I love this time of the year! Say good-bye to the cold and dreary winter and hello to the warmth and sunshine of spring.  As the trees begin to bud and flowers begin to bloom, something happens to my psyche that creates a new energy in my body.  March Madness is in the air, the NBA Playoffs, and The Masters.  It is a time when many athletes look to dominate the field.  Well, what about our field?    

“Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel”
– Isaiah 7:14

Every time I hear this verse there is something that lights up on the inside of me. This text, loaded with theological significance, is one of the greatest demonstrations of love this world has ever seen. In probably the most well known scripture recited by mankind, John writes in His gospel chapter 3 and verse 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.”  This is the “Greatest Love Of All,” which manifested in the greatest gift of all, God giving His Son. 

For the life of me I could not understand why I kept singing the words, “I gotta feelin’ that tonight’s gonna be a good night, that tonight’s gonna be a good, good night…” (Lyrics from the popular contemporary hit song from the Black Eyed Peas) and I’m not even a Black Eyed Peas fan. But after last night’s Bible study I realized why these lyrics were deep down in my soul. It was truly a good night! Forget about the rest of the lyrics to that song. I don’t know them and after looking them up this morning, I don’t really care to know them. All I know is, last night was a good night as God delivered one of the most powerful and poignant messages to His people.

In our nation, the word “bailout” has become extremely common.  It seems like everyone is now looking for some type of bailout to help relieve his or her economic woes.  Even the “porn” industry has requested a bailout; go figure...

Anyone that is close to me knows that I am a big fan of the hit television series “24.” Filled with suspense, plot twists and uncontrollable excitement, the writers find a way to captivate the full attention of their audience filling them with great anticipation for the next episode. All of the drama is surrounded by the show’s main character and star, Keifer Sutherland, better known as “Jack Bauer,” a former agent with CTU (Counter Terrorist Unit). His character is known for saving his nation from the attacks of terrorist organizations and cells. Agent Bauer goes to great extremes and does whatever it takes to accomplish his tasks.

“We are entering in a prophetic season!” No truer words have ever been spoken as our Pastor shared this sentiment at our Pastor’s Retreat last April. This was around the same time that it appeared that this season was in jeopardy as Sen. Obama’s campaign experienced a set back due to the controversial statements made by his then pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. However, what appeared to be a huge set back turned out to be nothing more than a bump in the road as this season has been ordained by the will of God. Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” This means that even President Bush was no surprise to God, but merely an expectation waiting to be manifested. We are now in the “Obama Era,” a season ordained by God to bring us closer to His imminent return.

It never ceases to amaze me how many churches there are in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY.  Often referred to as the "Borough of Churches," in certain areas, especially in the African-American community, one can find up to three or four churches on the same block.  The sad reality is, in many cases, these churches hardly interact with one another.

"I’m sure you would agree with me that if you were going to build a grand structure like a high rise, it would require a firm and solid foundation.  Not only that, but the higher you go, the deeper your foundation needs to be. This is the same with our spiritual lives..."