How Manny Gregorio Tries to Rationalize His Rejection of Christ
Atheists are evasive, coy, insincere, disingenuous and pretentious as their main tools to avoid addressing the Gospel: "The god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ...should not dawn upon them" (2 Cor. 4.4). Shutting of our minds down is not a legitimate response, nor is it searching God out with all our heart and soul so as to find Him.
Manny Gregorio (racquetball player in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada),
Take a look at how you are behaving. Consider this Biblical psychology and a spiritual assessment of your condition.
You emailed me on April 19, 2017 and said, "Do yourself a favour and look in the mirror and ask yourself: Is this the person that I was destined to be? We all have the ability to control our destiny, as well as to whether or not we want to have a positive impact on others and to truly make a difference - the choice is yours. Focus your energy on improving this life skill and you'll be a happier person in the long run. You are the Conductor of your life, so do the right thing."
I don't believe in destiny. I believe in free will. Incidentally, destiny is the teaching of Calvinism which is a heresy. You can't control your destiny if destiny is true for it is irresistibly imposed on you. That's why destiny is destiny. Get a dictionary. Destiny is defined as "the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future." Sounds like atheistic naturalism. It doesn't matter what you do because it was all destined. Whereas in Christianity, you have been given sufficient grace (prevenient grace) to have the free choice to accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. You're a sinner who prefers to remain in his sins and unforgiven. God has no fellowship with a person who wants to remain in his sins. Sin leads to death and the second death which is Hell. Hell is that place of eternal separation from God. I would not wish upon my worse enemy to go where you are going. Nonetheless, it is your free choice. Your pitiful attempt to appeal to other atheists and people who reject Christ is telling.
You still have time to give your life to Christ to receive forgiveness and eternal life. But once you have gone to rest well then, you will go to Hell choosing of your own volition to be eternally separated from God. However, I have never met anyone as old as you Manny who ever gave their lives to Christ. You had decades to do so, and you still reject God's love. There is no greater love than what Jesus did when He died on the cross for the sins of the world. Statistically, the probability of you one day receiving new life (born-again) is less than 1% for someone as far gone as you are.
Jesus said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3.16). Perish is to go to Hell. Since you don't believe in Jesus you are going to Hell Manny. That makes me sad for you.
Manny, let's look at your life skills. Last time you and I hung out together we went to a stripper bar. You and Danny Tarrabain virtually forced me to go with you because we were sharing the same hotel room and you had the car. You must have thrown at least $100 in loonies at the stripper's genitals which doesn't seem very sanitary. You didn't leave a good impression on me at all. How is that for life skills degrading women? Does your wife appreciate that? God has forgiven me for this sin of going with you, but you remain unforgiven. You probably in your conscience don't even think this is wrong let alone repent of it.
You don't have a conscience to realize you are being abusive, helping to contribute banning me from sanctioned tournaments in Alberta since 2009 and now Canada since 2016. Since there is no justification for doing so, you are being evil. Do you want people to remember you this way? I have not seen any redeeming qualities in you.
I would not change a thing I have done with respect to when I exposed Barbara May for lying to protect her hide at my expense in 2009 which led to my being banned. I stood up for what's right, paid the price, and would want people to remember how Christians are unlike how you operate in the world. Christianity has grown through martyrs in Christ, and you lead people to Christ unwittingly because you seek to harm Christians which is a big turnoff. You martyred me from sanctioned tournaments. Does that make you happy? Why does this give you pleasure? Because you are feeding your flesh trying to exalt self. I would not be happy treating someone like that. The joy of the Lord would not be in me if I did that. It is revealing. We don't have the same conscience. Mine has been regenerated by God. You remain an unregenerate. Christians point all things to Him, but you center all things on yourself. Manny by your comments you clearly show you are lost in the world. The world controls you so naturally your comments are very worldly. Don't you know Satan is the god of this world?
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (Col. 3.1-4).
My prayer is that people see this abusive behavior, and reconsider our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As each year goes by the longer I am banned, the more people think how bizarre this is! They sense the injustice and religious discrimination. People recognize unethical behavior by atheists or whatever you are, and they make a decision in their lives not to be like you. They give their lives to Christ and become new creations of God. They grow a conscience and stand up against injustice. Your works show you don't stand up for what's right in life. That is how you are remembered.
If I was like you, I would feel guilty. God is using your evil for good, for as your hostility grows against the body of Christ, people take notice! Rejecting Christ is not a positive impact on people, it's negative. Just think what this world would be like if everyone was an atheist like you! Jesus said He would let the world and everyone in it perish, but He returns for the sake of the elect. Those are true and powerful words. By the Holy Spirit, I see you for what you are: you will never repent of your hostility so what is left for you but Hell? It's tragic really.
There is a blessing for me also, not just in joy for those who receive Jesus. The blessing for me is through such adversity I'm led to focus even more with one eye on Christ at all times. He is my perfector. It wouldn't make sense for me to dwell over this after I finish my reply to you (it's not healthy to focus on evil too much). C.S. Lewis in his Screwtape Letters said we can make two mistakes when confronted with evil. We can focus too much on it or pretend it doesn't exist. You choose the latter. Once I have said my peace, I can continue in Christ, reading His word, and fellowshipping with the body of Christ.
"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12.1-2). "Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest" (Heb. 3.1).
Praise the Lord for this discernment! Amen.
Bookmarks