Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice & Jesus

By Sr. Darrell L. Willis

Law enforcement and criminal justice personnel have the choice to be professional or unprofessional. We make the choice to be professionals and respected leaders and authority figures, whether Christian or not.

This book has not been written to condemn or judge anyone nor force anyone to change who they are, but I pray and

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: May 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798890414625

Sr. Darrell L. Willis

Darrell Willis is a retired California Highway Patrol member who has worked as a patrol officer, sergeant, and lieutenant, serving and providing law enforcement protection for and to the people of California for over twenty-seven years.

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Dedication

I dedicate this book to all the professionals working in, have worked in, those who desire to work in law enforcement and criminal justice in any capacity, and all others who place and have placed their lives on the line to protect and serve others, and that includes CSIs, firefighters, EMSs, EMTs, etc.

I pray that all personnel and future personnel who have not accepted Jesus Christ, the Anointed One and Messiah, as their Savior and Lord will do so, and those who have walked away from Christ will return to Him and make a quality, strong, dedicated, sound, determined, and deliberate choice to live life as believers in Christ Jesus, rededicating their lives to Him and making Him first and foremost in every area of their lives, loving God the Father, Jesus the Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity and Godhead, and love people forever. Amen!

It’s also my desire that whether saved or not, every individual will serve and provide professional protection and justice to and for all people in our nation and conduct their responsibilities and duties as professionals in their chosen profession and also for the believers to live and work as representatives of Christ Jesus.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I extol and give all credit, love, thanks, honor, respect, high esteem, exaltation, appreciation, adoration, adulation, admiration, exultation, blessings, gratitude, admiration, and reverence to my Heavenly Father and His Son—my Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One and the Messiah, and to the Spirit of God, Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth. I also acknowledge all the people who prayed for me during the heathen time in my adolescent and adult years and the following individuals who impacted my life before and after salvation.

Earnestine Moore:

My mother, who made sure I attended a Christian ministry during my childhood, raised me to be a law-abiding citizen and never gave up in her quest to make sure her son accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. After I came of age, moved away from her, and basically lived my life any way I desired, she’d often admonish me with this reminder: Boy, you need Jesus. And she was right! I thank God she lived to see me become a mature man in Christ who reverences Almighty God our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

Apostle Frederick K. C. Price:

My first pastor and the pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center, Inglewood, California, where I attended the ministry on April 15, 1979, Resurrection, Easter Sunday service, and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I thank him for teaching about building and developing a strong Christian faith foundation, totally trusting, depending, and relying in and on God Almighty and how to live a faith-filled, loving, trusting, confident, bold life in Christ and have an intimate relationship with Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, which I still strive to live, endeavoring to be steadfast in my Christian love, faith, belief, dependence, reliance, and trust in God and His Word and how to activate the power of faith in all I do in this earthly life. He did not waver in teaching believers who we are in Christ Jesus and the authority and power we have been given by God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary and by the Holy Spirit’s power raising Jesus from the grave and His living in us and Him being our Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Influencer, Director, Guide, Counselor and so much more. He taught that we Christians are to trust in the Word of God and confess the Word over every area of our life and the lives of others in faith so that we’re able to live healthy, prosperous, wealthy, and successful Christian lives here on earth. I praise God for what Apostle Price taught me. It’s because of his teaching I am who I am in Christ today—being a successful, prosperous, victorious, and overcoming Christian man who is led by the Holy Spirit and who walks, that is, lives by faith and not by sight, touch, what is heard, perception, etc. but trusting God Almighty.

Dr. Earl D. Johnson:

I thank him for his teaching and focus on being loving to others and that we, believers, should allow ourselves to be influenced and led by God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to live our Christian lives.

Pastor Philip G. Goudeaux:

Pastor of Calvary Christian Center, Sacramento, California, a fighter spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically, he teaches and focuses on the fact we, believers in Christ, the followers of Christ Jesus, must take a strong spiritual and scriptural stand to strive and contend against our enemy satan and his agents, the workers, minions, demons, imps, ungodly beings and the people influenced by him, doing so forcefully through prayer using the Word of God in the authority and power given us by Jesus, using our faith and trust in Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the Word, name and blood of Jesus to help us in our daily lives. He teaches that we, believers, should not be afraid to fight using our faith in God and His Word against all challenges and challengers, no matter what the problem, situation, issue, or who the adversary is, to be strong, victorious, successful, and prosperous Christian overcomers living in this world and age, spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, financially, materially, etc. He admonishes us that we Christians should be lights in the world sharing the Good News, the Gospel of love, grace, faith, mercy, and peace, which is the gift of God, who is Jesus the Christ, to all people and not consider their age, ethnicity, race, culture, skin color, nationality, religious denomination, preference, political affiliation, status in life, profession, occupation, etc. because all people need to receive and accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Pastor Goudeaux stresses that we Christians are to use the authority and power of Jesus daily, doing so by faith in God to be successful leaders in all areas of life, including our careers.

Through Pastor Goudeaux’s teaching of the Word of God and his strong motivation for all people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, I developed a heart for sharing Jesus with others, no matter who the person is or what their status in life is; he is a pastor who realized early on that law enforcement and criminal justice personnel need Jesus as well as anyone else, and he welcomed those of us in law enforcement and criminal justice into the ministry, and he never degraded or denigrated the whole profession because of some bad cops and injustices within the law enforcement and criminal justice system. He is a pastor who is not afraid or intimidated to say to the congregation. Let’s pray for law enforcement, criminal justice, and armed forces personnel.

Lynda Sandoz:

My baby sister, Lynda, has always been a lover of Jesus; as a child, she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and has not wavered in her love of Christ and has been an example to me even though she didn’t know it and has always been in my corner and never afraid to tell me when I’m wrong. I thank her for her love.

Alpha Bell Long-Adams:

My mother-in-law, who has gone ahead to be with the Lord, strongly believed in Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. She prayed and had faith and trust that God would provide a loving husband for her daughter, Shoree, and a loving father for her grandchildren, a man who would love and care for them as his own and would be a man who loves Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, and her prayers were fulfilled. She had actually seen me in a vision, and when she met me, she told Shoree, my then-girlfriend, that I was the man she had seen in that vision. I know, in her eyesight, I wasn’t just a son-in-law but her son, and she welcomed me into the family, giving me her motherly love, and always let me know how much she respected and appreciated me and how proud she was of the accomplishments in my life.

I believe that through her genuine unselfish love, faith, trust, and constant prayer covering me, I am still a man who loves God the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit, her daughter, her grandchildren, and her great-great-grandchildren, and because of her loving Christian lifestyle, she motivated and encouraged me to live a loving and strong believing Christian life and in the short time I had with her she helped me immensely in becoming the Christian loving man I am today, a man who is faithful to and trusts in Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit and who also loves people, I know beyond a doubt that she prayed for my life and God has honored her prayers.

Shoree Willis:

My wife, the woman whom God placed in my life, the love of my life, who has been with me during my entire journey as a believer in Christ Jesus and a Christian law enforcement officer, has watched me grow spiritually in my journey to live a Christian lifestyle and have a Christian mindset and attitude because when she met me, I was truly tough, raw, and rough around the edges with no real knowledge or understanding of whether there really was a God. All I knew the majority of my life was that in the world I lived in, I had to protect and take care of myself the best way I knew how, and that was with my own intelligence, physical strength, and the knowledge gained through past experiences, watching other people, and just living life on this earth.

After we had our first date, Shoree told me that she’d seen the goodness and kindness in me. That was strange to me because I didn’t know I had any of that in me and that she saw the real me, being able to look through the hard exterior; I know that only through Christ Jesus she was able to discern my hidden loving nature, my true character. Shoree has stood with me in this Christian life for over four decades and has endured more than I will share. God truly loves her, and I do too. She is my best friend, girlfriend, confidant, encourager, motivator, and lover.

Shoree’s a faithful wife and has always stood with me no matter the opposition, challenges, problems, circumstances, and situations in life. She endured my working long hours and being away from home for days and sometimes weeks, and she handled everything alone. I remember the attack against the United States on September 11, 2001, and the look in her eyes when I had to leave her and my youngest daughter and rush to work. She had to have courage and be strong and overcome fear. She placed her focus in and on Christ Jesus.

Shoree withstood the test when I was hard and tough to live with, and because of her steadfastness in her faith and trust in Father God, Christ Jesus, Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, she has been blessed by God, anointed by Him, and graced by Him to remain with me this long. I give praise, glory, honor, blessings, and highest esteem to my Heavenly Father forever and ever, thanking Him for giving her to me, in Jesus’ name.

Foreword

My purpose in writing this book is to make a statement that every believer in Christ Jesus who has a career in law enforcement and criminal justice, police officer, sheriff deputy, correctional officer, CSI, jailor, agent, investigator, border patrol personnel, customs, TSA, public safety officer, dispatcher, 911 call center operator, judge, prosecutor, etc., and all others in leadership and authoritative positions, are to adhere to the commands, guidelines, policies, standards, principles, mandates, statutes and dictates of God Almighty, as outlined in His Word, as well as the policies, edicts, directives, etc. of the organization they are employed by that do not conflict with God’s directives and each individual have integrity, high ethical and moral standards, and perform their duties and responsibilities professionally, being led by Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Preface

As you read this book, some of you may be challenged because of your personal religious beliefs, doctrine, upbringing, etc., and also by your societal or worldly attitudes regarding how people who proclaim Jesus is their Lord should live, speak, act, and think, and then some of you may be challenged if you work in law enforcement and criminal justice because some of my opinions and beliefs regarding God Almighty, His Son, Jesus, Holy Spirit and the Word of God in regards to law enforcement and criminal justice may conflict with your beliefs about Christians working in these occupations.

But please, don’t stop reading because of that. Also, some of you may be put off by my lack of political correctness, and then others may be offended because I tell the truth about law enforcement and criminal justice personnel who have been unprofessional and even corrupt in performance of their sworn duties. But please realize God my Father has placed in my heart to be honest and to tell the truth, and I also realize that there will be some individuals who do not and will not agree with all I have to say, but that’s fine.

We all have our own thoughts and opinions. Thank God we live in the United States of America. It’s my belief that those of us who have positions in law enforcement and criminal justice should always be professionals in the way we conduct ourselves while performing and carrying out our duties and responsibilities.

We do not have to be jerks just because we have dealt with so many people who fit that description. I have no sides except my love for and of God, my Heavenly Father, Jesus, His Son, and His Holy Spirit. One thing I learned after living over seventy-six years on this earth is that I cannot please everyone, so I don’t try, not even my family. So, my policy is to be myself, being honest, fair, truthful, and professional. Also, please be advised that it is not my desire or intent to offend anyone or be offensive. That’s the farthest thing from my mind. All I want to do is what God has assigned me to do, no more, no less.

Introduction

This book is not a fix-all or a cure-all for all that may be considered problems in the American law enforcement and criminal justice community, the system, establishment, society, government, or people in general, but my hope and desire is that it can help individuals who desire to have a career in law enforcement and criminal justice and those already working in these careers to grab hold of the fact that accepting Jesus the Christ and living by God’s command to love Him and others, as outlined in the Word of God, will benefit them in all areas of life and give them the spiritual direction, encouragement, and motivation to provide professional law enforcement and criminal justice protection, peace, security, safety, and adjudication of justice fairly to all citizens, residents, and visitors to our nation.

It is also my belief that every individual who places their life on the line as law enforcement and criminal justice personnel should be prayed for, whether saved or not. I pray every individual working in these professions accepts Christ Jesus and begins living their lives based on the Word of God, being led by God’s Holy Spirit, and I hold up in prayer the families of all who work in these professions, thanking them for their sacrifices. All individuals in these professions deserve our prayers for their peace, safety, and protection and should receive respect, support, appreciation, and gratitude for their dedication to service.

Prologue

My love, faith, belief, trust, and hope are in God Almighty, in His Son, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, in God’s Spirit, who is the Holy Spirit, and in the Word of God. I do not believe Christianity is a religion, as many of us have been taught over the ages.

For me, Christianity is an everyday lifestyle founded on the love of God through His gift of love, grace, and mercy, who is His Son, Jesus the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah, who voluntarily sacrificed Himself for all humans, so all humans who have accepted Jesus are to live by God’s commands, edicts, principles, standards, dictates, mandates, etc. as noted in the Bible, the Word of God.

Jesus is the foundation for our Christian faith and the Christian lifestyle, and as Jesus has said, He is the Way for us to live a God-led life, which is the way of living for people who are willing to believe, cleave to, depend and rely on and trust in God and strive to accept and adhere to the teachings and principles outlined in the Bible and who have thrown off and discarded the worldly lifestyle of satan, the devil and his system, and way of thinking and doing things, and also, the old human sin nature.

As I developed my faith in God, it was interesting to me to learn that before believers in Christ were called Christians, we, the followers of Christ, were actually called and referred to as the way or being in the way. In the book of John, chapter 14, verse 6 (NKJV), Jesus stated, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Now, that’s part of our Christian foundation.

Also, if you read in the book of Acts, chapter 9, verses 1 and 2, you will see we Christians were first called the way, and later, we see in Acts, chapter 11, verse 26, people began calling followers of Jesus Christians, which, at that time, was a derogatory name. Christianity is a way of living, a lifestyle, a belief, and a way of thinking, reasoning, and relating to others. Being a follower of Christ is believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, and the Messiah and that He is the Son of God Almighty, the Sacrificial Lamb for all people who accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior.

I believe God Almighty our Father in heaven has outlined in His Word how we are to live our lives as Christians, that is, as followers of Christ, and how we are to adhere to the Word of God, living our lives according to Christ’s standards and not the world’s, and I also believe living in Christ should be at the forefront of our daily lives when we wake up and all through our day, and when we go to sleep, Jesus should be a part of our life. I say again—being a Christian can be challenging and is not always easy, or for the faint at heart, for if one does not have faith, trust, submission, patience, dependence, reliance, and the discipline to adhere to God’s Word and the leading of Holy Spirit, they will lose in life, and that’s just a fact.

Personally, I have to deal with self, my own human personality, character, attitude, etc., and at times, that can be a challenge, but I thank God for His Holy Spirit helping me. My God has been and is still good to me, and I rely and depend on Him, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and His Word daily to guide, direct, and help me in my interactions with people and life in general.

The Word of God was given to help us, the believers, male and female, the young, middle-aged, and those who are called old but who I call mature, to live a Christian lifestyle pleasing to our Father in heaven.

The Word of God was not given to beat unbelievers up or other believers over their heads, attempting to force them to live a traditional Christian lifestyle. God, our Heavenly Father, does not force His creation to do anything, and if God does not coerce, then we should not attempt to force anyone to accept Christ, for God has given each of us the option to make our own choices, good or bad. His Word is for believers, not unbelievers, to live by. In 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (AMPC), we are told, and I paraphrase:

Every Scripture is God-breathed, given by inspiration and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience and for training in righteousness in how to live holy lives, being in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose and action, so that men, women and children who love God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Please notice that this decree is for the believers in Christ and not the world, the unbelievers. If you are not a Christian and are reading this book, it is not my desire to be offensive toward you, for God gave His commands, principles, standards, policies, statutes, mandates, and directions not for you, an unbeliever, but for those of us who have called on the holy and exalted name of Jesus, those of us who have accepted, recognize and acknowledge that He is the Son of God Almighty. Even though you are not a Christian but adhere to the principles outlined in Scripture, I believe your life will be better, but the downside is that you will not be with the Lord Jesus after you die the earthly death. That benefit is only obtained if you truly accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Again, please do not be offended and stop reading because of what I’ve said. You may later change your mind about Jesus, so read on.

I believe because of God’s love for humanity. He gave His Son, Jesus, for all people so that none should perish, as noted in the book of John, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, where we are told that Jesus gave His life for all humans when He was crucified on the Cross at Calvary. I declare to you that when Jesus walked the earth, He was the embodiment and personification of God’s love, grace, kindness, mercy, empathy, compassion, and His Word, the Logos, that is, the Word made flesh and the personification, representation, and manifestation of God Almighty in human form, the living expression of God’s justice and righteousness, being the living Word on earth. In John 1:1–5, 14, we are told who Jesus is, and I paraphrase:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He Jesus the Word was with God in the beginning, and all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made, in Him was life and the life was the Light of humans and the Light shone in the darkness, the world and the darkness did not comprehend it and the Word, who is Jesus became flesh, that is human and dwelt living among us, humans, and we beheld His glory, His honor, and majesty, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, God’s unmerited favor, loving-kindness, and truth.

Friends, I declare to you that Jesus is real!

Jesus is love and the foundation of what is called Christianity and is based on His love, grace, peace, kindness, truth, compassion, comfort, safety, protection, security, goodness, humility, and mercy and is not a lifestyle of fear, hate, jealousy, envy, guilt, iniquity, evilness, wickedness, vileness, judgment, haughtiness, self-righteousness, selfish pride, ego-tripping, worry, coveting, condemnation, complaining, or compromising, etc.

Jesus the Lord had none of those character or personality traits: weaknesses, flaws, or faults. As you read the Scriptures, you will not find those ungodly characteristics in Jesus, and you will see that Christianity was not founded upon humanities lifestyle and ideas of living, its ways, reasonings, or by putting people in bondage, condemning and placing shame and guilt on anyone, nor is Christianity based on fear, bigotry, hatred, and prejudice against different ethnic groups, cultures, political ideas, religious affiliation, etc. These flaws in Christians are from the world’s and satan’s influences and way of thinking, reasoning, and rationale guided by the old human sinful nature, the old soulish mindset, will, and emotions, which needs to be renewed, as noted in Romans 12:2 (NKJV): "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." And we are to do that daily through God’s Word. It’s shameful that Jesus has now been relegated to the status of a human, treated as if He lived a life with all our faults and flaws, but He did not. He conquered human faults and flaws.

We, followers of Christ Jesus, are to live as His followers, not as a religion, though, but as a lifestyle and not one of bondage, rituals, or something we practice. No Christianity represents God’s love, grace, humility, compassion, empathy, and mercy toward all humans. It’s a lifestyle.

Prior to my receiving Christ Jesus, I’d been around many people who proclaimed to be Christians, but many of them demonstrated the same negative and ungodly traits and characteristics that I had, being just like me, doing the same ungodly mess I was doing, so I was totally turned off to Jesus and for that fact any type of religious belief, to the point that I did not really believe there was a God. And with that being said, I ask, no, I plead and beg you to not be like I was—a self-righteous, judgmental, unforgiving, and condemning person who used the flaws, faults, and weaknesses of those people for an excuse not to accept Jesus into my life. So, if you observe flaws, faults, or unloving characteristics in people who proclaim they are Christians, please do not judge them as if they are the totality of everyone who proclaims Jesus is their Lord. Praise God that after my salvation experience, I found that those people were still going through the renewing and developmental phase and process of who they were in Christ Jesus and had not reached their potential and the destiny that God has for all of us who accept Jesus as Lord. I came to understand that for us to develop as strong Christians, we must take a stand, strive, fight, and be determined to be mature followers of Christ Jesus, which, for some of us, can be a daily challenge, but we must be determined and disciplined in ourselves and set our mind and focus on pursuing God’s will as described in His Word, in 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV): Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I also found that living a true Christian lifestyle is a lifetime endeavor, and we can do so by saturating ourselves in the Word of God, keeping up the good fight of faith by reading and studying what the Bible says, and listening to teachers of the Word of God. Thereby, we are able to gain knowledge and understanding about our responsibilities as genuine followers of Christ Jesus and how to live the Christian lifestyle.

We, believers in Christ, have to discipline ourselves, keeping the old worldly and human sinful nature, that soulish part of our being, in check at all times and suppress and keep the negative thinking, old mindset, and attitude of the world from creeping and sneaking back and returning to us in an attempt to take control of our soul and body. We must keep in mind that Jesus left us a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who is God’s Spirit living and residing within us, the believers in Christ.

He helps us submit to God’s leading and direction so that we remain in God’s will. We have the personal task of training and disciplining ourselves to keep control and rule over our soul and body, being like a prizefighter or an athlete training for a marathon or other athletic event. We must strive daily to remain faithful, trusting, believing, and staying strong in faith and adhering to God’s commands, principles, guidelines, statutes, standards, values, edicts, etc. And believe me, that takes discipline, patience, perseverance, time and seeking, and being focused on God and His will.

Personally, after being in Christ for many, many years, I still continue striving, fighting, and disciplining myself to keep me in check by not allowing the old, soulish way of thinking to rule me again. I thank God that I have evidence that I’ve changed drastically in all areas of my life. I’m definitely not the same person I was prior to my born-again birthday, April 15, 1979. However, I’m still in training and working out daily with the Word of God, disciplining myself and going through the process to be who and what God wants me to be, living a life that reflects the true principles of Father God and Jesus, continuing to move forward in the direction God wants me to move, being guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

It’s my belief we Christians must be determined to follow Jesus’ principles of love, kindness, peace, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, grace, etc., toward all people and live the life He died for us to live, as is outlined in the Scriptures. As noted in Acts through Jude, these Scriptures give us God’s wisdom, knowledge, and understanding in how we, believers, are to live our lives and take control, rule, dominion, and authority over our own soul and body and place the fleshly and carnal human sinful nature in submission because the old self is always attempting to take back control and rule over us. So, we, believers, must fight to stay in submission to the Word of God and base our lifestyle, mindset, attitude, personality, character, and behavior on what is noted in God’s Word and by being led by the Holy Spirit.

Another reason I was drawn to and finally accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior is that I was not forced, put in fear, or coerced to accept Him, so I give all praise to God Almighty, whom I love and serve and who is the God I strive to be submitted to and obey. I thank and appreciate Him, for He is gentle and does not force anyone to love Him or accept Jesus as their Lord or follow His teachings, commands, dictates, edicts, principles, standards, mandates, etc.

After being in Christ for a while, I began to understand that it is human beings who have changed the true definition of who Christ Jesus really is and why and who He actually died for on the Cross. What He did for us humans has been distorted and used to enslave and conquer people, gain power, wealth, prestige, resources, etc., but no, that is not what Jesus died on the Cross for. I declare to you that Jesus wants all people saved, born-again, and reconciled to our Father in heaven, but not by force, intimidation, deception, trickery, conquering people, or manipulation. Our God wants people saved by His love, grace, mercy, and the truth of His Word and not by brutality, and that also includes those of us who work in or have worked in law enforcement and criminal justice, for God the Father sent His Son, Jesus, to die for all humankind. All an individual has to do is to believe in their heart, that is, spirit and soul, and confess that she or he believes Jesus died on the Cross and was raised from the dead by the power of Almighty God, that He is the Son of God, and receive and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, as outlined in Romans chapter 10, verses 9, 10, and 13.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verses 43 and 44, Jesus taught the people about being blessed by God and that we, believers, are to love everyone, even our enemies and foes. You know those people who hate, dislike, and even do us wrong? The Lord Jesus said we are to pray for those who persecute us. Believe me, I know that is hard to do; at least, it was for me when I first accepted Jesus as Lord. But after I