Website owner: James Miller
True Christianity is not about Christian activism
In a recent newsletter the head of a certain well-known conservative Christian organization that encourages members to boycott businesses for various reasons made the comment that he assumed that the reader was a Christian activist since the organization was a Christian activist organization. Well, I am a Christian but I am not a Christian activist and the comment started me thinking. True Christianity is about an individual coming to a point in his life where he repents of his sinful ways and resolves to turn to God and follow him by leading an upright, moral, good life. It involves doing an about-face, rejecting the ways of the world, having the courage to stand alone and go God’s way. It is a highly personal thing and involves seriousness, self-discipline, and character. True Christianity is not about just being a member of some church or Christian denomination and listening to boring sermons and joining in some spirited singing on Sunday. And it is not about attempting to coerce other people in a bad, immoral, depraved world to act in the way you think they ought to act, act in accordance with your Christian views and outlooks; forcing them to “live right”, be good. There are Christian sects who do have this concept of Christianity and do attempt to force the world about them to live by their values by pushing various kinds of legislation, etc. That is not true Christianity. I note that this is what the liberals do. Liberals have their beliefs, outlooks, and values and attempt to force their ideas and beliefs on others. If you don’t agree with them, they try to cancel you out, label you a hater, etc. They are very intolerant of people who disagree with them. I don’t find anything like this in the New Testament. True Christianity is about a personal enlightenment and the following of a special road. It is about following the road of God, Truth, and Wisdom. At the age of nine I made a spiritual decision that set the course for the rest of my life. I decided to be a Christian and follow in God’s way. That met for me at that time a lot of things including not drinking, swearing, lying, and doing many wrong things. And as years passed, as I thought, reflected, read the Bible, it came to mean to me a lot more things regarding ways I should and shouldn’t act. Reading the Bible and reflective thought brings spiritual enlightenment and changes how you think and act. It has the effect of shaping character. That decision at the age of nine set a course for me and had the effect of making my life much different than the lives of most people. It had the effect of making me different from most people in a special way. Real Christianity is about a lot more than just dogma, doctrine, theology — it is about obedience, practice.
True Christianity is about changing yourself, not about changing others. You have the power to change yourself. You don’t have the power to change others. I am very thankful that I at that young age of nine made that decision that I made after listening to that sermon of an evangelist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I walked forward at that service announcing my decision.
A lot of Americans have the idea that most Americans are Christians. There are a lot of Americans who are members of some Christian church or other and go to church every Sunday. Many people appear to assume all of these people are Christians. Well, my idea is very different. I think possibly one person out of a hundred or, more likely, one in a thousand, may possibly be a Christian. I don’t think there are very many true Christians in America. And yet I think America probably has more true Christians than any other country.
John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. {45}And it is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God”. Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Words of Jesus
It is only a very special person who becomes a Christian. It is the serious seeker of God’s truth that finds it. If you are not earnest in your quest for truth, you won’t find it.
We live in a bad, depraved, dishonest world. There are not many serious seekers. Life just has too many temptations and attractions.
3 May 2021
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life