HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!!!

I just want to express to everyone a Happy Reformation Day. Today, 490 years ago, a German monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Church of Wittenberg. Thus, this act started what became known as "The Protestant Reformation", a movement that was geared to bring the church back to the Biblical truths of Scripture and out of the erroneous doctrines that were galvanizing the church at the time.

Being Reformed, I thank God for His sovereign move in the formation of this event, and the impact that it has had even in the church today. Truly, this movement has impacted every evangelical church in some way--even those who do not hold to the doctrines that were recovered during this period. And while it both saddens and excites me that there is much work to do in reforming the church, I do praise God that He is loving to make His truth available to anyone much less everyone. So for those of you who are being blessed from the sound, biblical instruction that was recovered from this movement, it is my prayer that you will cherish this day as the time where God, in His absolute grace and mercy, revived His people to proclaim the truth of His Word and His Son to all the world for His glory.


Listen to White Horse Inn's Celebration of Reformation Day here

To read Luther's 95 theses click here

JUANITA BYNUM'S "DEFINITION" OF SANCTIFICATION

The Westminster Shorter Catechism defines sanctification as being "the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness".

Well, Juanita Bynum has an interesting "definition" of her own. Take a listen

10 DAYS AND COUNTING.....................

Yes, we are 10 days away from the 3rd annual Miami Pastor's Conference, and--as the picture indicates--there is promised to be fireworks galore. Attendence is about five times what it was last year, and this year's theme, "What is the Gospel", promises to be enriching and challenging for all who come.

If you have not registered as of yet, time is running out! Please click here for all the information you need to do so.

And, while at the conference, come by the KNOX Seminary booth and pass along your greetings to me!!!!!!!

BERNADETTE TODD: A TRUE INSPIRATION

Every Christian has a testimony on how God led them from periods of despair to having faith in the LORD Jesus. And last night, I was blessed to hear one of the most powerful expressions of this truth.

If you have never heard the testimony of Bernadette Todd, a woman crippled with Muscular Dystrophy from childhood, you are missing out on one of the most emotional, riveting, and inspiring stories that you will ever hear. In hearing about Bernadette's life, there was hardly a dry eye in the church. She told of how doctors informed her parents that she would not live past the age of 8, how other people ridiculed and embarassed her, how her parents went through many struggles--both emotionally and financially, and how she endured periods of confusion and anger towards God and his Sovereign plan for her life-- all due to her condition.

But by the grace of Christ, and followed by a deep love and determination from both her parents and her husband Jeff (shown with her in the picture above), Bernadette was able to overcome all these hurts and became a champion in showing the power and mercy of Almighty God. For a woman who wasn't supposed to live past 8 (and was satisfied just to reach 30), to currently be the age of 40, shows the awesome grace and love of our LORD.

And while her battles on earth still continue--especially as her body continues to get weaker day by day--the joy that she now relishes is in knowing that she has ultimate victory because of her faith in the LORD Jesus. Truly Bernadetts's story puts to life the words of Andrae Crouch who wrote:

I've had many tears and sorrows,

I've had questions for tomorrow,

There've been times I didn't know right from wrong:

But in every situation God gave blessed consolation

That my trials come to only make me strong.

Through it all, through it all,

I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God

Through it all, through it all,

I've learned to depend upon His Word.

If you would like to learn more about Bernadette Todd, please click on the links below:

http://www.bernadettetodd.com/ (Personal Website)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HMRwvw6LCcA (YouTube video of Bernadette in Bolivia)

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/5853.article (Article about Bernadette on Florida Baptist Witness)

REFORMED THEOLOGY AND HIP-HOP: A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

I have to admit, I am not a big hip-hop music fan. I do enjoy listening to old 80's style rap, but the style of rap nowadays really does not resignate with me.

However, my friend Gus is a HUGE fan, and some time ago he introduced me to this Christian rapper named LeCrae. And I must admit, after listening to his album, I was very impressed! And what makes Lecrae interesting is that he is not your average Christian rapper. But rather, he is a REFORMED Christian rapper. LeCrae definitely destroys the myth that all Reformed people are stuffy, hymn singing Christians. I applaud the fact that God is using people like LeCrae in getting out the Reformed message in various outlets that have been traditionally "off limits" in the Reformed community.

So, if you are a Reformed believer, but feel empty because you don't have any music to listen to, I would encourage you to check out LeCrae's newest album "After the Music Stops", you won't be sorry.

To read more about LeCrae check out the following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecrae

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=22864243

JAY-Z, NAS, KANYE, AND THE OCCULT

Is some of today's hottest Hip-Hop artist tied with the Freemason Occult? Click on the link below and judge for yourself?

(FYI: Listen to the lyrics as you watch the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX-xVN0xERk

VEILING "REFORMED"

There is truly a joy in knowing that more African-Americans are heading towards the Reformed faith day by day. For example, I was talking with Pastor Armstrong at Glendale Baptist Church in Miami the other day, and he told me of the rapid increase (compared to last year) of attendees for the upcoming Miami Pastor's Conference in November. Equally, there is a joy in knowing that our people are not only getting properly instructed in these truths, but also that there is an excitement of the things that they are learning.

This last situation is currently happening at my church, and last week I had the privilege of discussing this rapid excitement with a friend and fellow minister who serves with me. In asking him why does he think that the Reformed faith is having such a positive effect on the congregation, he replied in an interesting manner saying, "Well first of all, we have never used the term 'Reformed' to express the type of teaching in the church".

And the reason this reply was interesting to me is because I am finding more and more people teaching the Reformed faith who are purposely leaving out the terms "Reformed" or "Calvinism" in the presentation of their instruction . Now this begs an interesting question: Should Reformed African-American pastors and teachers avoid using these terms and focus more on the theology promoted?

I believe there are good reasons on both sides. For instance, I have ran into some African-American Christians who don't even know what the term "Reformed" means, even though some can give you proper explanation of the doctrines. But to ask them if they know these truths as "Reformed" would generate a puzzled look on their faces. Equally, given the false info that is out there about Reformed theology and Calvinism, many have steered away from using these terms because they don't want to people to be drawn away by pre-conceived opinions. But on the flipside, many say that it is important to use this term in order to explain its differences from other theologies and beliefs (such as Pentecostalism, Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Hebrew Israelite, etc.). Equally, many (myself included) has used the term to give the people being taught a thorough understanding of God's Word and the history of the doctrines it promotes. For example, I not only find it important to teach people about the Trinity, Christology, justification, sanctification, adoption, etc., but to also show them how the early church developed and defined these terms (in regards to what was accepted as Orthodox and what was heresy), and how the Reformers later recovered these truths in attempt to establish the church back to its apostolic doctrinal roots. In short, I use the term "Reformed" to emphasize the biblical and historical accuracy of the doctrines I believe and teach.

But whatever your take on this issue, we can take joy in one thing: The truths within this theology are truly revolutionalizing the African-American Community. For instance, in my jail ministry, men are becoming more loving and embracive to the LORD Jesus Christ when the Spirit of God makes known to them God's Sovereignty over their salvation, and Christ's shed blood on behalf of their sins. And, in the final analysis, this is what really matters and is pleasing to our LORD.

A SPIRITUAL TRAGEDY

Rev. Anthony Carter's blog "Non Nobis Domine" has an interesting entry called "Faith and Foreclosures", in which Rev. Carter makes a observation that the increasing foreclosure rates in the Atlanta-area (at last researched is 49% higher than a year ago) could be linked to the wide amount of mega churches and popular preachers that are in the city. Now Rev. Carter does not definitely state that the two are linked, but, in reading the article, it does make you wonder whether the impacts of the Dollars, Longs, and Bynums (to name a few) and the prosperity messages they promote to their congregations has any connection, given that Atlanta has the most megachurches per capita in the nation.

Equally, after reading this article, I wonder what are the foreclosure numbers here in South Florida and in other places (such as Dallas and Houston, TX) that also house very popular megachurches. If Rev. Carter has discovered a truth here, then this is a spiritual tragedy at its essence. It's bad enough to preach this false gospel and swindel people out of the little money they have promising them material "blessings" from God. But to cause children to be out on the street, men and women to live in their cars, and cause the homeless rate to skyrocket--all in the name of Jesus--is distasteful in the highest degree.

If you want to read Rev. Carter's blog entry, click on the blog name above and tell me what you think!!!

AN EXCELLENT READ

If you haven't read Thabiti Anyabwile's "The Faithful Preacher" as of yet, I would highly recommend that you pick it up at your local Christian bookstore!!!
My friend Steven gave me this book for a graduation gift from Seminary, and once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The book chronicles 3 African-American preachers: Lemuel Haynes, Francis Grimke, and Daniel Payne. After giving a thorough biography of each man, Anyabwile blesses us with an actual sermon delivered by each one. If you are a preacher, you will find that each man charges you to be an educated, faithful proclaimer of the LORD Jesus. If you are a layperson, it will encourage you to examine whether the preaching that is coming out of the pulpit in your church is Christ-focused. So, again, if you're looking for a book that is challenging--yet inspiring--don't hesitate in getting this absolute masterpiece.

SIN RANKING

I just finished reading an article by Jemele Hill in which she makes the claim that Isiah Thomas' actions toward Anucha Browne Sanders were worse than Don Imus'. Now we are all familiar with Don Imus' "nappy headed 'h' word" remark towards the Rutgers women's basketball team by now. But is this truly better than Isiah Thomas saying that it is OK for black men to call black women the "b" word, and not for white men to do it? The Bible says to let our words edify each other (Ephesians 4:29), and while it is clear that neither man did such in their incidents, is it possible to judge one situation over the other? Equally, in comparing the situations, where is this "line" that determines Isiah's actions were worse than Imus'?

Now don't get me wrong, I am not defending Isiah Thomas at all! However, I could never understand the "I'm a more righteous sinner than you" mentality, especilaly among unbelievers. So my criticism lies more with someone ranking their incidents more than the incidents itself? Below is the link to the article, please read it and let me know what you think!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070921

ALL MY DEVOTION WAS EMOTION

Once again Blair Wingo hits it on the head! Every Christian should hear this poem!!!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-qSi7VKBpU

OSTEEN ON 60 MINUTES

I finally had an opportunity to watch the Joel Osteen feature on 60 Minutes. And although many parts of his interview were distrubing, the part of this feature that really grieved me was when Osteen was at a book signing and was greeted by a husband and wife, who were Jewish and Roman Catholic respectively. The man stated how much they enjoyed watching him every week, and surprisingly Osteen was touched by this statement.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that it is a crime for Jews and Catholics to watch what would be perceived as "Christian" preaching. However, this situation does show the lack of Christ-centered preaching that is within Osteen's messages. It never bothered Osteen that the Jewish man was denying the deity of Christ, and the Catholic was living a life of "works righteousness", instead of trusting in Christ alone for salvation. And despite the fact that Osteen passes himself off as Orthodox, thus--by default--adhering to beliefs that both the man and his wife reject, Osteen seemed not to be focused on the couple's radical doctrinal differences--especially among themselves. Because, in the Osteen theology, the most important thing is that the person taps into their "God-given" potential to produce a "victorious" life.
But the question we must ask is: Is is possible to be victorious without Christ? Well, Paul states very plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:57:

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST"

So, Mr. Osteen, real victorious living comes through being in the LORD Jesus and not in responding to "Easy Listening" preaching (as Dr. Michael Horton called his preaching in the segment). Truth be told: While there was a lot of emotion from his followers, as well as Osteen himself, the lack of Christ's atoning work in his messages makes them weak when it comes to acheiving a true victorious life. So, in summation, I would have to agree with Dr. Horton and state that the Osteen message is a dangerous one indeed. And sadly, his popularity reveals the gullibility of many in the body of Christ that refuse to be "Good Bereans" when it comes to the messages that they listen to.

BLAIR WINGO LAYS IT DOWN

I just finished watching a GodTube video of a young woman by the name of Blair Wingo. She was giving a poem called "Allow me to re-introduce the Christ". If you haven't seen it already, I would advise you to click the link below and watch it. I haven't seen a young person who lays down the Gospel like she does!!!


http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ac7b677e7241a531b617

A SLAMMIN' SITE

THERE ARE MANY GREAT PREACHING SITES ON THE INTERNET, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE THAT I LISTEN TO EVERY NIGHT. THAT IS WWW.REFORMINGCHURCHES.ORG, AND ON THIS SITE YOU CAN HEAR AFRICAN-AMERICAN REFORMED PREACHING AT IT'S BEST. CHECK THIS SITE OUT, AND I PROMISE YOU IT WILL TRULY BLESS YOUR SOUL.

An Amazing Opportunity

This past Sunday night, I had the privilege of preaching at Glendale Baptist Church in Miami, FL on the subject of The Biblical Sovereign God. It was really fun and an amazing blessing to be both invited by Pastor Armstrong and to be warmly received by his congregation. He, as well as Anthony Carter and Sherard Burns, were my inspirations in Seminary and empowered me to not be discouraged in the fact that I was a African-American embracing Reformed Theology. I want to publicly thank Pastor Armstrong and the entire Glendale Baptist Family for being so warm and loving during my visit there. I will forever love everyone of you.

2007 Miami Pastor's Conference

I am so syked!!!

The 2007 version of the Miami Pastor's Conference is a month away, and I cannot wait to experience the blessings that God will bestow at this event. The Conference will take place at Glendale Baptist Church, and the theme this year is "What is the Gospel?". I truly believe that all who attend will be truly blessed by the messages and fellowship that will be provided.

Speakers include: Host Pastor Rickey Armstrong, Pastors Ken Jones, Michael Leach, and Reddit Andrews, Rev. Anthony J. Carter, Rev. Sherard Burns, and Drs. Thomas Ascol and Michael Horton.

If you have not registered, do not delay any longer! You don't want to miss out on this life-changing event!!!!