Don't Stop Now! You are almost there!

Posted by Unknown Friday, September 30, 2011 0 comments

"Eternal Encouragement" 2 Thessalonians 2:16


The faith experience provides for each of us goals that with persistence we can attain. One such goal is eternal encouragement. How marvelous to think that God has a never failing ability to provide us with encouraging words, people, and events in our lives? To wake up this morning after all the rain of the previous days to see a clear sky and the morning sun is encouraging. The witness the fall blooms on flowers that grace our community is encouraging. To hear the voice of love ones and to know that they are alright is encouraging. To read words of wisdom and to be able to apply them to your life is encouraging. To know that God has given you one more chance to get it right is encouraging. How wonderful to know that even in moments of weakness and when the stain of sin is at your door, God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, has provided you eternal encouragement for your soul. That's right! You can make it because God is on your side!

Beware of The Spider's web

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 29, 2011 0 comments

"They ... spin a spider's web." Isaiah 59:5


People are so easily entrapped by hypocritical religious claims. The skill of some to entrap others in their own ways versus the ways of the Lord is an age-old problem. Philip baptized Simon Magus, whose guileful declaration of faith was soon exploded by the stern rebuke of Peter.

Look at what the web of deceit traps: customs, reputations, false pride, misdirected praise, and personal advancement are the flies caught in the net of hypocritical people. The nature of a spider web is that it comes from the creature's own abdomen. It suggests that the hypocrite finds their trust and hope within themselves.

Be careful in life's journey that you do not attach yourself to webs of deceit.

Anchor yourself in the words of God. If you study, you will show yourselves to be approved by God.

Nothing can stop you now!

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 28, 2011 0 comments

"Satan stopped us." I Thessalonians 2:18


Goodness has always been in conflict with evil. Satan is seeking to hinder us and steal our joy. From the dawn of the day until the midnight hour, Satan is working to hinder us. When you are at work, he invades your space and disturbs your spirit, all intended to hinder you. Satan hinders us as we seek the meditative peace. Satan hinders even when we kneel to pray. Now that we are saved, Satan attempts to hinder our complete surrender to God.

Don't be alarmed that Satan is attempting to hinder you. It is proof that you are on the Lord's side, and are doing the God's will.

Stay strong and be of good courage, God is on your side. He will fight your battles. The battle is not yours. It's the Lords!

Full Text of President Obama's Speech

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 27, 2011 0 comments


The following remarks were delivered by President Barack Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. on September 24, 2011.

Remarks as prepared for delivery.

---

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, CBC! (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. Please, everybody have a seat. It is wonderful to be with all of you tonight. It's good to be with the conscience of the Congress. (Applause.) Thank you, Chairman Cleaver and brother Payne, for all that you do each and every day. Thank you, Dr. Elsie Scott, president and CEO of the CBC Foundation, and all of you for your outstanding work with your internship program, which has done so much for so many young people. And I had a chance to meet some of the young people backstage -- an incredible, unbelievably impressive group. You know, being here with all of you -- with all the outstanding members of the Congressional Black Caucus -- reminds me of a story that one of our friends, a giant of the civil rights movement, Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery, told one day. Dr. Lowery -- I don't think he minds me telling that he turns 90 in a couple weeks. (Applause.) He's been causing a ruckus for about 89 of those years. (Laughter.) A few years back, Dr. Lowery and I were together at Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church in Selma. (Applause.) We've got some Selma folks in the house. (Applause.) And Dr. Lowery stood up in the pulpit and told the congregation the story of Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. You know the story -- it's about three young men bold enough to stand up for God, even if it meant being thrown in a furnace. And they survived because of their faith, and because God showed up in that furnace with them.

Now, Dr. Lowery said that those three young men were a little bit crazy. But there's a difference, he said, between good crazy and bad crazy. (Applause.) Those boys, he said, were "good crazy." At the time, I was running for president -- it was early in the campaign. Nobody gave me much of a chance. He turned to me from the pulpit, and indicated that someone like me running for president -- well, that was crazy. (Laughter.) But he supposed it was good crazy.

He was talking about faith, the belief in things not seen, the belief that if you persevere a better day lies ahead. And I suppose the reason I enjoy coming to the CBC -- what this weekend is all about is, you and me, we're all a little bit crazy, but hopefully a good kind of crazy. (Applause.) We're a good kind of crazy because no matter how hard things get, we keep the faith; we keep fighting; we keep moving forward.

And we've needed faith over these last couple years. Times have been hard. It's been three years since we faced down a crisis that began on Wall Street and then spread to Main Street, and hammered working families, and hammered an already hard-hit black community. The unemployment rate for black folks went up to nearly 17 percent -- the highest it's been in almost three decades; 40 percent, almost, of African American children living in poverty; fewer than half convinced that they can achieve Dr. King's dream. You've got to be a little crazy to have faith during such hard times.

It's heartbreaking, and it's frustrating. And I ran for President, and the members of the CBC ran for Congress, to help more Americans reach that dream. (Applause.) We ran to give every child a chance, whether he's born in Chicago, or she comes from a rural town in the Delta. This crisis has made that job of giving everybody opportunity a little bit harder.

We knew at the outset of my presidency that the economic calamity we faced wasn't caused overnight and wasn't going to be solved overnight. We knew that long before the recession hit, the middle class in this country had been falling behind -- wages and incomes had been stagnant; a sense of financial security had been slipping away. And since these problems were not caused overnight, we knew we were going to have to climb a steep hill.

But we got to work. With your help, we started fighting our way back from the brink. And at every step of the way, we've faced fierce opposition based on an old idea -- the idea that the only way to restore prosperity can't just be to let every corporation write its own rules, or give out tax breaks to the wealthiest and the most fortunate, and to tell everybody that they're on their own. There has to be a different concept of what America's all about. It has to be based on the idea that I am my brother's keeper and I am my sister's keeper, and we're in this together. We are in this thing together. (Applause.)

We had a different vision and so we did what was right, and we fought to extend unemployment insurance, and we fought to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, and we fought to expand the Child Tax Credit -- which benefited nearly half of all African American children in this country. (Applause.) And millions of Americans are better off because of that fight. (Applause.)

Ask the family struggling to make ends meet if that extra few hundred dollars in their mother's paycheck from the payroll tax cut we passed made a difference. They'll tell you. Ask them how much that Earned Income Tax Credit or that Child Tax Credit makes a difference in paying the bills at the end of the month.

When an army of lobbyists and special interests spent millions to crush Wall Street reform, we stood up for what was right. We said the time has come to protect homeowners from predatory mortgage lenders. The time has come to protect consumers from credit card companies that jacked up rates without warning. (Applause.) We signed the strongest consumer financial protection in history. That's what we did together. (Applause.)

Remember how many years we tried to stop big banks from collecting taxpayer subsidies for student loans while the cost of college kept slipping out of reach? Together, we put a stop to that once and for all. We used those savings to make college more affordable. We invested in early childhood education and community college and HBCUs. Ask the engineering student at an HBCU who thought he might have to leave school if that extra Pell Grant assistance mattered. (Applause.)

We're attacking the cycle of poverty that steals the future from too many children -- not just by pouring money into a broken system, but by building on what works -- with Promise Neighborhoods modeled after the good work up in Harlem; Choice Neighborhoods rebuilding crumbling public housing into communities of hope and opportunity; Strong Cities, Strong Communities, our partnership with local leaders in hard-hit cities like Cleveland and Detroit. And we overcame years of inaction to win justice for black farmers because of the leadership of theCBC and because we had an administration that was committed to doing the right thing. (Applause.)

And against all sorts of setbacks, when the opposition fought us with everything they had, we finally made clear that in the United States of America nobody should go broke because they get sick. We are better than that. (Applause.) And today, insurance companies can no longer drop or deny your coverage for no good reason. In just a year and a half, about one million more young adults have health insurance because of this law. (Applause.) One million young people. That is an incredible achievement, and we did it with your help, with the CBC's help. (Applause.)

So in these hard years, we've won a lot of fights that needed fighting and we've done a lot of good. But we've got more work to do. So many people are still hurting. So many people are still barely hanging on. And too many people in this city are still fighting us every step of the way.

So I need your help. We have to do more to put people to work right now. We've got to make that everyone in this country gets a fair shake, and a fair shot, and a chance to get ahead. (Applause.) And I know we won't get where we need to go if we don't travel down this road together. I need you with me. (Applause.)

That starts with getting this Congress to pass the American Jobs Act. (Applause.) You heard me talk about this plan when I visited Congress a few weeks ago and sent the bill to Congress a few days later. Now I want that bill back -- passed. I've got the pens all ready. I am ready to sign it. And I need your help to make it happen. (Applause.)

Right now we've got millions of construction workers out of a job. So this bill says, let's put those men and women back to work in their own communities rebuilding our roads and our bridges. Let's give these folks a job rebuilding our schools. Let's put these folks to work rehabilitating foreclosed homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods of Detroit and Atlanta and Washington. This is a no-brainer. (Applause.)

Why should we let China build the newest airports, the fastest railroads? Tell me why our children should be allowed to study in a school that's falling apart? I don't want that for my kids or your kids. I don't want that for any kid. You tell me how it makes sense when we know that education is the most important thing for success in the 21st century. (Applause.) Let's put our people back to work doing the work America needs done. Let's pass this jobs bill. (Applause.)

We've got millions of unemployed Americans and young people looking for work but running out of options. So this jobs bill says, let's give them a pathway, a new pathway back to work. Let's extend unemployment insurance so that more than six million Americans don't lose that lifeline. But let's also encourage reforms that help the long-term unemployed keep their skills sharp and get a foot in the door. Let's give summer jobs for low-income youth that don't just give them their first paycheck but arm them with the skills they need for life. (Applause.)

Tell me why we don't want the unemployed back in the workforce as soon as possible. Let's pass this jobs bill, put these folks back to work. (Applause.)

Why are we shortchanging our children when we could be putting teachers back in the classroom right now, where they belong? (Applause.) Laying off teachers, laying off police officer, laying off firefighters all across the country because state and local budgets are tough. Why aren't we helping? We did in the first two years. And then this other crowd came into Congress and now suddenly they want to stop. Tell me why we shouldn't give companies tax credits for hiring the men and women who've risked their lives for this country -- our veterans. There is no good answer for that. They shouldn't be fighting to find a job when they come home. (Applause.)

These Republicans in Congress like to talk about job creators. How about doing something real for job creators? Pass this jobs bill, and every small business owner in America, including 100,000 black-owned businesses, will get a tax cut. (Applause.) You say you're the party of tax cuts. Pass this jobs bill, and every worker in America, including nearly 20 million African American workers, will get a tax cut. (Applause.) Pass this jobs bill, and prove you'll fight just as hard for a tax cut for ordinary folks as you do for all your contributors. (Applause.)

These are questions that opponents of this jobs plan will have to answer. Because the kinds of ideas in this plan in the past have been supported by both parties. Suddenly Obama is proposing it -- what happened? (Laughter.) What happened? You all used to like to build roads. (Laughter.) Right? What happened? Reverend, you know what happened? I don't know. They used to love to build some roads. (Laughter.)

Now, I know some of our friends across the aisle won't support any new spending that's not paid for. I agree that's important. So last week, I laid out a plan to pay for the American Jobs Act, and to bring out -- down our debt over time. You say the deficit is important? Here we go. I'm ready to go. It's a plan that says if we want to create jobs and close this deficit, then we've got to ask the folks who have benefited most -- the wealthiest Americans, the biggest, most profitable corporations -- to pay their fair share. (Applause.)

We are not asking them to do anything extraordinary. The reform we're proposing is based on a simple principle: Middle-class folks should not pay higher tax rates than millionaires and billionaires. (Applause.) That's not crazy -- or it's good crazy. (Laughter.) Warren Buffett's secretary shouldn't pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett. A teacher or a nurse or a construction worker making $50,000 a year shouldn't pay higher tax rates than somebody making $50 million. That's just common sense.

We're not doing this to punish success. This is the land of opportunity. I want you to go out, start a business, get rich, build something. Out country is based on the belief that anybody can make it if they put in enough sweat and enough effort. That is wonderful. God bless you. But part of the American idea is also that once we've done well we should pay our fair share -- (applause) -- to make sure that those schools that we were learning in can teach the next generation; that those roads that we benefited from -- that they're not crumbling for the next bunch of folks who are coming behind us; to keep up the nation that made our success possible.

And most wealthy Americans would agree with that. But you know the Republicans are already dusting off their old talking points. That's class warfare, they say. In fact, in the next breath, they'll complain that people living in poverty -- people who suffered the most over the past decade -- don't pay enough in taxes. That's bad crazy. (Laughter and applause.) When you start saying, at a time when the top one-tenth of 1 percent has seen their incomes go up four or five times over the last 20 years, and folks at the bottom have seen their incomes decline -- and your response is that you want poor folks to pay more? Give me a break. If asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a janitor makes me a warrior for the working class, I wear that with a badge of honor. I have no problem with that. (Applause.) It's about time.

They say it kills jobs -- oh, that's going to kill jobs. We're not proposing anything other than returning to the tax rates for the wealthiest Americans that existed under Bill Clinton. I played golf with Bill Clinton today. I was asking him, how did that go? (Laughter.) Well, it turns out we had a lot of jobs. The well-to-do, they did even better. So did the middle class. We lifted millions out of poverty. And then we cut taxes for folks like me, and we went through a decade of zero job growth.

So this isn't speculation. We've tested this out. We tried their theory; didn't work. Tried our theory; it worked. We shouldn't be confused about this. (Applause.)

This debate is about priorities. If we want to create new jobs and close the deficit and invest in our future, the money has got to come from somewhere. And so, should we keep tax loopholes for big oil companies? Or should we put construction workers and teachers back on the job? (Applause.) Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires? Or should we invest in our children's education and college aid? Should we ask seniors to be paying thousands of dollars more for Medicare, as the House Republicans propose, or take young folks' health care away? Or should we ask that everybody pay their fair share? This is about fairness. And this is about who we are as a country. This is about our commitment to future generations.

When Michelle and I think about where we came from -- a little girl on the South Side of Chicago, son of a single mom in Hawaii -- mother had to go to school on scholarships, sometimes got food stamps. Michelle's parents never owned their own home until she had already graduated -- living upstairs above the aunt who actually owned the house. We are here today only because our parents and our grandparents, they broke their backs to support us. (Applause.) But they also understood that they would get a little bit of help from their country. Because they met their responsibilities, this country would also be responsible, would also provide good public schools, would also provide recreation -- parks that were safe, making sure that they could take the bus without getting beat over the head, making sure that their kids would be able to go to college even if they weren't rich.

We're only here because past generations struggled and sacrificed for this incredible, exceptional idea that it does not matter where you come from, it does not matter where you're born, doesn't matter what you look like -- if you're willing to put in an effort, you should get a shot. You should get a shot at the American Dream. (Applause.)

And each night, when we tuck in our girls at the White House, I think about keeping that dream alive for them and for all of our children. And that's now up to us. And that's hard. This is harder than it's been in a long, long time. We're going through something we haven't seen in our lifetimes.

And I know at times that gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of you all. (Laughter.) I understand that. And nobody feels that burden more than I do. Because I know how much we have invested in making sure that we're able to move this country forward. But you know, more than a lot of other folks in this country, we know about hard. The people in this room know about hard. (Applause.) And we don't give in to discouragement.

Throughout our history, change has often come slowly. Progress often takes time. We take a step forward, sometimes we take two steps back. Sometimes we get two steps forward and one step back. But it's never a straight line. It's never easy. And I never promised easy. Easy has never been promised to us. But we've had faith. We have had faith. We've had that good kind of crazy that says, you can't stop marching. (Applause.)

Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can't stop marching. Even when they're turning the hoses on you, you can't stop. (Applause.) Even when somebody fires you for speaking out, you can't stop. (Applause.) Even when it looks like there's no way, you find a way -- you can't stop. (Applause.) Through the mud and the muck and the driving rain, we don't stop. Because we know the rightness of our cause -- widening the circle of opportunity, standing up for everybody's opportunities, increasing each other's prosperity. We know our cause is just. It's a righteous cause.

So in the face of troopers and teargas, folks stood unafraid. Led somebody like John Lewis to wake up after getting beaten within an inch of his life on Sunday -- he wakes up on Monday: We're going to go march. (Applause.)

Dr. King once said: "Before we reach the majestic shores of the Promised Land, there is a frustrating and bewildering wilderness ahead. We must still face prodigious hilltops of opposition and gigantic mountains of resistance. But with patient and firm determination we will press on." (Applause.)

So I don't know about you, CBC, but the future rewards those who press on. (Applause.) With patient and firm determination, I am going to press on for jobs. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for equality. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for the sake of our children. (Applause.) I'm going to press on for the sake of all those families who are struggling right now. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. I don't have time to complain. I am going to press on. (Applause.)

I expect all of you to march with me and press on. (Applause.) Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. (Applause.) Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We've got work to do, CBC. (Applause.)

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 8:58 P.M. EDT


President Obama recently said to the Congressional Black Caucus to "stop complaining." I believe his comments were off base and had a racially disparaging tone.

When issues were raised to integrate the military forces, President Truman did it. President Eisenhower followed through. When issues were raised to achieve equal accommodations and access to education, President Kennedy did it. President Johnson followed through. When issues were raised to provide resources to HCBUs, President Nixon did it. When issues were raised to increase support to the Small Business Administration and ensure that African-Americans had access to business capital, President Carter did it. Now we come to President Obama, and he is confusing raising issues with complaining.

Let me take this opportunity to introduce him and you to a cadre of African-Americans who, are not complaining but doing and walking the walk; the young adults that will attend the Black MBA Classic in Atlanta hosted by Howard University. This is the 4th Annual event were rising stars in the business world assembly to network, share job opportunities and develop lasting relationships. They are the young adults that are leading now and will continue to be leaders in the future. They are accountants, lawyers, marketing professionals, sales representatives, engineers, and entrepreneurs. They are business owners, venture capitalists, and real estate developers. They are main-stream Americans.

If you are in the Atlanta area, I invite you to meet and greet them. If you visit their website, view the pictures, and read their information, you will quickly understand what I'm saying.

These are the leaders within our community who are doing. President Obama should address them with the respect they deserve.

All Things Work for The Good

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 26, 2011 0 comments

"And we know that all things God work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28


One of the most difficult texts for me to internalize is this: "All things work together for good..."

Can it be that the disjointed steps, wrong turns, and disappointments assembly themselves into some package that is good?

Maybe my question is what is good? Scripture answers that, "God is good."

Therefore, if God is in everything, everywhere all at the same time; then all things work together for good. There is a phrase that cannot be ignored, "to them that love God."

To understand my circumstances and situations, I must first love God.

The onus is on me to understand that by loving God the fragments of my life are united in Him, which my ultimate good is.

Therefore, every step along the journey, whether I may classify it as good or bad, if it continues to lead me on the journey towards him - that's good!!!

What a wonderful lesson to learn in life? Each moment is an opportunity to discover God. It doesn't matter if it is on the mountain or in a valley; every moment is an opportunity to discover God. That's why the Psalmist said, "whether can I go from thy spirit or whether can I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into the heavens, thou are there? If I make my bed in hell, behold thou are there? If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost sea, thou are there?

I feel better this Monday morning, knowing that each aspect of the journey will end up being good because of God.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Posted by Unknown Sunday, September 25, 2011 1 comments

One of the joys of my ministry is that each year; we celebrate Head Start Sunday at Union Baptist Church. For the pass 44 years, we have provided educational services to children and families. During that period of time, our church has invested over $12 million to provide this service for free to eligible families. Over 7,000, children have graduated from our Head Start program.

This morning we praise God and celebrate what He has done in our midst.

I will preach from the text that my Jewish brothers and sisters call "The Shema" Deuteronomy 6: 4 - 9. The sermon is entitled, "Teach the Children."

The Students of our Head Start program will sing. The Ava Fields Dance Ministry will worship through dance.

If you are not able to make it to Union Baptist Church, this morning; I invite you to our afternoon concert being presented by The Community Concert Choir of Baltimore under the direction of Dr. Marco Merrick, and GIA Publications, Inc, of Chicago. Our Special Guest Conductor will be Dr. James Abbington. Our organist will be Mr. W. Patrick Alston. The pianist will be Mr. Chester Burke, Jr. The percussionist will be Mr. Jocque Brown.

This concert will feature songs from GIA's newest hymnal, "Total Praise."

The concert begins at 4:00 p.m. Come early, our church will be packed to capacity.

Stand Up and Walk!

Posted by Unknown Saturday, September 24, 2011 0 comments

"Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." John 5:8


I had a conversation with a man last week. He is very intelligent, but has made a series of bad decisions in his life. He commented to me that now in his early sixties, he understands that the corporate job or administrative position is impossible. He has taken a job in maintenance at our local airport. I complemented him for doing something simple, but yet profound. He picked up his mat and began to walk.

There are many people in the same position. They are wearily watching the pool for something to happen, but no angel comes. They think they only have one chance to change their situation, and nothing happens. They are waiting for some singular emotion, remarkable impression, or celestial vision; they wait in vain and watch for naught. It is a very sad reflection that tens of thousands of people are now waiting for some governmental program, some societal shift, or benevolent foundation, when they have the capacity within themselves to change their situation. All they have to do is to pick up their mat and walk.

Jesus can heal every situation. At the core of His healing power is that you trust and believe in Him. He can send angels and d the miraculous. Yes, He can. However, when you learn to trust Him, you will find a power available to you that can move mountains - faith.

Faith is the key to unlock any door. Faith has no boundaries. Faith has no limits. Faith is available to everyone, regardless of their situation.

O ye of little faith, pick you your mat and walk. God will sustain you in your journey!

Know Who to Listen To

Posted by Unknown Friday, September 23, 2011 0 comments

"Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." Proverbs 16:20


We are reminded in scripture to get wisdom. Wisdom is developed by patiently listening and learning for sage advice. Sage advice comes from persons who have your best interests at heart and through their life's experiences have distilled eternal truths that come from God. Therefore, we are instructed to give heed to instruction if one wants to prosper. Finally, the Wise Sage is God, who loves us the most.

America has lost its way

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 22, 2011 0 comments

"Do men make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!" Jeremiah 16: 20


Idolatry in ancient Israel and idolatry in America leaves a stinking stench of sin that pollutes each of these civilizations. Murder is murder when one takes the life of another. Murder is detestable in the eyes of God. The State of Georgia and those who participated in the execution of Mr. Troy Davis have done the unspeakable. They have set themselves up as false gods.

To glorify billionaires who exploit the masses to gain their wealth, to ratify the military's assassination of foreign leaders, and to increase the poverty and misery index in America points to signs of a society that has lost their fear of God.

Woe unto those who don't fear an almighty God. Woe unto those who set themselves up as false gods. Woe unto those who remind silent in the midst of outright sin.

My prayer is that God will find 10 righteous people before we are destroyed.

Mr. Dennis Livingston

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 21, 2011 0 comments

Dennis Livingston was one of the soldiers in the army. He had the acumen to be a general, but chose to live among the people. Over the past 35 years, we collaborated on many projects that brought hope and inspiration to people. I visited him a year ago at the factory, he and others converted into apartments to discuss green job opportunities. He was authentic in his commitment to empower people. He was dedicated to the service of his community. His energy and creativity will be surely missed. His passion was a delight in a city that often lacks passion and accepts the mundane.

Precious Thoughts

Posted by Unknown 0 comments

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!" Psalm 119: 17


God is always thinking about us, never does He turn aside His mind from us. He has His eyes on us, for it would be dreadful to exist for a moment beyond the observation of our Heavenly Father. His thoughts are always tender, loving, wide, prudent, far-reaching, and they bring us countless benefits and blessings: therefore, it is a special joy to remember them.

Because God thinks about His people, He chose them and made a covenant of grace with them. We never wander beyond the loving eyes of the Shepard. He sees our pain. He understands and observes our weariness. He knows our struggles.

Since the Lord thinks of us, I can say, "all is well with my soul."

Mr. Roland Martin

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 20, 2011 0 comments

Mr Roland Martin has embraced my two nephews: Kyle and Kolbe. I had the opportunity to meet him at another event. He is evolving into an effective analyst and political commentator. He has his feet on the ground and his ears too!

This wonderful picture is a depiction of a mural that will be on the wall of Druid Hill Avenue in Upton. It will commemorate two pioneers in community development: Ms. Maggie Quille and Ms. Jackie Cornish.


I commend the Druid Heights Community Development Corporation and its Director Mr. Kelley Little for commissioning this mural to two outstanding women.

Wedding Bells

Posted by Unknown Friday, September 16, 2011 0 comments

I am preparing today for the wedding rehearsal of Ms. Sheneika Fallon to Mr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Jr.

This successful power couple will be married on Saturday, September 18, 2011 at Union Baptist Church.

I am honored to officiate the wedding ceremony of my son to his future bride.

Join me in prayer for them and may God bless their love.

Answer the Call

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 15, 2011 0 comments

"To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father." Jude 1


A person came to me the other day asking for my assistance in helping them discern if God was calling them to the ministry. I asked them, "What was your perception and understanding of God? My next question, "what are your perception and understanding of yourself?" My third question, "do you believe that God loves you and why?"

Then I asked, "What would you do if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that on the other line of the phone to your heart was God?"

Then I dropped the bombshell! If you have a deep feeling in your spirit that God has made a claim on your life, you are, compelled to act upon it for God's glory, honor, and praise.

It is a special moment in your life when you receive the call from God that you are needed in his vineyard to help with the harvest of reaching souls for him.

Always remember. "Many are called, but few are chosen."

He is Able to Keep You from Falling

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 14, 2011 0 comments

"Able to keep you from falling." Jude 24


"Stony the road we trod." As we make our journey through life, we most assuredly find moments in life when we are surrounded by difficulties. One false step and down we will go. What a slippery path we walk. In the best of circumstances, we may falter. In the best of situations we quickly stumble. Our feeble knees cannot support the weight of sin. A stick may throws us, a pebble may wound us, or a bump may trip us; we are like a child learning to walk whose first steps are trembling and wavering, likewise, we take baby steps of faith. Thank God, He holds us up by our arms, or we would fall down. Thank God, He is patience with us and permits us another opportunity to get it right. When we lest expect it, enemies hide in ambush, and predicaments come to knock us down. However, God is able, to keep you from falling. Only an Almighty God can preserve us from unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. His arm is engaged for our defense. His is faithful as he has promised not to allow our weakness to be our sole support. It's His strength and power that holds us up with all around us is giving way. It's His grace and mercy that sustain us through difficult and trying times. It's His perfect peace that keeps us from falling apart and giving in. Thank God that He is able to keep you and me from falling.

Politics: When will we every learn?

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 13, 2011 0 comments

For my Baltimore politically astute colleagues, I'm reading a publication by The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies entitled, "Baltimore's Failure to Elect a Black Mayor in 1971."

What is interesting about the report is the role of Morgan State College in its authorship. Dr. C. James Fleming and Dr. C. Vernon Gray played a direct role. On the Board at that time were Dr. James E. Cheek and Dr. Andrew Billingsley of Howard University.

For the people who glorify the past, here are the voting results of that Mayoral Campaign: Schaefer - 95,315, Russell - 58,528, and Mitchell - 6,554.

Forty years ago, 160,397 people voted in that election.

I wonder what the voter turnout will be 40 years later?

"Before his glorious presence without fault." Jude 24


The older I become the more I give thought to the idea of eternal life. In reading scripture, I understand that the pressure of living one's convictions place them at odds against the power forces of that day. As a result, one had to imagine another existence to be able to handle the brutality of their present existence. Therefore, the idea of heaven gave them an escape from their reality.

I believe that eternal life is more than an idea. It is supreme reality. Life in the form of a new-born baby comes from God. It is not derived from the human condition. I firmly believe that life comes from the Divinity of God. As a result, I believe that we should live in this reality with complete adoration of the God, who created us. Therefore, if a loving God creates us, I believe that in His Divine presence, we return to live with him as we did before for evermore.

Jude steps into the discussion with this text, which states that we will be in his presence without fault. To be in his presence without fault we have to deal with how do you eliminate sin; because all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. To become free from sin, you need an advocate who can wash you clean from sin. Jesus Christ is the advocate who commands the attention, honor, and respect of God. It, therefore, follows that only God Himself in a human form can be that advocate. I believe that Jesus is the Pascal lamb who takes away the sins of the world.

If you believe in Him, He will be your advocate. His sacrifice of Himself for you and me provides the covering for our sins, the containment of our sins, the concealing of our sins, and the cleansing of our sins.

Only through the righteousness of Jesus Christ can we become faultless and stand on that fateful day before an Almighty God without blemish.

Praying in the Holy Spirit

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 12, 2011 0 comments

"Pray in the Holy Spirit." Jude 20


I'm beginning my work on Sunday, Sept. 18th sermon. It will be entitled, "Contend for the Faith." The Scripture reference will be Jude 17 - 25. Leading up to Sunday, my daily blogs will focus upon verses found in the Book of Jude.

An overlooked dimension of prayer is that it must be "in the Holy Spirit." Pray which comes from God can go to God. We must learn how to shoot the Lord's arrows back to Him. That desire which He writes upon our heart will move His heart and bring down a blessing, but the desires of the flesh have no power with Him.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is praying in fervency. Cold prayers or lukewarm prayers are pitiful prayers. Prayers must be red hot, and heart felt.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is praying with perseverance. Beautiful in God's sight are tearful, agonizing, unconquerable, insistent requests. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

Praying in the Holy Spirit is to offer a humble prayer. We must learn contrition and brokenness of spirit. We must avoid "hubris" a false sense of pride that says we are even worthy to come to God in our sinful state. Out of our depths, we must learn to cry, or we shall never behold His glory.

Praying in the Holy Spirit is to offer a loving prayer. If we cannot love those who we see, how can we love Him that we cannot see? Prayer should be perfumed with love and saturated with loving desire.

Praying in the Holy Spirit should strengthen your faith. It must believe the promises of God, even if you never see the promise, does not mean that the promise is not just over the horizon.

Learn to be refreshing

Posted by Unknown Saturday, September 10, 2011 0 comments

"He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25


This text teaches us a great lesson, to get, we must give; to accumulate, we must scatter; to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered.

Our efforts to be useful bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise.

I have found that by teaching Bible study, I gain a better understanding of scriptures for myself. I have found that by sharing in someone else sorrows, I gain the capacity to handle my own.

It is when you give that you get. That's why the word says, "It is better to give than to receive."

"Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."

We All Have Work to Do

Posted by Unknown Thursday, September 8, 2011 0 comments

"They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall." Nehemiah 3:8


On the Eve of President Obama's address on jobs, I am mindful of the need to rebuild America and put people to work; but also to rebuild the church and strengthen the moral fiber of our society. A close look at the construction of Jerusalem it was fortified by a board wall. The purpose of the broad wall was to show that it was in nonconformity to the world and was separated from its customs and spirits.

There is a tendency to break down the holy barrier between the church and the world, and say, the distinction between the church and the world is merely nominal. Persons that professes to be Christians are so much like the world that there is no distinction in dress, behavior, speech or attitude.

As our President seeks to rebuild America and put people to work. Those of us in the faith must rebuild our faith communities and engage people in the quest to become Royal Ambassadors for Him who loves us the most and rebuild our faith in God.

A Way Out of No Way

Posted by Unknown Wednesday, September 7, 2011 0 comments

"Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge." Psalm 31:4


In life, Satan is planning trick, temptations, and traps for you. Even with you best efforts, you can sometimes become caught in a situation, predicament, or a matter that has dire consequences.

Even if you find yourself in the jaws of a lion or in a fiery furnace, God has the power and compassion to release from all harm. His love, grace and mercy can rescue you. God is equal to every emergency, and He is smarter than any demonic device.

"For you are my refuge!" No words are sweeter than knowing that God always makes a way of escape.

God's divine power can keep you, but more importantly release you.

Pray for Wholeness which is greater than healing

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 6, 2011 0 comments

"This sickness will not end in death." John 11:4


From Jesus' words we learn that there is a limit to sickness. The word "in" means that its ultimate end is restrained, and there is a limit beyond which it cannot go. Lazarus might pass through death, but death was not to be the end of his sickness. In all sickness, the Lord says to the waves of pain, "Up to now shall you go, but no further." His fixed purpose is not the destruction, but the instruction of His people. Wisdom hangs up the thermometer at the furnace moth, and regulates the heat. Three points I will share:
1. The limit is encouragingly comprehensive. The God of providence has limited the time, manner, intensity, repetition, and effects of all our sicknesses; each throb is decreed, each sleepless hour predestined, each relapse ordained, each depression of spirit foreknown, and each sanctifying result eternally purposed. Nothing great or small escapes the ordaining hand of Him who numbers the hairs of our head.

2. The limit is wisely adjusted to our strength, to the end designed, and to the grace apportioned. Affliction is not a haphazard event - the weight of every stroke of the rod is accurately measured. He who makes no mistakes in balancing the clouds and measuring our the heavens, commits no errors in measuring out the ingredients which constitute the medicine of souls.

3. The limit is tenderly appointed. The knife of the heavenly Surgeon never cuts deeper than is absolutely necessary. "He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." A love one's cries, "Spare him or her;" is no more compassionate than our gracious God who will love us forever.

When Men Pray

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 5, 2011 0 comments

When Men pray, things change. We need an army of prayer warrior who are willing to stand on the wall and protect our families and communities. 

Has anyone been able to stretch a dollar? In this economy it appears that it is shrinking. When people ask me for a dollar, I wonder what they will be able to buy with it. 

Cardio4Life

Posted by Unknown 0 comments


I recommend that my friends check out this dietary supplement. I have been using it for the past 30 days. It has done amazing things for my health. If you try it, I am certain you will experience a wonderful change in your lifestyle. Good health is dieting, exercise, vitamins, and understanding your body. You can order it from my website. Just click this link: Cardio4Life. Always check with you medical professional to determine the benefits this product may have for your situation.

God's Unfailing Love

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"God's unfailing love." Psalm 52:8

When you meditate on God's unfailing love, you realize that it has some very distinguishing characteristics. It is a tender love. His gentle touch is able to heal a broken heart and to bind your wounds. He is able to rock you to sleep and awaken you with a gentle breeze. It is a great love. There is nothing too hard for God. There isn't any matter to small for God. His great love is infinite. It is an undeserved love. Our unrighteousness deserves punishment, but God's grace and mercy is available to all. It is a rich love. So rich is his love that no good thing will he with hold from those who diligently seek him. It is an abounding love. Think about all the millions of people in the world who experience his compassion. His faithfulness allows us to experience new mercies every morning. I'm so thankful that in the midst of life's struggles; it is the love of God that is unfailing and is able to pick you up with you fall.


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