Matthew 10:35-37 (ESV)

35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

I now know the fullness of these words of our Lord personally. Over the course of the last few years, my "Christian" family has shown that they are anything but. Instead of longing to talk about Jesus or read His Word, they would rather watch R-rated movies with their children, get drunk, use God's name in vain constantly, etc...
Oh yes, and they don't feel as if they need Church or anyone to be accountable to. Also, the one tell-tale sign of a false convert. The only Bible passage they can recite is, "Do not Judge!" Of course, they just can't recall the rest of the passage.
This is going to be long, so please forgive me. Also, I am not looking simply for support. If you feel I am doing wrong, please tell me. I am just a Disciple on the road. I need to be held accountable. I need Christian rebuke.
My Sister sent me an Email on Friday. It was a shock. She basically accused me of hating her and her children. She said I thought they were beyond forgivness. The thing that baffles me is that I have never even hinted at any of those things. In fact, just a couple of days prior I sent her an email telling her we love them and are praying for them.
Anyway, I am going to post my response to her. If it doesn't make any sense, you can read my post, Jesus or Ozzy?, It will fill in some of the gaps. So, here is my response to my Sister:

*****, you ask, “Please tell me what I did that was so bad it is beyond forgiveness? And what I did to make you both hate me and my children so much?”
I ask you to show me one instance, just one in which I said you were beyond forgiveness or that we hated your children? In every letter to you I expressed that we love you and your family. If we did not love you or believe that you are worthy of forgiveness, we would not even bother with you. In fact, let’s look at some of my letters to you:

(Email dated 12/04/2004)
We LOVE you all and we DO pray for you everyday. Please write or call back if you want to discuss anything.

(Email dated 12/09/2004)
Titus 1:8-9
8Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
We love you all!

(Email dated 12/12/2004)

We love you all and we are praying for you,

(I can supply you with the entire emails if you need it, plus many others)

So, I ask you again, why do you speak falsehood? Show me one instance, just one where I said I hated you or any of your Children. Show me one time where I said that you were beyond forgiveness. I was the one that hugged ****** with tears in my eyes telling him that I would die for him. Of course, a few minutes later he was yelling and cursing me, but that did not change my love for him or any of you. Otherwise, I would not have expressed my love in my emails and I would not have stuck my neck out for everyone to take a whack at. We were the ones being yelled and cursed at. Mom even joined in with ***** screaming at me without even knowing what had expired. She automatically assumed that I did something dreadful. Oh, that’s right, I did. I was obeying the commands of Jesus. If anyone was hated, it was and is us! Sure, I could have joined in with the crude humor and had everyone think I was being loving and cool. I could be like the world that craves the acceptance of men and not God. The world loves that. That is cool.

However, in light of Jesus and His judgment, I would be very hateful in doing that.
I had to accept others pointing out my sin to me. I had to humble myself to accept that what I was doing and how I was living was wrong. If I would have rejected the Christian love of those that confronted me with what I was doing, I may still be the star of *********’s Comedy Club (my picture was hanging in the club with Sinbad) and have accepted a high paying position with a very secular radio station (that plays Heavy Metal, by the way) with many people telling me how great I am. Of course, if I were still concerned with the praise of men, I may have many that think I love them, but truly I would be doing it for my own gain. If you think that the world loves you because you party with them and join in on their celebrations, you are to be pitied. They only love you as long as you look good, or you can supply their needs. When you can no longer do that, you will end up like multitudes before you. For to truly love someone, you have to risk ridicule and scorn for their eternal salvation. You have to hold them accountable and to have them hold you accountable.

Now, as for the issue of Mom, she has also been engaged in slander. She has attacked my witness by gossiping to everyone that I tried to hit her. I never tried to hit her. Hitting her never even entered my mind. We were upset at the violence in Heavy Metal music. Why would I hit her? We were simply trying to leave her house. She was following us screaming and pointing her finger in my face. In fact, we were not even aware that these hateful lies were being spread. We even spent time with her in-between July and Thanksgiving. We discussed at length the events of July, and she did not mention that she had been telling people that I tried to hit her. I have confronted her on several occasions regarding this, and she has ignored it every time. How can you attack a person’s character, and not address it when asked? Obviously there is no fear of God there.

It is a very sad day indeed when it is thought to be good to spread gossip about a perceived action, but it is completely uncalled for to speak to an actual sin, and to speak to the person involved. We did not mention the events of July to anyone that was not there. We were waiting to speak to ******** personally. We were not gossiping about it to other family members or friends. However, unbeknownst to us, Mom decided that she would continue to speak falsehood about me behind my back. And this even after we discussed everything in August after we went out to dinner. She could have told me what she was telling everyone about me then. If she believed she was in such danger, why did she go out to dinner with us? Also, why did she not confront me face to face? But alas, she acted like all was okay and even said that she owed us an apology. Hmmmm, now that doesn’t sound very loving or forgiving to me.

Less than two weeks before Thanksgiving she was voicing her displeasure with some who were present on Thanksgiving. However, she decided to keep silent on the subject at the time and attack us. We however decided to do the Biblical thing and take it up with the person instead of gossiping about it behind their back. It would appear that the loving thing is to backstab someone, just as long as they think you agree with everything they do. Now I give you a warning, there is Scripture ahead. You may want to scroll past.

Exodus 20:16 (NIV)
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Of course, of those that tell me that they have heard that I tried to hit Mom, not one of them have heard that ***** actually was swinging at me and vocalizing physical threats. Interesting!

Next ****** writes that she is sure that I can come up with an 8-page letter with Scripture. I have never known of a true follower of Christ that would be offended at Scripture. You should have a hunger for the Word of God. It should be the first book you read. Many Christians will not pick up their Bibles, and yet they have plenty of time to read other material. That is why Christians today are Biblically illiterate. Just yesterday, a false convert shot up a Church group. Do you think that would be condoned by Jesus? Do you honestly think that lost soul had a true “Born Again experience”?

You would have had a very hard time in the early Church, for all they wrote or spoke of was Scripture. Now, if you have a problem with Scripture, take it up with the Holy Sprit. A Christian should never tire of reading or hearing Scripture. The Creator of not only our Universe, but also thousands of others took the time to write His love letters to you. And you sarcastically mock them. Then, you once again libel me by writing, as if it were a fact, that I have so much hate towards you. Once again I challenge you, where is your evidence that I hate you or your family? I am making this simple. I am asking for just one piece of evidence. In fact, let’s look at your own words:

******,Thanks so much for all your love, for all your prayers, and most of all for just being you.I have 2 more weeks of school, then I have decided to have a nervous break down, I just never thought that life would be this hard. I know that I need to be putting my trust in the Lord, but I'm having a hard time even finding Him right. And what is worse, I don't even have the desire to look.
Love ya, ********
If you would like more, I’ll be happy to supply it.

After all my emails, you still don’t get it. If we did not love you, we would not risk persecution for the sake of you and your family’s souls. Those that profess to be Christians and are not grieved at the thought of people perishing for all eternity had better check their own salvation. Oops, there is more Scripture ahead.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV)
5Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? --unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

I’m sorry that I had to resort to Scripture again. However, and I know this may sound silly to you, I believe it is the Word of God.

Now you accuse us of being unloving, and we have even heard that we should have just “changed the subject”. But that is contrary to what God commands of us. We are to be bold witnesses for Christ. This is not a game. If you lose there is not a rematch. There is no second time around. You need to fall on your face before God and ask Him what truly is unloving? Were we unloving by confronting the support of anti-Christian bands, or were you unloving when you simply stood by with every four-letter word being shouted and ***** proudly proclaiming that he was going to hell? He even said he was going to rule and that he heard hell was awesome. How could anyone that takes upon himself or herself the name of Christian not speak up to persuade such a person that hell is not a place you want to be? But sadly, we were once again alone (except for the power of the Holy Spirit) in our attempt to proclaim the good news of Christ.

I am now going to shine a light on this subject of hate. According to your logic, Pro-lifers are very hateful. How dare they say what a woman does with her body is wrong. Also, where do these “holy-rollers” get off trying to get homosexuals to change? What hate mongers! Just let them live. Oh yes, and marry and adopt innocent children (Does Michael Jackson ring a bell?). And as for these backward hicks that try to get evolution thrown out of the classroom. Who are they to judge what our children are taught? Get out of the dark ages! By the way, don’t get me started on that detestable Holiday Christmas. And while we’re at it, no more using the venom-filled moniker “Holiday”. We all know it is derived from “Holy Day”. Also, children should not be taught History any longer. Why? Well, because it means “His Story”.

Now, what about a person that calls a close friend “Satan”? What about a “Brood of Vipers?” What if this person had the nerve to not only tell people that they can’t treat the Church like a common marketplace, but he actually destroyed their wares? What if he went around calling people rotting corpses? What if this person talked more about eternal punishment than anyone, and told person after person that they were heading to a place of everlasting torment if they did not turn from their sins? Shouldn’t such a person simply change the subject? Isn’t this the wrong way to speak to and treat people? Shouldn’t we stand up and shout, “You don’t do it like that!” Such a person must be full of hate. Yes, looking at what you seem to deem to be hatred, this person certainly fits the bill.

Of course, the Person I am writing of is none other than the most loving Person that ever lived. However, using your own standards, Jesus is full of hate and un-forgiveness.

Now there is a time for all unrepentant Sinners coming that Jesus will be un-forgiving to. That is what we are trying to awaken people to. You see, the modern Church has become extremely lax in the last 50-100 years. All those that bear the name Christian should take up their crosses daily to awaken a dying world. Most people, especially teenagers feel as if they will live forever. The truth of the matter is that:

James 4:13-14 (ESV)
13Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"-- 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

The death rate is still one-per-person. There are plenty of people that thought they had to become friends with someone before they could witness to them. Unfortunately, these people were hit smack dab in the face with reality. For some, the people they thought they led to the Lord only accepted Jesus because they wanted their friendship. When trials came, and they do and will come, these “false converts” fell away. Other times too much time was spent on becoming one’s friend before sharing the Gospel. So much time in fact that death came and took them before the Christian felt “comfortable” enough to share. Eternity is knocking on everyone’s door. And it is closer than we think, just one heartbeat away.

Hebrews 3:7-8 (NLT)
7That is why the Holy Spirit says,
"Today you must listen to His voice.
8 Don't harden your hearts against Him as Israel did when they rebelled, when they tested God's patience in the wilderness.

All we are asking is for you to look at this rationally. Do you honestly think we hate you? And if I thought you were beyond help, why would I spend all this time on these letters to you? Do you think I knock these out in a few minutes? No, I spend hours on each one. First I get into prayer that the Holy Spirit will use me. I don’t want to write to you just from “My heart”.

Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

That is why I use the Scripture that you are so offended by. I am no better than you. In many ways I am worse. The only difference is that I am now at a point where I want to be held accountable. I hunger for God’s Word to show me where I fall short. I don’t want to ever feel comfortable. I need to have fellow believers confront me with my sin. That is what the Body of Christ is to do for one another. Do you not see where I have come from? Do you not think that I was confronted with my sins? Yes, yes I was. I was confronted without mercy. Halleluiah!! If no one had taken that step in obedience, I would not be truly saved. I had a false conversion. I did not even fully understand the Gospel. I truly thought that I could “do my own thing” just so long as I said a prayer and confessed Christ when it didn’t interfere with my fun. I have come to realize that no matter how often I tried to justify what I was doing, (e.g. God still loves me. I’m not that bad. It was only a little sin, etc…) it is evil in God’s eyes. He is Holy and loving, but He is also just. Jesus said that we are not only to believe in Him, but to also do His will. True, He did spend time with sinners, but He did not condone what they were doing. And He did not continue to spend time with them if they did not repent. In fact, He made it clear that they were to repent (to do a 180 degree turn) from their sins. We are not even to look back. Why, because we will probably like what we see. We will reminisce about the “fun times”. Even the Bible makes it clear that sin is fun, but only for a time. God does not take rebellion lightly. We have a picture of the dangers of looking back with fondness on our sin. Lot’s wife disobeyed God’s command and looked back on her old life. You know the rest of the story.

2 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV)
21For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22What the true proverb says has happened to them: "The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire."

You unfortunately have a false belief that Christians should preach the Gospel only if they have never sinned. Well then, you can erase every Prophet, Disciple and Apostle in the Bible. They were all sinners. Moses was a murderer. David was and Adulterer and Murderer. Peter denied Christ. Paul tortured and murdered Christians, etc… I for one am eternally grateful that a sinner took the time to confront me with my transgressions against my Heavenly Father.
We need to warn others of the eternal punishment that awaits them. We need to, not only because we ourselves were warned, which led to our salvation. But we need to because our Lord commands us to. Unlike your analogy of “not being in the boat”, we need to step out of the boat. That is what we are called to do, just as Peter stepped out. We need to get off the sidelines and get in the game. Using Scripture to bring someone to knowledge of their sins is not hateful. It is the most loving thing we can do. How sad that professing Christians don’t realize a concept that even the secular world has embraced. Tough love works. It may not be pleasant. But it works. We do not allow our children to play in the street because they want to. No, we pull them back onto the curb. Sure, they may hate us for interrupting their fun. But they will live.
Now, Mom knows why we did not accept her Christmas gifts. We have already addressed the issue. Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We share gifts as a symbol of God’s Gift to us. We could not accept a gift from someone that took a stance against God. If either of you can put forth a valid reason why her stance was not in opposition to God’s will, I’ll be more than happy to entertain it.
She could have found out what was going on before she joined in attacking my witness and me. But she thought it was better to jump to conclusions. Also, I asked her face-to-face why she said that I tried to hit her. She did not even utter a word. She stood in front of me with no response. If she can ignore me face to face, you should not be puzzled over my lack of response to emails. If she truly cared, she would not have said the things she has. She is on record as saying, “A person says what they really mean when they are upset”.
Mom, you are going to stand before God someday. You will have to answer for destroying the witness of one standing for Christ. If you think this is a minor issue, I suggest you open your Bible.
You must remember, we did not attack any of you personally. The entire time, we stayed on the blasphemy issue. We did not bring up anyone’s past. We were not trying to be hurtful. However, that is all any of you could do to us. Why? It is the same tactic Liberals use. If you cannot make a reasoned response to an issue, ad hominem attacks are used.
****** & Mom, I hope I addressed your email to your satisfaction. However, as always, if anything is unclear, or if you want to discuss any other issues, you are always welcome.We love you and pray for you all!!