Black As Your Soul! The Temptation To Sell Out For Wealth, Status, And Attraction

"Can I put my hand on your arm?" My gorgeous twenty-five-year-old coworker's eyes glittered with joy as she smiled up at me.

"Sure," I said, and we took a photo together at our company's annual dinner. 

I was in a custom-tailored cashmere suit, in one of the most expensive hotels in the city, surrounded by beautiful women.  A banquet that would have cost thousands of dollars in the U.S. was offered to me on the company tab.  And I was an English teacher in a country where native English speakers were treated like "gods."

Wealth.  Attraction.  Status. And...

"All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."*

That was the deal I made for the prestige I got as an English as a Second Language teacher for the most well-known company in that nation.  A deal with the devil.

Contrary to popular belief, Satan actually does honor his promises sometimes.  But his promises are half-truths; he doesn't tell you what you are really sacrificing or what you are really getting.  He did not tell me I would be forced out of that same company for my faith.  He did not tell me that those beautiful women really wanted me because they considered me a free version of Rosetta Stone or an opportunity to satisfy their "jungle fever" when their fiancees/husbands were traveling.  And he did not tell me how miserable the side effect of the city's wealth - air pollution - would make me for my entire tenure there.  He also did not tell me what I would be sacrificing: time.  Time needed to preach the gospel.  Time that, as a man approaching his mid-thirties, I no longer have much of.  

Recently, I was tempted to continue to pursue English as a Second Language in a secular capacity.  It's a noble field, but I was pursuing it for the wrong reasons.  Wealth.  Attraction. Status.  So now I make it a point only to teach English for Christian organizations.  That way, I can use my skills for Jesus Christ, and not just to build my own kingdom, which will go up in smoke as soon as I die.  Billions of people need to hear the gospel so that they can be saved from the Lake of Fire, and I don't have much time left.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

*Quote from Matthew 4:9 (ESV)

Real Mercy Vs. "Mortal Kombat" Mercy

In the third installment of Mortal Kombat, you could show "Mercy" to your opponent.  However, this was really just a way for you to beat them up again so that you could murder them in an even more horrific way using a "Fatality" called an "Animality."  In the same manner, many people in church pretend to forgive others, but hold on to their bitterness and hatred until they can take vengeance in an even more horrific way than they had originally planned.  For example, a spouse may outwardly forgive their significant other for verbally lashing out at them in the past, but secretly resent them to the point where they act out by sleeping around behind their back.  In other words, they withhold a verbal "Fatality" by refusing to retaliate with verbal insults only to perform a passive-aggressive "Animality" by cheating, hurting their spouse in an even more horrific way than cutting words would have.  

In our battle to protect Christ-centered marriages, we must make sure that we are not guilty of sin ourselves.  This includes the sin of unforgiveness.  In Matthew 18:23-35, Jesus Christ talks about a servant who is forgiven a monumental debt by a king, only to turn around and throw a fellow servant in jail for owing him a tiny sum of money.  The king is so furious when he finds out that he reacts like this:

Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. (Matthew 18: 32-35)

How exactly can a Christian advance God's kingdom from jail?  Not very effectively.  Even skilled spiritual archers would have difficulty shooting an enemy who has laid siege to the church when they themselves are aiming their arrows from the bowels of an embittered soul's dungeon.  Yet, that is what we are doing when we are so full of hatred that God the Father casts us into the jail of bitterness to be tormented.  Rest assured, God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit know the difference between real forgiveness and mercy (which leads to spiritual growth and freedom of the believer, and sometimes leads an unsaved person to repentance) and fake, "Mortal Kombat" mercy which, subconsciously or consciously, is just a way to bide time for a more animalistic way to retaliate against someone (saved or not) who has offended us. 

We need to understand something very important: everyone who refuses to completely and unconditionally surrender to Jesus Christ WILL burn in the Lake of Fire forever!  In order to reach them through protecting Christ-centered marriages, we need to have as much freedom and mobility as possible!  The fight to protect marriage is a spiritual WAR, and we can't be effective soldiers for Christ if we are thrown into the spiritual brig for disobeying a direct order to forgive our enemies.  So in order for us to be restored to the front lines so that we can give the gospel to as many lost and dying souls as possible, we must repent of unforgiveness (no matter how serious the crime against us is) IMMEDIATELY.  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).  

Personal Decision: Moving On From Marvel And DC

Many children have imaginary friends growing up.  I did, but in a very different sense.  My imaginary friends weren't made-up creatures that I talked to.  They were the comic book heroes that I watched on TV and later, in film: chiefly Spiderman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.  Christ used these superheroes and their stories to teach me right from wrong, the lifelong struggle to overcome evil, the importance of protecting others, and ultimately, to lead me to the Greatest Good, who is Jesus Christ Himself.  However, the Holy Spirit has also showed me that my superhero childhood "friends" have served their purpose, and that it's time to come back to reality so that I can truly serve Jesus Christ and bring Him glory.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:11-13, ESV)

The Bible: A Christian's Lightsaber!

In one of my favorite Star Wars audiobooks*, a Jedi named Kyle Katarn threatens to kill a Dark Jedi named Boc when Boc finds him after his starship crashes.

"I don't think so!" Boc sneers, "Not without your lightsaber!"

In the same way, we, as Christians, stand no chance against the enemies of marriage and religious freedom if we don't use our spiritual lightsaber: the Bible. 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

One of Satan's most effective tricks is to convince us that appeals to human reason and emotion are the best ways to defeat him.  This is WRONG.  Because of our sin, human reason and emotion are as broken as a shattered sword! Yes, you might cut an enemy soldier so that they bleed from their arms and legs, but you won't have enough steel to run them through! 

The best way to defeat the enemies of marriage and religious freedom is to quote from a faithfully translated version of the Bible.  These include:

1) The NASB and ESV (which include the Dead Sea Scroll Texts and use English vocabulary that the common person can easily understand)
2) The NIV
3) The KJV and NKJV

Another reason to use the Bible as much as possible is because the enemies of marriage and religious freedom USE IT TOO!  Let's not forget, in Star Wars, the Sith** used lightsabers, too.  And Satan used scripture to try to tempt Jesus Christ to sin in the desert:

And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,  to guard you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up,    lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:9-12)

In a church I attended in Taiwan, the pastor once mentioned that he had a secular philosophy professor who HAD MEMORIZED THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT IN GREEK!  

If the Bible was really as "impotent" as we've been led to believe, would the enemies of Christ be so obsessed with it?  

Not to mention that the Bible is ABSOLUTELY necessary for us to grow as slaves, warriors, and future co-heirs of Jesus Christ.  It is even more essential for us as Christians than lightsaber training is for the Jedi!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

For this reason, we, as Christians, must use the scriptures as much as possible to defend Christ-centered marriages and our First Amendments rights so that we can preach the gospel.  This is essential so that others can surrender to the REAL Jesus Christ and be saved from the Lake of Fire.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

*"Star Wars Dark Forces: Jedi Knight" by William C. Dietz
**Boc was a Dark Jedi, but technically not a Sith

Love Your Enemies: A Lesson I Learned The Hard Way

"Are you a CHRISTIAN?!" Asked a citizen of the country where I was teaching overseas.

I hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"I am a slave of Jesus Christ."

Before this, I was one of the most popular individuals at the school, and a "big brother" figure to many of my colleagues.  Afterwards, a colleague, whom had forsaken both the Catholic faith and complementary-gender relationships, colluded with two like-minded individuals (one of whom was my direct supervisor) to force me out of the company. 

I had done everything in my power to treat them as professional colleagues and friends, to the point where I chose not to mention their lifestyle choices AT ALL, much less in a negative light.  In spite of this, I was slandered, my relationships were sabotaged, and I was eventually targeted for physical and verbal bullying because of my faith in Christ.  When I made a formal request to transfer to a different school within the company because of the mistreatment I experienced, my direct supervisor used that as an excuse to refuse to renew my contract and torpedoed the transfer. 

It was this painful experience that taught me the truth:

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6: 14-15)

The answer is NONE!  

People who obey Jesus Christ and people who commit treason against Jesus Christ will ALWAYS be enemies!  That's why Jesus Christ called us to "love our enemies."  If these people don't repent, then we can't be friends with them! Ever!  And even worse, they will burn in the Lake of Fire forever (just like we would if we had not surrendered unconditionally to Jesus Christ).  That's why we must try as hard as we can to preach and live out the gospel, which means we cannot compromise on Christ-centered one-man, one-woman marriages at all!  We must stand firm in the truth, to the point where we must cast people who promote any other type of marriage out of the church.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 6:23 ESV).

Protecting Christ-Centered Marriages: A Legal Right!

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

- The Bill Of Rights (emphasis added)

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript#toc-amendment-i

In other words, in the United States of America, we have the LEGAL RIGHT to preach the truth, that "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23) and that "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:28).  In addition, we have the legal right to state the truth that marriage is one-man, one-woman, unified by Jesus Christ Himself, and to do everything in our power to preach the gospel by defending this institution in a peaceful manner.  That means that we can, in the United States, legally:

1) Preach the truth about marriage

2) Refuse to participate in any activity or ceremony that openly defies the fact that true marriage is one-man, one-woman unified by Jesus Christ

3) Enforce the observance of Christ's definition of marriage in Christian organizations such as churches, schools and businesses by only offering membership to those who recognize Christ's definition of marriage

"Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him." (Mark 12:17, ESV)

How You REALLY Find The One (IF You Are Blessed To Have One To Begin With)

Not everyone will get married.

That's one of the consequences of our sin.  However, most of us are still meant to get married.  We just do foolish things to screw it up.  Whether it's seeking a spouse before we surrender to Christ, sleeping with everything that moves, or simply dragging the first dummy that gives us the time of day to the altar, most of us do foolish things that either ensure we never get married at all, or that we marry the wrong person.  In my case, I once foolishly thought that any beautiful, single young lady who agreed to hang out outside of church was "the one."  So, after screwing myself over enough times, I finally realized the following truths:

1) Not everyone in church is a Christian.  In fact, many church members are Satanic individuals sent to destroy and undermine our mission to make disciples of all nations.
2) Some Christians choose to take MUCH longer to become mature, responsible, and obedient individuals than others.  For this reason, you can have people who are 82-years-old physically but 2-years-old spiritually.  People who are spiritually immature are usually emotionally and mentally immature, too.  If you marry someone like this, you will babysit them until they grow up, which could take years or decades if it ever happens at all, and you will be miserable.

One day, after yet another romantic disaster, I went to a sermon held by one of my favorite pastors.  He clearly taught his congregation the RIGHT way to find a spouse.

1) The man must honor and obey Jesus Christ with His entire being
2) When the man does this, the woman whom Jesus Christ has set aside for him as his wife will recognize this and draw close to him, aiding him in his goal to glorify and honor Christ by conforming to His image.

One real life example of this is Boaz and Ruth.  Boaz was a wealthy landowner who focused on being a godly man above all.  He was probably in his 40s or 50s; in ancient Israel, becoming a wealthy landowner usually took a lot of time and diligence.  However, he remained focused on Jesus Christ (whom at that time had only revealed Himself as "I am"), which is why he was tough but fair to his laborers and stayed sexually pure, which was unusual for a man of his social status.  Then, right when he least expected it, Ruth, a beautiful widow from Moab (probably in her mid-to-late twenties), showed up to work in his field to provide for her mother-in-law, Naomi.  People praised her character to him, he protected her and gave her extra crops to gather, and long story short, she actually proposed to him!  Before this, both individuals had come to faith in the pre-incarnate Christ (Ruth converted while still in Moab with Naomi) and demonstrated this by being sexually pure*!  For this reason, they had a joyful and faithful marriage, one that resulted in them being the great-grandparents of King David!

Boaz and Ruth are a clear example of the right way to find a spouse.  Again, this is IF Christ has chosen to bless us with one and IF we haven't done something stupid to screw it up.  Yes, there are couples that survive and even receive marital bliss in spite of great personal failures.  However, they usually spend extra time in the valley of the shadow of death for their errors in judgment and their sins before Christ decides to show them grace.

So if we are truly determine to find a spouse, we must dedicate ourselves to Christ first.  And even after we marry our spouse, we must remember that our chief goal as a couple is to preach the gospel so that the world knows that complete and unconditional surrender to Jesus Christ is the only way to avoid burning in the Lake of Fire forever.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).

*Boaz did not have multiple wives or concubines, which makes it clear that he was sexually pure at the time.  Also, he praised Ruth for not seeking after the younger men, which makes it clear that 1) She was still young and attractive 2) She chose to make an honest living instead of throwing herself at every man of means who came near her or resorting to prostitution, which would have been much very easy for her to do as an attractive young woman from a foreign country.