"The Old Black Church"

 During a little PR, for his Purpose Driven Life book, Pastor Rick Warren appeared on CNN’s Early Start Thursday morning, admitted to  host John Berman what many in the country already know, that churches are “probably” responsible for some of the negative attitudes towards gays in America. According to a 2010 poll most of the anti-gay hate that's in the world come directly from the Christian community.  In fact, the vast majority of Americans  agree that the  message when dealing with the  issue of homosexuality are not sprinkled in or with love.

Four University of Louisiana Lafayette teammates last Friday night put a target on their backs in a public water-baptism ritual signifying their faith in Christ. Terrance Joseph Broadway II, senior linebacker Le'Marcus Gibson, senior cornerback Melvin White and senior safety Rodney Gillis. Way to go guys!

Good News: Pastor Fran Love along with   Bishop Pastor Lester Love and The City of Love’s DOLL House Foundation. In partnership with O Magazine and "Crocs Shoes" will be blessing 100 displaced women with brand new "Crocs Shoes", through their "Hats N Heels Event". The City of Love's Doll House Foundation is one of the many organizations selected from around the world to take part in “100 Women, 100 Shoes”.

My thoughts: I love how Jamie Foxx has managed to piss off so many on the Right with his comment , that was made at the Soul Train Music Award Show Sunday evening.  Jamie Foxx jokingly calls  President Barack Obama "our lord and savior" and many on the Right have gone into cardiac arrest over the comment. When in reality those on the Righe are the ones who started the meme in the first place. So, Sunday night when Jamie Foxx was given the  opportunity to slap-back with the same meme and joke and he did, now they mad .   I get the joke and I believe  most Black Americans get the joke. HAHAHAH !

One is tempted to lose heart when foolishness like this is presented as worship to a "Holy God".

Talk show hostess and radio personality Lexi sit down with Bishop Paul S Morton the presiding bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church,  Bishop Lester Love the City of Love in New Orleans, LA and Bishop Jerry F. Hutchins  of the Kingdom Now Ministries in Norcross, GA. For an  opening and revealing   discussion on just how easy it is for folks to become a Bishop in today’s society.

My devotional thoughts:   You know one of the dangers of living in a materialistic society is that we feel "entitled" to things we don't deserve, even when we can't afford them. This generation is the world worst at that way of thinking. The story of Elijah being fed by the ravens is one of the many stories  in the Bible that teaches us that God can take care of us in a bad economy (   1King 17:1-7 ). And the story of Joseph teaches us that when we follow God’s plan, we will have all that we need to get us through hard times (  Gen 41:37-57 ). To overcome financial anxiety we must first practice fiscal discipline. God doesn’t and won't bless recklessness. You can’t go into debt, then pray that God will get you out of it. Sometimes He does. But if we don’t learn from  our mistakes we'll just keep repeating them. The apostle Paul said it best: “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situati

Just my thoughts: I honestly  believe Le'Andria Johnson is somehow being held back and hurting her own music career in the long run, by being under the label and umbrella of Gospel music... . Her latest single is proof of this... . I believe she can execute with no problem and carry out fully her gift of voice if she would consider  moving from under the gospel music label and  umbrella . Just saying ! Clip Here!

 While, some Christians are embarrassed and prudish about sex, others are bold and in your face.....And are leaving their Christian inhibitions at the bedroom door.....I'm finding out and loving the idea  that for this growing,  younger more progressive Christians, guilt is out and pleasure is in especially when it comes to sex and marriage.

http://eblast.ugospel.com/9503431/ The Gospel Music Industries biggest names in the business will be live in Atlanta, March 9th at the  Georgia International Convention Center.  Hosted By Wendy Raquel Robin.

The Rev. J. Edgar Boyd, the new pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church, said he has not been paid since he was assigned to the church earlier this month and had to pay for his own moving expenses from San Francisco. First African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest black congregations in Los Angeles, faces a financial crisis, owing roughly $300,000 to a long list of creditors, church officials said. Article Here!

  Is there one thing that stands out above all others in your mind this year?  For starters, I don’t know about you and you, but I have a whole lot to be thankful for. Although , this has been a challenging year in numerous ways, I have reasons to look back over it with a heart of gratitude for God's protection and grace. I can also thank GOD for an awesome  husband who love me (not just tolerate me), a roof over my head (not homeless), a loving family (not in the world alone), food to eat (not hungry), and a job to go to ( not unemployed). The list could literally go on and on but it won't. So, what are some of the things you're  thankful for? What’s the biggest wonderful thing in your life since the beginning of the year  you just got to give thanks to God for?

          WOW! The below comment and article have floored me:   "How does a child molester remain in a leadership position for 10 years of more at a Church of God in Christ with so many victims and no one knows he is constantly molesting children?" Article Here!

Kevin Clash the high pitch voice behind Elmo have resigned from “Sesame Street” in the wake of an allegation that he had sex with an underage youth. The puppeteer said this was his dream job and the opportunity of a lifetime.  I guess if Kevin had a testimony to give  it would  go something like this:  But by my own evil desires and lust I killed it for me. The actor has won 23 Daytime Emmy Awards for his work as Elmo. Article Here!  The statement from Sesame Street Workshop is below:

http://www.cogic.org/administration/executive-branch/the-general-board/  The votes are in and the COGIC organization has decided to elect a new general board and also have decided  to keep Presiding Bishop Charles Blake as its head. This is in spite of the loud rumbling and grumbling  among some of the saints within the organization.  The General Board of the Church of God in Christ, Inc (COGIC) is responsible for establishing and executing policies for the membership, as well as sustaining and perpetuating spiritual order within the Church.

http://power.watchgmctv.com/home-page  I believe the word "Gospel" has been overused in the music industries,  until it has completely lost its meaning.

 Franklin Graham is a piece of work.     During a recent interview with CNN, Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), advised that a page that was removed from the ministry website last month following Graham’s endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, which classified Mormonism as a cult, is “not going to come back.”

Last night during the  40th American Music Awards  , controversial  Pastor Mark Driscoll  caused a small fire storm to erupt on his Facebook page , when he tweeted "Nicki Minaj on the AMA's: "I'm your idol."  Some folks took the pastor to task for pointing out the obvious.  That the moment a secular artist claim Christ and start quoting scripture, uses the name Jesus, or praising the Lord, they are no longer considered "outside the church".  And we who call ourselves Christians  have the authority and the right to judge their fruits. Do you agree?  Some of the comments are below:

Congratulations to Dr. Riva Tims for receiving her earned Doctorate of Theology degree from CBIS. 

Meet Pastor Sabrina McKenzie who's rich, religious and single. And, one of the newest members of the Christian community to embrace reality TV.  In  March of last year Ms. McKenzie was ordained and installed as  pastor of The Epic World Center, a non-denominational and non-traditional church she established, which is located in Decatur  Georgia.   According to press release Pastor McKenzie and daughter Anandi will appear on this season ”Big Rich Atlanta” reality show which will air  January 20th.  Ms. McKenzie who is a successful dancer that once toured with such singers as Bobby Brown and TLC have merged her passions for dance and spirituality together to become the Dancing Preacher. Today, she’s a self-made woman juggling an international dance ministry while raising her college-aged daughter, Anandi. Article Here!

The AP is reporting that Uganda will officially pass the ‘Kill The Gays’ bill at the end of this year despite international criticism. Speaker Rebecca Kadaga said the anti-gay bill will become law by December for most Ugandans ‘are demanding it’. Referring to the law as a ‘Christmas gift’ to the population, she spoke of ‘the serious threat’ posed by homosexuals. WOW! To think  if this bill passed, it will call for the death of all people who are arrested more than once for engaging in homosexual acts or “related offenses” which means renting a room to a gay person, giving them a job, or failing to inform the government that someone they know is gay. This is going to far in my opinion!        

A secular group has filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service against the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, alleging that the ministry's activity during the election season violates its tax exempt status. Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based organization, argued in their filed report that BGEA's "vote biblical values" ad campaign violated the IRS' rules on religious groups and political campaigning. Source Here!

  How to miss the important point of baptism! Baptism is at the core of the Christian faith and it's commanded by the Risen Christ at the end of the gospel of Matthew. Symbolically   a candidate for baptism mean one is ready to be buried in Christ, where sins are washed away, and he or she is raised up to walk in newness of life.  How many remember their baptism? How many reading this article can recall the day of their baptism experience? Posted below is a video that's making the rounds in the Christian Blogosphere with much head shaking and disbelief. The Style Network’s Big Rich Texas reality show has taken it upon itself to offer up a couple of silly tips on how to transform a once sacred ritual in the believer's life..... Into a  mean ( less)  social event. According to today's style experts John the Baptizer would have been called out for dipping Jesus in the dirty Jordan.

"Here's a Good-Looking Lady Throwing Herself at Him" source here. Pat Robertson is at it once again and I totally think he miss the mark here. There's no way one can blame someone else for his or her actions when it comes to lust. Lust is a personal thing! It's about fulfilling one's desires with no regard to the outcome. Its main focus is in pleasing oneself which often leads to one's downfall. Lust is the only sin that I can think of that bring  shame along when it come knocking.

Beginning January 2013, Martha Munizzi "Epic Worship School" Winter classes will begin for those who desire to develop further in leadership in the areas of CHARACTER, INTEGRITY, and HONOR.  Ms. Munizzi  believes that great leaders are built not born and it's entirely possible to become the great leader that God wants you to be. EPIC Worship School Of Ministry is a place where you can come and develop the God given gifts that are inside of you. We believe God’s desire is to develop a generation of passionate leaders who are ready to unlock the God ordained purpose and potential inside of them and lead with Integrity!

I'm one who believe    in biblical counseling for the Christian.  Not that I have anything against Iyanla or any other non Christian counselor.  I'm from the old school of thought that the believer should first seek out  a person with formal training and experience in applying the truths of the Bible to life.   According to scripture, Jesus Christ is emphasized as the chief counselor (Is 9:6) and answer to all issues of life who especially equips his people in caring for souls (Heb 13:17). Now in this particular episode Saturday night of Iyanla's Fix My Life has got the social media world buzzing. Some good and some bad.  This married pastor has lied, he's cheated, he's fathered a child with another woman, but still he wants his marriage. In the episode mention Pastor Patrick Dennis says he isn't ready to let, his wife of 10 years, go. The question that's  posted above is one that I found on YouTube under the below video clip.  This comment has cau

The oldest   black pulpit in San Francisco rejects the Rev. John J. Hunter, the L.A. Pastor assigned to lead its flock, in a move unheard of in the AME denomination. In an unprecedented move, officials of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the oldest black pulpit in the city, have rejected the troubled Los Angeles pastor assigned to lead its flock . Article Here!

Pastor Creflo Dollar explains the principle of honoring spiritual authority.   " You teamed up with the world and the devil, and became an accuser of the brethren… and what it could have accomplished won’t be accomplished anymore because you joined the Twitter and Facebook crowd to dishonor spiritual authority ~ Pastor Creflo Dollar. " Question: Is this the new way of shaming Christian into silence? What,  If a Christian who's in the public eye did a disgraceful and awful thing....then should we not speak of it on Facebook and Twitter? I’m not asking nor am I suggesting it’s alright to have a free-for-all or to drag someone's name through the mud.

Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant and members of the church’s congregation  went property hunting as recently as two weeks ago, according to church spokeswoman Nicole Kirby......Bryant, while touring the property that was once "Chestnut Ridge Country Club", posted a video to Social Cam , in which he expresses clear excitement over the possibility of breaking ground on “new territory.” Source Here!

TBN's founders Jan and Paul Crouch would like for the world to join them on November 7th for a special birthday tribute to Dr. Billy Graham. No Comment!

A non-profit  organization have call for a press conference to be held Thursday November 8th 2012 at 9 am, at the entrance of The Edward D. Jones Dome in St. Louis.  This is where the 105th COGIC  annual Holy Convocation is taking place.   Press Release Here!

According to FBC Jax Watchdogs  congratulation are in order for mega-church pastor R .J. and April Washington for nearing the completion of the church very own 4 story,80 room hotel at a cost of $11 million. The Washingtons are the pastors of "Titus Harvest Dome Spectrum Church" in Jacksonville Fl.

Why are Black women over 3 times more likely to obtain an abortion than White women? Even though African Americans are only 12.6% of the population, they received 30% of the 1.2 million abortions in 2008 (latest available statistics), killing 360,000 Black babies at a rate of nearly 1,000 per day.    Abortion is a very touchy subject these days, and talking about it can result in a lot of hurt feeling. My position on abortion is very clear , I wouldn't have chosen an abortion for myself.....So, in my right to  select, pickout,decide,determine, make up one's mind to choose I would not deny another women the right to do what's best for her. I think the number of abortions among black women are way too high and I would argue that many of these abortions have little to do with the color of the baby and more to do with the mother’s choice not to give birth to her child.  I wholeheartedly believe that the  high abortion rates among black women have more to do with unprot

Join Pastor Jamal Bryant,Bishop Vashti  McKenzie, Pastor Kimberly Ray and Bishop William H. Murphy Jr. in prayer as the code red conference come to an end. Y'all remember Back in Aug Pastor Jamal Bryant in partnership with Rev. Jesse Jackson and others came together to form a three-day conference (CODE RED) that mobilized and instructed everyday folks  in the voter registration processes.....that help prepare them for this Tuesday Presidential elections? If not you can read about it here! Anyway, those who participate was taught critical training, strategies and self-empowerment tools necessary to encourage disenfranchised voters to register, know the issues that impact their lives, and vote for the person who best addresses their needs.

 For the pastor who has big ambitions to reach huge audiences, there's often no better way than through the mega church music department......for some this idea has given rise to a powerhouse media empire that allows the merchandising of the word through song....listed below are some Mega Church pastors who are operating on both sides of the isle, recording and preaching and doing a great job at both.   1. Pastor Marvin Winans   2. Pastor Creflo Dollar                                                 3. Bishop Paul Morton  4. Bishop T.D.Jakes  5. Bishop Eddie Long 6. Bishop David G. Evans 7. Pastor Marvin Sapp 8. Pastor E. Dewey Smith, Jr. 9. Pastor Hart Ramsey 10. Pastor Shirley Caesar 11. Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart  12. Pastor Bill Winston 13. Pastor Charles Jenkins 14. Pastor Smokie Norful 15. Bishop Rudolph McKissick, Jr   16. Prophetess Juanita Bynum