Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Al Sharpton Featured on 60 Minutes – Video
The CBS show, 60 Minutes, had a lot to say about Rev. Al Sharpton. It’s an interesting segment about his life, his politics, and how he has changed over the years.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pastor Onslow Ross: A Crook or a Victim?
Is this pastor a crook or a victim? Why he got 10 years in prison.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Alabama Tornado Victims Struggle to Stay Strong Emotionally
Alabama tornado victims get by through faith and football.
click to read
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Survey: Black Women More Likely to be Single Than Any Other Group
A new census bureau survey said that black women are the least likely of all ethnic groups to jump the broom. Why is that?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Roland Martin Apologizes for Donald Trump’s Behavior
CNN’s Roland Martin had some interesting things to say about "The Donald” – Click to read.
South Park Makes Fun of Tyler Perry
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
South Park is a show that takes no prisoners. Sometimes they can be brutal, and when your name is mentioned on the show, you might as well prepare to be embarrassed. The latest victim of the show is Tyler Perry, who is presented as “Funny Bot,” a woman in a dress who tells silly stereotypical jokes that make you laugh over and over again. Every time Funny Bot throws out a catch phrase (“Oh lawud, this chicken sho is hot!”), someone hands him a dollar. He is also, by the way, presented as the greatest threat to all of man-kind by President Barack Obama (you can see a clip by clicking here).
click to read
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Pastor Argues that Bin Laden Died Long Ago
Editor's Note: The Rev. David Lewicki is co-pastor of North Decatur Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia. He is a graduate of Yale University and Union Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2005 by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
By the Rev. David Lewicki, Special to CNN
On Sunday night I watched the news as it crescendoed around the president’s speech declaring the death of Osama bin Laden. The talking heads worked capably with what few details they had. On the split screen, familiar spliced video footage replayed what little most of us know — or care to know — about bin Laden: wearing a turban, sitting drinking tea, a long salt and pepper beard, speaking to friends, crouching holding a machine gun, skyscrapers smoking.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Bishop Desmond Tutu Announces Changes in South African Aids Policy
Your Black World Reports
Desmond Tutu -- former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa -- says South Africa should not be embarrassed about its policies to combat AIDS.
"For many years we were embarrassed in international gatherings for what we were not doing in fighting AIDS. We therefore thank the Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, for the change in policy....It is a very rare privilege and honor for us the older ones to say we are passing the baton to you the young to carry on with the fight against this pandemic." - Desmond Tutu
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
How You See Yourself
The more time you spend feeling sorry for yourself, the more things you’ll have to be sorry about. If you insist on seeing yourself as a victim, you’ll end up experiencing your life as a victim.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Because you can choose right now, and every day, to see yourself in a positive, empowering light.
The way you see yourself is up to you. It doesn’t have anything to do with the circumstances you happen to be facing.
See yourself as the unique, beautiful, creative and effective person you know you are. See yourself as a bundle of positive, inspiring and meaningful possibilities that are well on their way to being fulfilled.
See that you are able to successfully handle whatever life sends your way.
See that you are able to thrive and grow and make positive meaning out of the world in which you live.
See yourself as constantly moving forward through it all, with love and joy and purpose. And what you see, you will be.
— Ralph Marston
It doesn’t have to be that way. Because you can choose right now, and every day, to see yourself in a positive, empowering light.
The way you see yourself is up to you. It doesn’t have anything to do with the circumstances you happen to be facing.
See yourself as the unique, beautiful, creative and effective person you know you are. See yourself as a bundle of positive, inspiring and meaningful possibilities that are well on their way to being fulfilled.
See that you are able to successfully handle whatever life sends your way.
See that you are able to thrive and grow and make positive meaning out of the world in which you live.
See yourself as constantly moving forward through it all, with love and joy and purpose. And what you see, you will be.
— Ralph Marston
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Every Day is a Good Day!
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how every day is a good day; no matter what these days entail. Each day we’re blessed to see is a day someone didn’t get to see & a day to try to get things right yet again :) We take so much for granted & it’s easy to lose sight of this.
When looking at the news & all that is going on in the world, my prayers go out to those affected by the earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, & more. We look at the TV and begin to wonder, “Why is this happening?” and again, “Why is this happening to them?”. I think that there may be things in life that we don’t receive answers to, but I do believe that God does things to show us that He’s still in control; no matter what things may seem like.
So, my friends, live each day to the fullest; know the opportunities that God presents in each day. We have another opportunity to LIVE & there’s no reason we should waste the opportunity God presents us with. No matter what you see on the news, TV, or read about, focus on God & the fact that “every day is a good day!” Even if something occurs throughout the day that makes you think otherwise, every day is the prime gift to praise God for life, love, & health!
Enjoy your “good day”!
Until next time.
Blessings,
© Lisi P, 2011
When looking at the news & all that is going on in the world, my prayers go out to those affected by the earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, & more. We look at the TV and begin to wonder, “Why is this happening?” and again, “Why is this happening to them?”. I think that there may be things in life that we don’t receive answers to, but I do believe that God does things to show us that He’s still in control; no matter what things may seem like.
So, my friends, live each day to the fullest; know the opportunities that God presents in each day. We have another opportunity to LIVE & there’s no reason we should waste the opportunity God presents us with. No matter what you see on the news, TV, or read about, focus on God & the fact that “every day is a good day!” Even if something occurs throughout the day that makes you think otherwise, every day is the prime gift to praise God for life, love, & health!
Enjoy your “good day”!
Until next time.
Blessings,
© Lisi P, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Friday, May 28, 2010
Marvin Sapp: "He Has His Hands on You"
A very inspiring song by Marvin Sapp, "He Has His Hands on You". Be encouraged!! Blessings.
~Lisi P.
~Lisi P.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
The Serenity Prayer
With everything we're reading, seeing, and hearing now-a-days, I thought it would be nice to share "The Serenity Prayer"!
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
May we continue to be encouraged and uplifted at all times! God is in control.
Blessings!
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr
May we continue to be encouraged and uplifted at all times! God is in control.
Blessings!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Grammy Winning Singer Readies ‘Soulful Christmas’ DVD and Holiday TV Special
Closing out a remarkable year in music, Ann Nesby , the two-time Grammy award winning former lead vocalist to the Sounds of Blackness readies the release of her latest musical offering ‘Ann Nesby's a Soulful Christmas' for the 2009 holiday season.‘Soulful Christmas' released on Ann Nesby's It's Time Child Records in association with Tyscot Records follows her acclaimed The Lula Lee Project album which debuted at #13 on Billboard's Top Gospel album chart and #57 respectively on the R&B chart this year.
Spending the summer promoting The Lula Lee Project , she taped ‘Soulful Christmas' with a live band at the Gospel Music Channel studios in Atlanta in front of a live studio audience.
“I wanted to be used by God to help them usher in the masses into the holiday season,” says Ann Nesby who excitingly marks this as her first ever Christmas show collection.
‘Soulful Christmas' highlights a few of the most noted holiday anthems sung only as Ann Nesby could deliver - “Jesus, What a Wonderful Child” leads the musical montage setting the tone for cheerful yuletide, the classically melodic “Silent Night ” finds an appropriate spot on this Christmas set, to her holiday staple from the Sounds of Blackness, “Soul Holiday,” featuring Grammy award winning songwriter/singer Big Jim Wright, musical director of the new hit BET late night talk show the Mo'Nique Show.
Read the rest here.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Soulful alum set on captivating listeners
Some students on the doorsteps of graduation may struggle with their future plans, but Temple alum and R&B singer Rafiya has not been one of those people.Rafiya has managed to do several things in her young life, traveling the world at an early age, graduating from Temple with honors, teaching at a New Jersey High School and recording her upcoming EP, on which she sings in several different languages.
As the daughter of a Congolese diplomat, her father’s occupation allowed the now 26-year-old, who was born in Los Angeles, to travel to such places as Benin, Senegal and Cape Verde, to name a few, spending approximately three years in each country.
The experience of living in several different places has also affected her musically in terms of the instrumentation and arrangements on her EP.
The four songs on the EP, which is set to be released Nov. 17, were recorded in Philadelphia, New York and Paris. The EP features the recently released single “Amazing.”
Rafiya described her music as diverse and said it shows who she is as a person.
You can read the rest of story by clicking here.
Monday, July 27, 2009
News: African American Group Attempts to promote marriage
Group holds a conference to promote Black Marriage. Click here to watch the video trailer! You can learn more by visiting their website at HappilyEverAfterTheMovie.com.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
PK Takes on Secular Music in Gospel
PJ Morton won't be the first preacher's kid to sing secular music, and he isn't likely to be the last!
Unlike those before him who were ostracized and condemned by traditional churchgoers and religious radicals for singing non-sacred sounds, Morton has decided to educate churchgoers rather than rebelling against them.
The 28-year-old singer, who is the son of renowned pastors Bishop Paul S. Morton (Changing a Generation Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atlanta) and Dr. Debra B. Morton (Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans), has written a new book called 'Why Can't I Sing About Love?' that dispels the myth that all Christian singers must record and perform gospel music.
"I hope that the book causes people to see how big God is and that His affects reach far beyond the church and church music," he explained. "Also, I want people to realize that if we believe that the Bible is truly God's word, we can't overlook certain parts, specifically the book of love songs in the Bible. He created those as well."
Click to read.Thursday, July 2, 2009
How To Stop Sinning
Most Christians realize that they shouldn’t sin. So they try their best to live a good and moral life and not to live a life of sin. But as we will see from the bible, that way of living life is exhausting and ineffective and never brings true freedom from sin and its grip on our lives.
In a familiar scripture describing the problem we have with living a life free of sin, Paul said this, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out. For I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.” (Rom. 7:18-19 Amplified Bible)
Man! What a problem. We have the power to want to do good but we do not have the power within ourselves (that is our own flesh and our own trying) to do so. So because of this problem, God made a spiritual way of life for us so that we can obtain his power to do good. And that way of life is called "living by faith." But like anything else, we have to know what it means and how it works for it to ever help us. Knowing what it means to "live by faith" and then doing it is what will make the difference between a life of struggling with sin or a life of freedom from it.
Now most Christians know that we can never live a good enough life to gain eternal life. They know that in order to attain eternal life we must accept Jesus as our savior. But what they don’t always know is how to live a life of righteousness after they have accepted the Lord. So they simply try and try to do so in their own strength, but like Paul said, that is impossible. The things we want to do we have no power to do. It is the things that we don't want to do that we will end up doing. What then is solution?
Paul later described the solution when he said, “This I say then, walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…” (Gal. 3:16)
"Walking in the spirit" is the solution and is simply another way of saying "living by faith." When we learn what that means and live that way, it will enable us to live a life free of sin. Like Paul said, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh!
Let's explain this a little. The Christian “walk” is no different than how we became Christians. It is by FAITH and not by WORKS of our own. In salvation, there was nothing we could do ourselves to gain eternal life and in exactly the same way there is nothing we can do ourselves to live a righteous life even after we accept the Lord. The key to living a righteous life after we have accepted the Lord is to believe, not to do, just like we needed to believe to become “saved.” If we do that, it will then be what we choose to believe that will empower us to do.
The bible says that a man becomes what he thinks in his heart “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Pr. 23:7) It is what we believe and think in our hearts that we will become and what we will do. It will not be by trying harder that we can accomplish anything. Jesus said, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…” (Mt. 15:19) That is where all sin originates and that is where all righteous living originates. It is in the heart.
Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:1-2) What Paul is commanding here is for us to live free of sin and then he tells us how to do so. And it is NOT by trying harder that we are told to live a holy life. We are told that it is by renewing our mind. It is how we think and what we believe that will transform us and enable us to do those things that we are suppose to do. This is a fight of faith, not of works. It is an inner fight. It is about what we choose to think and to believe, not how hard we try to live right.
But what is it that we are supposed to believe? And how is it that believing will enable us to live a righteous life?
It's quite easy so let’s take one example from the bible to see how this works. The bible says that we are “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37) Now in order to be and live like we are more than conquerors we must believe that we are more than conquerors, not try to be more than a conqueror. Trying to be more than a conqueror just won’t work. It is believing what the bible says about us that will transform us into the very thing that it says about us... "For as a man thinks in is heart, so is he." (Pr. 23:7) And in this case, it is believing that we are more than conquerors. This faith in God's word will then transform us into that which we believe... being more than a conqueror.
Paul said, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:1-2) What Paul is commanding here is for us to live free of sin and then he tells us how to do so. And it is NOT by trying harder that we are told to live a holy life. We are told that it is by renewing our mind. It is how we think and what we believe that will transform us and enable us to do those things that we are suppose to do. This is a fight of faith, not of works. It is an inner fight. It is about what we choose to think and to believe, not how hard we try to live right.
But what is it that we are supposed to believe? And how is it that believing will enable us to live a righteous life?
It's quite easy so let’s take one example from the bible to see how this works. The bible says that we are “more than conquerors through him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37) Now in order to be and live like we are more than conquerors we must believe that we are more than conquerors, not try to be more than a conqueror. Trying to be more than a conqueror just won’t work. It is believing what the bible says about us that will transform us into the very thing that it says about us... "For as a man thinks in is heart, so is he." (Pr. 23:7) And in this case, it is believing that we are more than conquerors. This faith in God's word will then transform us into that which we believe... being more than a conqueror.
The key to this kind of faith is to believe what the bible says about us despite what we see in ourselves or think about ourselves. You see, when the bible says that we are more than conquerors, it is talking about the new inner spiritual man that was created within us when we accepted Christ as our savior. When we accepted Christ as our savior a real change took place. But that change was on the inside of us. Our spiritual man on the inside of us was changed into the very likeness of Jesus himself. (And Jesus is definitely more than a conqueror). It is in believing what the bible tells us about our new inner man that will bring that new man into our outer behavioral lives. It’s not a matter of trying harder. It is a matter of what we believe and how we think about ourselves. It is a fight of FAITH, not a fight of WORKS.
Our faith in God’s word will transform us and bring what is inside to the outside. Then and only then will we be able to easily live the life of Christ.
In the case of living free of sin, we must believe that we are already free of sin to be free of it. Ha! Think about it. The bible says that we are the “righteousness of God in him.” (2Cor. 5:21) If this is so, (and it is) we know that the righteousness of God never sins. So if we believe that we are the righteousness of God, the word of God will begin to transform us into that very thing making it easier and easier to live righteously and free of sin. Get it? It’s easy to understand, but it is an effort to begin thinking that way. In fact it will be a fight. It will be the "good fight of faith" that Paul commanded us to live. (1Tim. 6:12) And it is the only way to live free of any weaknesses or sin. Trying harder will only be a constant struggle with something we cannot do nor change and will NEVER transform us.
Probably we have all heard about the benefits of thinking positively and indeed it is very powerful, but when we think according to the Word of God it becomes supernatural power with the ability to literally transform our lives.
This does not mean that we should not "try" to live a good life. That would be ridiculous. We should always do what we can do. What it does mean however is that the real battle and the real victory (or loss) will take place within us, by how we think and what we believe. And it is this battle that we should always focus on. Thus we should always be developing our faith and transforming our lives by believing what the Word of God says about us rather than just trying and trying in our own strength to live up to its standards. Then, in time, living a good life will become more and more natural and more and more automatic. It will then be that the Word of God will be transforming us and empowering us to naturally do good works rather than trying in our own strength.
It always pays to remember the words of Jesus when he said, “It is the spirit that quickens (gives life); the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (Jn. 6:63 parentheshis mine) It is the word of God that has the power; it is not ourselves. And it is our faith in what the word of God says about us that will enable us to live a consistent life of righteousness... for it is "not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts." (Zech. 4:6)
Submitted by John B. Agati
Author of: “Suffering (God’s Will?)”
More information about this and an upcoming book “Suffering, Unanswered Prayer, (And How to Fix the Whole Thing),” along with a short bio may be found at: www. jbagati.com
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Getting to Know Dr Jeremiah Wright
Rather than letting Fox News sound bites define Jeremiah Wright for you, take a look at his bio.
Life, Love and Legacy
Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr.
The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. is a man of faith, a homiletic genius, a theological scholar and a pastor’s pastor. He is a family man who enjoys spending quality time with his wife, children, grandchildren, extended family and friends.
Steeped in Family Tradition and Educational Achievements
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Wright is a son of the parsonage and hails from a family steeped in educational achievements. A third generation family member to matriculate at Virginia Union University, Dr. Wright followed in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather, Dr. Hamilton Martin Henderson who graduated from Virginia Union with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the late 1800s and finished seminary at Virginia Union in 1902. His father, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Sr., also graduated from Virginia Union with two undergraduate degrees and from the seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in 1938. The senior Wright also received a Master of Sacred Theology degree (S.T.M.) from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
Dr. Wright’s mother, Dr. Mary Henderson Wright, also graduated from Virginia Union and earned her first master’s degree before age 19 from the University of Chicago. She also earned a second master’s degree and her doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Foundational Strengths
With four earned degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from Howard University, a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a Doctor of Ministry from the United Theological Seminary, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. grew up in a home where reading books was a daily way of life. Wright read a wide range of sources from the Greek philosophers and Shakespeare to African American authors such as Carter G. Woodson (the Father of African American History) to Sterling Brown (one of the Harlem Renaissance artists), as well as one of Dr. Wright’s college professors.
Monday, June 8, 2009
New Book: Obama Marriage was Not Always Christ-Like
President Barack Obama whispers into First Lady Michelle Obama's ear during the White House Cinco de Mayo celebration this year Photo: PETE SOUZA/THE WHITE HOUSE
Their regular Friday "date nights" make the television news, and there was a stir recently when they caught Air Force One for a night at the theatre in Manhattan.
This weekend, in the aftermath of the D-Day celebrations, they are in Paris with their young daughters - having turned down an invitation for dinner with President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla in favour of a more intimate family event.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Should Black Pastors Get out into the community?
As a college professor, I have regularly challenged black scholars to step outside the walls of the ivory tower to engage the black community. Sometimes, the purity of our chosen profession can lead us to feel that sharing our skill set with the world dilutes the quality of our work. I do not agree. Intelligence means nothing if it is not accompanied by courage, creativity and compassion for other human beings.
The same can be said about spirituality. Jesus was not a man who stayed inside the walls of his church, selfishly enjoying the spirit of God. He did not get so obsessed with the bureaucracy and goals of the church that he forgot about the infinite power that God provides when achieving a greater good. While many pastors yell and scream from the pulpit, some have forgotten that old expression, "What would Jesus do?"
Pastor Adepoju Oyemade brings such a spirit to the people of Nigeria and they love him for doing so.
I met "Pastor Poju" during a recent trip to Nigeria. I was immediately impressed with the manner by which the pastor has utilized recent freedoms in the country to take God to the people. But he has not only taken God to the people, he has used the power of free enterprise to introduce them to a whole new world. His semi-annual event, called "The Platform," is one of the most celebrated events in the entire country. The pastor brings together 20,000 citizens of Lagos, Nigeria and teaches them the value of entrepreneurship and tools for running a successful business. His work in the community earns him respect, and it is the kind of work that should be used as an economic development model for black pastors and business owners throughout the world.
Q: Tell us about "The Platform." Where did the idea come from and what gave you the passion to pursue it?
Continue reading Dr Boyce: Should Black Pastors Stay inside the Church?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
"New Testament" Obedience
Many people believe that in order to please God and to be in good standing with him that they need to be obedient to his law of commandments. But the bible teaches that this is impossible and trying to do so brings a curse on our lives. Do you mean that if we try to keep God’s laws in order to please him that we will be cursed? Yes, as irrational as that sounds listen to this…
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Gal. 3:10)
This is saying that if we try to please God by keeping his commandments that we must keep every single commandment completely and we must do it at all times. In other words, we must be perfect in our behavior. This of course is impossible to do. So if we base our right standing with God on keeping his law we will fail and bring a curse upon our lives.
Paul also said this about our ability to keep God’s law…
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwells no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” (Rom. 7:17-18)
Paul found that even though he wanted to keep God’s law and tried to do so, he couldn’t do it because of the weakness of his flesh. In fact, when he tried to do good, he would always do just the opposite. Have you ever experienced that problem? Consider if you tell yourself that you are NOT going to eat that last piece of cake. Whew! What a fight THAT can be. That piece of cake will even seem to “talk” to you every time you walk by it! Well, the bible says this... “the strength of sin is the law.” (1Cor. 15:56) It’s not that eating that piece of cake is sin but once you make a law against it, you’ve just strengthened its grip on you to eat it. And that is the way it is with all law. Law actually strengthens the grip that sin has on you. It cannot help you. It will only make matters worse.
But you see; this is why Jesus came. He came to keep the law for us and to please God for us so that in him we could be as pleasing and as acceptable to God as he is. However, in order to enjoy this blessing that Jesus came to bring us, we must exercise our faith. First we must accept Jesus as our savior and after we have done that, as Christians we must believe that what Jesus did was enough to please God for us! That means that if we have accepted Christ as our savior, we must believe that we are always pleasing to God and in right standing with him despite our shortcomings and our sins. We can never base pleasing God on our own lives. This is the only way to have peace and rest in God because in ourselves and in our own trying we can never keep all of the law.
Most Christians understand that in order to gain right standing with God they must do it by faith and so they accept Jesus as their savior. But after that, they live their Christian lives in fear of not being good enough and they try to please God and maintain a good standing with him by keeping his laws. But because it was not our own goodness that earned a right standing with God in the first place, it will not be our own goodness that will be able to maintain it. It just can't be done. It is only our faith in Christ that can do that.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Gal. 3:10)
This is saying that if we try to please God by keeping his commandments that we must keep every single commandment completely and we must do it at all times. In other words, we must be perfect in our behavior. This of course is impossible to do. So if we base our right standing with God on keeping his law we will fail and bring a curse upon our lives.
Paul also said this about our ability to keep God’s law…
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwells no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” (Rom. 7:17-18)
Paul found that even though he wanted to keep God’s law and tried to do so, he couldn’t do it because of the weakness of his flesh. In fact, when he tried to do good, he would always do just the opposite. Have you ever experienced that problem? Consider if you tell yourself that you are NOT going to eat that last piece of cake. Whew! What a fight THAT can be. That piece of cake will even seem to “talk” to you every time you walk by it! Well, the bible says this... “the strength of sin is the law.” (1Cor. 15:56) It’s not that eating that piece of cake is sin but once you make a law against it, you’ve just strengthened its grip on you to eat it. And that is the way it is with all law. Law actually strengthens the grip that sin has on you. It cannot help you. It will only make matters worse.
But you see; this is why Jesus came. He came to keep the law for us and to please God for us so that in him we could be as pleasing and as acceptable to God as he is. However, in order to enjoy this blessing that Jesus came to bring us, we must exercise our faith. First we must accept Jesus as our savior and after we have done that, as Christians we must believe that what Jesus did was enough to please God for us! That means that if we have accepted Christ as our savior, we must believe that we are always pleasing to God and in right standing with him despite our shortcomings and our sins. We can never base pleasing God on our own lives. This is the only way to have peace and rest in God because in ourselves and in our own trying we can never keep all of the law.
Most Christians understand that in order to gain right standing with God they must do it by faith and so they accept Jesus as their savior. But after that, they live their Christian lives in fear of not being good enough and they try to please God and maintain a good standing with him by keeping his laws. But because it was not our own goodness that earned a right standing with God in the first place, it will not be our own goodness that will be able to maintain it. It just can't be done. It is only our faith in Christ that can do that.
Keeping the law is “Old Testament” obedience and is impossible to do. Believing that we are already good enough through our faith in Christ is “New Testament” obedience and the only way to please God. (Heb. 11:6)
The Old Testament was given to show man what he was required to DO to be right with God. The New Testament was given to show man what he was required to BELIEVE to be right with God. It is the difference between a life of “works” and a life of “faith.” It is a difference between a life of exhausting “trying” and a life of “resting” in the Lord.
And our lives are not to be lives of endlessly and impossibly trying to be good enough to please God. Our lives are to be lives of rest and peace believing that we are already pleasing to God because of Jesus. It took me a long time to learn that. But I finally learned it. I used to get up each morning determined to be the best Christian that I could be. But that was instant failure and was followed by a day filled with anxious trying and a constant struggle with guilt for not always doing “good enough.” But now I get up each morning believing that I’m already the best Christian I need to be. (Jesus made me that way). And I go through my day believing that all the time (despite my shortcomings) and I am at peace and rest with God all the time. That’s a whole lot better way of life believe me. And it works! I have learned that it is my faith that pleases God and not my good works.
If you think about it for a moment, we can conclude that the fastest way to DISPLEASE God is to "try" to please him. That just doesn’t seem right but it is. It is accepting Jesus as our substitute in all things that pleases God! We are called to live by faith, not by works or by trying harder. And thank God for that!
Now this does not mean that it is ok to live any way we want. Sin is always destructive. It can hurt us and it can hurt those around us. Sin brings a sense of guilt and condemnation and sometimes a whole lot of trouble. And that certainly is not God’s will. But we are not called to live righteously in order to be righteous. We are called to live righteously because we are already righteous. It is worth remembering that good works do not produce righteousness. It is righteousness that produces good works. (Rom. 12:1-2, 2Cor. 5:21)
So… if you are a Christian and are trying to please God; JUST STOP IT!
Ha…! I know that doesn’t sound right. But it is. You cannot please God in the flesh. Instead you should be trusting that because of Jesus you are already as pleasing to God as you will ever be! And that means NOW and it means at ALL times. What Jesus did was good enough for now and for all time. Wow! What a great way to live… by faith. It’s a whole lot easier and the only way to be truly at peace with God.
The bible says (in no fewer that FOUR places) that, “The just shall live by faith.” (Hab. 2:4, Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Heb. 10:38) Do you think that God is trying to tell us something?
So if you want life and peace and the blessing of God, living by faith is the ONLY way to do it! It is the “New Testament” way of obedience, not the “Old Testament" way. Old Testament obedience was to DO. New Testament obedience is to BELIEVE (and to rest).
"There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into (God's) rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his." (Heb. 4:9-10 parenthesis mine)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 8:28)
Submitted by John B. Agati
Author of: “Suffering (God’s Will?)”
More information about this and an upcoming book “Suffering, Unanswered Prayer, (And How to Fix the Whole Thing),” along with a short bio may be found at: www. jbagati.com
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Black Gospel News: Black Woman Becomes a Rabbi
When Alysa Stanton officially becomes a rabbi next month, she'll be walking into history.
Alysa Stanton, 45, will become the first African-American woman to be ordained as a rabbi next month.
She'll become the first African-American woman ever to be ordained as a rabbi and the first African-American rabbi to lead a majority white congregation, according to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
Stanton, 45, will be ordained June 6 in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she received her master's degree from the HUC-JIR, which is the rabbinical school of the Reform movement. Then in August, she will begin her new job at Congregation Bayt Shalom in Greenville, North Carolina -- long a Conservative synagogue and now affiliated with both the Reform and Conservative movements.
She describes her new position with great enthusiasm, saying the congregation -- while small -- has a lot of children, a sign of a bright future. And she says the congregation is vibrant and the region, where East Carolina University and a major medical center are located, is dynamic as well.
"My goals as a rabbi are to break down barriers, build bridges and provide hope," Stanton told CNN. "I look forward to being the spiritual leader of an inclusive sacred community that welcomes and engages all."
The HUC says the milestone reflects the diversity that permeates Jewish life.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Where's My Blessing Lord?
Most Christians have a tendency of feeling guilty and condemned whenever they sin or make mistakes or think they fall short of God's standards. In fact, there can often be a looming sense that things will go badly for us when we sin; and that the more we fall short the worse we expect it to be. It is an expectation of punishment.
But in Christianity, it is not like that. If we have accepted Jesus as our savior, we can expect blessings not cursing, even when we sin, and even when we sin again.
Of course it is not sinning that brings the blessing; it is the fact that Jesus has already paid the price for our sin that we can expect blessings. And we can expect them no matter what our sin is or how often we commit it. That is called grace. In fact, the apostle Paul wrote, “…where sin increased, grace increased all the more…” (Rom. 5:20 NIV) That’s right, the bible says that the more sin there is, the more grace there is to forgive it and to still bless us. I know that just doesn’t sound right. We would naturally expect more and more punishment the more we sin, but we are not dealing with a natural God. With God, the more we sin, the more grace there is to bless us. Wow! That is an amazing truth.
This may sound then that because of these facts that it’s ok to go on sinning. After all, the more we sin, the more grace there is to forgive us. But that's certainly not the case. God’s grace is simply there when we need it. It was Paul again who said this, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." (Rom. 6:1-2) God forbids sin, no matter what, but he does not forbid it because he is offended or angry or because it creates a rift in our relationship. The reason that God does not want us to sin is because of the guilt and condemnation that we can suffer and that I spoke of at the beginning of this article. When we feel guilty and condemned because of our sin, we expect punishment from God, not blessing. It makes it extremely difficult to realize that God loves us, has forgiven us through Christ, and wants to bless us despite our sin. However, that is the truth and that is what I want to convey in this message.
We are never judged by God according to what we do. If we were judged by what we do (or don’t do) we would always be guilty and we would always be worthy of punishment. That is because we can never live up to God’s standard of perfection. There was only one human being that ever lived up to God’s standard and that was Jesus. That is why that it is only through our faith in him that we can have a right standing with God and be worthy of his blessing. And that truth will prevail despite all of our sin.
The thing that I would like to get across here is that the more we sin, the more we should look for and expect blessings from God, not punishment. If we do that, we will open our hearts and lives for God's grace and mercy and consequently his blessings. If we don’t do that, we will shut ourselves off from the blessings of God. And though it may be inadvertant, that would be a lack of faith in what Jesus did for us and would sink our blessing ship so to speak. So, despite the "natural" tendency to feel guilty and condemned when we sin, instead we should look for the blessings of God to overtake us.
Consider saying this to God when you sin; “Lord I messed up again, so where’s is my blessing?”
I said that in a funny way on purpose, but it is meaningful and true none the less. I made it sound as if we are looking for a blessing because of our sin, but it is really looking for a blessing despite our sin. It is having faith in what Christ did for us rather than having fear because of what we may have done. And that kind of faith is the only way to please God. You will never do it by trying to be good enough. The book of Hebrews says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him..." (Heb. 11:6) And if we take that step of faith, (expecting to be blessed despite our sin) we indeed will be blessed… It will be done unto us according to our FAITH. The alternative of doing this is to entertain guilt and fear. And if we are afraid of punishment because of our shortcomings and believe that God will not bless us because we did not live up to his standard; well, the bible says that we will be under a curse. We will NOT be blessed. Instead, we will be cursed. The book of Galatians says this, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” (Gal. 3:10-11)
We must always remember that God’s only standard of living is his Son and it is only through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus that we can live up to that standard. And we must also realize that if we have accepted Jesus as our savior, we have done all we need to do, (indeed all that we can do) to please God and to be worthy of ALL of God’s richest blessings despite any amount of “short-comings” or sin.
Submitted by John B. Agati
Author of: “Suffering (God’s Will?)”
More information about this and an upcoming book “Suffering, Unanswered Prayer, (And How to Fix the Whole Thing),” along with a short bio may be found at: www. jbagati.com
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Your Black News: New York Pastor Gets $600K Pay Package
Dr Boyce Watkins
I read today about the financial compensation package of pastor Brad Braxton of the New Riverside Church in Manhattan. Here is the breakdown of Braxton’s compensation:
The total value of the package is estimated to be $600,000 per year.
All I can say is “wow”. No disrespect to this man or his congregation, but he would NOT be preaching at my church. What was most problematic about the church’s decision to give Braxton such a ridiculous compensation package was that they didn’t seem to clear it with the membership, many of whom are filing suit over Braxton’s pay. As a Finance Professor, I must admit that I personally become uncomfortable hearing men and women of God talking about money more than I do. I must disagree with Rev. TD Jakes, who said that “Jesus is a product”. Sorry brother, Nikes are a product. Cheeseburgers are a product. Jesus is a spirit that should lead us to pursue a good that is greater than our bank accounts. I am not sure how many pastors agree with that assessment.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Black Celebrity News: BET’s Gospel Show to Get Cancelled
BET’s 106 and Gospel has been officially canceled. But please tell me this: Why in the “hayell” would you air a gospel show at 12 noon on Sundays? Aren’t people in church at that time?
I swear…..some people can’t get a damn clue without the intervention of the Lord.
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