PTL Wednesdays

  I’ve come up with a little challenge that is going to change your life. All you need is a pen and pad... oh, and a little courage. Ready? Here we go. Write down the name of a person or persons who gets on your nerves… someone who you just don’t get along with. Now I know you get along with everyone but really concentrate and  you might be able to come up with someone. Got a name? Good. Now write down what he or she did to you.  Did they say something hurtful? Write it down. Maybe he/she always ruins your holidays or they lied on you. Write it down. The next part is a little harder because now I want you to think of a person or persons that you have wronged and write down what you did. This is for your eyes only so don’t write down something simple like the time you stepped on the back of their shoe. Think of a person you really slighted. It may be a little painful but it’ll be worth it in the end.  I’m taking the challenge too and to prove it here’s part of my list...

  Do you know how powerful you are? Yes, you. You have the power to make things happen and to change lives. If you understood your power, you wouldn't worry when times get tough. You wouldn't worry about a job, trouble at home, bills, or an illness. What makes you so special? What power do you have that separates you from others? You have the power of prayer.  Did you know that God only listens to Christians? "Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him" (John  9:31 ). God doesn't respond to your prayers if you aren't a Christian. Christianity is like an exclusive club with members only privileges and there's no greater privilege than prayer.  Prayer is so powerful because "whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Matt  21:22 ). Now before you start praying for a new Porsche,  remember that God knows you better than you know yourself. Don't be surpris...

Last week I gave an impromptu questionnaire to help gauge your faith walk. I got a lot of positive feedback so I thought it would be a good idea to drop a little pop quiz. Don’t worry, this isn’t as bad as the quizzes you got when you walked into the classroom and the teacher would have a sly grin on his/her face. This is just a little quiz to help see where you stand on some of the Bible basics all Christians need to learn.   Fact or Fiction The gospel is that Jesus became human, died for our sins, was raised from the dead and if you follow him you will have eternal life.  We follow all the laws the Jews were commanded to follow in the Old Testament.  The Holy Trinity is God the Father, God the Son, and Mary the mother of Jesus.  The apostles were given all the knowledge we need to worship and live correctly.  There are a total of 4 books in the New Testament that make up the gospels.  Baptism is needed for the remission of our sins. God allows us to worsh...

Today is the most incredible day of your life! Pick any special day you’ve had and it doesn’t compare to today. Wedding day? Nope.  Graduation? Not even close. You could have eaten the best meal of your life while dining with your biggest idol who liked you so much they decided to give you a million dollars…and that day couldn’t compete with today. What amazing thing happened today that blows everything else you’ve experienced so far in your life away? You woke up. Congrats...You opened your eyes and took your place among the living.  Obviously you’ve experienced waking up before but not on April 24, 2024. Over 150 thousand people who saw yesterday didn’t get to see today. That’s an astonishing number. The world’s largest stadium can’t seat that many and I’ve checked. So what are your plans for this incredibly awesome special day? Hopefully, in everything you do today it will be to the glory of the one responsible for every breath you take. God should be first in our lives so ...

  We've all had times when someone surprises us by revealing something about themselves. I almost fell out of my chair when my cousin told me that he doesn't like chicken. I know it's a stereotype but what Black person doesn't eat chicken? It seems everyone has a surprise or two but there's one thing no one should ever be surprised to learn about you— that you're a Christian.  As a Christian, you're suppose to "set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth" (Col 3:2 ESV). That means your life should be dedicated to doing God's will and not your own. You may think you're following Christ but does your lifestyle reflect it? Are you sitting in church Sunday mornings but have strippers sitting on your lap Saturday nights? Perhaps your thing is gossiping or do you have a bad temper? Some of us curse better than a sailor and it doesn't take much before we "set it off." Of course all of us commit sins but i...

  A few weeks ago I was nervously sitting in the optometrist chair as the nurse asked me to read the chart. The row of letters might as well have been written in Chinese because I couldn’t read any of them. She went to a larger row of letters but it still looked foreign to me. Finally, the nurse pulled that little pin-hole wheel over my eye and ta-da. The letters were in English again! I could see them all so clearly. Did you know you can get the same kind of clarity about your life as the pin-hole wheel gave me during my exam? All it takes is for you to look at life through your spiritual lenses. Your spiritual lenses refer to how you view the world as a child of God. God is a spirit and we need to look at everything the way God does– spiritually. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”‭‭(Rom 12‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬)....

Have you ever asked yourself where does sin come from? If you haven't, you should because the answer impacts every aspect of your life, especially the end of it. The origin of sin really is a head scratcher. How can sin exist if God, who cannot sin (James  1:13 ), created a perfect world free of sin? The answer most people think of is the story of Adam and Eve. Although the Devil enticed Eve to sin, the origin of sin goes back even farther. Don’t get me wrong, Lucifer is the first to sin and he’s currently doing his best to keep us separated from God but he isn’t the author of sin. The answer is something we exercise everyday– free will.  God gave both the angels and humans free will. Why? Because God is the embodiment of love and you can’t have love without choice. Imagine if your boy/girlfriend admitted they were being paid to date you. Any thoughts of that person genuinely loving you would instantly fade. Choice is essential for love. Guys don’t demand, they ask for a lady’...