The Old Black Church

Yesterday Pastor Mark Driscoll, a well-known pastor from Seattle said this on Facebook and Twitter: “It’s a Jay-Z soundtrack kind of day. Watched his NY show this weekend – I know he says bowling words but man the guy is a genius.” People went ballistic on him ( read the post thread here , and check out  his FB wall as well... How do we determine what is acceptable for Christians or pastors? UPDATE!! Thanks to Tyler you can find the whole post here.

That question was a bit surprising to me along with: Why do some churches perform a altar call every Sunday? How often does your Church do an altar call? Can a  pastor manipulate the flock with guilt and  shame by using the altar call? Those are  questions I saw on a message board  yesterday. Certainly altar calls can be coercive, they can appeal to emotion instead of scripture, they can be overused.....but that is true with any church practice there can be abused...the one that comes to mind is tithing. Now, my church doesn’t give what can be referred to as an “altar call.”but  there's an “invitation” offered for those who want to accept Christ, rededicate a life that has gone astray, to come forward for prayer, or to share how God is working in their life. .

On February 1, 2011, Northland, A Church Distributed will launch an initiative to take 5,000 congregants through Financial Peace University, as part of a larger preaching series designed to help people find freedom from the things that hold them back from serving God and others fully--including financial issues.

Did you know that each of the gospels presents the Christmas story differently? I  read a comment were a Christian was questioning  the accuracy of the Christmas story. Which of the four gospel do your pastor call attention to when telling  the Christmas story? My pastor point of reference is the book of Luke.... Are you  one of the few who don't believe the Christmas story? 1.  Matthew told the Christmas story by recalling Jesus genealogy and telling the story from Joseph's point of view. 2. Mark  referred to none of the events surrounding Jesus birth. Emphasized Jesus' arrival as the fulfillment of God's promise to send a forerunner for the Messiah. 3. Luke told the Christmas story from the perspective of Mary. 4. John spoke of Jesus' birth in theological terms discussing the theological meaning of His entrance into the world.

I read that Radio and TV personality Steve Harvey is already worried about keeping his material clean   while   on his upcoming comedy tour  with gospel star Kirk Franklin. The comedian and the gospel star have announced  that they’re heading out on the road together starting in March, and Harvey says it’ll be a challenge trying to make sure he doesn’t offend the singer’s fans. I was scratching my head and wondering are they for real ? somebody  haven't  allowed  God to change them....this is a quote Steve made on TBN early in the year: " some Christians make the path to narrow and should broaden it "  I guess Steve plan to widen the path to include bad jokes.....the Bible teaches that once we accept God's personal invitation to eternal life by the confession of our sins and the exercising of belief that something happens internally....we are "born again" or regenerated....the bible also teaches to look for this "fruit" in the believer and to bew

If you're a fan of Sam Cooke and live in the Detroit area .....be sure to check out the stage play"The Life of SAM" written by Robert Douglas and  Johnnie Washington....it's the triumph and tragedy of a soul stirrer....you will  have the chance to revisit the good old, GOSPEL days with Sam Cooke, the Highway QC's, and The Soul Stirrers singing Gospel for the Soul. I've always been a fan of Sam Cooke's early work especially the years he was part of the Soul Stirrers....Sam Cooke started his musical career singing gospel music with The Singing Children, which was made up of his siblings,and  was lead singer of the Highway QC's, and later lead singer of The Soul Stirrers...Sam Cook spent several years performing gospel music and even signed The Soul Stirrers to the record label Specialty Records where their hits "Peace in the Valley" and "How Far Am I From Canaan" were recorded. Of course, Sam Cooke was not destined to sing gospel for

If you live in the Philly area you can be blessed by the ministry of Dr. Juanita Bynum....Dr.Bynum is returning weekly for a six weeks of impartation Philly Move of God........the services is being held at the Holyghost Headquarters starting November 16, 2010 through December 21, 2010. The topic of this free event is "How to Receive from God." You can attend Dr. Bynum's weekly services every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm....The Host Pastor is Mark A. Hatcher of the Holyghost Headquarters located at 858 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pa 19131. .

People who enjoy getting tattoos, piercings and/or body modifications have created their own organization and call it a church. Is that what it is? A young woman  have been suspended twice from a North Carolina high school for wearing a nose stud, which is against school policy....she claims it is her first amendment right to practice her religion, which is through the Church of Body Modification (COBM). These folks feel that they can gain spirituality by getting tattoos, piercings and body modifications....Body piercing is considered a sign of faith, a tool used by church members to access a higher level of spirituality. They believe it is an easy way to strengthen the connection between body, mind and soul. The church's website declares a faith in the alteration of the body as "one of the safest and most responsible to stay spiritually healthy and whole." Their practices include the tongue-splitting, ear lobe or the skin stretches, implanst sub-cutaneous scars and m

I want  to give a ((((hand clap of praise)))) to R and B singer Montell Jordan who surprised many of his fans earlier in the week.... when he announced via twitter that he was leaving the secular world of music January 1 and that he'll enter into full-time ministry at Victory World Church which is  located in Norcross, Georgia….another ((((hand clap of praise))))Montell said this is  one of the best decision he have ever made in  his life....Montell said he will honour his contractual obligations which will end  at the end of the year.....and that will be his final performance as an secular artist..... he will be starting the year off with a new out-look and vision on life.....he will fulfil the call on his life serving as the Worship Pastor at Victory Church..... Jordan tweeted that he will be a licensed minister. Minister is another term use for serving God that's misunderstood by most people.....when most people hear "ministry" they think of pastors, priests, and

It's not looking good for Auburn's quarterback Cam Newton's Heisman Chances...The Auburn quarterback is facing allegations that he and his family sought money for him to play at Mississippi State and that he cheated on his school work while a student at Florida...Now my husband is the football fan in the family and he in agreement with this post....my husband is crying foul and claim Cam is the victim here....If he is, he might turn out to be a "victim'' of his father, of what Cecil might have done to get his son into Auburn.....I don't know about that....but if the report is correct...it look like Cam father Cecil Newton Sr.church did receive some kinda of financial help....Cecil Newton 50  is a bishop who oversees five small Pentecostal churches in Georgia, including the church in the picture where he's also pastor, and another in Savannah, which is led by his sister-in-law, Gail Norwood. The church has been in the news in Coweta County, Ga., often

It's being reported that Fantasia have made a very shocking confession in court Monday morning....She's purportedly to have testified in a child custody case between Antwan Cook and his estranged wife Paula Cook....although the court was closed to reporters.....sources are saying Fantasia admitted she got pregnant with Mr.Cook baby and had a abortion. No matter how long you and I have been at this thing call life, it's wise to turn to older people for advice....I know I felt more comfortable back in the day making big decisions after first talking to my mom and grandmother....They would confirm my fears or affirm my decisions about something, I felt I was on good grounds....In God design of things He has provided for each of His children a powerful wise resource in a older person in our lives....Sometime we make the mistake of going to people Christians and non-Christians  alike and seek advice from them, when in fact God did not lead us to them....We may get advice that

WASHINGTON — Is marriage becoming obsolete? As families gather for Thanksgiving this year, nearly a third of American children are living with a parent who is divorced or separated or has never been married. More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren't needed to have a family. Listen: Marriage is GOD idea not man !!in I Kings 19, Satan had  tricked Elijah into believing that he was the only righteous person left on the earth.....Elijah  thought he rather die than be the only Believer amongst the heathen....what Elijah perceived and what was factual were two different things..... Elijah was sidetracked because he was misled by the voice of the enemy, (   Psalm 55:3 ). the Lord open Elijah’s eyes and  showed him five thousand men who had not bowed their knees to Baal. One thing Satan is becoming a  master at is convincing men and women who have a  desire to find real love that they will never find a suitable mate....he brings them to a spiritually, mentally and em

The Tennessee State Board of Equalization, which decides tax exemptions for churches...has contended that a GYM, BOOKSTORE and CAFE are commercial enterprises and should be tax.....so they sent a  South Nashville megachurch  $425,000 property tax assessment bill...the 2,300-member Christ Church insists that's an outdated view of how churches operate, and those enterprises should be considered part of ministerial outreach ."They think a church worships on Sunday and then everybody goes away," pastor Dan Scott said. "Anything else you do is not church. But Christianity is not something you dive into once a week." This is certainly an interesting case....I believe churches should be taxed on all revenue....religion has become   a for-profit business....I'm glad some one is challenging this...and they should go after other commercial enterprises that operate under the guise of "religion." also those churches that are able to give million dollar donatio

YES ,YES!! I believe it’s hard for some families to consider that one of their own is dangerous and violent but sometimes we have to put family feelings aside for the safety of all involved....I've mention this before and some people still don't get it or understand it....Many Christians are  struggling today  with the decision to seek help for themselves or a love one. There's nothing wrong with a Christian psychologists, psychiatrists,or  counselors....They could be the key to overcoming mental illness.  Especially depression and anxiety.....I work in the medical field and there are a lot of people on the edge. Satan have only one way of attack and that is through the mind of the believer....You can't act without first having a thought. We as believer got to learn how to apply Bible knowledge to our lives, if we want to win the battles of life....God instructs us on how to control our thought life by utilizing His Word. (Ephesians 6:10-17 ) . We must reco

Do the homiletic style of Sheryl Brady, Paula White,  E.Dewey Smith, Dr.Jeremiah Wright, Jerry Black etc, lead to segregation? all pastors mention are preachers who sermons are delivered in a style with verbiage that are geared toward  black culture...but  might be perceived as hostility or anger to whites, or persons of other races.....a  person that's not black might feel excluded because the message is being delivered in a way they don’t quite get and are not comfortable with.... and this can be true of any race, not just African-Americans.  I would argue there will never be such a thing as a multi-cultural congregation....except for maybe the catholic church....I do not believe  an individual community congregation can  be all things to all people....what point is there in attending a congregation where you don’t understand the words being spoken? I would argue that a “multi-cultural” church is really a myth.  Lets take music for example how do you have a multi-cultural se

 Beyoncé’s new perfume ad has been deemed unsuitable for daytime television...The Christian Institute has voiced concern over sexually explicit advertising for Beyoncé’s new perfume ad...the ad shows Beyoncé dancing seductively in a revealing dress and making provocative gestures....the Advertising Standards Authority decided  that the advert for the singer’s new perfume Heat was “sexually provocative” and therefore “unsuitable to be seen by young children...“The ASA took action against this advert after 14 people made complaints, which shows it only takes a handful of people to say something is inappropriate, and it can make a real difference.” article here! .

This is an overview of Joel Osteen’s interview on The View... I believe if  any pastor goes on national television and makes statements contrary to the gospel of Christ – they need to be corrected....this isn’t a one time thing for Osteen! this is becoming a steady pattern.....Joel Osteen had a chance once again to quoted Scripture and defended the faith Tuesday morning on The View .....but instead of defending the faith Joel promote his new book The Christmas Spirit . .....it was during this  interview when asked about homosexuality, he responded with an attempt to please The View and those who watch the program...I guess when your interest is to promote a book in time for the holidays,then you don’t want to affect potential sales with ‘sticky’ issues like homosexuality or the exclusivity of Christ as the only path to salvation...to me what one might think about homosexuality is not what defines if one is a believer in Christ....but when you actually believes that every perso

I believe Bishop T.D Jake's was  the first person I heard use the term "Favor Ain't Fair" but after watching the highlights from Monday night footbal l game ... I'm  once again  reminded of that saying "Favor Ain't Fair"...Michael Vick's unbelievable performance on Monday night is evidence of God's  Favor in a believer life...Michael Vick game  performance was also a  trending  twitter topic Monday night and  Tuesday  morning .  T o  favor means to give special regard to; to treat with goodwill; to show exceptional kindness to someone....sometimes, it means to show extra kindness in comparison to the treatment of others; that is, preferential treatment. ... God's favor is not an accident, but a deliberate design by HIM  to reward us  for acts of obedience which are  invisible to others . ...favor is when God causes someone Tony Dongy to desire to become a problem solver in your life....favor is an attitude of goodness NFL to

Some Christians are upset with John  MacArthur for pointing fingers at Joel Osteen...In the clip below John MacArthur said  your best life Joel Osteen's message is nothing new....and it comes from "Satan" himself....MacArthur said  Satan tried to get Jesus to seek His best life now in Luke 4:5-7 But Jesus refused and submitted His life to the will of the Father ( Philippians 2:5-11 ). Even today Satan continues to tempt people to pursue their best life now....The message of Satan rings clear in Osteen's book says MacArthur. the quote below is one of many  that I found on a message board: "" There was nothing but sarcasm and envy spewing forth from his lips that suggests, at least to us, that he fears Osteen’s message and influence could be damaging to his own self interest.  Additionally, the mocking nature of Johnny Mac’s delivery was absent love.  His presentation, in our view, damaged his own credibility far more than he damaged Osteen’s credibilit

What causes people to feel they just cannot get enough of something and that they must acquire more and save more? some say   “for a true hoarder the underlying motive is fear.” Hoarding is called by psychiatrists “the fear of loss.”it's triggered by past hurts and losses, or past times of doing without...it is noted in an article by the Mayo Clinic that, “some people develop hoarding after experiencing a stressful life event that they had difficulty coping with, such as the death of a loved one, marriage, eviction or losing possessions in a fire.”  For the believer, following Jesus means denying oneself, taking up one’s cross daily (Lk 9:23), and crucifying the desires and passions of the flesh (Gal 5:24)...It'll cost you something to follow Christ! We got to lose our former sinful self in order to become all that Christ intends us to be, and to press ahead into His best.....following the Lord in obedience will involve loss, but keep in mind the incurred loss serves to a

Fred Price, founder of one of the nation's first black mega churches and an icon of the faith movement....stepped  aside in  March 2009 and handed the control of the church over  to his son Fred Jr.who's now the senior pastor of  Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC) in Los Angeles. Robert H. Schuller, known for the weekly broadcast “Hour of Power,” turned over the Crystal Cathedral pulpit to his son and then his daughter....Televangelist Joel Osteen inherited Houston’s Lakewood Church and its TV ministry from his late father, John Osteen. Jerry Falwell Sr.’s sons, Jonathan and Jerry Jr., took over leadership of Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty University, respectively, after his death....so if the vision of the church change with new leadership do you leave that particular  church? or do you stay and embrace the new vision? What if the new pastor don't teach about: hell, the Holy Spirit,  sin, Satan, Jesus as the God-man, and salvation? What if his views on homosexualit

There's a lot of buzz on the net and "Twitter" concerning Tyler Perry new movie "For Colored Girls"...there are some Christians who are claiming  that Tyler Perry have slither back into the world with his latest movie. For all those who don't know this Tyler Perry  roots are Christian...and it can be said that it was the black church his Christian audiences who made Perry a national figure....but many of his loyal fans have felt abandoned in the last couple of films he has created....some church folks are pointing fingers at  the language and mature subject matter of those films which  have turned many Christians away from his films....but ”For Colored Girls” outdoes them all with brief:nudity, violence, language, rape, wanton sexuality, abortion, murder—definitely not your average Christian movie....some Christians are  finding offense in the characterization of Christianity in the film...one character, Alice (Goldberg) is a religious fanatic who condemns

Y ou know gluttony is a sin most Christians love  to ignore...it's usually the obvious sin because it's the easy one to spot but not always obvious. W hat is gluttony? one Bible dictionary defines a glutton as one habitually given to greedy and voracious eating...to be voracious means to be exceedingly eager....to be called a glutton is not a nice thing....a glutton person was given to loose and excessive living.....in the NT it was used to describe a rascal or scoundrel who had a uncontrolled or excessive fondness for some specified object or pursuit. N ow we Christians are quick to point out other smoking ,drinking, sex before marriage,homosexuality,adultery etc sins....but for some reason gluttony is accepted or at least tolerated....WHY? gluttony is  more than food.... a glutton is one who craves food but a glutton is also any person who is craving for something to satisfy his soul ...not all gluttons are obese or even overweight...me, myself and I have fallen

Just when you  think it can't get any crazier the loons come out with something new...this is another ridiculous antic from the Rev. Steve Munsey of Family Christian Center in Munster Indiana,...what's going on? why are these circus churches that are teaching  false doctrine running over with 10,000 members pew sitters every Sunday....while  the church  that teach the solid word of God sitting nearly empty every Sunday morning?...this is a sad sign of our times...for those who aren’t familiar with Steve Munsey, google him he is a regular on TBN’s praise-a-thons and a master Word of Faith salesman. 

Some of "Gospel today magazine " readers are pissed off  with  Dr.Teresa Hairston...the November/December issue of the magazine  have Bishop Eddie Long on the cover...with a article inside relating to the scandal surrounding the bishop.....some readers think the magazine have/has sugar coated  the truth..... One reader wrote back to the publisher: “I got my latest issue of Gospel Today; with [Bishop] Eddie Long on the cover. I read the article and said to myself hmmmm seem like some sugar coating going on. Turned back to the 1st page and saw where the Bishop of his Church in NC is on your Board of Directors, I looked down and also saw that Eddie Long is on your Board of Advisors, I said all of that to say this. The best thing your magazine should have did was to not comment, but I do understand why you did. God is not pleased with all of the hypocrisy going on with these leaders and the things people will say and print just for MONEY!!!! Question: was/is the magazin

I read this and wondered to myself how the body of Christ will/can/should respond to this news? Personally I don't have a problem with this and I applaud the community  for this move....If the black church  believe it's correct in not embracing any lifestyle that is clearly against it's teaching then this is the right move for LGBT community. I'm glad to see that the  homosexuality community is moving toward the fact that the black church has taken a stand on this issue and will not alter it beliefs to accommodate any one...No one should be force to accept any thing that is against it teaching.  Article Here!!   UPDATE: I've received a email questioning my salvation...Now I explain my stand on this issue last year. Check it out!  

I watch Black Girls Rock last night with my daughter and loved it...after having experience so much frustration over the present day images of young black women... this event was a breath of fresh air.....the over "sexualzation" of today's young black women have become a marketplace gold mine....lets not forget the effects it's having on the minds of today's youth...God created women to be "help mates" and nurturers and not a doll object. I just read that the "Black Girls Rock" awards have never been televised before...so for the first time ever,last night  BET hosted the event.... the event honored a select group of exceptional women, for making a difference in their career and in their community. BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc., was founded by celebrity DJ and former model, Beverly Bonds. Starting out as just a simple vision of a place where young women and girls could go and develop into self-assured and confident adults, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Inc., is

 Today  about 40,000 delegates of the Church of God in Christ will pour into St. Louis for a week long conference the church calls its Holy Convocation...for the first time in its history, the largest African-American Pentecostal church in the country will hold the annual event outside the city of its founding, Memphis, Tenn. So get ready St.Louis the hat show is coming....the COGIC women know how to show off their beautiful hats, which of course  will match their shoes and their beautiful suits...there will be silk, felt and fur hats with big and small brims all around...some will be covered with lace and some with satin. The women of the Church of God in Christ are proud practitioners of a great African-American tradition, the wearing of elegant, fanciful, exotic, creative, glorious hats to church....so today I'm saluting  my granny and mother who were also proud hat women.

The grand finale for Coco Brother’s Stand Campaign will be November 13, 2010 in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.   Speakers include: Bishop Eddie Long, Pastor Jamal Bryant, Bishop Paul Morton, Dr. Bernice King, Apostle Nahum Rosario and more. Gospel music artists: Israel Houghton, Byron Cage, Donnie McClurkin, Wess Morgan, Kierra Sheard, James Fortune and  many more!   Now, Bishop Eddie Long was to be the keynote speaker at the Jesus Rally.... I have just read that   Coco is reporting that the bishop has decided not to speak at the rally. Long have stated if his attendance would be a distraction he would rather not come....instead  Bernice King, Eddie Jr.and the church  youth group will represent New Birth....below is a comment I found on Coco blog which in it self is very telling...it look as if Coco wanted the bishop to remain the keynote speaker... but others did not:   " You want your listeners to believe that everyone is in support of Mr. Long speaking at the conferenc

The Pastor’s Anniversary is the starting date of a pastor’s relationship with a local congregation....It remains a unique moment in the life of a congregation because of the historic role of the pastor in the black church....So, today, the old black church celebrate pastors everywhere who: Stand in the lineage of those who affirmed our humanity amidst the oppression of slavery, Reconstruction and Jim Crow; Serve congregations faithfully regardless of the size of the church; Can endure the storms of ministry because they know God controls the Church; Guide congregations toward opportunities for green pastures and away from danger; Serve willingly and not for self-gratification or gain; Though not perfect, serve the Chief Shepherd with dedication, discipline and humility.  Source here!

Is it sacrilegious for a Christian church to refer to the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Alpha and Omega, Son of David, Son of God, Son of Man, God Incarnate Jesus, in this manner? Why would a self proclaimed Christian Church equate Jesus with being a “Gangsta”? Wouldn’t that be completely opposite of what God is supposed to be? What do you think are we Christians to sensitive? If you're a Christian do signs like the one in the post bother you? If not why!

The phrase, “keeping up with the Joneses” simply refers to looking at one’s neighbor as the standard and benchmark for success in regards to accumulation of material goods and socioeconomic superiority. When we fail to keep up with the Joneses is it a failure to succeed in culture and in life? How many of us ignore the blessings of God in our lives because we’re so caught up in what other’s enjoy? whether consciously, or subconsciously, we often think we need to match our neighbors in terms of toys, clothes, church  houses and cars. But the affects of this type of thinking can be devastating. Here’s a look at four devastating consequences: 1. Lack of Joy and Contentment. 2. Lack of Peace. 3. Debt, Foreclosures and Not Hitting Your Goals. 4. Destruction of Relationships. Source

"It appears that Dave Ramsey have gotten  rich off of desperate people....he's  just like every other worldly entrepreneur in self help books....I think it is called sordid gain....rich Christians flaunting their wealth are a stumbling block to the poor, causing envy and strife...why do Christians continue to invest  in temporal things that will ultimately crumble?” I found the above statement on a message board....were Dave Ramsey new home was being talk about....It seems most of the comments were negative towards Dave Ramsey, for being a Christian and buying a house this big....personally I don't have a problem with Dave buying a house this size....I believe he's  receiving the reward for his consistent diligence, giving and faithfulness for helping Christians as well as non-Christians for the past 20 years. I believe also he's practicing sound stewardship because there is no mortgage on the house.... I’m sure Dave gives tithes and gives millions

How do you make a  "christian" album with a parental advisory sticker?  I was on iTune searching for music....when I came  across the album 'Oak Park' 92105 by Tonex....it was  one of his first release on his own label back in 2006....I found out also that Tonex was the first Christian-based artist to carry a parental advisory notice on a album....the album  feature 24 songs based on the artist's experiences living on the streets of San Diego, California....Tonex says the parental advisory notice is not a result of "cussing" on a record but rather content that masturbation and drugs might be a little too deep for children. Some one made mention that even if the album had  explicit lyrics or a warning label...it's still consider a testimony piece....if you're a Christian would you consider a album like 'Oak Park' to be a Christian testimony? what about the warning label would it bother you?   Christian testimonies are the stori