus, we need to trust in Him and not our minds or emotions. Medicine is His creation anyways. How can mere humans create something with such complexities? Many naturally occurring elements are used for medicine. He gave us the gift of creation and knowledge to create modern-day medicines. Our faith should rest in Him, not science. What is science anyways? Isn’t science a medium to understand the world around us? Through science comes innovation, including masks and vaccines. In what way is a mask or a vaccine inherently evil? So why did Covid become a vehicle for division and conflict?   People are destroying each other, establishing division in all areas of life, doing the job of Satan. Satan comes to divide and conquer, killing, stealing, and destroying. It is said that one of the greatest trick of all is Satan convincing people that he doesn’t exist. People carry out Satan’s plans without even realizing it. They have become unwitting accomplices of Satan, instilling division in the world. Division has been and is still spreading like a virus. The recent epidemic has shown how easily people can create division amongst themselves. How can a virus cause so much division? How can a sports game cause so much division? How can politics cause so much division? How can Christianity cause so much division even amongst Christians? A world divided, is a world in constant chaos. A chaos we see play out each and every day.   1. Are Unborn Babies Human? (2025, March 26) . Choices Pregnancy Centers. Choices Pregnancy Centers - Greater Love. Because You’re Worth so Much More. https://choicesaz.com/are-unborn-babies-human/ .   2. Daniel 3 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/DAN.3.AMP .   3. Fetal development: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia . (2025, March 26). Medlineplus.gov . https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm

It is absurd that there is division and gossip between some of you. Did Jesus sow seeds of division? Did Jesus gossip? Why do some unfairly criticize other Christians, and in public no less? Wouldn’t Satan delight in this, because such actions reinforce the disdain some have for God and Christianity? Wouldn’t a person like that say, "You see, Christians themselves act like this, so why should I become Christian?" Shouldn’t we act the way we preach? Why do some Christians assume that others lack Godliness? No one knows the hearts of others, only God. If one has spent any time online in comment sections, you would have noticed the condemning nature of those who are supposedly Christian towards a popular Christian that has made a mistake. It’s important for those in the spotlight to avoid sinning and making mistakes because people are always watching them. And also, some people are watching them, waiting for them to fail, and proceed to provide the reaction, “You see, Christians aren’t all that and are just sanctimonious.” Christians are to be role models. It is imperative for Christians to always act in Christ in public. I won’t use names here, but let's talk about something I sadly come across all too much.   There has been the constant condemnation of Christians who rap. They are in the limelight, and everything they do is scrutinized, and even the genre of the music is targeted. It is essential that people not forget that all music is inherently not a sin. There is no one type of beat or one type of delivery of lyrics that is a sin. It is the lyrics themselves that make the song a sin or not. Speaking of lyrics, some Christians have implanted the idea in their consciousness that Christian music should have God said a number of times to their liking. A Christian song obviously can be Christian even without having God being said in the song at all. There is no sin that involves not saying God in a song. You will hear some saying that those songs aren’t entirely Godly because they don’t say God enough. Or that artist is not Christian; he/she doesn’t say God enough in their music. Remember, fellow Christians, not everything is about you. Do you think that music that is used to reach people should be so infused with advanced Godly principles and terminology? Would you have positively responded to such a song if you were an unbeliever? Some music is a tool to minister to unbelievers. The song in the genre of rap is used to garner the attention of those who listen to carnal rap music. The similarity in style and rhythm are the means of persuasion. Such songs sound like songs that they would normally listen to, but they will quickly realize that the lyrics are positive, uplifting, and even provide counsel showing them a better way through God. A litany of new believers have testimonials rooted in being saved after listening to a Christian song that is rapped. Some of the artists who are Christians tell a tale that God saved them from a life of misery, and they should have lost their lives a long time ago if it wasn’t for the grace of God.   Now every song isn’t the same. It goes without saying, but I will still say it: be careful of the wolf in sheep clothing. Use the Holy Spirit for discernment in order to ascertain which music is Godly and which is pretending to be Godly. Given all this, a question begs to be asked. Should the music be as ignorant as the ministry of some Christians who think telling unbelievers to repent or go to Hell is a fruitful endeavor? If so, then the music would achieve the same result that the ministry through ignorance would achieve, driving people further away from God and actually assisting Satan in his plan to get as many people as possible away from God.   It’s like some Christians are waiting for others to fail so that they can metaphorically come in riding on their white horse, casting shame upon the person who failed. Did Jesus delight in condemning people? So why do some Christians perk up when a situation presents itself for them to utter condemnation amongst others? Don’t you know that it is an action that you would think unbelievers would do, because they know not of God and His ways? Even many unbelievers have the wisdom to not condemn others, so why don’t some Christians have that wisdom too? Especially given the fact they have witnessed God in a more intimate way than an unbeliever, yet the unbeliever in this case is acting more like Jesus than a person who has chosen to be sanctified by the grace of God and the shed blood of Jesus Christ.   This passage below shows just how Jesus would act in a situation where many people would choose to condemn:   “The Adulterous Woman [1] But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. [2] Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them. [3] Now the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the center of the court, [4] and they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. [5] Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women [to death]. So what do You say [to do with her—what is Your sentence]?’ [Deut 22:22-24] [6] They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. [7] However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, ‘He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’  [Deut 17:7] [8] Then He stooped down again and started writing on the ground. [9] They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the center of the court. [10] Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’  [11] She answered, ‘No one, Lord!’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you either. Go. From now on sin no more.’ ]” (John 8:1-11 AMP).   Jesus didn’t condemn the woman, but instead provided a teaching moment for her accusers. The passage also states that her accusers were preparing to accuse Jesus himself. Just think about that. Those people had so much of an accusatory heart that they were eagerly awaiting the moment to accuse Jesus. Jesus was perfect in nature, not giving them the opportunity to accuse him. But those who were anticipating accusing Jesus were not perfect and had imperfections and misgivings just like the woman who they wanted to condemn. If one wants to condemn anyone, condemn yourself. However, we should never condemn ourselves either, because God has bestowed upon us His grace.   1. John 8 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/JHN.8.AMP .

Being Christian is like being a basketball player. There was once a child who had a dream to become a professional basketball player. The child knows some things about basketball and maybe knows the rules and the general aspect of how the game works. As the child matures and becomes more invested in the game of basketball, that child becomes a better basketball player. The child’s parents are motivating the player in every step along the way. Now training isn’t something that the child would undertake in the child’s early years. But as the child grows up, training becomes essential. As training becomes essential, setbacks become more prevalent as well.   That child becomes a teenager and gets on the high school team. That teenager then gets cut from the team. But the teenager doesn’t quit. The teenager actually works harder, seeking guidance from their parents and friends. Then next year the teen joins the team again, but this time becomes a better player and is able to be a significant part of the team. The teen never gave up and kept their eyes on the prize. The teen then gets recruited to a college team but quickly realizes college is harder than anything that they have ever faced. Before the season starts, the now young adult is made aware of the their role on the team. To the dismay of the young adult, the player was not selected to be a starter but is designated as a bench player and sees limited minutes. A year goes by, but the player’s situation is still the same. The young adult, as the player did in the past, sought counsel from their parents and friends for guidance through this setback. The young adult never ceases to practice hard and stays ready. The young adult looks back at the trials and tribulations in the past and sees just how much they had to overcome to get this spot. That even motivates the young adult to work harder.   Not until the young adult’s junior season that an opportunity was given to the player. Because the young adult was steadfast in training and practicing, the player was ready to make the best of the situation. The young adult shined in the moment and, as such, was propelled into the starting lineup. Soon, the young adult was playing as well as anybody else. In the player’s senior season, the young adult was able to be one of the best players in the league. The young adult wasn’t the best player but was still one of the better players. Graduation came and went, and it was soon time for the professional league draft.   Keeping in mind the desire to be the best player they could be, the young adult envisioned getting drafted by a professional team. Round one came and went. The young adult was not picked. Round two started, and with each pick, the dream of getting drafted faded little by little. The young adult’s expectation grew with each and every second leading up to the final pick, in hopes of getting drafted.   The commissioner walked up to the podium and stated, “And for the last pick of the draft, the team selects ...” The young adult was not picked.   The young adult was disheartened and angry. All the hard work and sacrifices the young adult made felt at that moment as being pointless and meaningless. All the work the player undertook seemed for naught. The player’s parents and friends consoled the young adult, reminding the young adult of all the things that the young adult overcame and the opportunity to accomplish even more in the future. The young adult eventually regained that internal fire that was so close to being extinguished by not being selected and seeing not being selected as a failure. The young adult realized that even being considered in the pool of possible draftees was a great accomplishment in itself. And not being picked is an opportunity to achieve growth and wisdom. The young adult kept on training and practicing for several professional teams.   Months went by, and when it seemed that the season would start without the young adult getting onto a team, the young adult was given a professional contract by a team. It wasn’t the team that the young adult envisioned, but it was a professional team. The young adult kept seeking the guidance of their parents and friends, even through the later years as a professional basketball player and after becoming an adult. The adult became a very good player, attaining awards and eventually being on championship teams. The adult looked back and realized that the team that the player placed on a pedal stool was not as advantageous as the player once thought. That team’s environment wouldn’t have allowed the player to accomplish all that the player had accomplished. The adult eventually reached retirement. The adult was continually getting counseling from the their parents and friends like the adult did as a child, through all the trials and tribulations. In fact, the adult kept on seeking counsel even at the point of the player’s retirement from ever playing the game of basketball.   If you didn’t get the metaphors, basketball is a metaphor of our pursuit in life; the child is a baby Christian; the teenager is a more mature Christian; the young adult is even a more mature Christian; the adult is at the most mature stage of Christianity but still learning from God; the retirement from the game of basketball is physical death; the training and practicing is reading the Word and praying; and most importantly, the parents and friends were a metaphor for God. We as Christians need to continually seek counsel from God as we face trial and tribulations during life. We must not give up and continue to press on. If we do, we will achieve His Will for our lives that God has set for all of us. We just need to seek God each and every day and place all our trust in Him.

“Once saved, always saved” is unequivocally false, evidenced by the sheer existence of the Devil. The Devil was cast out of Heaven by God because Satan led a rebellion against God. In doing so, he lost his salvation and gained an eternity of banishment into the pits of Hell with fire and brimstone. Logic alone will show that if a high ranking angel lost his salvation, thus we as mere humans can too lose our salvation by the choices we make. Scripture states that our behavior can prevent us from Heaven. This is in black and white in any Bible:   “[1] Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; [2] and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. [Ezek 20:41]   [3] But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith]. [4] Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. [5] For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God].   [6] Let no one deceive you with empty arguments [that encourage you to sin], for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience [those who habitually sin]. [Lev 18:24, 25] [7] So do not participate or even associate with them [in the rebelliousness of sin]. [8] For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] [9] (for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), [10] trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him—your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation]. [11] Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]; [12] for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that such people practice in secret. [13] But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light [of God’s precepts], for it is light that makes everything visible. [14] For this reason He says,   ‘Awake, sleeper,   And arise from the dead,   And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.’ [Is 26:19; 51:17; 52:1; 60:1, 2]   [15] Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], [16] making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. [17] Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:1-17 AMP).   So the question goes beyond whether one believes in “once saved always saved.” The question is whether one believes in the Bible? A Christian always believes in the Bible. If one doesn’t, then you cannot be a Christian. The crux of the matter is just not regarding the spreading of false teachings, but in giving a green light to commit willful sin, which indeed will terminate your Christianity. Willful sin is knowing it is a sin and you have the ability to stop but refuse to do so. Many times it is because sin feels good or is convenient. Purposefully not abiding by God's rules is a slippery slope. When one can't distinguish you from an unbeliever due to your actions, there lies a big problem. If a person won't abide by God's Word, then it is like a soldier who refuses to listen to his commanding officer. What use is the soldier to the commanding officer on the battlefield? The soldier would surely deem the platoon to failure. The Bible is not mum on the consequences of disobedience to the laws of God.   Unforgiveness is a big topic in the Bible, and should never be let into anybody’s heart, let alone a Christian. If you can’t forgive your fellow brethrens, how can God forgive you of your sins, which is the basis of being saved in the first place through grace?  So a person who once emulates Jesus in all His ways then proceeds to later endear themselves in evil ways, will forever be saved? How can some one still be saved if they then later reject the person who saved them? Where is the logic in that? It makes no sense. This false teaching renders the 10 Commandments useless. Why have a list of laws to obey if it doesn’t matter whether you adhere to them or not? Why make such a law when it would be useless anyway?   This horrific line of thinking, “once saved, always saved,” is peddled by those who want to keep indulging in sin and still be Christian. Paul invalidated this thinking when he wrote his letter to the church in Corinth. “[9] I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate with [sexually] immoral people— [10] not meaning the immoral people of this world, or the greedy ones and swindlers, or idolaters, for then you would have to get out of the world and human society altogether! [11] But actually, I have written to you not to associate with any so-called [Christian] brother if he is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater [devoted to anything that takes the place of God], or is a reviler [who insults or slanders or otherwise verbally abuses others], or is a drunkard or a swindler—you must not so much as eat with such a person. [2 Thess 3:6]” (1 Corinthians 5:9-11 AMP). They want to justify their sin and not feel bad about themselves sinning. They want to eat all their cake and still eat it later. This way of thinking will only breed damnation and nothing else. Therefore, bid no one your attention, who spews this wretched, vile, abominable ideology.     1. Ephesians 5 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/EPH.5.AMP . 2. 1 Corinthians 5 | AMP Bible | YouVersion. (n.d.). In www.bible.com . https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/1CO.5.AMP .

There is a secular song that says that you can’t always get what you want. Even non-Christians know you can’t always get what you want. So why do many people think that they can pray and get anything that they want? What you want is often not what you need. You might want to be a millionaire, but many people have wrecked their lives when they have more money than they can handle. Some have fallen into vices and destructive behaviors that money has afforded them. Many other people have seen money worsen their vices that they already have.   Wishes can be detrimental to our well-being. Like the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. You might just jump out of the pan and, unbeknownst to you, into the fire. That new job might be worse than your old job. If you had waited, there might have been a better job that was lined up for you but wasn’t available at that time. Having patience in life is critical.   The importance of patience is personified in this scenario. You want to quit your job. When you start to apply for new jobs, the doors keep on closing. You keep getting rejected and other times not even getting interviews. But that doesn’t deter you, and you then manage to bust down that door and get hired for another job. You quickly realize that the new job isn’t what you envisioned. Yes, it pays more and offers more responsibilities, but it is exponentially more stressful than your old job. Meanwhile, at your old job, an opportunity opens up to apply for a promotion just after you left. And that promotion offered the same amount of money as your new job but with less stress and offered more flexibility than your new job. Therefore, you missed your opportunity due to impatience. Your new job was fool’s gold. It was appealing on the surface but was lacking in substance underneath the surface.   Things happen for a reason. It may not be for a good reason, but God can turn a bad thing into something good. It may not happen on our own timeline, but God will indeed deliver. God knows what is best for us. If you put your faith in God, God will give you what you need, not what you want, and not according to our timeline but His timeline. This is because there might be something better for you, that thing you want might harm you, or you might not be ready to get what you need because you can’t handle it at that point in time. God will indeed tell you when you will attain what you seek when it is time for you to receive it, or if what you seek is not the Will he has for you. This can come from your conscious or from people. But be careful to discern God’s Will from Satan’s. The Holy Spirit will guide you in distinguishing whether or not it is God’s Will. Anything you don’t have peace about is not God’s Will.   Patience is key. If you feel yourself rushing, no matter what situation, stop and take some time to think. As a Christian, waiting on the Lord to bring peace in your heart for whatever decision you are facing is paramount to avoiding many pitfalls in life. These sayings sum it all: haste makes waste, and hindsight is always 20/20. God’s vision of the future is always 20/20, unlike us humans. Therefore, allow God to be in control. Pray and wait on the Lord.