Chapter 13: A Light On My Path

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he questioned me on how I got the tree and I did not lie to him. It was a good lesson for me, but it didn’t stop some other attempts at theft.

I wasn’t a thief at heart. However, I hot-wired a few cars for joy rides. I remember making the decision to walk away from some friends of mine and abandon stealing cars as a losing proposition in life. God was

guiding my thoughts at the time. That decision saved me from getting arrested and sent up to juvenile prison. I had joined some friends on a joy ride one night. We had ditched the car in an industrial parking lot near downtown Minneapolis. We used to walk by the site on a regular basis.

Three weeks later, the car was still where we left it. My friends decided to take it again. When they asked me, I said: “I don’t want any part of it.”

That night the police were waiting for my friends as they picked up the car. I will never forget how grateful I was at making that decision. The

lesson I learned at age 15 was that bad company would corrupt character. If you want to be engaged in the good things of life, don’t fellowship with those who want you to engage in the evil things of life. Is this a surprise?

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Cor. 15:33 NIV

This is where Christianity has really gotten lost. We are now taught to

go out and get sinners and bring them into our fellowship. Willful sinners do not belong in church according to God’s Word! Repentant sinners who have turned to righteousness belong in church. If you want to know why so many churches are corrupt just look at the make up of members. Righteous

people are mixed with sinners. It is against God’s Word and is there any doubt about why the church is no longer relevant to many people? Church going people used to be different. The statement “They are Christians” has lost its meaning today, because so many churches are just social clubs. They

mirror the mix of the local area and fail to exclude willful sinners into their membership. Visiting sinners should know that righteousness is expected in the Assembly of God. You cannot build God’s house with Satan’s kids.

“Sinners … have no place among the godly.” Psalm 1:5 NLT