This is intense, as my heart is so exercised about this, to try to give good, solid meat of the Word in my understanding to stimulate, challenge, encourage and support you as you search for His truth for your life. As we go through school, the books, knowledge and teaching there tell us ‘how to earn a living.’ The Bible, as we study it, tells us ‘how to live.’ It is your responsibility to take what I say and sift it and compare it to Scripture to glean what is true.

We need ‘to keep it real’ about our life and our faith.’ Too many try – and so many desire – to have a ‘nice, neat little bow’ tied around their lives about their faith – about ‘Christianity’ – about being a ‘follower of Christ’ – and about ‘knowing exactly when they were saved’ – the exact moment – and ‘some feel’ that if you don’t ‘know it’ you ‘probably were not really saved.’

Conversely, I do not remember the date of when I ‘was saved’ (when I received Christ’s salvation through faith in Him as my Savior) – I was a young boy whose parents raised me in the church – and I loved Jesus as far back as I can remember. This did not ‘prevent me’ during my high school years from first drifting, then eventually completely ‘turning my back’ on Him for almost 30 years as I went into total rebellion – and my lifestyle embraced the ‘world.’ But, I know I was saved as a young boy – and also baptized at the First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

Also to some degree, many of those who do not claim to be Christians, feel that those of us who ‘do claim to be Christians’ – should ‘live a perfect life’ (as they envision it) – and really become ‘holier than thou’ so to speak (instead of just having that attitude projecting through our pride, like many of us do) – or else this thing called ‘being a Christian’ – or ‘being saved’ – or ‘being reborn’ – just doesn’t work, and is therefore, ‘not real.’

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Our purpose in life: John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

God’s provision for us: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The only way is Jesus Christ: Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Once saved, a believer’s goal is ‘to know Christ’ in full relationship. Phil 3:10-11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

At the moment of our miraculously ‘being saved’ – receiving the free gift of salvation from Jesus Christ – we are ‘reborn’ spiritually, and the ‘process’ of becoming more like Him begins. 2 Cor 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Phil 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

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Tough Issues that are rarely discussed in Church, even ignored except for an often ‘sugar coated’ mutually appeasing presentation — an issue that is ‘really tough’ to approach, and one ‘in which I believe our society and culture has completely tried to hi-jack, dilute, reject, or even reverse’ —-with the consequences of our rebelling against God’s Word, as to the ‘headship’ or ‘authority’ of the man (father) in the home and family.

(And in this, it would also speak of the man ‘not assuming that responsibility of headship.’ Thus, we have two opposing events tearing the fabric of our families and our culture: the abdication by action and understanding as to the spiritual responsibility by men of assuming and being the leader in the home – patriarchal role; and the overtaking of that role by women – partly to fill that void men have allowed, and partly for more control – as in the ‘feminist movement,’ in which the more extreme it is, often openly rejects the concept of a patriarch – male head of the family — and is ‘pro-choice’ on abortion, even in some cases goes so far as to attempt to replace ‘God’ with ‘Goddess,’ and even the condoning of lesbian relationships.)

As ‘with all things’ God will ‘sort them out.’ But it is good for us to go to His Word to read and learn His revealed will for us.

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My wife, Suzanne, and I were visiting with some dear friends, and we were discussing my book that is being released to the stores this month, The Cowboy and the Cross, The Bill Watts Story, Rebellion, Wrestling, and Redemption.

And, I was telling my friend’s wife that the ‘publisher’ felt this book would ‘cross over’ out of ‘just the pro-wrestling genre’ to the ‘Christian market too’ because of my story, and the ‘spiritual aspect of my life’s journey revealed too.’

But Suzanne pointed out that she did not believe it would, because in my speaking of my life in wrestling, my vocabulary was ‘pretty blue’ with the 4 letter words I used so often, and that still come back on me when I am angry or speaking of that part of my life………..

And her point is ‘well-taken’…….so, I am not using this to ‘defend’ nor to ‘convince anyone’……rather just as an ‘observation of mine’ that may again stimulate or challenge you in thought, heart, and mind.

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September 8, 2002

To: A brother-in-the-Lord in regards to his request,

Re: Concerning “the gospel of inclusion.” (As espoused by Carlton Pearson, which you sent me.) To briefly outline this: Wherein, since as he (Carlton Pearson, and others of this ilk and persuasion) states, Christ died for ‘all sin’ – past, present, and future – (with which I totally agree is the Gospel of Christ) – but then in ‘his gospel of inclusion’ (with which I totally disagree) he claims ‘everyone is already saved and will go to Heaven’ – even without a conscious realization that they ‘are lost in sin’ and ‘need a Savior’ and they ‘confess’ Jesus Christ as their Savior.’ (Its like everyone has been infected with terminal cancer, and there is a miraculous and supernatural cure – and it is mysteriously ‘injected’ into everyone to ‘cure them’ without them ever knowing it, or for that matter, even knowing they were terminally ill.)

Well first let me say this has troubled my heart.

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As I continue to read Randy Alcorn’s book, Heaven, it continues to focus my heart and mind on our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father in Heaven. It is exhilarating!

Again, I am not trying to make this book ‘replace’ or ‘compete’ with the Bible. But it has been my experience that there are many saints who have spent tremendous time in the study of God’s word, and the Holy Spirit has gifted them with additional insight and skill in ‘presenting’ certain areas in a way that can truly edify us, and ‘stimulate or challenge’ us to go to the Bible to first sift and confirm what they say—that it is in accordance with Scripture and the heart of God, and then to allow our ‘godly imagination’ to ‘expand according to the Scriptures we find.’ (William MacDonald’s writings and commentary is another source I value, just as I do Charles Stanley, CS Lewis, and The Friends of Israel magazine, to mention a few Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge is another book I found exhilarating recently, focusing on Christ and His Person. So, there are some wonderful studies and commentaries to expand our hearts in the Lord.)

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The Word of God is so precious and awesome. A child can grasp the truth presented therein of the love of God in Christ, and understand ‘being saved by Jesus.’ The smartest and best scholars can also be challenged for a lifetime in its study – it is a living Word.

It not only contains the knowledge we need, but the Person of God, His heart for us, His creation, in order for Him to have relationship with us, and instruct us in the way to live for our best benefit – as well as to ‘know Him.’

We cannot anywhere get the things we need to ‘know more of Him’ except from His Word. What ‘others may say’ is never to be substituted for what God has revealed for us in His divinely inspired Word.

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Both Peter and Paul exhort us to ‘spend time in the word’ – in fact, if we don’t have a strong desire to do this, we may need to either question ‘why’ – or to begin disciplining ourselves in this. Here I’ll copy for you some key Scriptures, and also combine with mine, the commentary by a dear old saint I hold in respect for his scriptural insight and discernment learned because of his diligent and prayerful time in the Word.

1 Peter 2:2-3 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

An obligation flowing from our new birth is to have an insatiable craving for the pure spiritual milk of the word. There are things which ‘stunt’ spiritual growth; the good word of God nourishes it.

The phrase as newborn babes does not necessarily mean that Peter’s readers were new believers; they may have been saved for several years. But young or old in the faith, they should thirst for the word just as infants cry for milk. We get some idea of the thirst of a healthy baby by the impatient, aggressive, determined way they suck and swallow.

By the pure milk of the word, a believer grows up spiritually. The ultimate goal toward which all spiritual growth in this life is moving is conformity to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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