"The Old Black Church"

R eader I don't know what to say or make of this. That moment when a Buddhist had to show you how to be a better Christian. According to blogger B Scott, it ain't over: Yolanda Adams, Chaka Khan and Questlove have spoken out against Pastor Kim Burrell's hateful anti-gay sermon.

R eader, gather up your coins and clean off some bookshelf space because Sarah Jakes Roberts is about to publish a new book in April 2017 - "Don't Settle For Safe: Embracing the Uncomfortable to Become Unstoppable." SOURCE: Instagram

R eader church members are saying all things are new while standing with Gospel Tabernacle and Bishop Wiley Jackson during their latest ordeal. Megachurch pastor Wiley Jackson was charged in 2012 with six counts of violating Georgia securities laws. A DeKalb County grand jury handed down the indictment against Jackson and his brother, Rodney Jackson, for an investment scheme that began a decade ago.

R eader, The National Baptist Convention has posted the line up of late nig ht worship services preachers, which has been announced by Dr. F. B Mitchell, Chairman. The line up includes perennial favorites and newcomers as well, including Damian Epps, Sharrod Coleman, Jesse Bottoms, and Leroy Carter. http://www.nationalbaptist.com/…/mid-winter-board-late-nigh…

R eader, happy Kwanzaa day 6: Kuumba (Creativity): To do as much as we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

R eader so word on the street is that Kim Burrell allegedly posted a video online saying that God told her all homosexuals will die in 2017, along with other hurtful things that were directed toward the homosexual community.  Not only is this doctrinally unsound but silly.  In it she says homosexuals are "perverted" and "delusional". She also touches upon Pastor Eddie Long and 'I Am Delivert' viral video star, Andrew Caldwell. Check out below one of the quotes from her viral video and the video clip.

R eader in my humble opinion there is no such thing as a pro-lifer; especially if your reason for being one is just to prevent abolition. If these folks were real pro-lifers then they would care about all lives and donate to the care of children born into foster care OR adopt one of the many and take care of them through age 18. Plus if they were pro-lifers they would care for their seniors and the elderly. In my opinion, if you are not doing either of the above, then you have no right to say you are pro-life. Pro-Life means caring for every life from the Womb to Tomb.

R eader, you probably help build and maintain these homes and didn't even know it. This is so sad, unlike say FOX, CNN or ABC, TBN built a whole TV network off of donations. You can't even buy stock and get interest in your investment into the network. Yet like bandits they made off will hundreds of millions of dollars tax free money.

R eader happy Kwanzaa, today is day 5 which CELEBRATES the PRINCIPLE of PURPOSE (NIA).  Define, your purpose. Engage your purpose. Live on purpose. Move into the greatness that you were purposed for.

R eader I'm sharing the posts that received the most page views this year. Here's the list of the ten posts people spent the most time reading on this blog this year.

R eader at Donald Trump upcoming inauguration Pastor Paula White is on the list to participate in the swearing-in!!I'm still trying to figure out how a "white woman" with a 90% African American church could endorse, vote for, now participate in the inauguration of a racist bigoted president. I guess it's another case of wolves in sheeps clothing. You can't preach the word of God and endorse hatred and racism. It doesn't work that way. Donald Trump Inauguration: Pastor Paula White On List To Participate In Swearing-in!!

R eader day 4 of Kwanzaa Ujamaa (OO-JAH-MAH) Cooperative economics emphasizes our collective economic strength and encourages us to meet common needs through mutual support.

R eader, it's being alleged that some online prophets have exposed a person of the cloth, a prophetess , who by her own admission is a hermaphrodite. The debate and question that's being asked is it BIBLICAL?

R eader, on Friday, February 3, 2017, the NFL Sanctioned Super Bowl Gospel Celebration (SBGC) will kick-off Super Bowl LI with its 18th Annual star-studded music jubilation at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. The annual event joins together key NFL Players, top Gospel/Contemporary Christian and mainstream GRAMMY® Award-winning artists and special guests all on one stage to bring audiences an evening of uplifting music and inspirational messages.

R eader, I pray that in the coming year we have less and less of these kinds of stories.  A pastor in Houston, Texas has been exposed for making sex tapes with several female members of his church.  However, Pastor Hosea Stubblefield is refusing to step down. Stubblefield is the head pastor of Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Houston.

R eader, like I've stated before in this space, I grew up in the construct of the old black church and its teaching. I would not take anything for my journey nor my experience, thus far. I remember back in the day how the old church would have a big demanded on the senior pastor, so he had to be at the church come hell of high water. With that being said, what in the world is Apostle Long doing? this is not the old church.

R eader, happy Kwanzaa day 3: Ujima to build and maintain our community together and make our sister's and brother's problems and to solve them together.

R eader day 2 of Kwanzaa Kujichagulia (self-determination)- To define for ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves. This is one of my favorite Kwanzaa principles. What are you doing to speak up?

R eader, two young parents died of apparent drug overdoses in a Pennsylvania home about a week ago. Left alone in her bassinet, the couple’s infant died three or four days later. Authorities said 5-month-old Summer Chambers died of dehydration and starvation, the Associated Press reported. She and her parents, Jason Chambers, 27, and Chelsea Cardaro, 19, were all found dead Thursday in a home in the Kernville neighborhood of Johnstown, about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh.

R eader, have you ever wondered if you are really a Christian or not? Well,  these ten questions supposedly will help you figure it out if you are interested.      Growing up I was always led to believed that Christian was known by the fruit that was produced in their life.   In my opinion, there's only one important question one should ask themselves, that is, have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior? . .. . that's the only true question that needs an answer.  A true Christian is a follower of Christ, not Paul, not Peter, not the Pope, not Franklin Graham, not Joel Osteen, not T.D.Jakes, not your pastor, or your local pastor and definitely not other Christians.

R eader, if you were married would you marry your spouse again? Fantasia renewed her vows on Christmas day and set the internet ablaze. The R&B singer and her husband, Kendall Taylor got married last year after dating for three weeks. They decided to renew their wedding vows in a ceremony over the Christmas holidays. She looks gorgeous and they make a beautiful couple. Congratulations Fantasia & Kendall!

R eader join Apostle Ron Carpenter Jr. and Redemption Ministerial Fellowship International family at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena for the BIGGEST Party of the YEAR, New Year's Eve.  The ministries is bringing in the New Year with Praise, Prayer and Providing a blessed registrant with a new car for 2017. There will be Live recording from Redemption Worship for their new AWAKENING Album and a special message from Apostle Ron Carpenter Jr.

R eader the "alleged" Gospel music gatekeeper himself  Kirk Franklin and Bishop Hezekiah Walker came through to the " Get Up"   studio to talk about everything gospel the other day with Erica Campbell & GRIFF. They talked about the challenges the face as gospel artists in 2016, and how hard it is to watch the genre struggle in some aspects.

R eader, happy Kwanzaa to you and yours who celebrate. The week long celebration begins today and goes through Jan. 1. This a celebration of unity, faith and African roots. Folks asked these question all the time: "What is Kwanzaa? and should a Christian celebrate Kwanzaa?" Yes Christians can celebrate Kwanzaa and with a clear conscious. Kwanzaa, is a celebration of African and African American history and culture. It's not meant to replace the Christmas holiday nor is it a religious holiday.  Some Christians celebrate Christmas by singing songs and sharing gifts. Some Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of the menorah and the spinning of the dreidel. Some African Americans observe Kwanzaa to celebrate their unity, creativity, and faith.

R eader, I kid you not the RNC put out a Christmas press release comparing their leader to Christ, as "a new King." This is not okay. WHAT. THE. HECK?!?! Who is the "NEW king" they are referred to? Surely no one with the initials DT? I'm appalled -- and this is supposed to be the party of Christian values. The religious-right. At this point, I don't know who or what they believe in -- but it ain't centered around Christ.

R eader I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I'm going, to be honest, this year has been quite a ride even though it is not over yet. I have learned and learning lot of new things experienced and experiencing things which I never thought I would come across.  Anyhow Merry Christmas to each and everyone.

R eader so many of what Christians argue and contend for are just topics and doctrines that we can disagree on. Things like Merry Christmas, politics, worship music, preaching style, Sunday vs. Saturday, even baptism (sprinkling vs. dunking.) But there are a set of doctrines that distinctly Christian. They are firm, rock solid, closed handed, will die on this hill type of beliefs. One of those beliefs is the Virgin birth of Christ our Lord.

R eader secular Hollywood is quietly courting the faithful by inviting pastors to movie sets, writing bullet points for sermons, proposing Sunday school lesson plans etc.. But of course, this is nothing new , this has been part of the film industry’s outreach to Christian audience, for a minute now.  On the surface, Hollywood is a land of loose morals. But movie studios have quietly — very quietly — been building connections to Christian filmgoers.

😡😡R eader, yes I agree all churches go through difficulties at some time but they should be open and transparent to the members. That's the reason you have "Board and Trustees" according to some disgruntled unhappy members....this pastor changed from board rule to overseer and it was done for a reason. He knew his Church was going in foreclosure months ago but he stood mute and continued to take tithes and offerings without telling the congregation a thing. But he felt compelled to discuss divorce with them but nothing about the Church financial state. God needs to send a storm to shake up and clean up a lot of these churches with the same or similar problems. They are human but sheep need Shepard. This is why the world is in a mess; shaky faith; confused members; Hell is overflowing

R eader, let us be honest, while there are some good reasons for leaving a church, there are a lot more bad ones also.  The one that Prophet Carn have given for his friend Prophet Jonathan Ferguson for leaving Kingdom City Church is a bad one, according to social media.   Y'all, remember a couple of months ago I mention in this space the great works that were beginning in Charlotte, NC & Jacksonville, FL with Prophet Brian Carn, Prophet Jonathan Ferguson , & Pastor Frank Ray, III? 

R eader the new RAGE in social media challenges is called the “Switch It Up” challenge. The key to the challenge is that boyfriends and girlfriends exchange clothes – and post pics online of them wearing each others clothes. Some are saying this challenge is a sneaky way for men and women with homosexual tendencies to be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.  Do you agree?

R eader, this is a great article and goes right along with my morning devotion. Does the Bible condone premarital sex? Should people engaged in premarital sex be allowed to lead ministries in a church.  "If there was nothing wrong with premarital sex, then why was Joseph determined to divorce Mary when he discovered she was expecting a child prior to marriage? If there is nothing wrong with premarital sex, then one could conclude there is nothing wrong with having children out of wedlock." Very controversial in today's society, but a solid reminder of where Satan wants to take us to weaken the Church.

R eader, I know a lot of churches will be canceled this Sunday on Christmas day. This year Christmas lands on a Sunday which has many churches canceling service, and many more Christians saying that they won't go even if their church HAS a service.  A big shout out to the many churches that are having services this Sunday, Christmas day. Even though the services will only be for an hour.  Thanks to them for giving their staff a chance to model to an unbelieving world what Christmas is really all about. Also, I need to thank them for being mindful of all the single people in the community who have no family or no family who are believers and would be all alone without a Sunday service to attend. Shout out to the one hour Christmas Service!

R eader the below comment is from Tye Tribbett Facebook page.

R eader this has nothing in the world to do with Christ. All I can say is why? Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to reach out with the True Gospel of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us the reason why He came to the earth.  A megachurch in Texas recently turned its annual Christmas production in its worship center into a circus—literally, complete with a ringmaster, tricks and trapezes. The Second Baptist Church of Texas, led by Dr. Ed Young, Sr., presented “Christmas Under the Big Top” at its Woodway campus from Friday to Tuesday, with tickets ranging from $10 to $25. The 90-minute drama centered on a storyline to save a financially-struggling circus by putting on a Christmas show.“

R eader in response to the question of how to address transgendered people, John MacArthur has some pretty absolute things to say. “Simply stated, there is no such thing as transgender. You’re either XX or XY. That’s it.” God made men and women, MacArthur explains. “That is science. That is reality.” First things first, one must make sure to understand that transgenderism is an assault on God.

R eader Soul Train Award nominated and Stellar Gospel Music Award winning recording artist Charles Jenkins' "Holiday Praise" yuletide musical program will air Sunday, December 25 at 8:00 a.m. (ET) with a repeat broadcast at 9:00 a.m. (ET) on Bounce TV, the fastest-growing African-American network on television.

R eader, on yesterday,  Tuesday, Dec. 20, Pastor Joel Osteen joined the people Bishop T.D.Jakes to discuss his alleged endorsement of Donald Trump. Here is what Joel actually had to say . Although personally, it would not surprise me if he did vote and supported Trump for president. No man is an island until himself and Joel is no exception. Joel, to me, is no different than many other white evangelicals who voted for Trump. Sorry ( Rev. Kareem A. Christian ) but I had to state facts here.

R eader, a transgender girl on the cover of National Geographic Magazine has sparked controversy. The National Geographic recently unveiled the cover of the January 2017 issue, which will feature nine-year-old Avery Jackson on the cover. The issue focuses on the “Gender Revolution” and Avery graces the cover because she is a transgender girl. The cover includes a quote from Avery: “The best thing about being a girl is, now I don’t have to pretend to be a boy.”

R eader I found the following post on my timeline yesterday, read it and tell me what you think about the job qualification?  A prominent church in East Point, Ga is in search of a permanent organist/keyboardist with choir director skills.  Pay is quite substantial and possibly negotiable. Before inquiring, PLEASE THOROUGHLY read some of the job qualifications.

R eader Liberty University, which heralds itself as the world’s largest Christian university, is set to become the first educational institution in the nation to open an on-campus firing range. “We have a very pro-Second Amendment student body,” President Jerry Falwell told the Washington Post this week. He said that one of the reasons for the shooting range is because he believes those with malicious intent are more likely to carry out their attacks at facilities that are marked as “gun free zones.

R eader life can deal us some bad situations. We can feel cheated, as Easu did, but we don't have to remain bitter we can remove bitterness from our lives by honestly expressing our feelings to God, forgiving those who have wronged us, and being content with what we have. Are we can do like Tamar Braxton go on a talk show and talk about it....which in my opinion does nothing but kill your witness.

R eader Memoirs of a Virtuous Woman Angela Crenshaw, a now former member of Delta Sigma Theta, has denounced her membership in the sorority and her actions have sparked an online debate. Crenshaw is basing the denouncement of the sorority because of Christianity. I agree with everything she stated. It's an excellent article. I know that there will be some people who will get offended.  It is what it is whether we like it or not. The thing with sororities and fraternities is that they do have satanic origins, and that is not anything new. We have all heard that and chose to ignore it. Anyhow check out her article, Denouncing Delta: A Story of Reflection from Former Sorority Member

R eader, so Russell Moore doesn't stand for the values of the SBC because of his opposition to Trump? Wait a minute now, didn't Al Mohler do the same thing? Where are the efforts against him? I told someone some time ago that it would only be a matter of time before "they" came for him. And unfortunately, "they" weren't the unbelievers that people are always so concerned about. The worst damage to the American church has always been caused by the church.

R eader anyone looking for a last-minute stocking stuffers idea? Well here is a great one for you, why not give a gift that matters. From now until December 31, you can receive 30–50% off in The Potter's House of Dallas online store. We love the people bishop!

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.   R eader let us governor our self according for the celebration of  the man, the message, and  the ministry.  Pastor Black's 25th Anniversary Celebration begins January 25, 2017 thur Feb 25, 2017. Join Pastor Jerry D. Black and the Beulah Family.

R eader this is a wonderful truth. I hope someone will tell white evangelicals that there is no way you can have hate in your heart and be a Christians....it's impossible.  I used to tell my youth that there are no "SUPERMAN" Christians (then I had to tell them who SUPERMAN was 😂😂😂). Collectively we are the body of Christ. Individually we are sinners saved by grace. Anyhow, Trip Lee, teaching pastor at Cornerstone Church in Atlanta, answered in his latest interview with The Gospel Coalition whether or not a Christian can love Jesus but not the church. Trip, who is also a hip-hop artist, released a new album titled The Waiting Room last week. What do you think?

R eader Pastor Jamal Bryant posted to Instagram that it's been a rough year, and we need to come to Empowerment Temple, live or online this Sunday morning. Were Bishop Marvin Sapp will be their special guest.

R eader thanks to Sir William McCray for breaking this news first. Intercessors are needed to help pray our Brother Corey "Coco Brother" through. Corey “Coco Brother” Condrey is alleged to be in ICU after a head-on collision in Atlanta GA,