I just lost another buddy. This thing is getting bad. Sadly, my circle of friends was getting smaller by the month. I wonder who will be next-hopefully not me.
This is not a journal about a war vet, that honor has not crossed my path. This was my thoughts about life as a young adult in the midst of the ‘Jesus movement’. I hated those Christians; they were taking all my friends, so few left to party with. Why were they targeting my group? Yea-we liked to talk philosophy, but not to the point that made us into something else. You’re not supposed to change who you are cause of what you think. Especially when you stop having a ‘good time’.
I will take my back pack and hitch a ride to Mexico. No more being targeted by a twin brother and all his Baptist Student Union ‘goons’. Sitting at a bus stop and the strangest thing happened. Some long hair hippie got up and said Jesus told him he was supposed to talk to me about the Lord. He hadn’t been a Christian that long, but had to be obedient. I was polite but furious! I am not going to travel a couple of thousand miles on the side of the road to keep bumping into Christians. Not the kind that target you anyway.
The pot in Mexico back then was stronger than anything in my yard. I did not want to admit it, but I was not handling being stoned very well. It really was starting to freak me out. They say don’t drink the water in Mexico; I say how do you avoid eating anything in Mexico without the water. Anyway, they were right about what happens when you switch countries, the trip to Mexico was a bust.
Back in the states and again arguing with Christians. They were saying the craziest thing about me. The more I argued, the more they said I was so close to becoming one of them! So close that they needed to keep working on me. I wasn’t ‘using’ as heavy as my friends, but had just enough to make me think how empty inside I was. I said a closet prayer to this Jesus. “If you are real-then I want to know the truth. I have been arguing with you cause I know I am not part of your clan, I do not want to be a fake. I do not have you as part of my life. Your people however are scaring me-for real.” Their eyes are one hundred percent sure of themselves. They tell me without You, my sins will send me to hell forever! They said this however with a compassion, which bothered me the most. You could sense their concern for others, that’s what made me keep thinking. I did not want to take the chance, even at one in a million-what if they were right.
Most of my friends, the ones left, seemed oblivious to the threat-it did not scare them. The more it bugged me, the more I would search out the Jesus freaks and try to prove them wrong. How could they be the only ones who could be right?
I knew enough that it did not matter if I was part of a Christian religious group… or was baptized. If I was going to change, it had to come from the heart, it had to be real.
Never been so glad to be shown I was so wrong. After another party my twin did what he did best-tell it to me straight. I knew he was right about what was on TV. Bible verses and news headlines were one in the same. I read what he told me to read. When Jesus was talking in the book of John, at one point in time He simply jumped into my heart. For a brief moment in time, I heard what could only be described as a sports cheer. Angels in heaven cheered like when scoring a goal at a football game. I instantly thought-how cool, this Christian thing can be exciting.
Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
More importantly, I knew it was Jesus who was real and with me now. I looked at the stars in heaven and knew-when I leave this place I would be going home. Now I knew who made the heavens. I never had to search again for the ‘truth’, cause it was inside of me. While kings and queens could have this, I had become aware that I had something far greater than what anyone without Him could have, I finally had the truth. It wasn’t easy telling my old friends those Christians were right, I was convinced they all would see immediately what Jesus was saying-if I was convincing enough. They said it wouldn’t last, it’s been decades. The prayer is mirrored to them now…it won’t last, they will one day find the truth!
This short testimony is not meant to convince you of the truth, only the Word and the Holy Spirit can accomplish that. This letter is a simple attempt to have you ask a simple question to God…. a simple prayer…Lord, if you are real I want to know you, I want to know the truth. They say you came and took my sin so I would not have to die with it, but I know it has to be real, from the heart. Please read the following letter, words from God, on how to get to know this King.