truth – The Center City Christian

Real Talk – Seal of the Holy Spirit

As I said in my previous post, Allentown Part II, I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was homeless at the Allentown Rescue Mission. Because I was fretful over not being able to pay my credit card bills. But I didn’t stop there. I accepted every altar call at every service because I felt my sins could not be forgiven.

Was that similar to me dying to myself over and over again? What does the Bible say about dying to oneself? The best search that could come close is “crucifying the flesh”. The results brought Romans 6:6, Romans 8:13, and Colossians 3:5. But one verse in Galatians serves best to prove my point:

Galatians 2:20 NIV

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

So if we accept Christ once, is that sufficient to receive eternal life? My pastor told me each time, but he appreciated the gesture. So if Romans 10:9-10 is a verbal, emotional (it involves the heart) and a spiritual declaration; gaining eternal life, is it the resulting seal of the Holy Spirit that guarantees eternal life?

Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Galatians 2:20 also suggests likewise. The rest is faith (Ephesians 3:17) and hope (Colossians 1:27).

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. http://www.zondervan.com

Gospel Swag – Moral Compass

Real Talk – Eternity Writer

While I was in therapy with a Christian counselor for approximately two years, she told me not to spend time correcting old posts, but to add new ones.

Can you imagine if every decision you made was a win or lose “eternal decision”? Let me explain. An eternal decision is a decision that you make, either with or without thinking it all the way through entirely, that will last for the rest of your life.

Would life be worth living anymore? You may not feel that way after a while. A series of poor eternal decisions and you might look forward to spending eternal life with Jesus.

John 8:36 ESV

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Below are some slavery-related themes in the Word of God:

Philemon, a beautiful letter written by fellow prisoner, Paul, on behalf of an escaped slave, Onesimus “Whom I wished to keep with me, that . . . he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.” (Philemon 1:13 NKJV)

Have you ever felt like you were a slave to something in your life9? A recreational drug? Nicotine? A material possession? A phone, or apps? A slave to sin, perhaps?

The previous two verses, John 8:34, 35 NKJV read like this:

34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.

A question was posed in Real Talk – If the Son Sets You Free. A spirit of divination can put us into bondage in various ways (Acts 16: 16-18 NKJV). Maybe placing a meaning on numbers, beyond numerical value. But John 8:36 declares freedom over divination.

Why is divination a sin? Because our God is a jealous God. He loves us so much, he desires us not to worship other gods (Exodus 31:7, 8).

Interesting fact: The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel that is centered around Jesus’ power over demons. It was written by John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin, who was Paul’s first missionary journey companion. John Mark abandoned the first missionary journey after only a short while, which caused Paul to feel he was unreliable. Leading to friction between Paul and Barnabas, and Paul looking for a new missionary journey compadre, Silas. Paul and John Mark reconciled years later.

Just saying . . . .

If every decision you ever made was an eternal decision, wouldn’t you like to know that if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you would find refuge (Colossians 3:3) in Christ?

Is there freedom in Christ? The Bible says that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV) What is the baseline for God’s truth—that the sun will rise at dawn and set at dusk (Genesis 1:1-5). There is freedom in Christ.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Real Talk – God, Country, Home, School

An ode to prose.

In 1995, my family moved back to Naperville from Lawrenceville. The adjustment was gigantic. My class at St. Ann’s in Lawrenceville consisted of maybe 12 or 13 kids. And I was about to start school with 4,000 other high schoolers. I became lost—emotionally.

I came extremely close to dropping out. So on the second day of the second semester of my sophomore year, my father yanked me by the collar at the front door an brought me upstairs to my parent’s room. A military duffle bag was on the floor, somewhat out of sight, which consisted of my SOP. And so we drove from Naperville to Boonville in central Missouri. It took 6 hours with minimal conversation between the two of us.

When we arrived at Kemper Military School, it was time to say goodbye, and he looked sad. I received a crash course on marching into the Mess Hall and ate my first meal at my new school. And for the rest of my sophomore year and summer school, I was a New Boy. New Boys lived servant lives in the barracks.

If I had no Standard of Honor violations, as a New Boy, I would become eligible to sign the Standard of Honor. The Standard of Honor was simple; it states: I will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate thereof. And in return, I would receive a Greek cross, with the letters “GCHS” on each corner of the cross, from top to bottom, left to right; representing “God, Country, Home, School.”

After I was crossed by every Old Boy, I would receive my privileges—being “blood-crossed” by many would earn them—pinning your cross to the white T-shirt of your Class B uniform without the backing, where it meets the palm of an older Old Boy’s hand. Privileges certainly made student life easier, and Kemper slowly became my home.

Did I violate the Standard of Honor? Of course I did; I was a high school student. When I was a senior in a leadership position, I was susceptible to immature leadership, and could dish out the same hazing I had received as a sophomore. And I did some terrible things. But under the new covenant, I repented of my sins before the Cross and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. And I became found—spiritually.

As a result of Kemper Military School and the Standard of Honor, I am allergic to lying. I try to be a person of integrity that fights to uphold the truth. Jesus spoke of the devil saying, “he does not stand in the truth, because there is not truth in him.” (John 8:44 ESV) He also said “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32 ESV)

Image by Dino Reichmuth via Freely Photos

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Real Talk – Thou Shall Not

Romans 3:28 NIV

28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Has anyone ever tried to live by the Ten Commandments, earnestly? I heard it is impossible.

Real Talk-Where Sin Abounded, Grace Did Much More Abound will tell you all about it. I was a recent devout nondenominational Christian when I wrote that post, strictly biblical.

The reason for Jesus to come to earth as the Perfect Sacrifice was not to abolish the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it. The Ten Commandments represented the law and justice; and Jesus came to fulfill the grace and truth; of God’s nature and will. Grace by faith. The biblical definition of grace is “unmerited favor”.

Propitiation in Christianity describes the weight of the past, present, and future sins of all humanity being forgiven when Jesus hung on the cross—and died—also with the weight of suffocation that comes with death on a crucifix.

The curtain in the temple was torn into two pieces at that moment. Jesus became the Mediator between us and God—our relationship with God was restored. We can approach God’s throne; the Throne of Grace; in repentance:

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Adam and Eve had set in motion the law of sin and death, which through one perspective, was not intended. But the breath of God is his living Word—the Bible—from start to finish (Genesis 1:1-Revelation 22:21); Alpha to Omega. Holy Spirit inspired writings. Think the Apostle Paul—letter writer of most of the New Testament. Colossians has a subchapter explaining how Jesus was involved in the creation (Genesis 1:1-2:3).

So the question is…does Jesus now live in the hearts of believers? Are the Ten Commandments still relevant to Christian life? Absolutely! Are they our conscience barometers?

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Real Talk – Thou Shall Not

Romans 3:28 NIV

28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Has anyone ever tried to live by the Ten Commandments, earnestly? I heard it is impossible.

Real Talk-Where Sin Abounded, Grace Did Much More Abound will tell you all about it. I was a recent devout nondenominational Christian when I wrote that post, strictly biblical.

Hebrews 4:16 NIV

16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

So the question is…does Jesus now live in the hearts of believers? Are the Ten Commandments still relevant to Christian life? Absolutely! Are they our conscience barometers?

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Gospel Swag – Authentic

Real Talk – Jesus Wept

John 11:35 NIV

35 Jesus wept.

Disclaimer: I speak in the second person (you) because a lot of times I am speaking to myself. David used to speak to himself (Psalm 42:5) and found strength in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6). And I give myself “pep talks” similarly. Just a few words spoken out loud, like “Let’s go”. It helps get through the day.

In summary, I do not have a license to preach the gospel, but I could pursue one. I think an exam may be available with the state or I could be sponsored by a church if I continued to go seriously once again.

In John 11:1-44, Jesus wept when he arrived at Mary and Martha. They let Him know that he was late, and Lazarus had died. He began to weep because he cared so deeply. But if you think about it, He needed to be late, because God’s plan all along was for the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead.

Is it wrong for a man to cry? Is it a matter of having a high Emotional Quotient? Or the result of being emotionally abused? What makes a sensitive kid? Could a person be put under such duress that the result is tears? Could a narcissistic person weep for another?

I am a man and I cry often. I have no excuse. I try to apply reason to the cause (above 🙄). But really as a Christian, Jesus should be my only model as the ultimate sacrifice. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

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Real Talk – Jesus Wept

John 11:35 NIV

35 Jesus wept.

Real Talk – Liar Liar

An ode to prose.

In 1995, my family moved back to Naperville, Illinois, from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. I had just graduated eighth grade from St. Ann’s school in Lawrenceville. In sixth grade, I went to a Catholic school because kids bullied me in the public schools where I went for the second half of fourth and fifth grade. There were only twelve or thirteen kids in my class at St. Ann’s. And I was going to be starting high school at Waubonsie Valley in Aurora, which had over four thousand kids. Neuqua Valley, another high school in District 204, was being built in a hurry to accommodate the rapid growth. Waubonsie had a lot to offer. And I wish I had been able to apply myself. But I became lost in the crowd because I was lost: I had no sense of my true self the identity designed and given by God (Ephesians 1:3-6).

We previously lived in Naperville from 1987 or 1988 until 1991. And I went to second, third, and the first half of fourth grade at Clow Elementary, the newly built school in our development. In that regard, life couldn’t be more perfect. I read an article on my home page that caught my eye a few years ago—Naperville had become one of the country’s top five wealthiest places. But when we first moved there, it was largely cornfields. And besides Brook Crossing, for a short time, the rest of that area was undeveloped.

I remember going to Waubonsie on the first day of the second semester of my sophomore year. On the second day, I was heading out the front door to catch the bus, and my father stopped me and said, “You’re coming with me today.” He brought me upstairs. There was a packed military duffle bag in my parents’ room filled with what would be my SOP. And so he drove me from Naperville to Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri. If I remember correctly, it took about six hours with minimal conversation. When I first arrived, most of the kids at Kemper were court-ordered. And instantly, I had a lot of toughening up to do. My father regrets dropping me off there that day. But I’m glad he did. It was for the best. I was on the fast track to dropping out of high school at Waubonsie.

The first six weeks at Kemper were called Phase One. In my first two semesters, including summer school, I was a New Boy. And having no Standard of Honor violations as a New Boy, I became eligible to sign my name on the Standard of Honor during the next ceremony, held twice a year, each Parents Weekend. The Standard of Honor was straightforward—I will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate thereof. When I signed this historic Kemper document, I was given a Greek cross with the letters “GCHS” from top to bottom, left to right, in order of importance—God, Country, Home, School—to wear on my uniform.

Being “blood-crosssed” by all of the elder Old Boys was tradition. The cross was worn on the left side (over the ribcage). Part of my Class B uniform was a white undershirt. First, whoever was crossing me would pin it to my undershirt—without the backings. Then, they would jab the cross with the palm of their hand and forcefully rub it in all directions (getting me as best they could). Because I was so skinny, some Old Boys were able to pick me up and bounce me on their palm. After my signing, I was crossed by about thirty Old Boys and suspected I had broken ribs. But in return, I became an Old Boy and was given my privileges.

Examples of Old Boy privileges I can remember were things that brought a sense of normalcy to cadet life; touching the table in the table in the mess hall, walking the entire width of the hallway, and using a convenient entrance in the barracks (the Old Boy porch). These things were off-limits to New Boys, and the consequences could be severe. Like all things, Kemper took some getting used to, but it became home after a while. And I have a lot of great memories. Riding along 1-70 toward Columbia after graduation, I realized I was leaving for the last time, and I started to cry because that’s when it began to sink in that it was over. I also have some bad memories—cringeworthy moments. As a senior in leadership, I could dish out the hazing I experienced as a sophomore. And I did some terrible things. But I was forgiven of past sins by the blood of Jesus when I placed my faith in Him the new covenant (Luke 22:20).

One thing was clear between my inner circle of fellow Old Boys concerning the Standard of Honor: don’t get caught. Old Boys that violated the Standard of Honor needed to appear before the Standard of Honor Board, and if the violation were confirmed, they would be “red-lined.” A ceremony where the rest of the Corps of Cadets would do an about-face (turn their backs); staff on duty would draw a red line through their name on the document; and they would be escorted off campus, never able to return.

Did I violate the Standard of Honor? Yes, I did—more than once. I even lied before the Standard of Honor Board to prevent myself from being red-lined. I’m not boasting. I am in no way proud of these things. But the lasting effect the Standard of Honor at Kemper Military School has had on my life—I learned it’s much better for my physical, mental, and emotional health to tell the truth.

And now, as a Christian, I’ve learned that Iying affects my spiritual health as well. In John 8, Jesus says of the devil, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44 KJV). And in sharp contrast, Jesus is speaking again earlier in the same chapter: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32 KJV).

Photo by Dino Reichmuth via Freely Photos

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