I entered what is called the 'breakroom' area at the place where I work. As I was about to sit down to eat a snack I noticed one of the 2nd shift employee's reading a magazine with the title 'Winning In Life" by Robb Thompson. Being that we were the only two people out of five sitting towards the back area of the 'breakroom', I leaned over and said: "Are you enjoying what you are reading?" The man, about my age said: "Are you familiar with brother "Robb"? I said: "I've met him about 15 years ago when he ministered at a church here in the Springs area."

The man then asked: "So what do you think of his teachings?" I said: "I don't". The man then said: "Then you don't know what you're missing?" I then asked him: "What is it that you think I am missing?" He replied with: "What is to be a winner in life". I then asked: "What is it that makes one a winner in life?" He said: "When your words line up with the word of God, and you closely watch what you say, what you think, what you hear, because it will determine what you get in life." I said: "Really?" "I take it that you don't hang with people than don't talk like you or do things as you would like them to be done?"

He said: "You got it!" I said: "You must not have too many friends?" He said: "Well, I only try to make friends with those who have a positive outlook on life, love the Lord, and who aren't too loose with their words." I said: "Do the words that come out of your mouth, and the thoughts that you so much work hard at controlling, and the things that you carefully hear have anything to do with the way God relates to you, responds to you and deals with you?" He said: "Is all in the bible; do you read the bible?" I said: "What makes you think that I don't?" He said: "Well, Jesus talks quite a bit about the usage of the tongue, how we should think, and who to abstain from?"

I said: "I take it you don't watch television, aren't much for jokes and don't read anything that is contrary to what you have learned and are learning from men like Robb Thompson and other like him. He said: "You better believe it!" I said: "So you pretty much have a relationship with God on what you do and don't do." He said: "I do my best not to be disappointing to God by watching the words that come out of my mouth, the thoughts I allow into my mind and the words that I hear from people who are very negative in their lifestyle." I said: "So what you are saying is that God only relates, responds, and fellowships only with those who say it right, do it right, think it right and hear it right, right?"

He said: "Pretty much". I said: "Do you believe that God loves people just as much as He loves you even thought many of them never say it right, do it right, think it right, and hear it right?" He said: "Well, it all depends if they have Jesus as their Lord and Savior." I said: "Tell me something "Bill", do you believe that God loved you, died for your sins, and accepted you as His child before you ever learned to say it all right, think it all right, hear it all right and do it all right, or was it after you learned how to do all of these things right?" He said: "You need to read some of the material of brother Robb, and maybe you will get all of your questions answered?" "My break time is up."

Friends, aren't you glad that you are no longer having someone doing the thinking for you? Aren't you glad that under His grace we no longer need to be controlled by what other men think we ought to do right, say right, believe right, think right and hear right since we are about as right we will ever be in Jesus? Aren't you glad that you aren't a robot who has to watch and monitors everything that is said, that is thought, that is done? "How to do it, when to do it, why to do it, where to do it, and why not to do it?

Aren't you glad for the liberty and freedom you how in Christ. Aren't you glad that you have escaped the controlling and manipulating doctrines of the "When, Where, Why, What and Why to do it?" The most boring years of my life is when I got caught up in the doctrines of the "Robb Thompson's." A doctrine of performance. A doctrine of witchcraft. A doctrine of insecurity and fear. A doctrine of exclusion and seclusion. A deadly doctrine that takes away the freedom to live, be who we are and be accepted and loved as we are, and express ourselves without having to control everything and everyone around us.

Friends, you are free because of what Christ said "IT IS FINISHED" and not by what you think you ought to say, ought to think, ought to hear and ought to do. It is total bondage to think that God's relationship to us is based on the words that come out of our mouths, the thoughts that we think, the words that we hear and the things that we do or don't do. If you know of anyone who is under this deadly legalistic system of what you say, what you think, what you do and what you hear in order to be right with God, then let them know that they are wrong. If we aren't right with God based on what Jesus did, then we are all dead wrong. We are winners in Christ not in self.

Grace N Peace

Eddie Narvaez