From my experience as a black male and as an oURLife teacher, there could be only two types of churches that would grow up in the aftermath of antebellum slavery: prophetic and prosperity.
The prophetic ministry concentrates on deliberately confronting wrongs with scriptural truths, and holding power responsible for its actions. Examples are Jesus, Martin Luther King, et al.
Prosperity ministry is demonized because of its supposed concentration on material wealth at the exclusion of other important spiritual things.
At New Light, we're taught "whole life prosperity," and specifically that does not mean "just money."
In the aftermath of slavery, which I've pointed out (and this interview points out) still exists as an exception to the 13th amendment, we need both constructs within our community. Unfortunately, the mall, Internet and IPODs have become our central focus. For our whole life prosperity, for living righteously (right-standing), for demanding justice: WE NEED GOD.
That forty minutes you spend with your oURLife minister may be the most important ones of your life.
Ecclesiastes 10:19 “A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answers everything.”
Proverbs 18:21 – 22 “Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue; and those who love it will eat its fruit. [He who] finds a wife finds a good [thing]; and obtains favor from the LORD.”
Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for [it is] He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as [it is] this day.”
Job 36:11 “If they obey and serve [him], they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.”
Luke 4:17 "And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the LORD [is] upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to [the] poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to [the] captives And recovery of sight to [the] blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Luke 4:19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."
Luke 4:20 Then He closed the book, and gave [it] back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
Proverbs 31:10-31 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth [is] far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise [is] good, And her lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household [is] clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing [is] fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells [them], And supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor [are] her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue [is] the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband [also], and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all." Charm [is] deceitful and beauty [is] passing, But a woman [who] fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
Matthew 24:30 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:31 "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Matthew 24:37 "But as the days of Noah [were], so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:38 "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,
Matthew 24:39 "and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Refer to my previous post: Agreeing with Jesus...and the Atheists. Tell any nonbeliever as the "bride" of Christ, its not our business to "know," only to live out our lives like it's tomorrow. That puts the responsibility of living out our Christian lives on U-S and not a "schedule."
I truly tire of hucksters fleecing the gullible and the Biblically ignorant with predictions that they can't possible back up.
Philipians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Phl 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for [His] good pleasure.
Philipians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
Philipians 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Philipians 2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
Onward to 2012, and I hope that's the end of the craziness...
All politicians, all men in power, involved in the Executive Branch, the Senate, the House of Representatives; two Governors…all men, all (except one) former of their positions…all guilty of having extramarital affairs.
Hosea 8:4 "They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge [them]. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves--That they might be cut off."
Charles Barkley famously said: “I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works, Charles. Kids do what they see us do, not what we say. When what we say doesn’t jibe with what we do, they go for the “do” as justification for what they want to accomplish, and all famously counter: “well…YOU did it!”
We are clearly instructed from scripture to pray for our leaders (and, not just VOTE for them) that we might live “quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). That also means praying for people you DIDN’T vote for either. In this era of instantaneous information via the Internet and 24/7 cable news, what and whom we build up one day may be torn to bits – reputation wise – tomorrow.
”From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves…” might as well read OF themselves in the case of the IMF president Strauss-Kahn resigned in an attempted rape scandal. My oldest son and I discussed this on my visit to Austin (from NY, where the alleged attempt occurred). He had a valid point: at $3,000 a night, he probably felt untouchable; invincible. The room is probably no bigger than say, a $90 – 110/night room, but at that level your among your “rich peers” who have also made “idols of themselves” because they do NOT have a Godly perspective on money.
Hosea 8:7 “They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; it shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up.”
Arnold, apparently said something about single mothers in an interview prior to his election as California governor (in a recall of Grey Davis), and will full knowledge he’d become a father/baby daddy with two sons soon on the way – one in wedlock and one out. There’s an old saying: “those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” At some point in each of their careers, each of the men listed have “thrown stones.” Many political platforms are based on so-called “family values.” This is no more than a method to get a group to the polls and vote for them. I’d seen it down at my church in North Carolina as a boy: the politician would come right before November; he/she would address us in “call-and-response” preaching the gospel of themselves as the best investment of our vote; if he/she could bring the house down, they most likely received our vote; we’d never see them after the election…until the NEXT election (their reelection). “The stalk has no bud; it shall never produce meal.”
In this post, I am NOT justifying bad behavior. What I chaff at is the manipulation of our Christian values for political gain. I list both members of the two dominant parties because they are both guilty of this, and like the politicians when I was a kid, promptly forget what they promised you at your church/convention/camp meeting. They simply say what they have to say to get our votes.
I’m not saying we as Christians shouldn’t vote, either. If they want to show me some “family values,” I have a few suggestions: 1) get us off fossil fuels and out of countries that don’t want us taking theirs, 2) design the infrastructure for electric cars (i.e., charging stations), 3) bring the price of gas below $3/gallon, 4) bring the cost of food down, 5) bring the jobs back. Can I get an AMEN to that?
David and Solomon were some of the baddest poets in the Bible. To castegate poetry as has been done in some circles, to call Common a "thug" for his spoken word, then they where thugs; I am a thug.
I defy Paul Dirac (physicist) when he said: "I do not see how a man can work on the frontiers of physics and write poetry at the same time. They are in opposition." My major in college was Engineering Physics. I will pursue a Masters and PhD in Physics. I work in the semiconductor industry: applied physics in your cell phones.
I defy the quote by Richard Dawkins who said: "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world." I am less for religion than for relationship. I study the world in every book I read and every math and science problem I solve. Such a quote is baseless, arrogant and ignorant.
Couldn't resist. What 1st Lady of the United States in recent memory could dance the "Dougie"? It's part of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move initiative. Visit the link. Enjoy the video!
"The first official Mother's Day celebrations in the United States took place in West Virginia in 1908, at the urging of Anna Jarvis. Anna's mother (also named Anna), who was active in her community, frequently organized women's groups to promote friendship and health. It had been her dream to reunite families divided by the Civil War with a day dedicated to mothers. When she passed away on May 12, 1907, Anna held a memorial service at her late mother's church in her honor. Her mother's idea of Mother's Day quickly caught on, and within five years of her death, virtually every state was observing the day on the anniversary of her death. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May as the official Mother's Day.
"Although Jarvis had promoted wearing a white carnation as a tribute to one's mother, the custom developed of wearing a red or pink carnation to represent a living mother or a white carnation for a mother who was deceased. Over time, the day was expanded to include others, such as grandmothers and aunts, who played mothering roles. However, what had originally been primarily a day of honor became associated with the sending of cards and the giving of gifts and in protest against its commercialization, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday that she had helped establish.
"Mother's Day is celebrated around the world, either on this date, or at other times of the year. In 17th century England, those who had moved away were allowed to visit their home parishes and their mothers on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent. This became "Mothering Sunday," now celebrated earlier in the year in England. Some countries have also continued to observe ancient festivals; for example, Durga-puja, honoring the goddess Durga, remains an important festival in India."
Despite my challenging background, she said often and believed the quote I marquee above, and more importantly: she believed in me.
Mildred: Her name means "gentle strength." She was that.
Please honor your mother (while she lives), given to you by a loving God, who assists you in fulfilling your dreams: http://www.e-cards.com/area/mothers-day/ (also source of "history of Mother's Day" above)
From the article embed below: I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for 10 years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to peace. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week — but he died to life a long time ago.
Isaiah 14:16 "Those who see you will gaze at you, [And] consider you, [saying]: '[Is] this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,
Isaiah 14:17 Who made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, [Who] did not open the house of his prisoners?'
Isaiah 14:18 "All the kings of the nations, All of them, sleep in glory, Everyone in his own house;
Isaiah 14:19 But you are cast out of your grave Like an abominable branch, [Like] the garment of those who are slain, Thrust through with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit, Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
Isaiah 14:20 You will not be joined with them in burial, Because you have destroyed your land [And] slain your people. The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
Mat 24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
Mat 24:40 "Then two [men] will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Mat 24:41 "Two [women will be] grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Mat 24:42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."
When I taught oURLife in Austin, sometimes the outline in Houston would speak of "end times." There is a whole school of study - eschatology, or the study of "end things." I understood what headquarters forwarded as a reference only (we tend to emphasize "now" faith), but teens saw it as not being able to get married, have children, live a life similar to what they've seen their parents and other grownups around them live. That's natural and normal.
Beloved, the end times started on Jesus' Ascension into Heaven. Believers have been waiting for it since the Apostle Paul. From his conversion on the road to Damascas, Syria, Saul/Paul and the rest of the disciples were certain of the imminent return of Christ in their lifetimes.
It obviously went the way of the Y2K books about the time glitch sending our technology back to the stone age of 1900!
So, I agree with Jesus and surprisingly the atheists. I don't agree that it's nonsense, since Jesus mentioned signs of the end during his ministry.
A lot of what Jesus alluded to was in the tradition of Jewish marriage customs that his audience at the time perfectly understood. We're technically Gentiles, centuries removed from the social significance of the illustration:
How to get hitched, "old school" Jewish-style
1. Betrothal, or the marriage covenant (the promise to "jump the broom") established.
2. The groom would travel from his father's house to the home of the prospective bride.
3. There, he would negotiate the price (mohar) he would have to pay the father for his bride.
4. Once the bridegroom paid the price, he and his bride were considered husband and wife.
5. From that moment, the bride was declared consecrated/sanctified/set apart for her bridegroom.
6. As a symbol of the covenant (promise) relationship, the bride and groom would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
7. After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months.
8. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau (the personal possessions of a bride), and to prepare for married life.
9. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he would bring his bride.
10. At the end of the period of separation, the groom would come for his bride with his groomsmen, usually at night by torchlight.
11. Although the bride would expect the groom, she did not know the exact hour/time of his coming.
12. The groom's arrival would be proceeded by a shout: that would warn the bride that her groom was coming.
Breaking it down/Dropping Science
1. Betrothal, or the marriage covenant (the promise to "jump the broom") established: Rev 5:5 NKJV - But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
2. The groom (Jesus) would travel from his father's house (Heaven) to the home of the prospective bride (earth and earthlings, us).
3. There, he would negotiate the price (mohar) he would have to pay the father (the ruler of this world: John 14:30) for his bride (the church, Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,).
4. Once the bridegroom paid the price (John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"), he and his bride were considered husband and wife.
5. From that moment, the bride was declared consecrated/sanctified/set apart for her bridegroom, Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
6. As a symbol of the covenant (promise) relationship, the bride and groom would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced (1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same manner [He] also [took] the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink [it], in remembrance of Me.").
7. After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom (Jesus) would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house (Heaven). There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months.
8. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau (the personal possessions of a bride), and to prepare for married life: Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;.
9. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he would bring his bride: John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many mansions; if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
10. At the end of the period of separation, the groom would come for his bride with his groomsmen, usually at night by torchlight(see Mat 24:36 and Act 1:10-11 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This [same] Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.").
11. Although the bride would expect the groom, she did not know the exact hour/time of his coming (see Mat 24:36,42).
12. The groom's arrival would be proceeded by a shout: that would warn the bride that her groom was coming: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
I said these words at both of my parents' homegoings. I believe I will see them again.
As for the atheists: Psalms 14:1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David. The fool has said in his heart, "[There is] no God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
