I recently ran across a young lady's excitement in having received her new "To Write Love On Her Arms" shirt. She expressed her tear-filled experience of having read the shirt's tag, which addressed suicide prevention. This caught my attention. I searched for more information regarding this TWLOHA organization.
While reading information from the organization's site, many of the ideas were "positive" by the world's standards. The site was set up to encourage individuals who were depressed, addicted to drugs, cutting themselves, and suicidal. A list of vision statements were also listed on the site. Again, on the surface, many of the statements were "positive", by most standards, and uplifting. The overall goal of the organization centered upon helping those in need find help. Although not the only mode of help being offered, it was fairly apparent that seeking help in the field of psychiatry was at or near the top of the list.
While reading various articles on the Internet, I noticed that the organization's founder, Jamie Tworkowski, professed to be a Christian, yet when directly asked questions regarding Jesus, I noticed that most of his responses were surface definitions of Jesus. When asked in several different interviews if his organization was a Christian organization, he responded with a definitive "No" each time, adding that Christians gave Christianity a bad name due to their actions. Somehow, I don't think he was referencing Christians who were willfully sinning and mocking the Truth of the Bible.
Also, I noticed that he would quickly shun a definitive "Christian"
How odd that he didn't feel the need to address such issues...
Could it be those in the mainstream see no problem with the glorification of man's silly actions and words within songs and movies? The very words and actions that birth and feed the demons that wreak such havoc in the lives of those burdened by suicidal thoughts... Yet, the founder would receive far less notoriety from the mainstream if he were to "harp" on the name of Jesus and His teachings. It just isn't acceptable to glorify Jesus and His name alone, unfortunately.
In an interview by Tobin Bennison on The Beachside Resident site, the founder of the TWLOHA organization was asked,
"What role does religion play in TWLOHA?"
Tworkowski responded,
"The language of what I believe is pretty obvious in the original TWLOHA story. But as this quickly became more than a story, we knew that we were going to have to choose our battles. And so we wanted to create something inviting. It’s true today. We want to do things in a way that meets people where they are, as they are. I feel like the word “Christian” and the language of Christianity has been misrepresented and abused, so we don’t call TWLOHA a “Christian organization.” We’re trying to love people. We’re trying to learn what that word “love” actually means — we think a lot of it is about meeting needs."
Have you noticed how clever Satan is and how masterfully he deceives people? "I feel like the word 'Christian' and the language of Christianity has been misrepresented and abused..."
Mr. Tworkowski professes to be a Christian who refuses to associate the word Christian with his ever-growing organization that began years ago when he reached out to a young, suicidal girl. Something does not add up here. The pieces of this puzzle do not fit -- cannot fit.
Why am I writing about this organization and its founder? There are false wonders/signs/miracles that will draw in the broken under the disguise of love. And that bothers me. Leaving one area of bondage only to enter another area of worldly psychiatric bondage does not set the person completely free IN Christ. It bothers me that people have convinced others and allowed themselves to be convinced into believing that the whole message of the Gospel is a message that must be hidden or shunned.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ in and of itself has the power to save, heal, and most importantly, truly LOVE the broken. No pills required. No high psychiatry bill required. No big bands performing necessary. Just the Lord, His presence, and His Word. It is that simple. It truly is.
The idea of reaching people "with love" and purposely separating love from the Creator of love - Jesus Christ - truly concerns me.
Saying that you can't use the word Christian because people associate negative things with Christianity is truly and sadly absurd to me. Can one say, "I love Jesus, but I need to use other devices (musicians, new age philosophy, etc.) in order to really reach people"?
From my own suicidal experience years ago, I can share the following with much love and compassion - all the while pointing you to the cross. There is freedom in the cross of Christ. He provides a way of escape that will not leave you in more bondage to the world.
First, I must use his name. Some will roll their eyes at his name . . . . Satan . . . His name is Satan, and he truly does exist. Oh, how he has deceived the masses. Does he tempt? Certainly, but temptation is only the mask he wears to conceal his utter wickedness. Let us never forget that Jesus describes him as "a murderer from the beginning" (John 8:44).
I agree with a friend who said that it is easier for some people to justify or at least reach a point of peace IF they can find a 'not so evil' reason for the battles we fight within our minds. The lucrative business of psychology and psychiatry makes millions of dollars yearly (perhaps billions) on this very notion.
What was one of the temptations Satan presented to Jesus when he was in the wilderness with Him ... the wealth, prestige, and accolades of this world: "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, 'All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me' " (Matthew 4: 8-9).
Satan is at the root of anything that will result in sin - be it an addiction, be it cutting or mutilating one's body, be it suicide, and the list continues.
If one were to ask me about Satan years ago, I would have provided the most common definitions of him. However, not until five years ago did I know the capacity of Satan's evil. Not until then did I truly see him for who he is. When Satan, himself, stared me in the face - unflinching and full of wrath, I dangled from a fine thread over a consuming fire. The stranger had spoken, and this sheep was very afraid. Up until that point in my life, I had experienced the G rated version of Satan. The Satan who wore a mask - veiling his true evil self.
What I learned from that experience did not come from man or worldly philosophy, but straight from the mouth of God. I learned that no matter how Satan attacks a person - the Lord will ALWAYS provide a way of escape to the person who seeks Him - that escape will always keep one from committing whatever sin Satan has whispered in an individual's ear. No matter what type of pressure or burden is placed on a person, RELIANCE on Christ Jesus will result in victory over sin. One is not in bondage to commit sin when one is IN CHRIST. I learned that those in the flesh could only offer me suggestions that were worldly. I learned that those IN the Spirit had solutions that led to liberty and not more bondage to the world.
I learned that although many do not like the use of the word - God spoke to me in my darkest hours that I was to "ENDURE" that devastating time in my life. That period lasted for at least a year - if not longer. I will never forget sitting outside years ago in the middle of such mental anguish and hearing that word from Him - a word that simply wasn't apart of my mindset at all. In fact, when He spoke it, I thought it just wasn't possible to endure. He taught me that there is a formula for true endurance:
1. Intense consumption of the Bible - hours of reading it daily. The truth in it had to be my every thought to combat the enemy.
2. Prayer - Every waking moment involved talking to God. Even in my sleep, I can still remember praying and waking up with an inner dialogue speaking to God. I had to completely surrender everything that I thought I knew about praying, and I simply had to be honest in His presence - childlike in His presence. The Bible speaks of tears being caught in a bottle - oh, how many bottles must have been filled from just that year alone. I rest assure in knowing that He caught each falling tear.
3. Fasting - With humility of spirit, I fasted whatever I felt He led me to give up. I believe fasting is a sacred act that shouldn't be broadcasted to the world only for the world to deem us special. So, I will only say - that true fasting in the presence of God (without others knowing) will reveal the heart of God in such a way that this world would be astonished - and forever changed, for I know that revelations during and after fasting have changed my life and set me free from the bondage of this world.
Now, years later - I can say that because the true, unmasked nature of Satan was revealed to me, I now can see him coming from a distance. Praise God, He taught me discernment. As difficult as it was to learn, I would change nothing about the experience.
Again, many roll their eyes at the mention of his name - and frankly, he has those people fooled, and they are serving him. But perhaps even more tragic than these fooled people are those who say they are "in Christ," yet at the same time they are serving the flesh and Satan. As Jesus tells us, we can't serve two masters, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" (John 8:34). Paul tells us in Galatians, "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life EVERLASTING" (6:6).
Notice there is a choice to be made - one cannot sow to both the flesh and the Spirit. And according to this verse only one type of sowing will result in life everlasting - sowing to the Spirit. I feel led to say that those who are willfully sinning can only be forgiven when they, with an honest and broken heart, admit their wrong acts and request to be cleansed by Jesus. It is a humble prayer - understanding that only He can cleanse any of us from sin.
If you are battling a force darker than anything you thought could possibly exist, pray to Jesus Christ - the Lord of lords to rescue you. He will hear an honest heart. He WILL hear an honest heart. When He rescues you, His power will set you free.
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