The President - Promises and Polls

President Barak Obama promised to reinstate Executive Order No. 13173 which President Clinton issued just before he left office. Executive Order No. 13173 failed to achieve its mandate of hiring an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years. Obama will issue this executive order early in his first term and designate a senior White House official to assure that all federal departments and agencies meet the mandate." He actually reinstated the executive order on the day of its anniversary. He promised to work with military commanders on the ground in Iraq and in consultation with the Iraqi government to end the war safely and responsibly within 16 months. The last of American combat troops are leaving Iraq, "Goodbye Iraq: Last US combat brigade heads home." The Obama-meter reads: Promises Kept 122, Compromises 39, Promises Broken 22, Stalled 82, and in the Works are 238. The President is doing much of what he promised and sinking in the polls. I mentioned this to Reverend Jeremiah Wright when he was with us and he responded with this story: "If Barak, Biden and Hillary were on a boat and Hillary's hat blew off into the water. Biden exclaimed; What are we going to do? Barak said, Hold tight, he gets up, walks on the water, gets Hillary's hat and comes back to the boat and gives it to her, the pondents would say, "See there, he cant even swim." Mr. President, I offer to you the advice that the late Reverend Dr. E.V. Hill of Los Angeles gave to me many many years ago, and as the years passed on it became the most helpful piece of advice ever given to me; "DO WHAT YOU CAN."

Bishop Eddie Long

My prayers go out today to Bishop Eddie Long of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, his family, his congregation and his supporters around the world. My prayers go out today for his accusers. This is so painful for the Body of Christ. Scandalize the man if you will, find him guilty before his day in court if you will, throw him under the bus... What has that done for the Body of Christ? It hurts ALL of our abilities to witness and draw the unsaved into the foal. I hope that these allegations are untrue. I hope that the all parties could settle this outside of the media... Of course; that's impossible now! I do know that God requires much from those whom much has been given. I believe His patience is running out with the Body of Christ and with us not being true to our calling. I believe that our heart must be totally sold out to the work of God and the salvation of God's people and that God has had enough of our pulpit crap....and that all of us will be brought to an open shame if we don't become more commited to the cause of Christ. Bishop Eddie Long may be the poster child for what can happen to All of us, either again or in the future...

God forgive all of us for our sin, our shortcoming, the weights which so easily beset us. Give us the fortitude to stand boldly and holy in and out of the Church. Let our lights really shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify you! Help us to win souls to you through your word and through our walk and ways. God, Bless Bishop Eddie Long, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, and the accusers. If this is true; let not the Body of Christ suffer, but allow your all sufficient Grace to pervail.

Family Fitness

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit of God. God paid a greater price for you than that unknown man paid for that baseball. And, you are not your own, therefore God hath commanded you to glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit. Psalm 139:14, I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Your body is a carefully crafted finely tuned machine and thank God it comes with a maintenance manual. We are God’s purchased possession. We are the temple of God and it’s about time we look at some temple maintenance.

God is interested in the total person. God is a Holistic God.
God is interested in your Spirit, Soul, and your Body
With my Spirit I have Spiritual Life, I know the world above me.
With my Soul I have Psychological Life, I know the world around me.
With my Body I have Physical Life, and I’m related to the world below me.
When my Spirit is right I’m Holy, When my soul is right I’m Happy,
When my body is right I’m Healthy.
A perfectly tuned person would be Holy, Happy and Healthy.
And today many people are unholy, unhappy and unhealthy.
They’re exactly what God did not intend for us to be.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We live in a world that has the curse of SIN upon it.
We’re sick because of the curse of sin.
We’re sick because we have violated God’s natural law.
Every kick has a kickback.
Sin fascinates and then it assassinates.
Many people die just because of sin in their lives.
We’re sick because of the curse of sin.
We’re sick because we have violated God’s natural law.
We’re sick because we are afflicted by Satan.
We’re sick because of a discipline of God
Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Sometimes we have to be flat on our backs before we can look up, Sometimes we can only see more clearly through eyes that have been washed with tears. Many people are poisoning their bodies with nicotine. Someone asked will smoking keep you from going to Heaven. It won’t. As a matter of fact smoking will get you there a whole lot quicker. If you abuse your body, your body will rise up and smite you for it. Your body is very unforgiving. Most folk value money more than they value health, Yeah!We value things more than we value health until we lose our health.So many people spend the first half of their lives accumulating wealth by wasting their health. Then they spend the last half of their life spending their wealth trying to get their health back.

And they are unhappy in both halves of their lives.
FAMILY FITNESS IS A MATTER OF DISCIPLINE.
Lamb is killing the Jews.
Beef is killing the White Folk.
Pork is killing the Black Folk.
The Bible talks about healthy foods. Whole grains, herbs, fish, fowls, no eating of fat, no eating of blood.
FAMILY FITNESS is a Matter of DISCIPLINE
FAMILY FITNESS is a Matter of DISPOSITION
Your soul is the seat of your emotions. There are two kinds of emotions. Positive and Negative, Healthy and Unhealthy,
You can choose your thoughts like you choose your friends.
Why have you let the devil do your mind like he has done it?
Why have you let the devil put that expression on your face?
Why have you let the devil put that feeling in your heart?
Why have you let the devil give you that disposition?
Choose your attitude. To rejoice is a choice.
FAMILY FITNESS is a Matter of DEVOTION
That is, when you serve God, you will be healthier.

Church going Christians live longer and happier than those who say they don’t believe in God.” Religion is good for you health. Going to Church will make you feel better. Devotion to God is good for FAMILY FITNESS.

FAMILY FITNESS is a Matter of DECISION,

Joshua 24:15, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. It’s a matter of Decision, Your Spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. Body in discipline, Soul in disposition, Spirit in devotion. But you have to make a choice, As for me and my house, As for me and my Family, We will serve the Lord.

Reverend Johnteris Tate

You have to join us in Revival each night next week. Monday night Reverend Mary Brooks will speak, Tuesday night Reverend Robert Long, Wednesday night, Reverend Daris Dixon-Clark, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Buffalo. He has become a good friend to Mount Olivet Baptist Church and me. We played in each other's golf tournament this year... He's a great golfer I might add and an even better preacher. Thursday night is YOUTH night...and you've gotta be here to see and here this young man preach.. 17 year old Johnteris Tate; pastor of First Thessalonians Baptist Church in Memphis... I watched Johnteris grow up from an eight year old kid preacher to where he is now and I just cant wait for Mount Olivet Baptist Church and Rochester City to meet Johnteris Tate again. Tell EVERYBODY in town to have the Youth present on Thursday night!

Michael Bruce Sings at MOBC

Michael Bruce, one of Rochesters own talented and gifted singers will join the Mount Olivet Mega Choir on Sunday night; September 19th in concert. They are ready! Michael Bruce has worked with the Mega Choir for a few weeks now and my oh my gosh are they ready! This guy is so gifted. He plays most instruments, directs and sings. Michael received a Grammy nomination with Pastor Timothy Wright and a Stellar Nomination with Chronicles. He song background for Michael Bolton, has shared stages with Yolando Adams, Fred Hammonds, Joe Ligon and the Clouds, the Winans and many others. I am looking forward to this concert. This kicks off the "harvest time" revival.... "Harvest time" being a time to bring in the fruits and vegetables. For those connected to the Kingdom of God, its a time of gathering the "fruits of life" unsaved souls. Remember the Concert starts at 7:00pm and not 4:00pm as printed on the poster!

Sunday Night Musical

The musical will open up the Weeklong; "Harvest Time Revival".... Sunday; September 19th at 7:00pm. The post card says 4:00pm but the actual start time is 7:00pm. It has the makings of a huge concert. Michael Bruce is headlining the concert and he's phenomenal. Lewis Banks, Wade Davis and Rickey jr each have a key role in this musical and the Voices of Mount Olivet aka Mount Olivet Baptist Church Mega Choir are as ready as can be. Actually I heard a song or two in rehearsal or which I might get a piece. You wont want to miss this concert! Lewis Banks and the band that will accomplish him on Sunday night are too hot. Jerome, Bunt, Kendall, Shalamar, and a few others, you have to hear!

Reverend Jeremiah Wright

Believe it! The Reverend Jeremiah Alvesta Wright Jr; Pastor Emeritus of the famed Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago, Illinois was our special guest speaker on September 10th at 7:00pm. Blog friends, it was the MOST momentous ocassion ever.. We will have footage available soon. Never have I met a man any more fun, down to earth and intelligent at the same time. I am being approached about getting Reverend Jeremiah Wright back to Rochester for another organization in the city. Will he come back? Of course he will. Why? Because the Mount Olivet Baptist Church and the people within the Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse community welcomed him so graciously and treated him so kindly while he was here. Reverend Wright is now a friend to the Upstate New York Community and Upstate New York is his friend. What do I hate to see? I hate to see wannabees. These are pretentious folk who want everyone to think that they really got it going on in life and in actuallity they may have; but when you got it for real and you're confident in who you are you dont have to be all pompus and all. Jeremiah Wright is in such such demand for speaking. Universities, Seminaries, Churches, and Organizations keep him in different parts of the world continuously; yet there is no pretense about the man! Folks; Kenneth Twigg Whalum; the late pastor of Olivet Baptist Church, in Memphis, Tennessee, and the person who introduced me to Jeremiah Wright over 20 years ago, said "Be Who You Is; If You Aint Who You Is, then You Is Who You Aint." Relax, take life by the inch and its a cinch, take it by the yard and its hard. Its not so hard being big, its only hard when you're not and you want people to think that you are! Humility and loving people genuinely will get you further along in life than pretentiousness....... No more "biscuits" and "sheepdogs"...Thank you Reverend Jeremiah Wright!

Reverend Jeremiah Wright

I know you know about this... Just wanted it logged in the blog for historical references. The event has come and gone but will always be in the minds of Rochesterians and surrounding cities. It was phenomenal. Our many thanks to the Right Reverend Jeremiah Wright!

Okaay! I Will... I Will.... I Will Blog!

I am back to the Blog! Regardless of Facebook and any other network; I will return to the blog each morning. You must know that its quite humbling when you ask me to blog and why I have not blogged. To know that you care enough about me to want to know what I'm thinking or what's going on in my life is amazing.

Now of course somewhere in my innermost; I know that a bit of it is nosy, however; all of us are, but only a few of us are willing to admit it! As you may know, I'm in the homestretch of a few things! One and most important at the time is the 100th Church Anniversary celebration of Mount Olivet Baptist Church. This has been an awsome year. Never imagined it being so demanding of our time, energy, efforts and money as it has been. I should have known it because this is my 3rd 100th Church Anniversary Celebration within my career. All of them are entirely the same. I remember coming out of my last 100th year Celebration with Mount Calvary and not wishing that tedious year long journey upon any of my friends..... Well, I must not be friends with myself! I walked right into a brand new ministry embarking upon its 100th year! What does that mean? It means that there has not been breathing room since landing in Rochester. Thus; so many wonderful things have happened within this year. You probably know about ALL of the events! Stay tuned each day now to the Blog! These are also the final days of my Doctoral Work at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. Pray for me as this Thesis is being prepared.