PTL Wednesdays

  “It’s not you. It’s me,” and with that she got up and walked away. His heart sank and all he could do was stare aimlessly as she left. “What did I do wrong?” He said to himself. “Who was there when she needed money? Me. Who was there when she needed a shoulder to cry on? Me.” The more he thought about it the more he realized he was putting in all the effort and it was never a real relationship. Ironically, this one-sided fling reminds me of a lot of people’s relationship with God.  I’m not calling anyone out except myself. God spent a lot of time in a one-sided relationship with me. Oh, we talked but it was mostly when I needed something. “Lord, if you get me out of this” or “Lord please give me...” was a popular theme of my prayers. That’s whenever I did pray. Days would go by and the Lord wouldn’t hear from me. I knew he was there but I was too busy with my other relationships. You know I had to hangout with my boys. Then there was family time and game time and time for ev...

I'm not sure who started this New Year's Resolution thing but it's easy to see why it's so popular. With each new year there's a feeling of starting over, starting fresh. Nice idea but it's a little off. Why? Because rather than being optimistic and hopeful for the new year, we should feel that way every day. You woke up this morning with an opportunity for a fresh start regardless of what happened yesterday. Absolutely nothing happened yesterday that prevents    you from having a new outlook on today. I know that's a bold statement so to prove my grandiose optimistic proclamation I want you to pick a bad day that you've had. It doesn't matter if it's the day you lost your job or realized you were losing your hair. Maybe you're thinking of when you got your car repossessed, got evicted or got divorced. Perhaps it might be the most tragic of days when a loved one passed.  Whatever day you choose it doesn't change the fact that today is a n...

We’re all familiar with the story of Jesus' birth and his rise from humble beginnings. He was born in a lowly manger in an obscure town. His dad was a simple carpenter and mom was almost put away for being pregnant out of wedlock. Jesus came from such meek beginnings that the Jews didn't look upon him as a king– a prophet maybe but not the messiah, not the one who was to restore the Jewish kingdom. He didn’t look like a king. Where was his army? They failed to see the king of kings was indeed among them. They failed to see what made Jesus so special?  Simply put, Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1,14). He created all and sustains all. The beauty that you see around you is his handy work, from the warm sand that tickles your feet to the stars draped across the heavens. The world Jesus spoke into existence was perfect until Adam and Eve sinned against him. Jesus knew before he created us that we needed to be saved (Rev 13:8) and his plan for salvation was set long before Adam ...

One of the biggest and most important debates in Christianity is whether or not baptism is a necessary part of salvation. Some churches believe you must be baptized to be saved. Others say baptism is important but it isn't a requirement of salvation. Only one viewpoint is right so which is it? The only way to settle the matter is to do what we always should do–refer to the Bible. There are numerous verses in the Bible that state if you have faith, then you will be saved. John  3:16  is one of the most popular. It's quite clear that you must have faith/belief in order to be saved. However, you must examine all of the verses about salvation to get a complete picture. It's like following one of your favorite cake recipes. It clearly states you need flour but if you only use the one ingredient, you would never make a cake. You have to look at all of the ingredients. The Bible is the same way; the verses have to be put together to get all of the ingredients needed for sal...

I came across a YouTube video of a prominent theologian claiming baptism isn’t essential for salvation. The topic is so important as it pertains to whether or not you’re saved that I made this post in note form so you can use it as a reference later on.  Argument :  There are several verses, like Acts 16:31 for instance, that state salvation is through faith. Counterpoint : As any good biblical student knows, you have to look at all the verses about a subject to get the complete picture. Obviously, the road to salvation is paved with faith. First and foremost you must have faith to be saved. However, when it comes to salvation, faith and baptism are inseparable (Mark 16:15). Argument :  Baptism doesn’t do anything. It only symbolizes you’re a Christian. Counterpoint : The mere act of being submersed in water is not the saving mechanism; otherwise, you could be saved by diving into a pool. God is the one who saves but baptism is one of God’s requirements to receive salvati...

Zooming past the last yellow light I felt confident I’d be on time. I just dodged the final impediment and there was nothing     but uninterrupted road ahead… no more cross walks, stop signs, or red lights. Dashing out the car I made my way to the front door and that’s when it hit me: the sound of dozens of people singing “He has done marvelous. He has done marvelous things. Praise the Lord!” The beautiful chorus of praise confirmed I was indeed late but I realized the frantic rush was worth it as I made my way down the aisle. Joy filled my heart as I joined in (unable to carry a tune) with the harmonious singing, “Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous, marvelous things– praise the Lord!”   It was an amazing worship service and on my way back home I kept humming that song. Hours later and I found myself at the dinner table low key singing, “He’s done marvelous, marvelous things– praise the Lord.” There aren’t a lot of lyrics to the song but its simplicity enhances its meaning. ...

The holiday season is in full swing. We’re just hours away from stuffing ourselves with fried turkey, rica and gravy, candied yams, and mac-n-cheese (let me stop before I start drooling). A lot of us will also take part in the mad frenzy for the best deals, aka Black Friday. With the food, shopping, and joy or pain (depending on your point of view) of spending time with family today it's easy to forget what we should be really thankful for. I'm not talking about being thankful for all of the stuff we’re buying tomorrow to add to all of the other stuff we have. Nor am I referring to being thankful for our jobs, our homes, cars, or our closet full of clothes. I'm not even referring to your spouse who's there for you through the ups and downs; or your parents who raised and nurtured you. What about your children that you'd do anything for (and they often expect you to) or your friends whom you confide in? Nope.     Of course we should be thankful for our relationships ...