After rereading “Are you all in?”, I realized I hadn’t shared my testimony regarding cigarettes. I apologize for not keeping my blog updated and for not sharing how God has worked in my life. Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking with me. I am truly grateful for your prayers, support, and encouragement along the way. Your presence and understanding mean a great deal to me as I continue on this journey.

I created this blog in my time of grief, and God really began to speak through me in my writing, but somewhere along the line, I stopped writing. Dealing with many struggles and trials in my own life, I began to focus more on myself and my situation, not on God. So when I tried to post, I couldn’t collect my thoughts, and out of frustration, I would give up. Then one day, I saw that people had been reading the blog, and I got excited when I saw people from all over the country were reading it. It was almost as if God was giving me a second wind while impressing upon my heart that I still have work to do.

While conversing with a friend of mine, we came to the realization that cigarettes were a crutch, an idol, and I had been smoking for almost 30 years. I was questioning why I had to quit smoking (as if separation from God wasn’t enough). I was going back and forth with it because I was afraid of what my life would look like without it. I was fed up with the stories of other Christians who told me, “God took the taste of it away” because I felt like if he took it away from them, well, what is wrong with me that I’m still smoking. He hasn’t taken it away from me.

I gave God my yes, and I had to be willing to give Him the thing that consumed almost 30 years of my life, the idol in my life.

I am happy to announce that I have been smoke-free for 2 years now, as of April 12, 2024! Woot woot! God’s grace is sufficient, and He brought me through it, but I had to fight. There were days when I would say, “ I am done! This is it!”, and as soon as I would come up against the smallest amount of adversity, I would go to the store and instead of buying one pack, I would buy five packs, trying to convince myself that I was not choosing the world, I just needed to smoke. One day, I was sick of going back and forth, and in conversation with my sister, she suggested that I smoke what I had left and not buy any more cigarettes, and I thought to myself, ” Been there, done that”, but I agreed to try. I wrote and prayed a prayer from my heart and smoked my last cigarette on April 12, 2024, which was a Friday. I went to church on Sunday and was delivered at the altar on April 14, 2024. I had never heard my pastor pray the way he did that day. The Holy Spirit was at the altar, and I was set free!

One thing I would like to make clear is that even while struggling to quit smoking, I know without a shadow of a doubt that it was God who spoke to me in my dream. It wasn’t until I let go and gave it to Him that He began to work it out in me. Did I still have cravings? Absolutely, but they were not like when I tried to do it myself. The best way to describe it is that He took 97% and left me with 3% of the cravings. I still had cravings, but they were not overwhelming. I would literally go days before I realized I had not smoked, nor did I want to smoke.

I can breathe better, I don’t smell like smoke, I am no longer a slave to the nasty habit of smoking, and it was not as hard as I thought it would be, only because Jesus held me up in this, taking away the greatest part of the cravings. I laid my burden (cigarettes) at His feet and took up His yoke, and He left me with a part that was not heavy; it did not burden me. One thing that really clicked for me was when I was reading my Bible, and I came to 1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV, which says:

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? It was this verse that set off fireworks in my head. I no longer belong to myself.

Rereading “Are you all in” brought back the dream and God’s message about my smoking. This experience made me realize that the dream wasn’t just about quitting smoking but about committing fully to God and leaving behind anything that separates me from Him.

Okay, so at the beginning of the dream, I was so caught up in what was going on because there were so many people, and I thought I was missing out on something. As I sit here, typing this, I am reminded of God’s goodness. He would not allow me to change my answer, and I am grateful for that. From the look of things, everything seemed good because everyone was laughing, talking, joking, and generally having a good time. Oblivious to the fact that they were being herded for destruction. God gave me the understanding that the people I saw were those who had rejected Him, and because they appeared to be having fun, I assumed that I was missing out on something good.

F.O.M.O. -Fear of missing out.

As Christians, we have gone too far and forgotten that we should be the standard, the light on the hill, the salt of the earth. Christians have stepped out of the set-apart space and integrated back into the world under the guise of “Christian” or “Believer”. Many have lost their way because we keep looking back at the world, secretly longing to be part of it.

We are watching the wicked prosper with what seems like no consequences. They are laughing loudly, joking, traveling, and doing all the things while getting all the good seats. I am here to remind you that it is a LIE from the pits of hell.

Galatians 6:7 NKJV
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Yes, they are laughing and having a good time because they don’t realize they are perishing. Psalm 37:1-2, 13 (NLT) we are told not to worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. They are living like they will not have to pay for their wickedness, but God sees them and laughs because He sees their day coming.

It is as in the days of Noah.

This is what is going on in the world right now. Even though we in America are at war, we are not truly concerned. We are still laughing, joking, fornicating, stealing, lying, cheating, murdering, and living our best lives. We really don’t believe this is a sign of God’s judgment on the land. Yes, we are dealing with ridiculous inflation. We are paying more for basic necessities like food and housing, and overall, we are still in a slumber, continuing to live like we have all the time in the world, and like there is no God.

We still believe that global warming is causing our weather to be so unpredictable; meanwhile, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity all over the world. The heinousness of crimes committed by regular working-class and even young people has increased. It is almost unbelievable considering what is happening at the hands of our neighbors, parents, friends, and children. People have become completely unhinged, and we are seeing and hearing more and more of it every day. Yet, we are going about our daily lives like nothing is happening. God is literally shaking the foundations of the earth, and many don’t perceive it.

The main challenge is recognizing what God asks of us: full commitment and turning away from anything that keeps us from Him. What is the solution? What can we do?

We need to recognize that we have taken God’s mercy and His grace for granted. It is time to REPENT and turn from our wicked ways. Cry out to the God of creation and seek His face. Put the foolishness of sin behind us and step out of the darkness into His marvelous light. We need His forgiveness for all the ways we have sinned against Him, for the ways we have supported sin, and for turning our backs on the only one who loves us with an everlasting love.

It is time to give your life to Jesus, Repent, and get in right standing with the Father. The world is perishing, and if you don’t want to perish with it, you need to get right with God.

John 3:16 NKJV
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:9 NKJV
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Heavenly Father,

I humbly come to you, thanking you for keeping me, for not letting the enemy kill me in the midst of my sin. Today is the day I come to you with a repentant heart, asking your forgiveness. I have a history of sin and hardness against you. I have taken your grace and mercy for granted, but most of all, I have taken you and what you sacrificed for me for granted. I have walked in the counsel of the ungodly, living as if I am in control and time is on my side, not realizing that You hold my life in Your hands. Please forgive me for my pride, rebellion, and stubbornness. Your word tells us that if we confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts that You God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. Well, I confess that Jesus is Lord, and I believe in my heart that He was crucified, died on the cross, and that you raised Him from the dead on the third day. Father, I ask you to come into my heart and save me.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, Congratulations! The angels in Heaven are cheering you on. This is just the beginning. Find a Bible-believing church and get baptized for the remission of sins. I am rooting for you; you are now my brother or sister in Christ. Let God lead you.

Peace and Blessings