James 4:7-10 MSG
[4-7] So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
“GRATEFUL FOR COCAINE AND CIGARETTES”
Often when I give my testimony about becoming a Christian, I begin with saying “I’m grateful for cocaine and cigarettes”. I say this because in the late eighties I had a real drug problem. I was involved in the party scene life style since I was a teen. I started out smoking pot when I was thirteen and that led to all kinds of other drugs. I was what what the addict doctors and drug rehab counselors referred to as a “functional addict”. This meant that I was able perform and maintain my life in a somewhat responsible way without being found out. I played on the football team in high school as a starter. I joined army in 1982 and was assigned to a anti-terrorist unit in Northern Italy to maintain security for a nuclear missile site. I was honorably discharged and later attended NAU and graduated with a BS. I later moved to Los Angeles to try making it as an actor. I trained at the Lee Strasbourg method school of acting. It was where many of the actors studied I admired, like Robert Deniro and Al Pachino. I eventually got my first speaking part in “Blood in Blood out” and obtained my SAG card. All through my life during these achievements, I was high without people knowing. I may of looked okay on the outside, but I was dying inside. There seemed to be a empty void in my heart that I aggressively tried to fill will academic achievements, drugs, women, marshal arts, the arts, military and on and on. My friend Edmund had become a Christian in around 1992. We’d lost touch for a time due to life endeavors. He invited me to church and I finally attended. I studied the Bible with Edmund and some other guys from the church for a few weeks. This is where I started to understand how my sins were destroying my inner well being and separating me from God. And the only way to be get free of them was to understand that Jesus Christ died for me personally.
I learned about God’s power through prayer and humbly asking Him to help me turn away from these destructive sins.
1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT
[18] The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.
I started my simple Prayers to God with a total surrender and reliance on Him to give me the strength to put to death my sins, especially the slavery of using cocaine and cigarettes. I started the morning with a heartfelt prayer to God’s strength to not use any drugs for that day. I learned the power of prayer throughout the day when I was physically, emotionally and psychologically feeling pulled to go back to my drugs to ease my withdrawal pain. But I learned to sit in my pain and overcome it with prayer. I learned that suffering for His will was teaching me perseverance and godly character.
On November 3rd, 1993 I was baptized into Christ in a pool in North Hollywood.
Acts 2:36-39 NIV
[36] “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” [37] When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” [38] Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
So many brothers and sisters were there singing and rejoicing for me. I was so liberated and filled with contentment by having God forgive my sins and receiving His spirit in baptism! As I was leaving, a guy named a Dean grabbed my arm and stop me to congratulate me on making Jesus my Lord. He then said something that has become so profound the longer I have lived the Christian life. “KEEP YOUR HEART SOFT”
At the time I didn’t know what he meant. But as I faced trials of many kinds and sins to repent of for the last 25 years, it means so much more each day.
Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV
[12] See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. [13] But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. [14] We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
Keeping my heart soft means my relationship with God began with the Cross of Christ and stays very close to the Cross of Christ.
Psalm 80:3
[3] Turn us again to yourself, O God. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
Psalm 80:7 NLT
[7] Turn us again to yourself, O God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved.
Twice the writer calls on God to “turn us again to yourself.” Before God can turn us to himself, we must turn away from sin. Repentance involves humbling ourselves and turning to God to receive his forgiveness. As we turn to God, he helps us see ourselves, including our sin, more clearly. Then, as we see our sin, we must repeat the process of repentance. Only then can we constantly be restored to fellowship with God.
“TRUE RESPECT FOR GOD IS PROVEN YOUR TRUE INNER ATTITUDE”
2 Kings 1:3-16 NLT
[3] But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? [4] Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message. [5] When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?” [6] They replied, “A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. ‘This is what the LORD says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” [7] “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?” [8] They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed. [9] Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.” [10] But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all. [11] So the king sent another captain with fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king demands that you come down at once.” [12] Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” And again the fire of God fell from heaven and killed them all. [13] Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. [14] See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!” [15] Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went with him to the king. [16] And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.”
“WE CAN FOOL PEOPLE, BUT NOT GOD”
Notice how the third captain went to Elijah. Although the first two captains called Elijah “man of God,” they were not being genuine—God was not in their hearts. The third captain also called him “man of God,” but he humbly begged for mercy. His attitude showed respect for God and his power and saved the lives of his men. Effective living begins with a right attitude toward God. Before religious words come to your mouth, make sure they are from your heart. Let respect, humility, and servant hood characterize your attitude toward God and others.
From an Unworthy servant,
Chris Chloupek
Lead Evangelist