How toUnderstand a Christians

To understand Christians and why do they act the way they do and how did they get that way. First you must understand that just because people call themselves a Christian does not make them one. Gandhi called himself a Christian, Muslim and Hindu. As great a man as he was he was neither of the three. No amount of claiming could make it true. Each belief system is opposite the other.

To understand what makes a Christian we must go back to the very beginning. In the book of Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let Us make man (kind) in Our image, according to Our likeness." God is a three in one being, so we are created a trinity (body, soul, and spirit), Deuteronomy 6:5. In the garden God commanded Adam not to eat of the "Tree of Knowledge" or he would die that day. {Genesis chapter 2} Adam did eat of the fruit. Did he die? No! Did God lie? No! The spirit-part of man died therefore killing the part of man that God fellowships with. Man's soul (the mind) becomes cursed and corrupt therefore corrupting the body causing physical death and an eternity separated from the God that loves him.
To this day all mankind is born with a dead spirit that is unable to have "real" fellowship with God. But God knew this and had a plan. He came down as His Son Jesus, who was all God and all man, to become a sacrifice for all mankind. One man (Adam) brought death. One man would bring life. Through this sacrifice a person's spirit could be "Born Again" (John 3) and be made right before God.
This event of being born again is the process by which God draws a person to
Himself. The Holy Spirit convicts the person of his need for God and Christ' sacrifice on the cross-purchasing redemption for the convert. All three of the "ONE" is involved. All the person has to do is to repent (change his way of thinking about his condition) and have an open heart for God to work and ask the Lord to complete the process.
Now that you see how the person became a Christian, why does he act the way he does? The person now being perfected in spirit now spends his life on the salvation of the soul and body. The soul, which is mankind's mind and emotions, is in constant need of "renewing". It is in never-ending conflict between the spirit's desiring to please God and worldly influences that separate him from spiritual growth in his relationship with God.
The Lord knew this and therefore made a way for mankind to overcome this conflict. He created a way for the Holy Spirit to "fill" the believer, giving them the power to renew the mind and to overcome desires. (Read Acts Chapter 2 for more details) Now if a Christian is not tending to the renewing of his mind, he starts occupying his time with other pursuits. Sports, TV and other-things that are not bad in them-selves but when overdone can hinder the spiritual growth of a Christian. When a Christian reads the TV Guide (Backslider's Bible) more than his Bible or memorizes sport stats more than Bible verses, he has a problem. When a Christian lives by the desires of the natural soul, they are known as being "soulish".
Then we have the saving of the body. That's why most Christians do not drink or smoke. They are taught to see their bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit and should protect it as such. The body is also in conflict with the spirit. Most of the body's desires are formed in the mind. That's why it is important to renew it as much as possible. A Christian living to fill his bodily desires is known as being "fleshly" or "carnal". This is confusing to most non-believers, but the hope that we have is that when death comes, we have nothing to fear. We will have everlasting Joy in Body, Soul and Spirit. No other religion promises this.
You may wonder where all this so-called JOY is and why you do not see much of it in that Christian you work with. The answer is simple. While you, the non-believer, goes through life without a care for your soul or eternal destination, the Christian has an uncontrollable desire to share with you how you may have this relationship with the Lord. He has a desire to see you restored to Christ and at the same time has a fear of being rejected by you or even worst, offend you.
The only way to control these desires is to either share with you and risk being rejected and offending you or talk to you only about sports and TV shows, anything to keep his mind off your eternal desti­nation.
When you make comments about "all the hypocrites at church", you do not realize the battle that goes on in that Christian for your happiness. Most Christians care very deeply about you, their co-worker, and grieve when you grieve. They know what you're looking for in life. He has it and may not know how to share it with you. When they became "Born Again" they made an enemy of a dangerous foe that watches over you and would do anything to keep you theirs. I speak of evil spirits doomed to hell that are trying to keep you from God so you can join them. They live to plague the Christian and keep him beat down so that he really believes that it would be better to let you slip into Hell than to risk offending you or face rejection. Most do not know they have the power from the Holy Spirit to overcome the Evil One and share with you; the greatest of gifts.
I hope this explains why Christians act totally out of this world. It's because they are. Next time a Christian sticks a tract in your face, flashes you with the latest Christian T-shirt or quotes a Bible verse to you. Look at him the way God sees them. A lost child of His that was found. That is trying to show you the best way he can that you are loved and there is joy in serving the Lord. They are like the butterfly, a totally new creature from what they were. In their awkward way they are trying to show you God's love and lead you to Him.
To better understand that Christian you work with, spend some time with them and ask them why he or she is a Christian. Only then will you truly understand where they come from.
If you would like to experience this new life that I have found, just find a spot that you can get alone with Jesus (restroom, bedroom or closet) and confess to Him that you are sinful and ask His forgiveness. Believing that He died to pay for your sins and that He heard you and that He has forgiven you. Then, turn from your sins and follow Him. You follow Him by staying in constant prayer with Him and learning His will through the reading of the Bible. Also, join a local church that He leads you to and become active in that community of believers. A sheep separated from the flock (the Church) is the best target for the enemy (Satan).

Here is an outline with Bible verses that my help:
1. Repenting from your sins. Mark 1: 15: for without turning from your sins there is no Salvation.
2. Receiving forgiveness of sins by faith Ephesians 1: 7
Like any free gift, you must receive it for it to be yours.
3. Confessing with mouth and believing with your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9:
for it is your heart you must believe with and not just your mind. And with your mouth you confess your salvation.
You may use the prayer in Psalms 51 to pray to God with. King David prayed it to ask forgiveness of adultery and murder and God heard him and forgave him.

Have You Killed An Atheist Today?

“Posted For Christians Only, Not Intended For Others”

A while back I stumbled on an atheist blog on mySpace. He put out a challenge for Christians to go seven days letting everyone they knew think they had turned to atheism. This was to prove that atheists were being persecuted more than any other people like theists. On starting the challenge he took great pains to paint a picture of the suffering atheist that was being persecuted for his belief or lack of. When I read this I could not believe that he actually thought that more atheists have been killed than Christians through the years. So I smugly commented back for him to give me at least one account of an atheist being killed by a Christian.
Well his reply dropped my jaw. He gave me two, one on the comment page and one by email.
“Ashley John Appoo, 40, pleaded guilty in a court in Brisbane, Australia, to the manslaughter death of John Leslie McDonald, and to cause grievous bodily harm to McDonald’s wife, Alois, during an ax attack in November 2001. Appoo, a hitchhiker whom McDonald picked up and befriended, went berserk when Ms. McDonald mentioned they were atheists. Described as a “proud Christian whose bible was one of his most precious possessions,” Appoo grabbed an ax and began attacking the couple. Source: Daily Telegraph, Dec. 23, 2004″
And “On October 18, 2004, Arthur Shelton, a self-described Christian and Eagle Scout, murdered his friend and roommate, Larry Hooper, because Hooper didn’t believe in God.”

This really chapped me. At first glance my response was typical,” These were not real “Christians”. But on giving it more thought. This argument is all used up. The person reporting on the Larry Hooper story, who was an atheist, and reported on how the “Christians” treated him during the trial, calling them devils and shoving their crosses in their faces like they were vampires and just plain hateful.
And although these are atheist sources, I say it is a shame that I have no problem believing they are true.
So I want to address this post to Christians. Have you all ever read the Ten Commandments, “Thou (that means you) shalt (you will not) Kill (stop the life of an innocent being). What part don’t you understand? God has told no one to kill anyone in His name. You say you read and follow the Bible, well let’s take a look at that:
Matthew 5:43, you have heard that it was said, “love your neighbor and hate your enemies”. But I (Jesus) say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.
1 John 2:9, anyone who says,” I am in the light,” but hates a brother or sister (even under Adam), is still in darkness.
1 John 4:20, if people say, “I love God”, but hate their brothers or sisters they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. Get the picture? We are to love others, not kill them.
To kill a person whom God created is a serious sin against God. You will never have a good reason to do this. Although atheists have gathered us in mass and killed us like animals, so what?
They constantly insult us by telling us we are stupid and do not use our brains, so what?
You can’t even get on a Christian forum for encouragement without one butting in and insulting you, so what? You can’t watch a sit-com with your family without seeing a Christian depicted as a lunatic murderer, so what?
These would make a natural person want to attack back, but we are not to be natural.
We are not our own, we are bought with a price.
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it loves its own. But I have chosen you out of the world, so you don’t belong to it. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: A servant is not greater than his Master, If people did wrong to Me, they will do all this to you on account of Me, because they do not know the one who sent Me.” John 15:18-21
People, it would be better for us to die than an unbeliever.
The Bible says, “Say to them, as I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11 King James
and “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15
Years ago I used to travel a little for a small company and I decided I would take a gun just in case I needed it. The Lord impressed on me the question,” Would I really kill someone and send them to hell instead of yielding and risk him sending me to Heaven?” I held on to the gun for a while joking with the idea that I would never kill, but it was surprising what someone could live through. I later got rid of the gun. My point is we are not to kill, if anyone was to be killed we should have the attitude that it would be better if it was us. This would give the Lord full time to reveal Himself to the unbeliever.
Now let us return to the murdered atheists. Who the hell are we to kill someone just because they do not believe? This makes me mad and we have seen above how God feels. He has no pleasure. God does not smile. You have given Him no pleasure. These impostors will have to stand before the Lord and give account of them. And the worst of it all is that some of you are more offended over me saying “hell” than over these two men killed. Repent. Change your way of thinking. Turn to Jesus and love your neighbor as yourself. For believe me, if you hate your neighbor you are not saved no matter how many times you walk that aisle and shed a few tears.
An Atheist is not our enemy. Not gays. Not any unbelievers!
“Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.” Ephesians 6:12
Have we forgotten these things? Or did we ever know? If you’re one of those who pickets graves of dead soldiers, bash gays or anything else you believe is God’s will, you’d better read all the Bible. Without the love of Christ operating in you are no different than the ones you hate. You just know how to speak religious and you hinder the Holy Spirit moving on the unbelievers.
It is real simple: Treat others the way you want to be treated”. Even atheists, gays and unbelievers can do this. And then all the hate crimes will cease. And I leave you with this: “You have heard that it was said to our people long ago, ’you must not murder anyone. Anyone who murders anyone will be judged.’ But I (Jesus) tell you, if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be judged.” Matthew 5:21-22
Note: This post is intended for Christians, please all else hold your negative comments. Verses are from the New Century Version
Originally Posted: Friday, March 07, 2008