Have you ever heard anyone make this statement, or have made it yourself?

“You won’t go to Hell for doing it.”

Too many Christians feel as though as long as they are paying their tithes and going to church regularly that, ‘they’re good’.

Sometimes times there will be an issue or behavior that is questionable or vague, or maybe not even addressed directly in the bible. Many times there will be an issue or behavior that we really enjoy, but there is reason to believe it might be displeasing to God. Then there are issues that are addressed, but many people either don’t make the connection, or don’t care about how those issues relate to us today.

There are many Christians who don’t only define themselves as children of God, they also define themselves by ‘their’ zodiac sign.

How does God feel about someone asking, “What’s your sign?”

Zephaniah 1:5-6…

I may lose some readers and/or ‘followers’ for making this post, but it’s my prayer that God will gain some.

Okay, I know this is a morbid unpopular subject, and most people don’t like to talk about or preach about it any more, but as I read Matthew Chapter 7, I can’t read past verses 13 and 14 without drawing the conclusion…that most people will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³“Enter by the narrow gate; for wideisthe gate and broadisthe way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY who go in by it.¹⁴Because^[a]narrowisthe gate and difficultisthe way which leads to life, and there are FEW who find it.

The LORD says, “many go in by it” meaning the gate to destruction, and then He goes on to…

I can only speak for myself, but I think we’ve all experienced it. We have prayed to God…we have made a specific supplication…we have interceded for someone else. Then, sometimes immediately, sometimes shortly after and sometimes much later we see God answer that prayer…that supplication…that intercession, just as we asked.

Sometimes it’s exactly as we asked. While others it may not be exactly as we asked but, we can still clearly see it was an answer to our prayer.

Then it happens. That emotion that reveals our true level of faith. I’m not saying an absence of faith, but the true level of our faith. Our emotional response to God answering our prayer.

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SURPRISE

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Have you ever been surprised when God answers your prayer? Surprised when we already know what He promised…

John 14:13-14 (NKJV)

¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father…

“YOUR WINTER FUN IS SOMEONE’S WINTER FEAR” maj

So many people love the cozy idea of sitting by a warm fire, and sipping egg nog or hot chocolate as they unwrap gifts with family or friends.

So many people get excited when they hear the weather forecaster announce snow is coming.

But, while some people rush the grocery stores for extra food in case they are snowed in…

While some people prepare to cook hot meals and watch the snow fall…

While so many children get excited over the thought of a snow day…

While some say, “Hmmm, what will we eat?”…

Others cringe at the thought of snow coming…

Others wait to see what the grocery stores will throw away…

Others wonder what cooked meals they can find in a dumpster…

Others wonder how they will keep their children warm on a snow day…

Others say, “what will we…

There are many atheists and skeptics who say that religion was created to control the masses.

As a Black man, I often hear others say how can you believe in a God that was forced on your ancestors by the slavemaster.

Once some people are convinced their particular view is correct, they claim everyone else is BRAINWASHED.

It’s amazing how one can assume you haven’t studied history for yourself and that you’re being naive.

There are plenty of believers like myself who are educated, have studied history, have studied other cultures and still choose to believe in the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting through His Son and our Savior Yeshua, Christ Jesus, The Lamb of God.

The history of the bible goes beyond and before European influences.

Besides…Those who are truly connected with God don’t have ‘religion’…we have relationship.

1 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)

For this reason I…

Sometimes the issue isn’t whether or not we trust God, but whether or not we trust ourselves…

We know He will lead and guide us, but are we making the right decisions?

We know He provides perfectly, but are we being the best stewards of what He provides?

When things don’t work out…

Is it punishment?

A lesson?

Or part of the process?

How do we know?

What should I do next?

Sometimes I need a victory to know I can trust myself AS I trust God.

I need a victory so OTHERS can trust me as I trust God and be encouraged.

I need confirmation that what I’ve done is right, rather than people telling me what I should have done.

I know my family loves me, but I want to know that they they’re of proud of me and respect me too.

I need to know that they…

It’s amazing how the moments I would have called boring when I was younger, I now call relaxing.

When you think about it, trouble, turmoil, conflict and drama are never boring.

So many times we can let the desire for or pursuit of excitement let us take for granted those peaceful moments that we can easily call boring.

I like to equate those moments to what the bible called ‘a season of rest’…

1 Kings 5:4(KJV)
⁴ But now theLordmy God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.

This is when Solomon focused on building the temple.

But he later used the peace God gave him as a time to backslide…

1 Kings 11:5-7(NKJV)
⁵ For Solomon went afterAshtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and afterMilcomthe abomination of theAmmonites.⁶ Solomon did evil…

Evening Epiphany

Never take God’s grace for granted because if you think about it…

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If you’ve been SAVED for a while, you’ve probably sinned MORE since you were SAVED than BEFORE.

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Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

BE BLESSTIFIED!

What? What are you talking about Aldtric? When God causes division in your relationship?

Well check this out…

Matthew 10:34-36 (NKJV)

³⁴ “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’^[a]

Wow! Why would Jesus say this? I thought Jesus was all about peace…harmony…agreement. I have to admit that years ago I used to let this scripture trouble me.

Let’s read one more verse that brings it all home…

Matthew 10:37 (NKJV)

³⁷ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy…

Have you ever caught yourself complaining about something that you asked God for? You hoped for it. You prayed for it. You thanked God for it when you got it, but now, for whatever reason…you’re complaining about it.

Your job.

Your spouse.

Your child.

Your car.

Your house.

Your __________. You fill in the blank.

It may well be a blessing from God that you didn’t ask for, but God gave it to you. One great example is peace. How many times has God-given you peace and you complained that you were bored?

As I already discussed in SEVEN (7) REASONS GOD HATES COMPLAINING…, complaining is the exact opposite of thanksgiving.

I want to also remind you how much God hates complaining.

1 Corinthians 10:10 (NKJV)

¹⁰nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

Complaining usually has one or two of three…

A few years ago my Senior Pastor, W. Michael Martin, did a series of lessons about faith. He shared a powerful revelation and revealed how many sincere Christians have erroneously taught that God is pleased with just ‘a little faith’. That is not true. They misquote and misapply Matthew 17:20…
Matthew 17:20 (NKJV)

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[a] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith AS a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Many have taught if you have faith OF, but the bible says AS. It would take great faith for a seed as small as a mustard seed to grow into a great tree. So, Jesus is saying if you have GREAT faith you can move mountains…not little faith.

This…

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God is a forgiving God and He is willing to forgive us of
all our sins as long as we truly repent and have a forgiving heart towards
others.

But, sometimes we can wonder if we will ever recover from
the consequences of our bad decisions.

Let me give you a quick reminder that God loves us and He is
bigger than or bad decisions.

Any parent who has punished or disciplined their child will
look on them in pity and remove the punishment or give them relief from the
consequences if It’s in their power to do so.

God does the same thing…

Psalm 30:5 (NKJV)

⁵ForHis angeris but fora moment,
His favoris forlife;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But^[a]joycomesin the morning.

Psalm 103:9-11 (NKJV)

⁹He will not always strivewith us,
Nor will He keep