For those of you who have read and follow my blog. You know how I feel about people who say…Well I’m a good person. And of course this statement is being made in relationship to their need to be saved. Or whether or not they are going to heaven in their own estimation. But as many of you already know. One does not have to guess about their eternal destination. We may have confidence in the words of our God. As well as in the life we lead. What I am discussing in this blog is the need for Christian men and women to give credit where credit is due. And in this case it is giving yourself a pat on the back occasionally. Many of you no doubt have been thinking that I am a rather rough character as you read my blogs. And that is true. I could easily take the cords myself and beat the moneychangers out of the temple as Christ did. My temper can get the best of me at times. But its not without someone or something kicking it into action. We are all different and I do not apologize for who I am.

For if I or you, were to examine ourselves. Each of us would come up with many deficiencies in our own make up. Would we not? The Gospel of Matthew chapter 25..beginning in verse 31. Jesus is speaking….When the Son of man shall come in his glory. And all of the holy angels with him. Then he will sit on the throne of his glory. And before him will be gathered all of the nations. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, come all of you blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world….This my friend is what we are all striving for. We all want to be there and hear these words. Well done my good and faithful servant. But here is the skinny. Satan is not happy at all about your desire to be there on that day..

And he is going to do his rats ass best to discourage you and I at every turn. To make you think that you are no good. That you have failed God one too many times. That you are out of the race entirely. That you have fouled out. Matthew chapter 18 verses 21 and 22. Then Peter came to the Lord and said, Lord how often can someone commit a sin against me and I forgive him? Seven times? And Jesus said to him. I say to you that you will not only forgive him seven times. But seventy times seven times…God has infinite forgiveness for us. But that does not give us license to continue in sin. Only he knows the heart of the individual and their desire to change or not. But its O.K. for us to tell ourselves that  we have done well. And we are being faithful. We are not perfect. And the devil will taunt and provoke you endlessly reminding you of that fact. But God isn’t looking for, nor does he expect perfection. He is however asking us to strive for it.

Consider this if you will for a moment. When you are watching the Olympic platform diving. And the scores come up after the dive. How often do you see all tens appear? Virtually never. But that doesn’t stop them from trying. And they are by the way the very best at what they do. They are in fact striving for the mark as it pertains to diving. In the same way that we are striving for the mark as Christian’s. And since I cannot miss out on an opportunity to kick the devils teeth in. And in so doing exposing the type of perverted scum he has doing his bidding. Since when does someone’s butt have to be hanging out of their bathing suit in order to dive? But I once again digress. These filthy pigs make me sick. If I had a buck for every time I wanted to bust some devil in the jaw. I would be a multi-millionaire. My friend its alright to encourage yourself. Tell yourself that you are doing well. Say to yourself daily that you have come a long way in your journey. Tell yourself that God is well pleased with you. Because if you are truly trying, he is. If you wait for someone else to tell you. You may be waiting for a long time….To be continued

As a fisherman on Long Island. I became familiar with this saying along time ago. Give man a fish and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I am also rather fond of the following. Give a man a fish and you have one less fish. Both of these are truisms in there own rite. Now I am not bragging. But if it just for the sake of catching any fish. I could accomplish that any day of the week in season. In other words we would not go hungry. But to learn how to fish takes some time and perseverance on the part of the student. And to target specific species of fish…depending on conditions and times of the year. Can be quite another scenario indeed. On a somewhat regular basis I bring people out with me to fish. Most are fairly new to the craft. And in spite of the fact that they don’t know jack about how to catch fish. Most are not good students.They are unteachable. Even though they want to go fishing. They are prideful and sarcastic. Its almost as though they truly do not want to succeed. Or that they don’t think they can. They for the most part are also unwilling to admit that I may actually have something to offer that they can use. And that by means of many years of experience on the waterfront.

Fishing successfully on a regular basis requires a specific skillset. And generally makes use of a variety of equipment designed for unique situations that present themselves to the fisherman. Matthew chapter 4 verses 18 and 19. And Jesus as he was walking by the Sea of Galilee. Saw two bothers named Peter and Andrew casting a net into the sea. For they were fishermen. And he said to them. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And they immediately left their nets where they were and followed him. Lesson number one. When the Master calls. You stop what you are doing and listen. We will get back to this momentarily. About a year ago I was invited to go trap shooting. I knew little to nothing about the game. And after spending just a few sessions with the fellows who invited me. I realized rather quickly that they knew less than nothing. Nevertheless I was hooked. Pun intended. I knew immediately that there was much more to this than met the eye.And I was by the grace of God. About to make an acquaintance. Whose name is Terry Jordan living in Canada. He is an international trap champion. And his trophy room looks like a store showroom. He is a master at his craft. And with good reason.

Having invested the better part of a year and a half practicing and listening to Terry. I am now approaching a point where I am actually one of the better shooters at the range I go to. And not only am I shooting well. But I am now understanding the how and the why of the game. All of this time I have been trying to share Terrys knowledge with these other guys. And do you know what? They argue and resist the teachings. Persisting in there old habits which do not produce good results. And consequently they still are bad shooters. My point is this. As with myself being more than willing to both take and teach people how to fish. I also recognize that all are not teachable. Nor are they willing to do what is needed to better themselves. Now Peter and Andrew were both fishermen. They had a boat and nets. Which indicated that they had a commitment to fishing. The guys I shoot with all have guns. Whether or not they were any good at it is a story for another day. The fact is that Peter and Andrew were committed to the daily grind. And Jesus saw that. In my heart I like to think that Jesus had been watching these guys. But that is not biblical.What is biblical is that they dropped everything to follow him. And in the same way God is calling you as well my friend.

Jesus said to them that he would make them into fishers of men. Indicating that as of their encounter with him. That they weren’t quite men fishers yet. There is both a time to speak. And a time when one must listen. When Terry talks to me I am all ears. And I have learned over time that he is a man of few words. He also is a man of repetition. Driving home certain points about trap over and over and over again. Signifying the importance of crucial and critical points of professional shooting. Starting from the feet up to the brain. The type of gun used. And all of the how and why in between. Not one iota of who you are. What you think. And what you shoot. Does not come under the masters gaze. And now I find myself preaching and teaching Terrys methodology to others. And as is always the case. Many tune me out. And a few are willing to listen.

Jesus selects men and women today in the same fashion as Peter and Andrew. He plucks you out of the world with the intention of making you a new creature in him. You come to him as a teachable novice. He starts to instruct you about his Father and the kingdom of heaven. He reveals to you the trickery and  deceit of the devil. He starts to unveil to you exactly what is at the heart of mans sinful existence. And how it is that we are to win their souls for the kingdom of heaven. I am both a protégée of Jesus and of Terry. And while I continue to receive instruction. I am also instructing others. I am a disciple. And when one becomes a disciple…he or she is learning a discipline that is being taught to them via someone else. The lessons being learned are not there own. Life is about sharing and being helpful. It is also about realizing when people are not grateful or receptive to what it is you are offering. The fact is that most people will not be receptive to Christ teachings. They do not want to enter into the Christian discipline. Whether its taught by you or the Lord himself. This is why Jesus told his disciples that most would not believe even if one should rise from the dead. He was speaking of himself of course.And you need to settle down and understand that. This is not personal. Unless of course you make it that way. Be willing to continue learning as you continue to teach. And in the end you will hear what I will hear….Well done my good and faithful servant.Inherit the kingdom of my Father….To be continued

Fight fire with fire. And the world grows hotter. An eye for an eye. And the world becomes blind. Both of these phrases are certainly truisms in their own right. The Lord taught us to do to others as we would have done to ourselves. As well as loving our neighbor as our self. Listen to what Jesus was teaching about the latter days. In the book of Matthew chapter 24 verse 12. And because iniquity shall abound. The love of many will grow cold. First of all there is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that we are in the last days. In fact even atheists and agnostics are saying the same. And my prayer frequently during the weeks as they pass. Is Lord please come quickly.

I don’t like this place much anymore. Jesus said that iniquity would abound. And iniquity my friend is nothing more than sinful living. And because of this overwhelming push for sin. Love will fall away. Today when a man or a woman says that they love someone. For the most part what they are saying is that they have a lust for them. This is exactly why marriages end in divorce. And families are broken up by the millions. People don’t know what love is because they don’t know Jesus. Now for my black brothers and sisters out there. May I offer you a word of warning? And by the way. God doesn’t care what color you are and neither do I. I have had many acquaintances through the years. Of every race and ethnicity. I would call them friends but the truth is that my purpose is to win a soul to Christ. That is why I speak to people and try to get to know them.

I am seeking an opportunity to plant a seed.Many of them were fine churchgoing people with whom I had rich fellowship. And now for the word of warning. Only you black folks can answer this question for yourselves. I have found that many of those people of color that I know. Are enveloped in a spirit of perversion. The conversations and the direction of their speech. Is extremely promiscuous.There seem to be extremely devout Christain men and women who are African Americans. And then the complete flip side.Those who are singing hymns at work. And talking about the latest man or woman they are sleeping with. Many of these folks claim they are church goers. And when they see me come around they shut up tight and quick. One of the men I know has children by three women. And he is constantly speaking in a perverted way both to and about women. Hugging and kissing anyone who is a taker. While the women tout him as a real ladies man. All of this with nothing but a smile on his face. He says he is a Seventh Day Adventist. Another  speaks of his wife often. His game is always the same. Sweet talking about his wife. Which always leads to his prior and extramarital affairs. Oh and I almost forgot to mention his size. That’s always an important point of reference in any conversation he has.You and or he will not be smiling for long. That much I can assure you. If you are unaware of this statistic. May I be the first to bring it to your attention. I heard that in the N.Y.C area.Some 70% of black children don’t know their father. This obviously should not be.

I cant imagine the torment of growing up without a dad. And without a good explanation for it. Especially knowing that your dad is out there somewhere.And you don’t know who he is or where he is. And now back to size for a moment. As if that is some type of marker for being a man. I almost cant remember a week or maybe even a day going by. Without some perverted wretch hinting about his size if you catch my drift. Let me tell you what your size will do for you. You will be big enough for the demons to drag you through the gates of hell. And small enough to realize the gross error of your ways while you were living. Now if you think that I am some kind of racist. And that I am picking on black folk. I am an equal opportunity opponent of sin. This just happens to be your turn in the barrel today. And I personally don’t care what you think of me.There were several people whom the Lord specified will not enter into heaven. Among them were the fornicator and the adulterer. So unless you left your brain where you parked your car. That would be you. I frankly don’t understand how people can selectively read their bible. Including what they like. And excluding what they don’t like. As though its a pick and choose scenario of some sort. Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away. But his word will never pass away.

And going to church on Sunday wont help you. For if you believe that you can sit in church and attend bible study. While living this way during the week. Your heart may already be hardened beyond repair. I also find the same to be true with most of the white folk I meet as well. They are fornicating as well. And are more than willing to enter into any perverted conversation that is available. For me it is as though as hard as I try. I can almost not find anyone to have regular meaningful conversations about God with. And believe you me I am trying. True love is more rare than a fifty carat diamond. This place is dying and rapidly. And you will never find happiness until you grab hold of Jesus Christ. Most people are living like a man who goes to a carnival. You have entered the gate with your tickets in hand. You go from booth to booth sampling the games. The flashing neon lights are around you. They are a distraction…an illusion. Like this world they are inevitably trying to draw your attention away from God and towards something else. And when your tickets are gone. You are down a hundred and still searching for happiness.

I think that David had it right. When he said that we should acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways. And he will make our paths straight. Your life is the way it is by choice. If you are chasing money,sex,power,prestige. Or anything else for that matter.No matter what your success rate is in your own estimation.
You will die in your sins. And eternal separation from God and all that is good will be your reward. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand……To be continued

In the context of a Mafia hit mans biography. He gave testimony in this fashion. When he was asked about his first killing. And about those which followed. The first was very difficult. The second not so much. And those which followed became much easier to carry out. Sin is this way in all of its forms. The initial act of carrying out a sinful act always grates against the conscience of man. For we were made in the likeness and image of God. Remember this… We are not all Gods children. We are all created in his image. And we all have the opportunity to be his child. And we having been created in his image. God having no sin within him. We when entering into sin will receive shall we say a warning. Don’t do that! We also have a free will. Which  means that we can of our own accord. Willingly allow ourselves to enter into any and all situations that we wish.

But it will carry a heavy penalty. And in the end if we sustain such a life style it will cost us everything that God desired for us to have as his child. The bible says that no good thing will God withhold from those who love him. Let me ask you this. Are any of your children perfect? You and I both know the answer. There are and will be ongoing issues throughout their life. And so as not to single out the children. There are and will be ongoing issues in your life as well. We are all on the same journey both young and old alike. And although some of us carry out parental roles. God is the Father of all who allow him to be so in their lives. He does not take the role if you don’t accept him. You can reject the Living God as your Father. And in  so doing you have in proxy chosen Satan as your father.

Now back to sin. Sin always has a catch to it. Always ,always ,always. And did I say always? There will be retribution for sinful actions in some way shape or form over time. For some it will be immediate. You put the needle in your arm for the first time. You OD and die. For others you get involved in an affair. Over time you get a divorce. Your family comes undone. And you find yourself with an incurable case of STD. For the hitman. His life ended in despair. Dying in jail with no money and only guilt to show for it. Jesus said that he had come to earth. That we may have life. And that the life he gives us may be abundant. When I work on my motorcycle. No matter how clean I keep it. As I start removing parts.. my hands are filthy. All of the unseen areas are oily and filthy from the road and the dust. Our lives are very much this way. You cant clean and scrub away sins stains in the shower. Your soul cant be put in the spin cycle for renewal.

Only Jesus has the ability to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as the scripture says. He says that although our sins may appear as the color crimson. He will make them as white as snow. This is where a good and regular confession comes into play. Praying has the same effect. Internally it has the power to cleanse us. Changing the way we think and observe the world around us. The way we act and the things we say. We are not perfect. But we are forgiven in Christ. And that my friend is a great place to start. Paul said that we are to keep striving for the high calling in Christ Jesus. Are you striving? Or are you starving?….To be continued

Pat Benetar sang Hell is for Heroes. She would be wrong. The band AC/DC sings that they and their followers are on the Highway to Hell. They are correct. And Satan is happy to have both of them and all of you to capitulate. The bible says that Satan lurks about the earth like a roaring lion. Seeking those whom he may devour. And one of those is more than likely you. The media and this world makes it sound kind of sexy to align ones self with hell. But if and when you get there. There are not words to describe the catastrophic nature of your decision.

As you will see in my blog. I sometimes will direct you to the writings of some of my favorite saints and or authors. Today we are once again within the diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska from Poland. She had a very intimate relationship with Jesus and his mother Mary throughout her brief life as a nun. And now we begin on page 296. Segment 741 of Faustinas diary for your edification….Today I was lead by an angel to the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture: how awesomely large and extensive it is!. These are the kinds of tortures I saw. The first torture that constitutes hell is the loss of God. The second is perpetual remorse of ones conscience. The third is that ones condition will never change. The fourth is a fire which penetrates the soul but does not destroy it. A terrible suffering in that it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by Gods anger. The fifth torture is perpetual darkness and a suffocating smell. And despite the darkness the devil and all the souls of the damned see each other and all the evil..

Both of others and their own. The sixth torture is the constant company of Satan. The seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words, curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all of the damned together.. but that is not the end of the sufferings.There are special tortures destined for particular souls.. These are torments of the senses.. Each soul undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings related to the manner in which it sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony differs from another.. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if the omnipotence of God had not supported me.. Let the sinner know that he will be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to sin. I am writing this at the command of God. So that no soul may find an excuse to say that there is no hell. Or that nobody has ever been there to see it or say what it is like. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing. That most of the souls that were there did not believe that there was a hell. When I came to I could hardly recover from the fright.

Sir or mam. Girls and boys. You need Jesus in your life and you need him now. Gods infinite grace and mercy is at the ready for you as you read this blog. Stop believing the lie before its too late. His desire is to save you and your family and deliver you from the torments of hell. Hell was created for the disobedient angels and Satan. Not for mankind…To be continued