The New iPod Touch
On September 7th, Apple did it again by releasing its new iPod nano. What makes this new nano different from the old are the added features of video recording and an FM radio with live pausing. You may or may not like Apple’s products, but it cannot be denied that this company has the reputation of being cool, innovative, and able to grow. We at Pentecostal Tabernacle determined that if our church is going to be associated with being cool, innovative, and growing, then we must also focus on having a new “iPod touch”. Therefore, at the beginning of the year we determined that our congregation would consistently work on four areas (iPod): 1. Influencers (Developing strong leaders) 2. Pastoral Care (Providing good spiritual care for our members) 3. Organization (Becoming better managers of all our resources, especially our talented partners) 4. Discipleship (Fulfilling our Lord’s commission, found in Matthew 28:19, to make disciples) Thus, the free iPod nano we are giving out at each of our Back-to-School Sunday services today is a visual reinforcement of our commitment to these four areas. We are renewing our iPod touch because we believe that when churches, organizations, or people continue to develop in these four areas, they do not simply grow, they grow in a healthy manner. So, my question is: Are you growing in these particular areas of your life? If not, then I not only invite you to join us on this journey but I also invite your...
read moreHappy vs. Rejoice
Have you noticed that the Bible does not command us to be happy but does command us to rejoice? When I searched both words in the King James Version of the Bible, I discovered that the word “happy” was used 25 times while the word “rejoice” was used 240. It seems to me that God puts a far higher premium on our rejoicing than our being happy. But the question is, Why? Maybe the reason can be found in the definition of each word. The root word of the adjective “happy” is the word “hap”. This word is defined as, “one’s luck or lot, an occurrence, happening, or accident”. However, the root word of the word “rejoice” is “re” + “gaudium” which is a verb that means “Go back to your source of delight (satisfaction), again and again.” The word “Happy” is an adjective, while “Rejoice” is a verb. Now most of us have learned that an adjective is a word that describes or identifies a noun (a person, place, or thing). Thus, happy is not an action. It is simply an identifier, a description, a result. Therefore, if you are happy now, it just so happened that you are described as being lucky at that moment ,though it was an accident. And that also means you could be identified as unhappy tomorrow. But the word “Rejoice” is a verb, which reflects an action, an exercise, movement, something one does. Happy seems passive. Happy connotes waiting for something to occur that will bring one into a certain place of satisfaction, such as a better job, a romantic relationship, a sunny day, a great sale on a desired item. Rejoice speaks to something that is very active. Rejoice speaks to something I can have control over. Thus, if my source of satisfaction is running, I can go back to running again and again. However, the Bible commands us to “Rejoice in the Lord”; to go back to our source of delight (satisfaction). That source is: The Lord. Psalm 37:4 tells us, “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Wow! If we keep going back to make the Lord our source of satisfaction again and again, He will give us the desires of our heart. So which will you choose? Will you choose to wait for some “person (romantic love of your life), place (fantasy vacation) or thing (scholarship, new car, new house, new job) to hap-pen that will in turn bring satisfaction in your life? Or will you, of your own choice, control, and decision keep going back to your source of satisfaction, which can always be found in the Lord who never changes no matter what our circumstances are (Malachi 3:6)? I think I already know the answer, but I do invite your...
read moreLord Had Mercy!
Mercy! It’s meaning? Forgiveness, gift, kindness, favor, blessing, evidence of divine favor, generosity, Godsend, grace, Ruth. Ruth? Well, we’ll get to that one later. However, the word mercy is not a word we often use. The times that we do hear the word “mercy” being used, are usually either in a movie where a defeated foe pleads for his life or as a student’s request of a teacher during a final exam. “I plead for mercy!” We also may have heard it used as a phrase in a Christian prayer or song: “Lord, have mercy on me!” Or maybe we’ve heard it used humorously when a guy sees a very attractive woman: “Laaawwwdddd, have mercy!” Though this word may seem antiquated with regards to our 21st century word usage, we need to always be mindful of Paul’s words found in Romans: I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, Amplified Bible) Paul is pleading with us that in view of all of God’s mercies, that being (1) His forgiveness (2) His gifts to us (3) His kindness (4) His Favor (5) His blessings in our lives (6) The evidence of His Divine favor in our lives (7) His generosity (8) What & whom God sends into our lives (9) His Grace and finally (10), the special & close friends (the Ruths) He’s given us in this life…(we ought to) make a decisive dedication of our bodies to God as an act of intelligent worship. Certainly our lives do not always go in the direction or manner we would desire. And while I’m sure things could always be better, when we look over our lives and think about these ten things that we have experienced at some point, let’s at least admit that the Lord had mercy on us. Not only do I invite your thoughts, but I also invite you to take time to thank God today for His...
read moreAttitude
During the month of August, I seemed to have hit what I would call a very horrible emotional wall. Whereas summer is supposed to be a time of rest, relaxation, and “dialing it down”, I found myself becoming increasingly frustrated and discouraged. Someone recently asked me how I was doing. As I paused to think, she responded to my lack of immediate response with the words, “Uh Oh!” I informed her that after really thinking about her question, I had to admit that while my life was going rather well, I myself was not doing so well. The next thing I did was to take a hard look at my attitude. It was then that I remembered the following quote, which I heard almost 30 years ago by Dr. Charles (Chuck) Swindoll: “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations…The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gifted ability, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.” The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace from that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in certain ways. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing that we can do is play on the one violin string that we have left after the other three strings have snapped, and that string is ATTITUDE. I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is….We are in charge of our Attitudes. I can’t say that I am “out of the woods” quite yet, but as one of my minister friends once said, “I have not arrived where I want to be but I’ve left where I...
read moreThe Not-So-Pearly Gates
On last evening myself and a number of other black (not all are African-American) clergy met with the Mayor and Police Commissioner of the City of Cambridge. Unless you have been living on another planet, you more than likely have heard about the arrest of Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr., a prominent African-American Professor at Harvard University. He was arrested on July 16th, when a policeman responded to a call that two black men were breaking into a house located near Harvard University. And this is the topic of our discussion for this post. What originally seemed like an open and shut case has turned into such a national fire storm of debate that even President Barak Obama found himself dragged into it. Now, approximately two weeks later, we discover that things are not always what they seem. Professor Gates was not breaking into a house, for the house belonged to him. The woman accused of describing the perpetrators of the crime as being black never described them as being black. The arresting officer, Sergeant James Crowley, who has been accused of being racist, may have been more outraged and angered at Professor Gates’ description of his mother than at the color of Gates’ skin. So now we’re having the big discussion of race, not simply in America, but more specifically in a very liberal city known by many as “The People’s Republic of Cambridge”. Cambridge has always looked upon itself as the bastion of openness, the “Pearly Gates” of diversity for so many different cultures, and rightfully so. In my congregation alone, there are representatives from approximately 35 – 40 different countries. Thus, this one instance certainly bruised the pride, and maybe even the arrogance, of a city that may not have always been willing to concede that this kind of stuff still occurs even in a city like Cambridge. I personally do not think that this particular case measures up to all of the accusations we as people of color are making with regards to racism and racial profiling. However, this case represents the smoke that’s led a nation to where the fire called racism still burns. For example, our ministry intern, a Harvard Divinity Student, was followed (almost stalked) by a police officer after coming out of his own apartment. Why? Because he was a black man in his mid-twenties in a Cambridge neighborhood not known for having blacks. And, sadly enough, his experience is exactly the point of this nationally-charged debate. Most certainly, I invite your...
read moreRejoice (Part I): Fix Your Face!
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4; KJV) This Scripture may be one of the most well-known in the Bible. Part of the reason for this is because many of us love the version of this Scripture made into song by Israel Houghton & New Breed. The more likely reason is that it is one of the shortest verses in the Bible. And, unfortunately, because it is such a short verse, we tend to think that we fully understand what it means to really rejoice. In these times of emotional stress caused by people feeling unsafe for a variety of reasons, as well as economic stress, we really need to experience the joy of the Lord as our strength on a daily basis (Nehemiah 8:10). So, because we see the word “joy” in the word “rejoice”, we can probably see our need to fully understand this simple word in order for us to live our lives in the full strength of God, as He empowers us through His Holy Spirit. But what does it really mean to rejoice? The word “rejoice” in this particular verse comes from a Greek word that means: Be Cheerful. Thus, the command is: Be cheerful in the Lord always, and again I say, Be Cheerful! Well, what does it mean to really be cheerful? Our English word for “cheer” interestingly enough is derived from a Late Latin word that means “Face”. This metaphorically means one’s mood, demeanor, or mental condition as reflected in one’s face. So being cheerful means to have a face full of, in this case, joy. Because the word “joy” means “satisfaction”, this verse is telling us to have a face that is “full of satisfaction”. I realize this is tedious, but hang with me here! The word “satisfaction” or “satisfy” literally means “to do enough” or “enough has been done”. Thus, when I express that I am satisfied, I am saying that I’ve had enough or enough has been done for me. So, what are we saying here? The term “rejoice in the Lord always” means: Have a face that fully expresses that the Lord has done enough for you! Put a smile on your face. Brighten up your eyes. Push up your cheeks. Let the reflection of your face in the mirror express that God not only has done enough, but the Lord is enough! In other words: Let’s fix our faces to fully express that having the Lord in our lives is enough! If we are to be God’s New Testament Levites and Priests (Deuteronomy 10:8-9; 1 Peter 2:9), then we must live lives that fully reflect to the world around us that our God is enough. I invite your...
read moreSinging Life in the Key of C
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6; KJV) If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? (Jeremiah 12:5; NLT) The word “Philippians” literally means “Lover of Horses”. I believe that God does not only desire that we keep up in the horse race of life, but that we actually love and enjoy this rapid pace. But the question is: How? How can we keep this rapid pace without being anxious, annoyed or even angry with life? I believe that Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi holds the answer. This is why during this month we’ve been speaking on a series entitled “Running with the Big Dogs”. By “Big Dogs” we mean people of influence. People who are impacting their worlds. People of great accomplishment. In other words, folks who get significant things done!!! Big Dogs have to eat. Big Dogs like to C.H.O.W. In other words, they feed on four types of attitudes: • Confidence • Humility • Oblivion (oblivious; they forget the past) • Worship During last week’s sermon, we discovered that the Greek word for “Confidence” means “Assenting [to the evidence]”. We also noted that one definition of “assent” is the word “accord”, which speaks of “being in harmony”. Thus, God desires that we live our lives in harmony with the evidence that since He began His good (God) work in us, He will certainly complete it. What evidence? Evidence such as how God saved us. Evidence such as the condition we were in when Christ found us. Evidence such as the difficult, if not impossible, situations through which God has brought us. We need to assent to the clear evidence that what God started in our lives, He will finish. And yet, there is one problem with this concept called harmony. Harmony means that we must sing the same note as another person, in this case God’s Spirit. What I love about the book of Philippians is that the Apostle Paul is very clear regarding what it takes to possess an attitude of Joy. In chapter one alone, Paul mentions the word “Christ” eighteen times. In other words, if we are going to live lives full of God’s joy, then Christ has to be at the center of our lives. Yes, we must live our lives in the key of “C”. So let’s move away from attitudes of doubt and unbelief, for unless we learn to conduct our lives in the key of “C”—lives full of the Spirit of Christ—we will always feel like life is just one big hassle. That’s certainly not the manner in which God has saved us to live (John 10:10). I still invite your...
read moreThe Performance Enhancer
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6; KJV) Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and, as of two weeks ago, Sammy Sosa. These are the names of players who were considered some of the best baseball players in the history of Major League Baseball, but were caught or highly suspected of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Performance-enhancing drugs are substances used by athletes to improve their performance in the sports in which they engage. Thus, these individuals, who were once a sure bet to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame will more than likely be denied admittance. Why? Because they have been accused of cheating. They’ve taken a substance that assisted them in performing far better in their sport than they would have without it. Unlike in baseball or any other sport, we Christians are encouraged to allow “The Performance Enhancer” to work regularly in our lives (Philippians 2:13). In fact, we are to be confident that He is determined to work in us to produce a “Hall of Faith” (see: Hebrews Chapter 11) performance in our lives. So stop worrying about the mistakes and failures you’ve made during your Christian journey. Stop trying to perform your God-given purpose through your own natural ability. Because the word “performance” means “toward completion and conclusion”, be confident in this one thing: it is God who started His work in your life by saving you from sin, and He is the same person who will bring the work that He started in your life toward its completion and conclusion. And I have even better news for you! Not only will He keep at it until the very end of your life, but He encourages you to allow Him to daily enhance your performance. For without Him, you will not make His Hall of Faith (John 15:5). I invite your...
read moreFresh Bread: SPEED
When one thinks of horses, one thinks about two major things: Power and Speed. For example, horsepower measures the strength of an automobile’s engine. And when it comes to horses, who isn’t at least aware of the sport of horse racing? In fact, watching horses race is such a thing of beauty that movies such as Seabiscuit and Hidalgo were financially successful, both earning over $100 million. Last month a horse by the name of “Rachel Alexander” won The Preakness in Baltimore, which is the middle portion of horse racing’s triple-crown (the other two being The Kentucky Derby and The Belmont Stakes). What made the winner of this race so exceptional was that it was the first time in 85 years that a female horse (a filly) beat out the male horses (colts) in such an event. In these most difficult times, I want to take you on a journey toward victory against the tremendous odds that you are facing today. I want you to join me on an exploration of a book in the Bible that I believe was written specifically to produce a winning attitude. That book is called “Philippians”. The word “Philippians,” which is derived from the name Philip, means: Lover of Horses. There’s a Scripture found in Jeremiah that states “So, Jeremiah, if you’re worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can’t keep your wits during times of calm, what’s going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?” (Jeremiah 12:5, The Message Bible). Today life seems to be racing at such a pace that people of all ages are growing both weary and exhausted. And, as Jeremiah indicates, it’s only going to get worst. There are very few individuals in the Bible who’ve had a more hectic and challenging life than the Apostle Paul. Yet, he not only exceeded the foot speed of other men, he seemed to thrive during when life’s challenges came with the speed of horses. How else could he write such words as “Rejoice in the Lord always…” while he was in prison for doing God’s work? The Book of Philippians is Paul’s thank you letter to the Philippians, and it focuses on “living a life full of joy in Christ.” I believe that during these challenging and discouraging times, the verses within this letter will add both speed and power to your walk with God and your journey toward your destiny. Join me as together we explore how to live a life full of joy. Paul did it, so it has to be possible. Stop and Think: List three of the greatest challenges you’re facing right...
read moreThings Remembered
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So the angel said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a MEMORIAL before God.” (Acts 10:1-4; NKJV) As a boy growing up, I used to look forward to this weekend. Not simply because I got the day off from school, but because our city held one of its very few parades: The Memorial Day Parade. Though our nation was engulfed in the Vietnam War at the time, I never really understood what Memorial Day meant. As a boy, all I cared about was seeing the marching bands and getting my parents to purchase a souvenir from a vendor. Of course, as I got older I realized the seriousness of this holiday due to the sacrifices soldiers, both living and deceased, have made and continue to make for our country. And that’s not even including the sacrifices required of their families. So I was intrigued by the wording in the King James Bible describing a prayer coming up to God as a “memorial”, especially since God never forgets. I discovered that in Greek the word “memorial” means “memorandum”. Memorandum is derived from a Latin word which means, “a thing to be remembered”. Thus, the angel says to Cornelius, “Your prayers…have come up as a ‘thing to be remembered’ before God”. Picture your prayers as little “Post It” notes all around Heaven. However, do not for one minute think that your many prayers are reminding God in case He forgets. No! No! A thousand times No! I believe these many prayers are a declaration to God and the angels in Heaven who run His errands that though we’ve been praying for many, many years, WE STILL BELIEVE! I encourage you to use part of your holiday weekend to take some of your old, forgotten prayers and dust them off! Then, remind both Heaven and Hell that you still believe. (Luke...
read more
sending...
