⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, Rejoice.
⁵ Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. _{Phillipians 4:4-8}

That set of verses is my favorite Bible passage.

I am publishing this page on my web site as a first step to bear witness for Jesus Christ.

The Lord commanded his followers to acknowledge him before the world. Jesus taught that we cannot hide our faith and serve God. Even though I did not accept the gift of salvation for my own sake, I must confess my commitment to Christ to anyone who will listen.

⁸ Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: ⁹ But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. _{Luke 12:8-9}

²³ He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. _{Luke 11:23}

Whether you believe in God or not, please try to understand that Christians endeavor to spread His word in honor and obedience to Him. They don't do it for personal gain. It is not a matter of trying to win a place in Heaven. They don't have to, because that is God's gift to all who will accept the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. They do it out of love for their fellow men and women. Anyone who has read the New Testament knows the truth of these things.

Also know that, as Christians, we do not have license to judge others. We are expected to rebuke and renounce sin, but we are also commanded to have forgiveness and love in our hearts for even the worst sinners. Being a Christian does not mean that we are without sin and we are blameless, but it does mean that we are obligated to lead others to God. With the acceptance of God's gift of salvation, we are forgiven for our sins. We may fail, at times, to walk the right path, but we are forgiven if we repent of our misdeeds. We are commanded to be an example to the world, the bearers of God's light of forgiveness and love. The authority to judge our brothers and sisters belongs to God.

I urge you to become familiar with the Bible, especially the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. As a whole, the Bible is a book of history, hope, mystery, and drama. Read it out of intellectual curiosity, if for no other reason. Do it for the sake of your family. But read it only if you are willing to give God a fair chance. Discuss it with others, test it if you must, but don't reject it out of ignorance or hatred. Better yet, ask God to give you the wisdom to understand it.

I highly recommend The Book, a modern English translation of the Holy Bible. This version is easy to understand, and it has been a blessing to many people that find the King James Version hard to read.