To My Family and Friends:

Today, I am still writing this blog annonymously. There will come a time when people I know will find this site and wonder why I hadn't told them about it. Or why I hadn't been as upfront with them about my religion and Christian Faith.

This is an open letter to them...

I love you all and hope that you do not think different of me now that you have read my inner-most thoughts. In my own way I have tried to show you the Love of God through my life, my words and my actions. Some of you I have probably shared my faith with, others just know that I believe. One of the reasons I started this blog is to share my faith more than I was. My personal failings make it difficult for me to share my beliefs with people in person.

Now that you have read some of what I believe, please ask me about it. You can ask through this site or directly in person. What I write, I do believe. So please let me try to share it with you.

Know that I am not perfect. I am a sinner like everyone else. I do not judge others and would never have judged you. But it is my sincere hope that you accept Christ as your savior and seek him out in your life. Because I believe that if you seek, you surely will find.

I hope you like some of what you have read here.

God bless. Please come back.

( Sexual Immorality ) appears in the Bible 14 times...

...so it is important to know what the Bible means by sexual immorality. Before researching I can come up with a few that I believe we can all agree would be covered;

• sex with animals (Le 18:23)
  
• incest (1 Corinthians 5:1-6)
  
• child molestation
  
• homosexuality (1 Corinthians 6:9)
• sex outside of marriage

But what about inside the boundaries of marriage? (1 Corinthians 7:1-5) Are their sexual acts that God would consider a sin inside of his sacred union?

What about masturbation? Jesus clearly says that the thought is the sin.(Matthew 5:28) So if during the act of masturbation you are fantasizing about somebody's daughter or wife then I would argue this is sinful. But if you are fantasizing about your own wife, you have done no sin.

Ah...what about pornography? Clearly sin right? You are fantasizing about something that is a sin, so its sinful. But what if the pornography was a tape of your wife and you?

See the point? In today's world of intercourse, oral, anal, hand stimulation, toys, domination, video taping, phone sex, cybersex, etc, etc...Where does a Christian draw the line between harmless fun, healthy love and sexual immorality? Clearly there is a line somewhere. Right?..

...After much study, I think I must agree with J. F. "Jeff" Cogan from Bible Sex Facts that the only sin in marriage is selfishness. But where I was wrong was that before my studies I thought of selfishness simply as the act of refusal. Whereas the author made me realize that it can be selfish to ask for too much. Clearly some acts are forbidden; swinging, pornography, homosexuality but most "sex acts" we think of today are not even close to being covered in the Bible.

In conclusion I would simply say this: whatever a Christian husband and wife want to try for each others pleasure that is their freedom. As long as it is done in love and with the consent of both, then it is simply another way to love each other. However, a husband should not press his wife to do something she is uncomfortable with. And a wife should do all that she can to make her husband feel loved and satisfied. (and vice versa)

I encourage you to read the bible verses in the 1st three links below, they are very helpful in this area. The full chapter in the book of Bible Sex Facts on marriage is a great read as well.

Sources:

• Sexual Immorality
  
• Sex in Marriage
  
• Sexual Sin
• http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/mercury/c_lust.html
• Bible Sex Facts

Lost in the Wilderness!

Have you ever been lost in the wilderness? ..unable to see the light, doubting your very beliefs. This is the spot between your peaks, when your only ministry is dragging yourself to church once a week. One of my struggles in Christian Faith is that my strength of belief ebbs and flows more than it should. Not that I ever don't believe, but that my commitment to what I believe fades.

I believe Christians should read their Bible daily. . . yet I may go a week without sitting down with mine.

I believe we should participate in Church events. . . but often I am too busy to be bothered.

I believe that we should put Jesus 1st. . . but sometimes it seems he simply isn't on my mind.

I believe we should tithe 10% of our income. . . however some weeks the budget is just too tight.

These are just a few examples. It is during these times that I feel so guilty. The answer is your Christian Wilderness Survival Kit, the Bible. (Luke 15:1-10 NLT) It is always the Word that gets me to become focused on him again. I reluctantly pick it up before bed, read a few chapters then say my prayers. Next thing you know, I am back into a solid Faith routine.

What is so troubling to me is that I clearly enjoy the times when I feel right with God. Yet I keep finding myself falling short and feeling guilty. Is this the sinful nature of man? Or am I not as strong of a person as I thought I am?

This site is helping right now. Instead of simply reading my bible, I am searching out guidance. Studying a topic. In the verse from Luke above, Jesus clearly says that he seeks the lost. Is this why the pull on my heart is stronger when I am living poorly instead of living strong?

This week is Mission's week at church. Together with the site, I have been spending a lot of time with God and mindful of his will in my life. I am thankful that I am once again out of the wilderness and ask for the strength to stay focused on Jesus.

I mistakenly thought becoming a Christian would make life easier. Instead, I now second guess my daily routines and actions. My goal is to continue to seek, read and learn until my faith is stronger.

sincerely,

Won Christian

Do You Drive Like a Christian, do I?

Driving across the state of PA this week, I had a couple experiences that made me ask this question. What does it mean to Drive like A Christian? and then, do I drive that way?

So I thought I would look at some other peoples opinions about How Would Jesus Drive. As I agree this is the more important question than What Would Jesus Drive. We are judged by our actions, not our possessions. So here are the nine ways I came up with to drive like a Christian:

1. Love other drivers - Christ clearly commands us to love each other as he loved us. We have to 1st remember that the other cars on the road are people that we should care for and therefore be thoughtful of. (John, 13:34, 2 John 1:6)
2. Use prayer to protect your travels - As a Christian, we should know to pray for all things. The power of prayer has been shown in my life and the lives of many Christians. Yet when we do the most dangerous activity of our day, (getting in a car) we often give no thought to the protection that prayer can provide. Remember that prayers do not have to be 20 minute monologue, but can be as simple as: "Lord, thank you for your blessings. Please protect me as I travel to Church today." (Ezra 8:21, Job 11:15-18, Mark 11:22-25)
3. Be Patient - In one of the most common verses of scripture we hear at weddings, we are told that Love is Patient and Love is kind. As we drive, we should be patient in where we are going. By hurrying and jockeying for position, we cause problems on the road an rarely make up much time anyway. (1 Corinthians 13:4, Ephesians 4:2)
4. Be slow to anger - You may think that being Patient and being "slow to anger" is the same thing. In this case, I am using them to mean two different ways to drive like a Christian. Being patient means don't force your way in front of people, don't drive faster than needed. Whereas by being slow to anger, I am suggesting that Christian drivers should forgive the mistakes of other drivers. We should understand that people make mistakes or that some are not very good at driving. Rather than lashing out at them or driving angrily, we should relax and not push the panic button. (Psalms 37:8-9)
5. Turn the other cheek - In the cases where your anger gets the best of you, then you must decide what to do with your angry feelings. Will you yell, tailgate, or signal profanely to other drivers? Or will you put your thoughts on God and keep your anger inside until you calm yourself. Jesus would clearly have you not retaliate, but turn your cheek. (Matthew 5:39)
6. Do not be vulgar - In addition to not retaliating against other drivers, we need to be careful how we communicate to them. Our sign language as well as our verbal outbursts should be moderated as much as possible. If you cannot refrain from yelling, at least yell something that is not offensive in itself. (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 3:8)
7. Take care of the life the Lord gave you - Generally speaking, be safe, specifically you should wear your seat belt. We as Christian's should protect the gift of Life that we have been blessed with. (2 Timothy 1:14)
8. Obey the laws - This is an easy one. The scripture sited below is interpreted by most Christians to mean that whenever man's laws do not conflict with God's Word, Christians are called to be lawful. So all driving laws would fall into this rule since God gives us no commandments about driving. (Mark 12:14-17)
9. Give Thanksgiving for safe journeys - Just as we should pray for safe travels, we should also be thankful when a journey is completed successfully. So give thanks for your safe passage across the wilderness of pavement. (Psalm 28:7, Colossians 2:7)

So now that I have defined my view of driving like a Christian. How do I do in real life? In my 1st item, I guess I am not that bad. Generally, I try to be a good example when I drive and make a strong effort at caring for the people around me. As for number two, I need to focus on this more. I will say a prayer in bad weather, or on a long journey like a plane ride. But day to day, I trust this in the Lord's protection from my daily prayers of help, protection and thanksgivings.

Three to six are my trouble spots. This is where I was a nightmare in my pre-Christian days. First, I was always in a hurry and as a teen and twenty something I thought I was the only good driver on the road. And I had no fear of any situation or speed on the road. My favorite thing to yell when driving was to blaspheme "Jesus Christ!". When another driver offended me, it was common for me to yell or signal vulgarities. Then in extreme circumstances, I would tailgate a driver getting dangerously close to his bumper.

I'm proud to say that I have had some great growth in this area. The tailgating is gone forever and something I cannot believe I did. The blaspheming and vulgarity have stopped completely except for an occasional swear that I keep partially under my breath and then ask for forgiveness. But since I still have the occasional swear and get myself in a hurry sometimes, there is certainly improvements I can make.

Seven and Eight are not problems for me in the most part. I am careful on the road and never drive minus a seat belt. But my flaw in this area is a little bit of speed. I am a five miles over type of driver and I will need to reconsider this driving logic. Plus when late for a meeting or something that has a deadline, I might push it a little more than I should. So here I will definitely need to spend some time in prayer.

Nine is much like number 1 for me. I generally will pray after landing on a plane. Or I will pray after driving through snow or a long trip. But I will need to be more thoughtful and pray for safe passage a few more times in my life.

So in total, I would score myself about a 7 or 7.2 out of 10. Not bad, but nothing I should be impressed with either.

Father, may you help me to drive more like a follower of your son Jesus. In all areas of my life help the light shine through that is your Love for us. Let me strive to be an example of that love so that others may come to know you. Amen.

Please, I invite everyone who reads this to comment on my view of how we Christians should drive. I also welcome any personal scoring of your Christian driving habits. All thoughtful posts will be published.

Sources:

• The New Living Translation
• http://www.saint-anns.org/corres/ref-200407.html
• http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/7177/road1.htm
• http://zionlutheran.home.att.net/weeklysermon032405.htm
• http://riverstone.blogdrive.com/comments?id=27

Note - the reason there is only 9 reasons to drive like a Christian, I didn't want to force the 10th. The 1st nine came so easy, and I couldn't find a 10th through thought or study.

The Great Commission - Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."(NIV)

In my faith, this verse of scripture is at the heart of our beliefs. We believe that Jesus is speaking to all Christians here, not just the Apostles. That we should spread our beliefs through compassion, love and the example of Christ. It is why we are so focused on Missions Work.

(I'm curious though, is this passage of scripture a central theme in other denominations and churches. If your reading this post, leave a comment about how it is taught in your church.)

Anyway, this assignment is troubling to me and to most. We are not comfortable going out and sharing our faith. It took me five years to give my 1st public testimony. Now, I had shared my faith with a lot of people in five years, but just not completely spilled the whole story. What is difficult is that you are sharing your beliefs on a journey that is not complete. In the Great Commission, we are asked to teach people to obey everything that our Lord has commanded. Yet I for one am not without sin. No doubt I will be called a hypocrite by many in my life. But I pray about my failures, plead for help in defeating them and believe I can defeat them in my lifetime.

So I will continue to try to learn about my God, and share my belief that he is the key to salvation. And this will be my contribution to Christ's Great Commission.

I guess that is what Faith is...

Inspirational Prayer - 3 Simple Lines

I thought I would post about a small prayer that was important to me right after I started to believe there was a God. In my early stages of belief, I was torn between belief and disbelief. I hope that this inspirational prayer that helped me will help someone else.

Similar to the day I started this blog, This was the 1st occasion that I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to action. He told me to write a simple prayer, pray it consistently and believe in it with all your heart. Ok, so it wasn’t that clear. But how do you know when the Holy Spirit touches you if you never felt that touch before. Then it happened, the next day while I was driving, it just popped into my head like a firecracker.

Lord, be strong in my life
Help me to find my faith
And I will follow you!

I had nothing to write with at the time, so I committed it to memory right away. I said it in my head seven times. “Lord be strong in my life, Help me to find my faith, and I will follow you.”... And that was a new start. The process that had begun in my life with my beautiful bride, reached a new climax. This simple prayer would lead me to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior, and lead me to eternal life.

I still have many faults and trials to overcome, but I know that I will continue to walk the path and follow Christ.

My Personal Christian Blog Goes Live

Well, its 2:00 and Wonchristian.org is live. It really is amazing how quickly you can get a website set up now. In two sittings, I have my own personal space on the web that I can post my thoughts and try to spread my Christian Faith.

I realized last night that there are lots of personal Christian blogs out on the web already, so if I want anyone to actually read mine, I will need to do some leg work. But I am excited to try and I think I should be able to get some traffic thanks to my job as a web guru. One of my first tasks for the blog will be a review of other Christian Blogs to try to get some ideas. I will post my top 10 list with links to the other bloggers. I will also probably start to open a dialog with some of the other Christian bloggers who are experimenting with this medium.

So if this is your first time seeing my blog, please visit my initial post about the name of my site. WonChristian.

WonChristian - What Is in a Name?

Why WonChristian.com? It is an easy answer. I consider myself to be a won Christian. I was born to a Catholic family and raised in a Christian Church, but as a child my beliefs were superficial and shallow. My family and I never discussed God or Faith, or read our Bible, we simply went to church on Sunday and that stopped when I was young. Then when I was in college , my life began to change when I met my wife.

After we were married, I began to get closer with her father. He was a former pastor. We began to attend church when we visited my in-laws and at one Sermon, I began to believe that there was a God. A few weeks later I prayed the sinners prayer and was saved. I had been "Won" by other Christians to Eternal Life and the Book of the Lamb. You can also call me a born-again Christian, although I prefer Won because not only was I won with the work of other Christians, but by the sacrifice of the sinless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

So not only am I a "won Christian", I am also just 1 Christian. I am not a pastor, priest, or missionary. I am no great learn-ed bible scholar. I am just a man, who became a Christian five years ago and struggles to learn about his God and the purpose for his life.

Thanks for reading my personal journey to and with Jesus.

WonChristian Begins with a Prayer and a Prompt

Today was one of those rare moments when as a Christian I felt "lead" to action. For anyone who has never heard this phrase or lived this phenomenon, it means that the Christian believes the Holy Spirit has tugged on their conscious until they submitted and performed the act. In my young Christian Faith, I have experienced the feeling of being lead just a few times in five years. This time, it was a very gentle pull that lit a fire within me to publish my Journey to Christ.

WonChristian.com will be an online diary and forum for me to explore my faith in public. (Well, relatively in public anyway) At the time of my 1st post today, I plan to keep my identity private on this site. For now this is my safety net and if the Lord should lead me to reveal who I am I will gladly do so.

So with my 1st post I simply say this prayer. Lord, may my words here be in union with Your Word. If any of my thoughts contradict your word or confuse the seekers, strike them from memories and have them fall to harmless nothingness. I Love you and seek you, may you continue to walk closer to me as I grow in my faith. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.