SAINTS AND SOLDIERS

I THINK IF I TRULY WANTED TO,(WHICH I DON'T) I COULD WRITE AN ENTIRE BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT MATTER.  IT IS PROBABLY THE SUBJECT THAT FRUSTRATES ME THE VERY MOST ABOUT CHRISTIANITY, AND PROBABLY EVEN THIS ENTIRE WORLD.  IT IS ABOUT TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS PURPOSELY CREATED IN THIS WORLD SIMPLY FOR HIS AMUSEMENT.  THIS GOES WELL BEYOND SIMPLY MEN AND WOMEN, FOR I HAVE NOTICED MEN SAINTS AND SOLDIERS AS WELL AS WOMEN SAINTS AND SOLDIERS.  THIS COULD BE BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF CATEGORIES DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU CHOOSE.  I CHOOSE SAINTS AND SOLDIERS BECAUSE THEY ARE COMMENLY KNOWN CHRISTIAN TERMS THAT I BELIEVE APPLY.  YOU ON THE OTHER HAND COULD CALL IT:  RIGHT AND LEFT BRAINED; CONSERVATIVES AND LIBERALS; SQUARES AND GREASERS; YUPPIES AND HIPPIES; INTELECTUALS AND HUSTLERS; BOOK SMART PEOPLE AND STREET SMART PEOPLE; GOOD PEOPLE AND BAD PEOPLE; THOSE THAT LIVE BY LAW AND THOSE THAT LIVE BY FREEDOM, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.  THERE IS A GENETIC CODE WITHIN PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS CREATED THAT HAS MADE THEM DIFFERENT TO THEIR VERY CORE'S.  IT'S ALMOST LIKE BEFORE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, GOD IMAGINED ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HE WOULD CREATE THROUGHOUT ALL TIME, AND HE RANDOMLY LINED THEM UP IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND JUST WENT THROUGH THE LINE AND POINTED AT EACH ONE OF THEM AND SAID YOU, RED TEAM; YOU, BLUE TEAM; YOU, RED TEAM; YOU, BLUE TEAM; YOU, RED TEAM; YOU, BLUE TEAM; ALTERNATING ONE BY ONE ON DOWN THE LINE OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE ALIVE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE WORLD, AND NOW WE ARE IN ONE HELL OF A GAME OF KICK BALL, OR DODGE BALL, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.  IT'S PRETTY ELEMENTARY, BUT IT'S A BATTLE THAT WE FIGHT FOR OUR ENTIRE LIVES, OR WE AGREE TO DISAGREE AND LEARN TO LOVE EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER HELPING EACH OTHER DESPITE OUR CORE DIFFERENCES WHICH IS WHAT I THINK GOD'S ORIGINAL PLAN WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT OH BOY, IS IT SURE FUN TO WATCH FROM ABOVE AT HOW WE GROW AND LEARN TO GET TO THAT POINT OF MATURITY IN OUR OWN INDIVIDUAL LIVES.  AND GOD KNOWS EACH ONE OF US INTIMATELY, SO JUST IMAGINE THE FUN HE HAS FROM ABOVE SEEING JUST HOW AND WHEN WE LEARN TO HANDLE THE CORE DIFFERENCE THAT HE HAS MADE WITHIN US PURPOSELY.   OK NOW, BACK TO THE TWO TERMS THAT I HAVE CLASSIFIED IN CHRISTIANITY OF SAINTS AND SOLDIERS FOR WHICH IT IS THE REASON I'M BOTHERING TO WRITE IN THE FIRST PLACE.  NOW HAVING A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IS ONE THING, BUT WHEN YOU THROW IN THE WORD OF GOD AND ONE'S ETERNAL DESTINATION TO HEAVEN OR HELL, IT BECOMES SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AND MUCH MORE SEVERE.  GROWING UP AS A BOY, I REMEMBER REALLY HATING CHRISTIANS OR RELIGIOUS PEOPLE.  THEY ALWAYS TREATED ME LIKE I WAS SCUM OF THE EARTH AND ACTED LIKE THEY WERE PERFECT AND HOLY WHEN I COULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH THEM, AND THEY ACTED JUST AS FUCKED UP AS I DID, WHICH I REALLY DIDN'T MIND, BUT THEY LIED ABOUT IT, AND DID IT WHEN NO ONE WAS LOOKING, SO PEOPLE WOULD STILL THINK THAT THEY WERE GOOD CHRISTIANS OR WHATEVER, AND I JUST HATED THE WAY THEY WOULD TREAT ME SO BADLY, AND MAKE ME SERVE THEM AND ACT LIKE THEY WERE KINGS AND QUEENS OVER ME, BECAUSE I ACTED "NORMAL," AND THEY ACTED HIGH AND MIGHTY.  WELL, THERE CAME A DAY AFTER MY DAD DIED TO WHERE I HEARD A MESSAGE THAT GOD LOVED ME JUST AS I WAS, AND HIS SON DIED ON THE CROSS TO FORGIVE ALL OF MY SINS IN THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, AND IF I BELIEVED IN HIM THEN I WOULD GO TO HEAVEN WHEN I DIED, AND WHILE I LIVED, GOD WOULD BE MY FATHER FOR HE WAS THE FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS.  NOW HERE I WAS A 15 YEAR OLD PUNK KID WHO JUST LOST HIS FATHER JUST OVER A YEAR BEFORE THAT, THAT ALMIGHTY GOD WOULD BE MY DADDY NOW IF I WOULD BELIEVE IN HIS SON, AND NOT ONLY THAT, THIS BADASS PUNK MOTHERFUCKA WOULD BE FORGIVEN FOR ALL HIS SINS THAT HE WOULD EVER COMMITT THROUGHOUT HIS ENTIRE LIFE ON EARTH.  WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS SOLD AND MY HEART WAS BEATING OUT OF MY CHEST AS I HEARD THIS MESSAGE, AND AS THEY GAVE THE INVITATION TO ACCEPT CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR, I RAISED MY HAND THAT I HAD SAID THE PRAYER OF SALVATION.  I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT I JUST DID, AND WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS REAL OR NOT, BUT JUST THEN, A MAN CAME UP TO ME, AND SAID SOMETHING TO THE AFFECT OF, I SAW YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TALK ABOUT IT?  I WAS LIKE SURE, WELL, IT WAS IN THAT BACK ROOM BEHIND THE ALTER WHERE IT ALL BECAME VERY REAL TO ME.  HIS NAME WAS WES, AND HE BROKE OUT THE "4 SPIRITUAL LAWS" BOOKLET, AND WE WENT THROUGH IT, AND IT BASICLY DESCRIBED WORD FOR WORD HOW TO BE SAVED AND GO TO HEAVEN, AND WE PRAYED AGAIN FOR ME TO RECEIVE CHRIST, AND THIS TIME IT ALL SUNK IN AND BECAME VERY REAL FOR ME.  WELL, THAT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR WES, AND HE DID SOMETHING VERY PROFOUND THAT DIDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE TO ME, BUT IT SURE WOULD LATER IN MY LIFE, HE WROTE DOWN THE DATE AND TIME ON MY 4 LAWS BOOKLET OF "4/7/1993.....8:15 P.M."  THAT BECAME TO ME LIKE THE GREAT SEAL OF SALVATION.  I KNEW AT THAT POINT THAT I WAS SAVED AND A CHILD OF GOD.  NOW I LATER LEARNED THAT I WAS ADOPTED BY GOD THAT NIGHT, AND THOSE THAT WERE ADOPTED COULD NEVER BE CAST AWAY.  IT WAS PERMINANT.  GOD COULD NEVER GO BACK AND SAY, WELL ROB, I SAW YOU DID THIS, THIS, AND THAT, SO YOU ARE NO LONGER MY CHILD.  HE COULDN'T DO THAT, IT WAS A VOW TO ME THAT COULDN'T EVER BE BROKEN.  I HAD FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE SINCE MY DAD DIED, SECURITY, AND THIS WASN'T JUST NORMAL SECURITY, IT WAS ETERNAL SECURITY, AND SOUL SECURITY.  I WAS HIS SON, AND HE WAS MY DADDY.    A FEW MONTHS AFTER I GOT SAVED, I BEGAN TO GO TO CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH, IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA.  I WENT TO EVERY SERVICE I COULD, AND IF THEY EVER HAD A RETREAT, THEN I WOULD TRY TO GO TO THAT WHICH STARTED WITH THESE HIGH SCHOOL GROUP RETREATS TO "THE HARVEST CRUSADE" IN ANIHEIM, CALIFORNIA AT ANGELS STADIUM.  THOSE WERE TRULY AN AWESOME TIME.  WE WENT TO THE BEACH EVERY DAY, AND BODY SURFED AND BOOGIE BOARDED AND GOT TORCHED BY THE SUN, IT WAS JUST AWESOME, AND THEN WE WOULD COME BACK TO PACIFIC COLLEGE WHERE WE WERE STAYING AND SHOWER UP, AND GET IN BUSES TO GO TO THE STADIUM WHERE GREG LAURIE WOULD BE CONDUCTING THE HARVEST CRUSADE EACH NIGHT.  ONE NIGHT, HE GAVE THE INVITATION TO COME OUT ON THE FIELD AND RECEIVE CHRIST, AND ALTHOUGH I WAS ALREADY SAVED AND KNEW THAT, THIS WAS STILL A CHANCE OF A LIFE TIME TO GO OUT ONTO ANGELS FIELD AND BE AN "ANGEL IN THE OUTFIELD," SO BEING THE AVID SPORTS FAN THAT I WAS, I WENT DOWN ONTO THE FIELD, AND IT WAS TRULY AN AWESOME FEELING TO BE OUT THERE AND LOOK BACK UP INTO THE STANDS FROM THE ATHLETES PERSPECTIVE.    NOW I KNOW THAT I'M GOING OFF ON A BIT OF A TANGENT, BUT THERE WILL BE A POINT EVENTUALLY.  I HOPE.HEHE.  OK, AT CALVARY I LEARED A LOT ABOUT THE GRACE AND FORGIVENESS OF GOD, AND I PRETTY MUCH INTERPRETED WHAT I WAS TAUGHT THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD, THAT SIN WASN'T REALLY AN ISSUE FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD FOR IT WAS ALL PAID FOR ON THE CROSS AND COVERED WITH JESUS' BLOOD.  THAT GOD DIDN'T SEE YOUR SIN, HE JUST SAW HIS SON'S BLOOD COVERING YOUR LIFE FROM THE MOMENT YOU RECEIVED HIM.  THAT THERE WAS NEVER NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO WERE IN CHRIST JESUS, AND YES, I TRIED TO BE A GOOD LITTLE CHRISTIAN BOY, AND I HAD QUIT CUSSING, AND QUIT LOOKING AT WOMEN WITH LUST, AND EVEN AT SOME POINT THREW AWAY ALL OF MY HARDCORE GANGSTA RAP.  YEP, EVERY SINGLE CASSETTE THAT HAD A PARENTAL ADVISORY STICKER ON IT(WELL OVER 250 CASSETTES), I TOSSED IT.  I BEGAN TO ONLY LISTEN TO AIR1, A CHRISTIAN RADIO STATION, AND....I WAS ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE.  SO I ASKED GOD, WHY AM I DOING ALL THIS GOOD STUFF, AND ALL THE RIGHT "CHRISTIAN" THINGS AND FEEL ABSOLUTELY MISERABLE AND WITHOUT THE JOY THAT I ONCE HAD.  IN A SENSE, HE TOLD ME, ROB, THIS IS NOT WHO I CREATED YOU TO BE.  I MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE ON PURPOSE AND I AM GOING TO USE YOU IN A MIGHTY WAY JUST THE WAY I MADE YOU TO BE...SO CUT THIS GOODY TWO SHOES SHIT OUT.LOL.  OK, NOW GOD PROBABLY DOESN'T CUSS AND THAT'S BLASPHEMOUS AND ALL, BUT HE WAS TELLING ME TO BE WHO I TRULY WAS, AND NOT WHO I THOUGHT HE WANTED ME TO BE.  I WAS A SOLDIER, AND HE NEEDED ME TO BE A SOLDIER, AND NOT A PUSSY-ASS SAINT.     SAINTS ARE VERY GOOD PEOPLE...IN PUBLIC, BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY VERY JUDGEMENTAL ABOUT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T SO GOOD. THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES THAT JESUS FOUGHT AGAINST IN THE GOSPELS.  THE TERMS BROOD OF VIPERS, AND WHITE WASHED TOMBS FULL OF DEAD MANS BONES, OR SHINING BOWLS ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT ABSOLUTELY FILTHY INSIDE WERE SPOKEN ABOUT THE KEEPERS OF THE LAW BY JESUS HIMSELF.  AND LIKE JESUS, IT MAKES ME SICK.  JESUS WAS A PERFECT MAN, BUT JESUS LOVED THOSE WHO WERE IMPERFECT.  THE OUTCASTS, THE PROTITUTES, THE THIEVES, THE FISHERMAN, THE LEPARS, THE DEMON POSSESSED, THE SICK, THE HURTING, THE TAX COLLECTORS.  THESE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT JESUS HUNG AROUND WITH.  THE PEOPLE WHO WERE REAL, AND LIVED NORMAL EVERYDAY LIVES DOING THE BEST THEY COULD.  JESUS HUNG OUT WITH SINNERS, *GASPS*, NO NOT SINNERS, YES, FUCKING SINNERS. THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD HUMBLE THEMSELVES ENOUGH TO ADMIT AND TELL THE TRUTH AND SAY, FORGIVE ME LORD FOR I AM A SINNER.  HE HUNG OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO SINNED DAILY.  HE HUNG OUT WITH EVERYDAY NORMAL PEOPLE WHO WERE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME.  NOW WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE DO YOU THINK FISHERMAN USED?  HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE TERM CUSSED LIKE A SAILOR?  WELL, DON'T YOU THINK FISHERMAN WERE THE ORIGINAL SAILORS, AND THESE WERE THE PEOPLE THAT CHRIST HUNG OUT WITH AND CALLED HIS VERY DISCIPLES.  SAINTS BASICLY FOLLOW THE LAWS OF SOCIETY AND CONDEMN EVERYONE ELSE WHO DOESN'T.  THEY GOSSIP ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE'S SIN, AND THEY LOOK DOWN ON THOSE WHO DO OPENLY SIN INSTEAD OF HIDING IT IN THE CLOSET LIKE THEY DO.  GOD SAYS TO COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, WHICH MEANS LIVE YOUR LIFE OUT IN THE OPEN, AND WHO YOU ARE WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING IS STILL WHO YOU ARE, SO YOU MAY AS WELL COME OUT AND BE WHO YOU ARE WITH THE WORLD WATCHING, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT FOOLING ME ANYWAY.  I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS THE REASON THAT I HATED CHRISTIANS.  I DIDN'T REALLY HATE CHRISTIANS, I HATED FAKE-ASS SAINTS WHO CONSTANTLY TALKED SHIT ABOUT ME, AND LOOKED DOWN ON ME FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE SAD PART IS, THEY STILL DO TO THIS DAY, BECAUSE I DON'T ACT "CHRISTIAN" ENOUGH FOR THEM, AND IT REALLY MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.  THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT IF YOU SIN AS A CHRISTIAN THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HELL.  BUT WHAT THEY DON'T SEE IS THAT IF THAT IS TRUE, THEN CHRIST'S LIFE WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS.  HE WAS SIMPLY A MORAL TEACHER THAT YOU NEEDED TO FOLLOW PERCISELY, OR YOU WERE GOING TO HELL.  NO!!!  THIS IS NOT WHAT CHRIST'S MESSAGE WAS.  HIS MESSAGE WAS THAT UNLESS YOU WERE GOD,(WHICH ALL OF YOU ARE NOT) YOU CAN NOT LIVE PERFECTLY IN ACCORDANCE TO THE LAW  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, SO DON'T EVEN TRY IT.  YOU IN YOUR SELF WILL FAIL. PERIOD.  SO YOU BETTER HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS GREATER THAN YOU COVER YOUR LIFE TO ATONE FOR YOUR LAWLESSNESS(NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL) SO YOU CAN BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD AND ENTER HIS KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.  HE PROVIDED THE PERFECT GATE THROUGH HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, AND HE EVEN TOLD YOU HE WAS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, AND "NO ONE" COULD COME(BE RIGHT BEFORE GOD) TO GOD ACCEPT THROUGH HIM.  HE SAID THIS WHEN HE WAS STILL ALIVE KNOWING HE WAS GOING TO DIE AND BE RESURRECTED ON THE THIRD DAY.  THIS IS WHY POLITICALLY, CONSERVATIVES MAKE ME SO MAD BECAUSE ALL THEY DO IS TALK SHIT ABOUT HOW WRETCHED OF SINNERS AND "AGAINST GOD AND THE BIBLE," LIBERALS ARE AND BLAH BLAH BLAH.  OK, YES, I WILL SAY THIS, IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN CHRIST, AND HAVE NOT EVER ASKED HIM TO BE YOUR SAVIOR BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR LAST BREATH, YOU ARE GOING TO HELL.  LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN...YOU ARE GOING TO HELL.  NOW, IF YOU WANT TO AVOID GOING TO HELL, THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY.  AND THAT ONE WAY IS ONLY THROUGH BELIEVING IN JESUS CHRIST AND HAVING A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.  IT'S NOT, I REPEAT, IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING A GOOD PERSON AT ALL.  IT'S ABOUT JESUS' GOODNESS AND HIS PERFECTION AND HIS SACRIFICE THAT WILL COVER YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU ACCEPTABLE TO GOD AND BE ALLOWED INTO HEAVEN RATHER THAN HELL.  JUST ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, YOU NEED TO HUMBLE YOURSELF AND ASK JESUS TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR.  YEP, JUST ONCE.  CAN YOU DO IT MORE THAN ONCE AND RECOMMIT YOUR LIFE?  SURE, BUT IT'S ALREADY BEEN COVERED, YOU WERE ALREADY SAVED, YOU JUST WANT TO TRY AND LIVE MORE OF A LIFE THAT EDIFIES CHRIST, AND THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD.  THAT IS NOT BEING A SAINT, THAT IS TAKING WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE AND ROLLING WITH IT.  BEING A SAINT IS ABOUT HATING AND LOOKING DOWN ON OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T COMPARE TO YOU.  THIS IS THE TRAP THAT A LOT OF CHRISTIANS FALL INTO SAYING UGH, YOU ARE NOT ACTING GODLY OR CHRISTIKE, AND BLAH BLAH BLAH.  OK, YOU MAY NOT BE, BUT WHO THE FUCK ARE THEY TO OPEN THERE LITTLE FUCKIN' MOUTHS AND TELL AND JUDGE YOU THAT YOU AREN'T.  JUDGING IS LEFT UP TO THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU.  THAT IS WHO IS GOING TO BE ADVISING YOU WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN YOUR LIFE, AND HOW YOU SHOULD LIVE.  YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHEN YOU RECEIVE CHRIST.  IT'S THAT STILL SMALL VOICE IN YOUR HEAD AND YOUR THOUGHTS THAT DIRECTS YOU ON WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING.  NOW IF YOU GO AGAINST THAT, THERE WILL BE DISCIPLINE FROM YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN...BUT NOT JUDGMENT, OR PUNISHMENT.  GOD SAYS TO ALL THAT HE CALLS SONS AND DAUGHTERS, HE WILL DISCIPLINE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, SOLDIERS GET DISCIPLINED A LOT.  WE ARE THE RED HEADED STEP CHILD, BUT HE STILL LOVES US, AND HOW MUCH MORE DOES HE LOVE US THAT COMES HOME FROM BEING DISOBIDIANT THAN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN GOOD LITTLE CHRISTIANS ALL THEIR LIVES.  WHERE SIN ABOUNDS, HIS LOVE AND GRACE AND MERCY MUCH MORE ABOUNDS.  SO THIS CAN ALL BE SUMMED UP WITH THIS...LOVE GOD AND LOVE PEOPLE, AND IF THAT IS TO MUCH FOR YOU TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND, THEN US SOLDIERS HAVE THIS PARAPHRASE FOR YOU SAINTS...MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS.  DON'T FUCK WITH ME, AND I WON'T FUCK WITH YOU.  BUT IF YOU DO FUCK WITH ME, OR ANY OTHER SOLDIER, THEY WILL COME BACK AND FUCK YOU THE FUCK UP, FOR FUCKING REAL.  BITCH!!!     NOW THEN, DO YOU ALL HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TRUE CHRISTIAN NOW?  GOOD.  NOW YOU SAINTS OUT THERE CAN FEEL FREE TO STOP HATIN' US SOLDIERS.  IT'S OPTIONAL, BUT YOU JUST BE YOU, AND IF IT'S IN YOUR NATURE TO HATE, THEN FEEL FREE TO COME HATE ON ME BECAUSE I WILL THOROUGHLY ENJOY FUCKING WITH YOU WITH ALL I GOT AND WITH A SMILE BLARED ACROSS MY FACE TOO.