[A longer version of this was in the Byron Gazette-April 3, 2002, also the Fort Valley Leader Tribune April 17, 2002- I once e-mailed this to a Catholic in Australia who I was debating. He was offended that I was saying Catholics needed to repent. He missed the whole point of this article, which is: We all need to repent.]

Dear Editor,
I am a 35 year old wife & mother. My husband Bob is an engineer at Robins Air Force base. We have five children and home school. I have been a Christian since 1984, but sometimes I don't act right and the Lord brings this to my attention and I turn around from the wrong way I was going. [1st John 1:9] My family and I just recently saw the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"on a cable channel we were getting for free. It's about three prisoners who escape from jail in Mississippi during the Great Depression and their misadventures to find a treasure. Early in the movie two of the character's "get saved" and baptized. They record "I am a Man of Constant Sorrow" and it becomes a big hit, but they are unaware of this because they continue on the run from the law. I believe the moral of the movie was, "Not everyone who calls themselves 'Christian' is one." But, didn't they believe the gospel? What was missing? Repentance. [Matt. 3:8&11, Acts 2:38 etc.]. The Bible says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord', 'Lord' shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven…" [Matt.7:21]. I was discussing this verse with some Jehovah Witnesses recently. I had just finished e-mailing a friend about false prophets. I was still in my jammies with my baby on my hip when these two ladies knocked on my door. A few weeks ago also with baby Lydia in tow, I was talking to a tattooed guy at Chick-Fil-A on the same subject. He was Catholic, I could tell because he had Mary tattooed on his arm! How does Mary hear the one billion Catholics who pray to her? Doesn't the Bible teach that only God is omnipresent?

I had recently run into someone else I had witnessed to last year. A handsome young man who works at Wal-Mart. I'll call him "Matt". My life is often like that Calgone commercial- "Calgone take me away!" The baby is always making a mess everywhere. One day my husband came home and was cranky and complained about the messy house! Instead of going to God, I stewed - and then headed to Wal-Mart. When I saw Matt, I asked him if he wanted to go get a cup of coffee when he got off . Usually, I wouldn't have done this because although there's nothing wrong with a cup of coffee, it could lead somewhere else. I don't want to end up on that long list of hypocrites I'm always hearing about. A contemporary Christian group called D.C. Talk has a great song about this called "What If I Stumble?" . In the beginning of the song a man says, "The greatest single cause of Atheism in the world today…is Christians…who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle…" Why is the divorce rate just as high in Christendom as outside? Why are "Christians" looking at internet porn? Why were some of us "Christians" saying the world was ending January 1st 2000? Aren't some of us "Christians" greedy for gain, just like the heathen? Is this a "Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle"? What do the non-Christians around us think? I was making excuses, "But Lord I don't feel like fighting the good fight today…I'm tired " Oh stop whining and put on your armor! [Eph.6] That Lion's about [1Peter5:8] and he will devour you if you sleep! Wake up Christians! [Eph.5:14] Stop being luke warm! [Rev. 3:14-22] A woman I ran into, had said her husband had left her because of a "mid-life crisis". She said "They're real, you know?" I replied "Yeah…I'm having one!" I'm not one to be deceptive, aren't Christians supposed To Tell the truth? Let's tell them to "consider the cost" [Luke 14:25-34], this Christian life isn't easy. It can be kinda like the show "Survivor" or even "Temptation Island". Do you want to be a Millionaire? Or is your soul in Jeopardy? What's your final answer? I didn't have that cup of coffee with Matt. I went home to my wonderful family. O Brother, Where Art Thou?? Are you "A Man of Constant Sorrow"? You can repent and turn to Jesus Christ and have joy! Repent today and you will find that great treasure; the Pearl of Great Price! [Matt.13:44-46]

Note: I stayed away from Wal-Mart for a couple of months and when I returned, Matt was gone. Matt is one of the many CINOs I've met- Catholic in name only-I still pray for him.

Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry to the Christian Church(CARM)
CARM on Mary
CARM on Jehovah Witnesses
© copyright Susan E. Story 2000-2003