Twenty-eight years ago (07/25/1996) I shot a man. The cause: being involved in a belief system (the Occult) which gave me permission to do what I did, having no value for human life, drugs, and just sick of life and sick of people messing with me.
I had no regard for human life, and between my religions and my past I really didn’t care about life myself. My life was a mess, and for the next thirteen years it became much messier!
For the last fifteen years since Jesus gave me new life, I have had some pretty major paradigm shifts! I value people, I value life, I value enemies. I have value, character, integrity… Jesus gives those things to us, and without Him we are void of them. They don’t come naturally. We all have “personal” values, but Jesus gives us values and integrity based on man as a whole, and not just looking to ourselves. Fifteen years ago, it would have taken a druggie friend or someone I paid off to give me something as simple as a reference for a job. Integrity, character, and ethics were not something attributed to me. I am still getting used to people having good things to say about me and attribute those words to me after less that fifteen out of the game.
I couldn’t imagine life without Jesus now and understand why there is such a gargantuan problem in our world with all the hate, abortion, acceptance of sin, trafficking, etc. It’s because most of our nation aren’t born again and have no REAL values other than their own. No character other than their own, and no integrity or honor other than what they “think” they have: born of their own personal agenda and not based on any solid foundation. An agenda that changes with the wind. After thirty-five years of being involved with many “religions” and even atheism, I now understand why we in America are so messed up. We claim to be a Christian country, yet most people aren’t born again, they think because they believe in God or go to Church that makes them a Christian. Most of America is lost, and until you become born again and not just know Jesus but live IN Him and FOR Him then you will continue to be lost. We have a crisis, there are millions who are lost, especially those who think they are not. We NEED to GO OUT and bring the gospel to these people. Some went OUT and brought it to me and saved my life! Who will you save today??!!
~ Brian Cole
