From Cochise

This is going to sound so far fetched to some of you, but it is something I have struggled with now for over 3 years.

Though I know I have not lived a perfect life since many of you have met me, I have always tried to be Christ like in all doings, even when getting upset, I've tried to deal with it the way I KNOW I should. I have failed on occasions.

I cuss way to much! I on a few occasions have over indulged in alcohol. I have bad mouthed people and even went to jail about 6 months a go for striking someone, though I felt he needed and probably would do it again.

What I'm saying is that I am not perfect, and the Bible when using that word, would better be translated "mature" in all your ways, yet I strive to be grown up in decisions that affect my life.

Now here is the part that may surprise some of you, but I became a christian in 1983, right out of a Motorcycle Club, two years later I went to college at the age of 30, to study the Bible and to preach. I pastored churches for 15 years, did evangelistic work (traveled from town to town sharing what my conversion to Christ did for me and the change that transpired), started a Biker Ministry called Soldiers For Christ, which is still nationwide today, and started a church in KY called Set Free that was a come as you are church (remember God looks on our heart not on our outside, as we should and as we did at Set Free). It was a church for everyone that just wanted to be free to worship, without the restraints of suits and ties and dresses, and there isn't anything wrong with those things as long as they are not mandatory for worship. We rode our scoots and rods to worship service, we had a rock band that played worship songs and even at times sang from the Baptist Hymnals. It was a place of freedom to worship God.

After a divorce in 2000, I was ostracized by many and backed away from my calling, and for 10 years I have been paying the price of being disobedient to that calling. I've been miserable!!! I've back slide on God, and that's the bottom line.

So today I'm asking you who pray to pray for me as I make a decision on what to do HERE. God brought me here for more than to drink beer and ride motorcycles!!! I want to get back up and stand before people who are hurting, that need hope and share with them what aided me for years, and that's Biblical Principles. I honestly feel that if I don't start sharing the Gospel again, I'm going to die. I don't necessarily mean that literally, but emotionally. I miss it bad.

Now in the past 10 years I have kind of beat around the bush about sharing Christ with others, and I''ve even justified my lack of being out doing what I KNOW I should be doing, by putting a God's page in the magazine, but that's not sufficing. Anyway, for the last month I've been sharing with a few about wanting to start a church or some sort of weekly fellowship here in the area for people to come to and receive HOPE and LOVE as I read and share the Word of God, and everyone has totally agreed with me, that we need it, even people that have never attended any type of organized religion.

I hear people say all the time, that they don't believe in organized religion, but I say I don't believe in anything that is not organized, because then people are all going in separate directions, and not able to encourage each other. I feel strongly, as many of us are getting older that we do need more encouraging, other than over a drink in the bar or at a poker run. We need a place we can come into and sit in quiet and peace and listen.

I realize this may not be something for everybody, and no hard feelings. But if you feel like you would and can be a part of something like this, let me know. I would love to keep this in the area from Edgewater to Daytona, but where ever He leads, I'll go.

We just need a place to meet, whether it's in a garage, under a tree or many of the local bars or restaurants that don't open till noon, as we would do this at approximately 10am on Sunday mornings for about an hour.

Think about! I need to do this! Do you need or want something like this? No money involved, unless I have to pay rent!

The other thing is, I will be laughed at and maligned for this decision, but I can handle being criticised for this, more than I can for other things I've been raked over the coals for. I've never minded being put down or laughed at for being a believer in God, through Jesus Christ, so let the devil and his crowd bring it on.

Quickly, the reason behind the Restaurant/Bar we were going to get involved with in Port Orange was to have a place we could hold church in on Sunday mornings. But it wasn't His will.

I'm not asking anyone to quit anything, drinking, smoking, doping, etc., that's between you and Him, not me. You know whether you are living right or wrong. You know whether your life is pleasing to Him or not. Who am I to judge? I have my own life to look at, and I need help.

If you know of a place we can meet let me know. Anywhere that will hold a few people on a Sunday morning, that's all, one time a week.

My wife, Bianca and I are ready to share with any and all, what God has done for us, yes, even in the last year, while I was far far away from Him.

Peace and Love Brothers and Sisters

P.S. Please feel free to share this e-mail with others in the area, as I know many many people want to hear about this, that I don't have an e-mail address on. Time is getting shorter for all of us, and I KNOW it's time WE all get right and ready.

P.S.S. The death of my good friend Speedy and his wife Nina has expiated this e-mail to you. Brothers and Sisters, we never know when our time is up, and we need to be prepared to met our Creator.


God Bless,
Cochise 777

http://www.cochisechops.com