From:    Ammond Shadowcraft 
To:      All                                      Msg #18, 10-Dec-89 20:52edt
Subject: Test Those Christians


 
                      TEST THOSE CHRISTIANS: 
     A Non-believer's Guide For Testing The True Christian. 
 
 The Event 
  
 There I was busily working at my desk when the interruption occurred. 
"Hi, are you Ammond?" "Yeah," I replied. "What can I do for you?" "I'm 
Hezikah Brown, and I'd like a couple minutes of your time." Being the nice guy
that I am I agreed to a few minutes. It seems Hezikah is a Born Again
Christian with a mission from God. He told me how he believed that Jesus was
his personal Lord and Savior, how his life had been changed for the better,
how he spoke in tongues and that he heard I was a witch. "The rumor in the
office is that you're a witch." "It's true," I answered. "How can that be," he
retorted. "Don't you know that witches are going to hell." And off we went... 
 
 The Question 
 
 So what is a non-believer to do today with all these seemingly dizzy 
people claiming to be Christians. It seems you meet these people everywhere.
You just can't get away from them. They are in the office, swinging through
the restaurant, on your computer network, cruising the beach and parading in
that crowded john. Just when you get home for a private, intimate interlude
with your lover comes the event stopping knock, knock of the True Christian.
What the hell is a normal sane person to do? Go crazy, scream, defecate nude
on the floor while in full view of the True Christian? No. We test them. As I
presume that like me you are a non-believer too we can have a little fun. 
 
 Jesus says "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's 
clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves." Matt 7:15 
  
 and "Then if any man shall say to you Lo, here is the Christ, or, 
Here, believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets
and shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible,
even the very elect." Matt. 24:23-24 
 
 John says "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, 
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the
world." 1st John 4:1 
 
 There are many different types of Christian you know. And they all 
claim to be True Christians. How is the non-believer to know which is which?
After all we want the real thing, a True Christian, not a demon from hell
disguised as an angel of light. No Jim Bakkers or Jimmy Swaggarts will do. We
want a real fool for Christ. How do we tell the True Christian from the
disguised demon? The real fool from the money grabbers? We can do that with a
little help. And this help comes from a very unexpected source. You see these
Christian critters have a role model they follow. And they can't deviate from
the model too much and hope to get to the heavenly entertainment park. Jesus,
their role model has stated... 

 "Therefore by their fruits shall you know them. Not everyone who says 
to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me
in that day Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by your name and by your name cast
out demons, and by your name do many mighty works? And I will profess to them,
I never knew you. Go away from me you who work evil." Matt 7:22-23 
 
 So you can see that not every person who claims to be Christian will 
make it to that starry, wonder filled entertainment park they call heaven.
True Christians tell me that only 10 percent of those who claim to be True
Christians are Christians at all. There's just a little rivalry. It seems they
are all in competition with each other for that last 144,000
condos-in-paradise. Now God knows how much real estate He has and how much it
costs. Overpopulation being what it is today He has to oust some. Otherwise
garbage over runs the golden streets, airborne pollution covers the crystal
walls and the sewers back up. Yech! 
 
 As our volunteer testee saunters up visually apprise them. Do they 
look serious? Are their clothes nice? Do they look like they own property?
Good. We're ready to start, but don't rush. We don't want the testee to
suspect our motives. 
 
 Much of the Christian religion is emotional. As the conversation 
starts let the testee know just where you stand. You don't want to be duped.
You want to talk to a true Christian. None other than a true Christian will
do. 
 
 Ask our testee if they are a Christian? Are they a True Christian? Do 
they love Jesus? Is Jesus their Personal Lord and Savior? Yes? Good. Ask them
how much they love Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. Are they Spirit filled? Do
they display any of the fruits, love, joy, peace, happiness, etc. of the
Spirit as described in Gal. 5:22-23? 
 
 Next we have to verify that they believe in the Bible. Without this 
we won't have any fun. Ask our volunteer if they believe in the Bible. Do they
believe that it is the Word of God? Is it infallible? Is the Bible as
appropriate for today as it was two thousand years ago? If the answer is yes,
even if not infallible, fun is to be had in short order. 
 
 The Money Test 
  
 Here's how we start... Our trick is to confront the testee with moral 
absolutes and performance tests. Here is the first performance test that we
can enjoy. 
 
 "Give to everyone that asketh thee; and from him that taketh away thy 
goods ask not again." Luke 6:30 
 
 "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee 
turn not thou away." Matt. 5:42 
 
 Luke 6:35 sums it all up... 
 
 "But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend never despairing; 
and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be Sons of the Most High: for he
is kind toward the unthankful and evil." 

 True Christians are so fond of moral absolutes that I think we should 
give them every opportunity to experience those absolutes as real, upfront and
personal events. In your next testing session, when you hear the True
Christian extolling the Rock of Moral Absolutes upon which they stand, go for
the cash. It has a nice sobering effect that should in the long run benefit
the True Christian. 
 
 Ask for their money, all of it. Just ask for their wallet. Have them 
show it to you. Any money inside? Good. Ask for it. You don't want their
credit cards. That would be a crime. If there's no money, ask for an article
of clothing. Coats and cloaks are good. How about car keys? Do they have a big
cross with them? Ask for it. 
 
 When they refuse have them reread the previous verses, then ask 
again. Should they still refuse call them a fraud, for that's exactly what
they are. Just like Jesus send them away into darkness. They aren't a True
Christian. 
 
 Now should they give you everything in their wallet, the cloak on 
their back and the cross too, we get to have more fun... 
     
 The Swill Test 
 
 Next we proceed with more subjective questions. One of their 
obsessive traits is to compare their past performance with the actions of
those in the Bible. How is their walk with their Lord? Do they follow Jesus
closely? Do they want to follow more closely? Yes? Good. Now we start with the
serious tests. 
 
 In Matthew 10:18 Jesus sends out his True Disciples with the 
commandments to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead and cast
out devils." Take a skeptical attitude about their status as a True Christian.
Again let them know that you want only the real thing. No substitutes will be
allowed. 
 
 "And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name they 
shall cast out demons, they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up
serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them;
they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:17-18

  
 On this you gotta' be a little careful not to let the cat out of the 
bag. Ask your friend if they have cast out demons. Do they speak with tongues?
Have they laid their hands on sick persons who were healed? 
 
 If so take a bottle from storage prepared especially for the test. It 
should be filled with (non)toxic, pukey looking stuff that smells to high
heaven. Urine and excrement should do. Cap the bottle tightly while in
storage. And for heavens sake wrap it in something to hide the mess from
sight. In the Bible read Mark 16:17-18 which says that True Christians can
pick up serpents and drink harmful things without suffering. Ask our
unsuspecting testee to chug the whole bottle. If they object saying "thou
shalt not test God" respond by saying that 
you are testing them, not God. God is not around to be tested anyway. If they
don't chug-the-jug you can safely assume they are not a True Christian, only a
fraud. Send them away. 
 
 A note of warning... Be sure to inform the True Christian the drink 
is toxic. Let them pick up the bottle for themselves. If they drink the potion
they take the test of their own free will. 
 
 Now some might protest that the last part of Mark is a 'late 
addition' not found in the earlier texts. Perhaps they have confessed to you
previously that the Bible is the word of God and is infallible. What happened?
Didn't the believe the Bible? Tell them they aren't a True Christian; they are
frauds. Send them home with their tails between their legs. 
 
 Conclusion 
 
 As we can readily see it's not healthy to be a True Christian. A True 
Christian is equivalent to being a Bibliolater--one who worships the Bible.
Now being a Christian is ok. But being a Bibliolater is a form of mental
illness. And it's great fun to let the Bibliolater know of their problem when
they interrupt your day. 
 
 I have about ten other performance tests but the aforementioned are 
the most exciting. Please feel free to experiment with Jesus' moral absolutes
and performance tests. You may find some that are just a much fun as these. 
  
 Copyright Dec. 1989. Ammond Shadowcraft 
 
 Permission is given to reproduce or retransmitt this article 
providing the article is complete, and with the author's name and copyright
notice fully intact. 
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 * Origin: SMARTNet - Silly Origin Lines 'R' Us (Opus 1:128/23)

