A QUOTE FROM JOHN DONNE

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I am reading through for the first time, The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper. And in the book, there is an excellent quote by Jacobean poet and preacher John Donne, relating the preacher's heart to the people he preaches to. If you are a minister of the Gospel, does these words reflect your heart:

"What sea could furnish my eyes with tears enough to pour out, if I should think, that of all this congregation, which looks me in the face now, I should not meet one at the Resurrection, at that right hand of God".

I'M STILL ALIVE!!!!!

As some of you know, I am getting married to my amazing fiancee on March 28th. And, due to this, I have not had the time to post on The Ebony Puritan Forum like I want to (in fact, this is my first post of the year--Happy New Year everyone :-) !!!!!

But, as the wedding comes closer and more fires are put out, I will definitely take time to post at least 2 times a week. In short, The Ebony Puritan Forum is NOT DEAD!!!!

So, for all those who enjoy the post on this site, I am truly sorry for my absence and I hope you check frequently on the site for more of my thoughts on the impact of Reformed Theology throughout the African-American Church as well as the world!!!!

THE EBONYPURITAN FORUM'S 100TH POST

It has been over 14 months in waiting, but guess what: THE EBONYPURITAN FORUM HAS REACHED THE CENTURY MARK IN POSTS!!!!!

To all the readers, both casual and devoted, thank you for all your support and comments. And I intend on continuing to give you my thoughts as it pertains to Reformed Theology and the African-American society as a whole!!!!

YOUNG, RESTLESS, AND REFORMED

If there is one thing that blesses my heart outside of seeing my own African-American brothers and sisters come to a knowledge and love of the Reformed faith, it is seeing this same knowledge and love through young people.

I have many friends who are either young adults themselves or older adults with young children, who passionately expresses their joy in the Reformed faith in various ways. And the diversity is amazing in and of itself: On one hand, I know young people who express their Reformed beliefs in listening to LeCrae and Paul Washer and others who express their beliefs in singing hymns and listening to Lloyd-Jones.

But in both cases, they have one major objective: to exalt Christ, promote God's Sovereignty, and uphold the glorious Doctrines of Grace. And while this "youth movement" has caused many older Reformers to become uneasy, I personally believe some good can come from this. Because the LeCraes, the Flames, the Washers are allowing youngsters to enjoy their Reformed beliefs in many nontraditional ways. And let us not forget that there was a time when the Luthers, Calvins, and Spurgeons were once scorned and seen as "over the top" in their society.

So, instead of criticizing this movement, let us build upon it. Because truly, there are a lot of things these young Reformers can learn from older Reformers and there are many things that the older Reformers can learn from younger Reformers as well.

THE HERESY JUST KEEPS ON COMING!!!!

I have to admit that have never been a fan of John Hagee. From his weird interpretation of Revelation to his heretical belief that the Jewish people do not have to accept Christ in order to go to Heaven, he has done a lot to repulse me.

And with his latest book, In Defense of Israel, Hagee goes right over the edge making the argument that Jesus never claimed to be the Messiah, and that the Jews could not be blamed for not accepting him as such. Truly, we must start praying for the health of the Body of Christ, especially for those who follow false teachers such as Hagee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0CyolAOeWQ

THE JONESTOWN MASSACRE: 30 YEARS LATER

If you have been following the news lately, you probably know that this week marks the 30th Anniversary of one of the most tragic events in American History--The Jonestown Massacre.

It was in Jonestown, Guyana where a man named James (Jim) Warren Jones, who was the "pastor" of a "church" called The People's Temple, had over 900 of his followers drink cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid in a successful mass suicide. The Jonestown Massacre is recorded as being the 2nd greatest civil loss of American life at one time in a non-natural disaster next to 9/11.

Ever since I started following this tragedy about 6 years ago, I have been amazed at both the wickedness of humanity (in fact, this tragedy is what really opened my eyes to the truth of Total Depravity) and also how an obsession with "secondary things" can leave one wide open for any type of destruction.

And what I mean by "secondary things" is this: How many self-professed Christians do you know who follow false teachers because they preach a Jesus who wants you healthy, wealthy, and prosperous instead of one who wants us delivered from our sins? How many people have blindly joined churches because it met their physical needs (like food, clothing, or employment), but they fail in meeting their spiritual need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How many people are following pastors who promote ideas like no makeup or pant wearing for women or that there members shouldn't go to movies because they are "sinful" just because the "pastor says so"?

Brothers and Sisters, it is these types of things that caused Jim Jones to grab mind control over 900 people to the point of death, and the sad reality is that--with today's brand of what passes for Christianity--it is very possible this could happen again (God forbid!). This is why we, as the Body of Christ, must learn the discipline of discernment and also learn that nothing is more precious than the gift of Jesus Christ. Because a gracious God, who gave His one and only Son for sinners like you and I, will--without question--take care of the needs of those who are in His flock!!!!

Sadly, the followers of Jim Jones did not understand this. So let us learn from their tragedy and not build upon it.

TRUTH UNDER FIRE!!!

Last week at the Miami Pastor's Conference, I had the chance to meet and hear Dr. Voddie Baucham for the first time, and let me tell you it was a real treat. Dr. Baucham is a man who is on fire for the truth of God, and is not ashamed to stand for it even in "politically correct" arenas. As a point of illustration, click on the clip below and see how he addresses Sarah Palin and the woman's role in the home in a CNN interview.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f14z3cnNzzo