ARE YOU ON BOTH SIDES OF GOOD OR BAD?

 

RIDING THE FENCE
by Pastor Jimmie Warren

While I was going through my learning years (17-20 years old) in church, I was playing games within myself, for I had one foot in the church, the other foot out of church, By this I mean I was still hanging with my friends from high school, going to parties and drinking until I was plastered then driving fast and not caring about life with Vietnam and me being 19 years old it was just a matter of time to being dead,right?.

I wanted to be a good Christian but, I also wanted to keep my party buddies and girl friends which where not in church, it was the mid-sixties and sex, drugs, and rock n roll was everywhere and My friends always seemed so much fun to be with, with all the parties, sex, and drinking! None of them were condemning me like some in the church always did, these were mostly older folks who had done all their sinning already and now settled down and changed towards the Lord,they just wanted to help me avoid the down falls of life.

I felt free, yet trapped and guilty all the time, something in my life had to be changed?
Are you feeling this way while going to church and hanging with your "quote" worldly friends also? Worldly, that is what the church people call those not in their church? I tell you some of these so called Worldly people are more loving ,doing what the bible says about helping others that it made me wonder who was a Christian?
How many of you have done this, or are doing things like Parties with drinking and all the rest of it right now?

Ask yourself "Are you half in and half out of church?"
Some, Especially younger people who are only going to church because, Mom and Dad are dragging them there?  Take time and read my article "Why Do You Go To Church".

Some are very lucky teens, because they were raised in the church; I know because when I was in my teens and early 20's, my parents made me go to church- to save my soul. Thank you Mom and Dad for showing me Jesus, He loves me and He Loves You no matter what! Many thanks to both of you for loving me for what I learned from our time in bible reading and by making me keep going to church then.

At this time though, I was Still thinking" I would rather be out with my old friends anyway "like most teens think!
I liked the dancing, drinking and having what I thought was fun! I thought I was right, and all older people just wanted to spoil all the fun I was having by making me be a good Christian boy.

I have a hard head and learn most things by doing what’s wrong first. Sound familiar to some of you? While reading this or someone you know, who should be reading this then copy it and let them read it, you never know what people are really thinking? You might save your friends from ending up dead from an over dose or car wreck that kills them or someone they hit?

How many times have you been to church, only wanting to be anywhere else besides listening to some slow talking minister giving some long boring sermon? Listening to some godly minister who is slowly speaking about "if the fish in Jonah was a whale or a big fish", using a big screen presentation, putting you and most everyone else to sleep? But who cares, right? Your mind after all is on going out  as soon as you get out of there or what happen last night when you and your friends where drinking and having a good time.

Your just enduring church because you have to be there, because Mom or Dad is trying to make you a good Christian, right? Maybe your feeling guilty because you gave your heart to the Lord just a few weeks ago? Still It’s just that you don't want to jump right in and become boring like your parents or those other Christians kids, at least not yet? You want to have fun which is running to every dance or movie or drinking booze like all your friends are doing, right?

Maybe, you have one of those new young preaches who is on fire, telling stories about Samson killing 10,000 men with the jawbone of an ass, but you laugh to yourself when you hear the word ass, because your thinking something else instead of a mule, right?

You go to church and listen and listen to sermon after sermon after sermon and are still feeling more guilty about not living like your spirit tells you to live. Listen for the spirit of the Lord, as He will tell your mind how your suppose to be living, yet, you fight your old self, then go out the next week end and do the same thing again, I am right aren't I? See I really have been there and more!

Please read my personal testimony
to see what God has done for me here under our beliefs page.

Now Back to the church services your were in say last week!
You listen and listen really hard and take many beautiful notes with every scripture given, in fact you have a large pile of note books from sermons you have hear but, your life has not changed much yet,right?

Now because you don't want to give up those old friends and the ways you where used too called "having many good times", yet again your not sure if you should be in church, sitting there like a hypocrite?

If this is what it is like while your going to church ,then you are riding the fence my friend get off and do what is right, turn every thought to God, for He is waiting for you to make up your mind, to come to Him and his great Love for you - Gods Love is the real LOVE everyone needs!

You like riding around in fast cars, maybe even drinking, while driving 100 miles an hour or racing, because daddy's car is fast? It seems fun with a V8 engine and lots of horse power to drive fast huh! Maybe your showing off for someone to look like big stuff, but your putting yourself and your friends into real trouble? Today even the girls are getting into driving around and getting into trouble and all, they are wild as all the boy's are and all wishing they did not have to be in church either!

Your in church today with a hang over and listening to another sermon and trying your best to look like a good Christian and your sorry for drinking and messing around so, you tell the Lord you will never do it again, right?
 

This is what is called riding the fence. Believe me when I say "the longer you do this, the sharper that fence is going to get and it will cut you in half soon my friends".

You see the Lord will let you go all the way down to the gutter if need be. He  wants (you to see) that after giving yourself to Him, GOD wants YOU to make it. Yes, my friends God will let you keep riding that fence till it hurts or until you make up your mind which side your going to be on?

This statement made a chill run down my spine does it do to you? I heard a minister on the radio once say "Either your on God's side or your on the other guy's side, make up your mind who you serve" THIS hit me like a ton of bricks I had been giving the other guy (satan the devil) way to much of my life !

I knew I needed to be with Jesus and do what was right, I knew what was right, but this question made me really start thinking more. "You can not server man (the ways of the world) and God (the ways of the Spirit),either you follow one way or you follow the other way to your own doom?  

Read my story here on the site called "TWO BROTHER'S" See what could happen if you wait to long to decide which side your on?

I did this myself for years and years, yes I went to church and told myself I was changed, I was a good boy, I was a Christian and following Christ. Being a real Christian means,  to be more like Christ Yeshua Messiah yet, I was still fooling myself by still smoking, and drinking after church and waiting for the week- end so I could party all night, yeah "I was changed alright"

We all fool ourselves by doing one thing yet wishing we were doing other things by following our heart which is of the world unless you have Jesus living in your heart you cannot be GOOD!
I was still living two lives and riding that fence as fast as I could.

God being the all loving and understanding God that He is, let , me to keep doing this until I woke up and had to decide which side I was on, I finally made up my mind (some 20 years later) When in prayer the Holy Spirit moved me to tears to change and do something. I was ready to give up on life, I wanted to change or just die.

One day a few years ago while I was driving down the highway near Seattle Washington , I finally was just wanting to end my life for I had failed being a Christian-(which means to be like Christ)- I wasn't good at being bad either because my spirit keep reminding me that Jesus was watching over me!.

I couldn't let go and be wild like the rest of the people in the world around me and I was sick of the way I was living and had started thinking about ending my life.
As I was listening to the radio when driving down the I-5 freeway ,I happened to changed the channel where I caught this guy named Max Lacado .

Max was talking about a book he was pushing at the time called "And the Angles Where Silent"It was what he said next just before I was about to change back to some oldies music when he said " there is someone listening to me right now, who is thinking about ending his life, who has given up on GOD, I want you to call in right now and send for this book and if you do not have the money to donate for it call anyway and I will mail it to you for free".

I thought "Man did he just read my mind or was it the Holy Spirit telling me to get this book?" I couldn't believe my ears ,what had just happened, I was only about a mile away from some very close friends which I had been staying with so, I rushed home and called the number Max Lacaod had given out while I was on the highway.

I told the operator " I didn't have the donation but, I need the book "AND THE ANGLES WHERE SILENT" a couple of days later I got the book BY MAIL and started to read through it.
"I want to tell you after all the years of hearing sermons and reading the Bible, nothing hit my spirit like this book at the time."Thank you brother Max Lacado where ever you are now? I think Everyone should get copies of some of his books, he is a very good spiritual writer.

Dear Max -if you ever read this or hear about it from someone else who had read it? The Holy Spirit had you save my life that day and maybe others listening to the radio or who have gotten your books, who also and came back to the Lord?

The Old Self always wants to do what is easier and sinning is always the other side of the fence ,and until you get sick of riding the fence. you will stay on that old fence, half doing what God says to do, you see the old Devil -satan is always telling your other half "not to do what church tells you to do,but go out and have fun anyway.
Don't think about what you know is bad things to do just, do what you like!".
You see it is because you will be giving up all that fun STUFF you where doing RIGHT? You know Drinking, fighting, whoring around!

Paul said it best in the Bible in the book of Romans- Chapter 8 read the whole chapter, you will see WHY even Paul himself ,had problems giving up the pulls of the flesh or as I like to say "riding the fence".How many truly know what I am talking about here?

How many at least understand what some people may be going through in their battle of life right now?
Some who might be thinking just like I did .before I made up my mind. which side of the fence I wanted to be on?

You may be surprised who's kids are going through this hell everyday, someone you might know and think they are good people, yet you have NO IDEA what they might be going through

I had a friend tell me once " Jim your the strongest Christian I know yet, you drink, curse and mess around all the time!, (past tense) "Man you need to make up your mind and do one or the other, way of life"?

That was way back years before the highway event when I was still riding the fence. Back and forth ,go to church, go out to drink, it was way ,way to hard on the mind and spirit ,until I made a choice to come down and let Jesus take control of my mind and heart to serve Him Amen!

Read my article "Double Minded" under articles on our site here or www.simplesalvation.org if you reading this from some other source other than the INTERNET?

The main reason I am writing this message is to let all those people out there who can't seem to give up their old ways, to stop and think.

I know for sure ,the old ways of life is easier because it is hard in this life to obey God and do the right thing.
DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENT !
It is easy to mess around, drink, and to fool yourself !

Your having fun right up to praying to the "porcelain GOD (the toilet bowl) Ralph" AFTER DRINKING TOO MUCH, RIGHT ,You know what I am talking about?

Your saying to yourself with your head in the bowl or sink, "I ' I will never drink again God, if you'll just make this go away!.How about the poor girls who get pregnant because of this kind of thinking, you might ask God to forgive you but ,here you are with a kid on the way or maybe today you just go get rid of it right? Wrong killing an unborn baby is killing a human being and unless it could kill the mother, its not right, and I am sure God looks down at it this same way!

WAKE UP PEOPLE this may be your and you last chance to get down off the fence Start do the right thing on the right side of the fence, LIVING FOR GOD!!!

God will judge both big and small sins, and we all have some, the only difference is those who repented and are covered by the blood of Yeshua Messiah /Jesus Christ and those who have not yet repented. WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

BETTER MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND GET OFF THAT FENCE BEFORE YOU RUN OUT OF TIME MY FRIENDS!

Yeshua Messiah -Jesus Christ is coming back a lot sooner than you might think and you are running out of time, change and repent before that fence cuts you in half.

I was just talking to a minister friend of mine saying," there are far to many people playing church today, by that I mean, there are many going to church every week singing and paying tithes or donating their money to church and thinking "

Some tell themselves:

"I got it made, I am saved, the pastor will save me with his sermons, as long as I keep coming to church- RIGHT—?"

WRONG ,WRONG, WRONG ! That is just religion my friend and it is not going to save you--repeat it is not going to save you just because you go to church each week.

Read another article to follow up called "WHY DO YOU GO TO CHURCH" again on our site.

If you are ready to get off the fence and your wanting to be like Jesus, then your starting to learn what a Christian is "to be like JESUS" How many people do you know who are like Him?

A lot of men think they are "Holy" or at least they act like they are but, Jesus said "why do you call me good, there is only one who is Good and that is the Father who sent me"

You see my beloved friends anyone of us can fall.
We might look like we are all together on this but, I am afraid many are still playing church?
 Do not be a fence rider-make your minds up!

ALL ministers or pastors ,who preach Jesus and call themselves your Shepard are wrong! THERE is but ONE SHEPARD---Yeshua Messiah--Jesus Christ our Lord!
All minister's are only "SERVANTS" not the Shepard or your Bosses!!!
We are all fellow "SERVANTS" here to help you to get off the fence and come to the Lord God Almighty! Amen and Amen.

That preacher behind the podium is there to help lead you into Gods ways. If you have not turned your entire life over to the Lord Yeshua /Jesus yet, this is the time?

SAY THIS PRAYER AND MEAN IT!
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE ASK GOD!
"Yeshua Messiah /Jesus Christ, come into my life ,change me to be more like you and leave my old life behind , let me come before our Father under your blood. Forgive me of all my sin to walk in your light. I want to come down on the right side of this fence I have been riding and be with you until I am made perfect in your kingdom Amen and AMEN!

By saying this prayer your on the right side of the fence leading to everlasting life. Congratulations my brother and sister ,now you can finally move forward, pressing toward the mark, and be on the right side of the fence of the Lord.

In Closing beloved, for those who think they leaders of their church?
I have NEWS FOR YOU! IT IS THE CHURCH OF GOD ,NOT MEN AND YOUR DOCTRINES:

"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.
 
Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.
He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.  For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord." So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother?
For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way."(Romans 14:4-13)

See it is all up to you to read your own Bibles and pray to God to grown! We are trying to help get you off the fence and back to God Almighty my beloved friends.

It is time for those of you who know that you are riding a fence ,living two lives, to climb down off it right now and ask God to give you the Holy Spirit to fight your flesh and wanting ways. This maybe your last call to decide which way your going?

your humble brother in the Lord

Chaplain Ret.(MAJ)Jimmie W Warren

Shalom Alechem B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach.
(Peace be unto you in the Name of Jesus the Messiah