"Secret Sex Wars" In Stores Now!!!

The new book I have contributed a chapter to, Secret Sex Wars: A Battle Cry for Purity, is now available in stores and online. Robert S. Scott, who pastors the Los Angeles Community Bible Church, is the general editor. In it, several pastors from the Los Angeles area - who love Christ, love the scriptures, and love God's people - have come together to write this volume that presents biblical instruction and Christ-centered principles for sexual purity.

I know that the book title may seem provocative and intimidating. But let me assure you that this is not a self-righteous, unloving, Pharisaical treatise that kicks the fallen, discourages the weak, or afflicts the struggling. Rather, it is light-giving, hope-inspiring, and mind-renewing call for believers to think and behave biblically by the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ the sanctifying power of the word of God, and the strengthening power of the wonderful Holy Spirit.

Secret Sex Wars is the result of a series of messages we presented at the men's conference on sexual purity that is hosted by the Los Angeles Bible Training School, where Paul Felix is the president. And, consequently, the book is targeted for the discipleship of African American Christian men. I do not think there should be an apology for this. Indeed, sexual sin is pervasive among all demographics - black and white, young and old, single and married. But you have to start somewhere. And as local pastors, we felt a particular burden for the men in in our churches who struggle with sin, yearn for spiritual victory, and need practical, biblical counsel for their pursuit of godliness.

But this is not a book just for African American men.

- It is for single moms who struggles to raise their sons into responsible, godly young men.
- It is for the parents that are seeking to train their sons and daughters in the ways of the Lord.
- It is for the women who want to remain sexually pure until marriage and to know what to be looking for in a godly mate.
- It is for married women who seek to know how to pray more specifically and strategically for their husbands.
- It is for the small-group that wants a scripture saturated textbook for discussing matters of personal holiness.
- It is for all who love the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
- It is for the new believer or spiritual seeker that seeks to understand what the Bible teaches about Christian sexuality.
- It is for the person who has fallen into sin or has become bound to some sinful habit and wants to know how to change their minds and change their ways.
- It is for pastors who may need some fresh ideas for teaching and preaching on matters of godliness.
- It's for everyone.
- It's for you.

If you want to get a copy of this important book or get more information about it, visit your local bookstore. Or visit "Secret Sex Wars" online.

Notes from Sunday - 4/20/08

- Yesterday was our next to last worship service at our Gramercy location, where Mt. Sinai Church has met for about 40 years. This coming Sunday will be our last service there. While we praise God for the new facilities he has given us, it is sad to leave a place of meeting that has meant so much to so many of us for so many years.

- I preached a message from Mark 14:3-9. I called it, "Expressing your Devotion to Jesus." The point of the message is that you should do express your devotion to Jesus the best you can, while you can.

- As I get to the end our time at the Gramercy location, I have found it harder to determine what to preach. This is one of the reasons why I found being in an extended sermon series so helpful. And I plan to jump right into one on the first Sunday in May: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

- I was preaching in Sacramento on the second Sunday of April. And during the worship service yesterday, I kept thinking about how much miss being with them when I am away. I mentioned this at the end of the service. And many of the members assured me after service that they miss me just as much. It was very encouraging.

- My wife is recovering and doing better every day. Her doctor is concerned that she is doing too much too fast. But it is good to see her up and about again. And she is in straight "Mother Bear" mode. She is absolutely determined to keep me, H.B., and Natalie from "infecting" Hailey with our germs. To her dismay, the three of us are absolutely determined to hold, kiss, and play with Hailey at every available opportunity.

- I have a new appreciation for what Crystal goes through on Sunday mornings to get our little ones ready for worship. When I couldn't take any more of their antics Sunday morning, I threatened to leave them at home with their mother. They responded by running out the door and standing by the car until I was ready to go. Funny.

- Sunday afternoon, our congregation attended the 33rd pastoral anniversary celebration for Pastor Melvin Wade and the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.

- Pastor R.A. Williams, who leads the McCoy Memorial Church in L.A., brought the message.

- The HBO miniseries, "John Adams," ended Sunday night. The series was stellar, captivating, and wish-it-didn't-have-to-end enjoyable. I have not read the McCullough's book yet. But after seeing the series, I am all the more eager to read the book. Alas, so many books; so little time.

- I am not a bandwagon fan. And I still refuse to cheer on the Lakers.

Remembering the OKC Bombing

Today is the thirteenth anniversary of the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in which 186 people were killed and more the 800 people were injured.

I was in the city that week, preaching for Pastor John Reed Jr. and the Fairview Baptist Church during the annual Oklahoma City simultaneous revival. I was still recovering from Easter weekend. I was suffering from jet lag. I was trying to get into a rhythm of the multiple services during the OKC simultaneous revival. I was catching up with family and friends who live in Oklahoma City. And I had stayed up quite late (or early) the night before. 

I was still in bed at 9:03 AM, when the bomb exploded. My hotel was about ten minutes from downtown. But it was so powerful that it rocked my hotel like an earthquake. I jumped up and went to the door, looking down the hall to see if people were rushing out of their rooms. I didn't see anyone. So I got back in the bed. A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was my mother, calling to check on me. Still half sleep, I told her that I must be really tired, because I thought I had just felt an earthquake in Oklahoma City. She told me it was no earthquake. It was a explosion. I turned on the television and, sure enough, the local news stations were already reporting that the federal building had been bombed. I opened the curtain in my room and could see the smoke rising in the distance.

The afternoon service that day was supposed to be held at downtown church. It was to be a special service, in that the meeting had not been held at this location in some years. But those plans were quickly changed - the intended meeting place had been damaged in the blast. Yet the revival went on. It was an overwhelming experience. The eyes of the nation were focused on Oklahoma City. The the city was in a state of shock. But the local churches continued to meet to pray for revival, healing, and strength for the city. Of course, the work of the local churches was not given much attention that week.

But the Lord was at work. Many of the participating churches had members who were either killed or injured in the blast. If fact, when I left town five days later, my host church was still awaiting news about one of their leading members. It was a difficult time. But I remember how Christian people in Oklahoma City came together to worship, pray, encourage one another, and serve their city. The press didn't pay it much attention. But the Lord saw it and was glorified.

I preached the late-night mass service on Friday night of that week. I preached a message from Galatians 6:9 that I called, "Just In Case You Get Tired." I really wanted to encourage the weary and worn-out saints of OKC, that you do reap what you sow. And the fact that they had sown to the Spirit would not be unrewarded. However, the harvest does not happen in a hurry. In due season you will reap a harvest, if you do not lose heart. I believed that promise then. And I believe it even more now, thirteen years later.

Speaking @ Greater Starlight in Los Angeles

It is kind of late. And I am very tired. But I am still trying to wind down from preaching tonight.

I brought the closing message tonight at a three-night revival meeting held at the Greater Starlight Baptist Church here in Los Angeles, where Prentiss Lewis serves at pastor. Local pastors, Xaviar Thomas and Welton Pleasant, spoke the first two nights of the meeting.

I have preached for Pastor Lewis at Greater Starlight many times over the years. In fact, I think Greater Starlight is the only place, outside of Mt. Sinai, where I have repeated a message. I have preached there so often, I really don't remember all the messages I delivered there.

Over the years, I have found Greater Starlight to be a place where I feel free to preach my heart.  I preach a lot of places where I feel "setting pressure," not knowing what is appropriate or helpful to preach. I often find it difficult to prepare for many places that I go.  So tonight was just really refreshing for me. There was a message on my heart to preach - a message that I don't feel I could preach many places outside of my own congregation. And I just went for it tonight. And they took it. And received it. It was very encouraging to me. I pray that much fruit will come from the ministry of the word this week at Greater Starlight.

I think I was rambling pretty bad in that previous paragraph. And I am not sure if what I was saying was clear. But I guess the bottom-line is that I really felt tonight was a "in season" (2 Tim. 4:2) time and place for preaching. And I just had a wonderful night in worship and the word with Pastor Lewis and Greater Starlight. And I praise God for it.

Happiness is... coming home late from a service or meeting and Crystal has left the light on for me. It usually means that she tried to stay up for me to get home but was too tired to stay awake. It's a simple thing. But it really makes me feel loved. And it is one of the 1,000 little things Crystal does that cause me to keep falling in love with her.

Speaking @ St. Paul in Sacramento

I have spent the past several days speaking at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Sacramento, which is led by Dr. Ephraim Williams. I spoke four times over the course of three days.

This marked the third time I have ministered at St. Paul. The last two years, I have participated in the celebration of their church anniversary (St. Paul is 60 years old this year). This year, however, I spoke for three nights that focused on the young adults of St. Paul. I was encouraged by the opportunities and support the congregation gave to the young people of the church.

It was a joy to minister the word to St. Paul. And I believe that the messages were well-received.

It is always an honor for me to be invited to St. Paul by Dr. Williams. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for him. His 37 years of faithful service to St. Paul is a great example, as well as his humility, wisdom, and integrity.

Please remember Dr. and Sister Williams and the work of St. Paul Church in Sacramento in your prayers.

Taking Back What the Devil Stole

“I’m taking back everything the Devil stole from me!” Have you ever heard this statement? Have you ever made this statement? Have you ever thought about what this statement means?

Spiritual catchphrases. Theological sound bites. Pulpit ear tickling. Harmful error set to beautiful music. Nonsense. These things are the order of the day. Consequently, many of our lives and churches are preoccupied with superficial things, rather than the God-centered, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered, life-transforming, and culture-engaging mission and message of the gospel.

For instance, there is a popular "Gospel" song that declares God to be faithful and holy. But the response to these divine perfections is this: “I’m reaching the harvest God promised me. Take back what the devil stole from me.” Well, at least it rhymes. I think. I also think this way of thinking tries to make God our puppet.

The consideration of God’s attributes should cause us to respond with reverent worship, the confession of sin, and a passion to serve him. At least, that’s how Isaiah responded to the sovereign holiness of God (see Isaiah 6). But a true encounter with the majesty and supremacy of God will definitely not result in a militant determination to fight the Devil over the stuff he supposedly stole from you.

The Bible describes our great spiritual enemy in many different ways. It tells us that Satan is a murderer and a liar and a deceiver. The Devil is even pictured in scripture as a serpent and a roaring lion and a dragon. But the Bible does not say much about the Devil being a thief. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” But the “thief” Jesus is referring to is not Satan. He’s talking about false religious leaders! And, if Jesus was talking about Satan, why it is that we are only concerned about what he has stolen? Shouldn’t we be just as concerned about what he kills and destroys?

Beyond what the scripture tells us about Satan, we should also think about what it says about following Christ. We are to fight. Stand firm. Resist. Watch. And pray. But the instructions the New Testament give about spiritual warfare do not teach us that we should try to take anything back from devil. This is not the focus of the Christian life in any way. And talk like this only trivializes the biblical and historic Christian faith.

What stuff we are to take back from the Devil? If you let the high profile religious personalities tell it, we are to take back our families, health, wealth, joy, ministries, etc. Let the church say, “Huh?” This is really bad theology. It suggests that Satan is behind every adverse, difficult, or unpleasant thing that happens in our lives. And it fails to embrace the Lord’s sovereign authority, providential wisdom, and good purposes at work in our lives, including our bad times.

This way of thinking about fails to recognize that some challenges we face in life are the result of sin – both others and ours. Sometimes, we lose things because God will not be mocked. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:9).

And there’s another important theological word that describes why some bad things happen: life. Life happens to all of us. Following Christ does not guarantee happy marriages, financial success, perfect health, problem-free relationships, or carefree circumstances. However, Christianity gives us resources for facing life challenges that unbelievers do not have. We can pray and trust and obey and wait and rejoice and love and forgive and give and serve in the midst of and in spite of life’s difficulties. But Christianity does not teach believers to attack the devil and reclaim stolen stuff from him. 

In Ephesians 1:3, Paul declares, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…” Did you get that? In Christ, we are perfectly, completely, and irrevocably blessed. And we should praise God for it. But to neglect our great spiritual blessings in Christ and focus on things you think the Devil has stolen from you is to dishonor the unfailing promises of God, the redemptive work of Christ, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. That’s like Bill Gates crying because he lost one hundred dollars. So I recommend that you let the Devil keep whatever he has stolen from you! Friend, if the Lord Jesus is the Forgiver of your sins and the Leader of your life, you have too many blessings to enjoy and bless God for to worry about what the Devil supposedly stole from you.

Pictures of Hailey Breanne

We finally got some pictures of Hailey with her eyes open. It's as if she knows we have been trying to take pictures of her. And she kept closing her eyes every time we tried to capture her. Wow! A diva that doesn't like the paparazzi. Go figure. But we finally got her.

So for "We the members of MSMBC..." (still funny), meet your newest member: Hailey Breanne Charles

The San Francisco Citywide Revival 2008

I was scheduled to be be San Francisco today to begin preaching the afternoon meetings for their citywide revival. Family duties prevented me from attending this meeting.

This would have been my fourth year preaching this meeting. I have been the afternoon speaker each year. And I have been partnered with some fine preachers. I preached with Pastor Stephen Thurston from Chicago the first year. I preached with Pastor Marvin Wiley, who pastors in a Chicago suburb, the second year. And I preached with Pastor Nathan Johnson of Detroit last year. Pastor Johnson is the evening speaker again this year.

Please remember this meeting and the local pastors, ministerial alliances, and participating congregations in your prayers. May the Lord grant much fruit the worship, prayers, preaching, service, and witnessing invested in San Francisco this week.

Crystal/Hailey/H.B./Natalie Update

My family is home!!!

I brought Crystal and Hailey home from the hospital this afternoon. Oh, what a feeling!

Crystal has had a long, difficult week. Every day, she would have good periods and bad periods. But she has recovered from the surgery well enough for her doctor to send her home. She will still need to get a lots of rest of the next week or two. Keep her in your prayers.

Hailey is doing fine. No problems, except for a lovesick dad who keeps fussing over her. She is beautiful. And I praise God for adding her to our family.

H.B. and Natalie are doing good. They are really excited to have their mom home from the hospital. And they are really trying to be helpful, even though it concerns them so see their mother moving around slowly. And, of course, they are in love with their new baby sister.

H.B. and Natalie have spent their spring break without their mom and dad. No complaints. No getting into trouble. I rewarded them this evening by taking them out on a date to see, "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who." They enjoyed it. So did I. It's cool to share things from my childhood with them - even though they think everything is new.

What about me? I am glad and grateful to have my family home.

Thanks for your prayers, calls, emails, comments, messages, and gifts. We appreciate your kindness and concern for us.

God bless.

Introducing Miss H.B. Charles

There is a new addition to the Charles family!!!

Crystal gave birth yesterday (3/24) to our new daughter at 3:14 pm.

She is a little early, but both Crystal and the baby are doing fine.

She was born at 7 pounds and 3 ounces, 20 and 1/2 inches.

She looks like... Well, we're not sure who see looks like yet.

The process went smoothly, with no complications. Praise God!

As Crystal was still in surgery, I laid the baby on her chest. And she began to lick Crystal's face.

She was not out of the womb two hours before she found her thumb.

Crystal is still in a little pain, and will have to be in the hospital for several days. Otherwise, "the mother bear" has returned!

Her dad was in the delivery room during the birth, and did not pass out. He even cut the umbilical cord. Who doesn't believe in miracles?!?

H.B. and Natalie are both excited about their new baby sister and concerned about why mommy and the baby could not go home last night.

We have named her Hailey Breanne Charles.

Thank you for your prayers and concern.

Pictures forthcoming shortly.

Power to Reach Your Full Potential

Here is my sermon skeleton from yesterday.

TITLE: "Power to Reach Your Full Potential"

TEXT: Hebrews 13:20

THEME: A benediction and doxology for divine help

POINT: God helps those who trust in Jesus.

OUTLINE:

I. God has done great things for us through Jesus Christ (13:20).

There are three fundamental reasons why you can trust God to do for you what you cannot do for yourself:

A. God is the God of peace.

B. God raised up our Lord Jesus from the dead.

C. God established an eternal covenant with us by the blood of Jesus.

1. Blood: We are completely saved.

2. Eternal: We are eternally secure.

II. God will do great things for us through JEsus Christ (13:21).

A. Pray for divine equipment.

B. Pray for divine enablement.

1. Depend on Christ for access to God: "through Jesus Christ."

2. Delight in Christ for access to God: "to whom be glory."

Notes from Easter Sunday 2008

- Easter Sunday at MSMBC. It is always a special time. Today was no exception. What a great day!

- Today was the first time in some weeks that I preached multiple services. It is what I have done for years now. And I found myself getting into a groove quite easily, like the whole riding a bike thing.

- This is the third week I have preached with sinus problems and cold symptoms. I have not really felt up to preaching the past several weeks. And it was discouraging to be feeling this way on Easter weekend. But the Lord gave me strength for preaching today. I am grateful.

- I preached today from the benediction recorded in Hebrews 13:20-21. I entitled the message, "Power to Reach your Full Potential."

- I thought it was cool that there were people in attendance today who were all dressed up, while others were dressed down. There was really no emphasis on clothes. I like that.

- Once again, there were many guests in our worship services today. Very encouraging.

- As I was driving home from church, I noticed that the display in my car read that it was 86 degrees. You gotta love that wonderful California weather.

- I love MSMBC. It is a great privilege to serve this wonderful congregation.

- I am very tired.

Why The Resurrection Matters

I was looking for a good quote to post today in celebration of Easter. And I found the manuscript to a message I preached about five years ago, entitled, "Why the Resurrestion Matters." It was a part of a four-message series on the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that I called, "Why Jesus Matters." What follows are the opening paragraphs of the resurrection message:

Let me begin this sermon by telling you the most important and intimate things I can tell you about myself: I am, unabashedly, a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I wake up every morning with the assurance that my sins are forgiven, my needs are met, and my death is not final. My life has meaning, fulfillment, and abiding joy. I am committed to the Church of Jesus Christ, no matter how ugly she may act at times. As a Christian pastor-teacher, I have the best and most noble job anybody could every have. I am not stuck in the past, preoccupied with my present circumstances, or worried about the future. The world makes sense to me.

And here’s why: I am sure that Jesus Christ is alive, well, and at work in the world right now. That is, I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one true God. And I base that conviction on the verifiable fact and historical truth that Jesus actually and physically rose from the dead. I agree with John Irving: “Anyone can be sentimental about the Nativity; any fool can feel like a Christian at Christmas. But Easter is the main event; if you don’t believe in the resurrection, you’re not a believer.”

Amen.

Happy Easter. Celebrate Jesus today!

The Most Important Word in the New Testament

Once when Swiss theologian Karl Barth was asked what he thought was the most important word in the New Testament, he asnwered, "Huper." Huper is a preposition meaning "on behalf of" or "in place of." So when Barth called huper the most important word, he meant that the most important of all truths is that in salvation Jesus takes our place to bear the punishment for our sins so that "in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). - James Montgomery Boice, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?, p. 102

Speaking @ Mt. Carmel Indianapolis

I am writing this post from the Indianapolis airport. I have been in town to preach three nights at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, where Dr. Theron Williams is the pastor.

It has been a tough week of preaching. First of all, I think I became homesick the moment the plane left LAX Monday morning. I have been struggling with cold symptoms all week. And the weather here has been horrible. I (wisely) did not leave my room all week expect to preach.

Although the weather has been cold, I found Mt. Carmel to be a warm congregation. I met Pastor Williams several years ago, as we were both preaching in Oklahoma City. And I had the opportunity to hear him preach, so I knew Mt. Carmel was not a church that was starving preaching. Dr. Williams is a fine, biblical preacher. And the Mt. Carmel Church is doing a great work here. And it has been a joy to worship and fellowship with them this week.

Each night, Pastor W. Jackson from Munsey (I think) spoke on evangelism-discipleship. These were three powerful lectures on (1) the reality of Christ, (2) the reliability of scripture, and (3) reliance upon the Holy Spirit. It was hard for me to preach after Pastor Jackson finished. Each night I literally sat in the service, prayerfully trying to establish what the Lord would have me to preach. And I wouldn't be clear until after Pastor Jackson finished his lectures.

Likewise, I think I preached too long each night. Now, I know that I am a long-winded preacher. Mt. Sinai puts up with it, because I belong to them and they belong to me. However, I try to be more conscious of my time when I am away from home. I try. I tried this week. And I think I missed my off-ramp every night. But the congregation was kind and patient, enduring both me and Pastor Jackson each night.

I believe I preached the messages the Lord would have me to preach this week. And each night, I preached with all my heart. I trust the Lord was honored. And I pray that the messages will continue to be a blessing to the wonderful membership of the Mt. Carmel Church.

Please remember Dr. Williams and the Mt. Carmel Church in your prayers.

A Man With His Priorities In Order

As a self-appointed "missionary" for Apple's Mac computers, I could not help but report on this news brief from this morning's USA Today newspaper entitled, "Charlie Rose saves laptop, not face":

"Why has Charlie Rose been sporting a black eye and bandage over part of his forehead? On Monday, the PBS host tripped in a pothole while walking on 59th Street in Manhattan. He was carrying a newly purchased MacBook Air laptop and made the decision to protect the computer. Producers say he hit the pavement face first. The MacBook is fine." - by Ann Oldenburg with staff and wire reports

Funny.

(Late) Notes from Sunday...

- This is the second weekend in a row where I have suffered with a sore throat and an aching body. I think I may be fighting off a cold, with varying degrees of success. I pressed through on the previous Sunday. And I really did not want to do it again. But I did. And I was not at my best this Sunday.

- Our children sang in our morning worship service. It was great! Hats off to Phil Placenti, our children's division pastor, for preparing our children to sing.

- A group of the young ladies performed an "interpretative dance" in the service. And they did a good job. This is not something we usually do on Sunday mornings. I have several objections to what these so-called "praise-dancing," for several reasons that I won't detail now. But I guess I am slightly mellowing in my old age!

- There were many first and second time guests in the worship service Sunday, which is always a great thing.

- I preached from 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. I entitled the message, "The Difference Christ Makes." I sought to make three major points in this message: (1) We have a new perspective on life (vv. 16-17); (2) we have a new relationship to God (vv. 18-19); and (3) we have a new assignment for Christ (vv. 20-21).

- I challenged the church to memorize 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 this week. I also issued a 3-1-6 challenge: that they would pray for three unsaved/unchurched people once a day for the six days of this week. I also encouraged every member to bring one guests with them this coming Sunday.

- Sunday night, I went to hear my assistant pastor, George Hurtt, preach at Christ Second Baptist Church in Long Beach. My father served this church before he came to Mt. Sinai. George's message was stellar. As his pastor, I was so proud of him. As his colleague, I was flat out impressed - I have preached the same text and missed half of what George saw. And as his brother in Christ, I was challenged and encouraged to trust that God is in complete control of all circumstances and can use me in spite of seemingly limiting circumstances (Phil. 1:12-14).

Anthony Kidd Speaking @ MSMBC

Last night, Anthony Kidd, who pastors the Westside Bible Church, ministered the word in our Wednesday Night Midweek Service. Over the past year, Pastor Kidd and I met and began a new friendship. And I have developed a great deal of respect and admiration for him in the short time we have known one another. Likewise, Westside Church meets at the school a few blocks away from our new location. So it was important to me that we quickly establish a fellowship between our two congregations, especially with both congregations being like-minded evangelicals.

Pastor Kidd brought a message on James 1:21-25. The message emphasized the importance of heart preparation before you hear the word, a sense of expectation as you hear the word, and personal obedience after you have heard the word. It was a challenging word and an important message for our congregation to hear, including me. Sometimes, Bible preaching/teaching churches think more of themselves than they should because they are committed to the scriptures. And they even look down on other congregations that do not place a premium on Bible exposition. But just because the pulpit preaches the Bible does not necessarily mean that the church is a biblical church. There are other factors to consider. What is our heart disposition when we gather to hear the word? Do we listen to the word with faith, expecting it to make a difference in our lives? What do we do with what we hear? Pastor Kidd confronted us with these vital questions. And I pray that our congregation will be the better as we wrestle with these vital spiritual matters.

Please remember Anthony Kidd and the Westside Bible Church in your prayers. They are doing a great work for the Lord. May the Lord grant that they would be even more faithful and fruitful in their devotion to God and service for Christ.

May MSMBC be a church that humbly prepares to hear the word, joyfully receives the proclamation of the word, and diligently lives out the life of the teachings of our faith, so that we may be blessed and God may be glorified.

Secret Sex Wars

In 2006, I had the opportunity to speak in the annual men’s conference hosted by the Los Angeles Bible Training School. I was asked to present a message that I had preached in my exposition of Colossians at Mt. Sinai Church, where I serve. The message was based upon Colossians 3:5-9. I entitled it, “Putting Sin to Death.” In this message, I try to challenge the church to be intentional, strategic, and militant in the battle for godliness and against sin - particularly sexual sin. It is a very important message that I really worked hard on. But when I finished preaching it, I filed all of the work away, not expecting that it would ever see the light of day again. But a local pastor, Robert Scott, visited our congregation that sunday while he was on vacation. He passed the audio of the message on, I guess. And I was invited to preach it during the LABTS men's conference, which focused on calling men to sexual purity.

Last year, Robert Scott, who pastors the Los Angeles Community Bible Church, initiated a project for the publication of some of the messages presented in recent LABTS men’s conference. Lift Every Voice, a subsidiary of Moody Publications, commissioned the writing of this book. And Pastor Scott graciously invited me to contribute my message on “Putting Sin to Death” to the book.

There are many books for men on sexual purity. Why another? Well, this book really is unique in that it primarily consists of expository messages on specific biblical texts. While there are many helpful and popular books available on godliness and sexual purity, few are written based on biblical and practical preaching of specific texts. Likewise, very few works like this are written by African-American pastors for the discipleship of African-American men. And the messages are presented by godly men, loving pastors, and faithful expositors, like by Paul Felix, Carl Hargrove, Anthony, Victor Sholar, John Kennedy, among others.

I encourage you to pick up a copy of this new book. It is written primarily for men, but all can profit from its sound and clear teaching. The book is entitled, Secret Sex Wars: A Battle Cry for Purity, edited by Robert Scott. It is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2008. Please pray for the men who have contributed to this important work – including me, especially me. And pray that this book will be used by God to equip and encourage many Christian men to fight the good fight for sexual purity. May our homes, churches, and communities will be impacted for Christ through this book.

Click here to learn more about the book and its authors.

Sermon Skeleton on Psalm 23

Here is my sermon skeleton from yesterday's message on Psalm 23. The audio of the message should be on the MSMBC website some time this week.

Title: "Living with Confidence in God"

Text: Psalm 23

Theme: A song of confident trust in the Lord

Point: God is worthy of your trust.

Purpose: The purpose of this message is to exhort end encourage the hearer to live with confidence in the Lord, because he is worthy of our complete trust.

Outline:

I. The Lord watches over those who trust him (23:2-3)

A. The Lord watches over the physical needs of those who trust in him (v. 2)

1. The Lord provides nourishment (v. 2a)

2. The Lord provides refreshment (v. 2b)

B. The Lord watches over the spiritual needs of those who trust in him (v. 3)

1. The Lord gives restoration to those who stray away (v. 3a)

2. The Lord gives guidance to keep you from straying away (v. 3b)

II. The Lord walks with those who trust him (23:4)

A. Your trust in God will not keep you from going through the valleys of life (v. 4a)

B. Your trust in God will keep you from living in fear of the dangers that threaten you in the valley (v. 4b)

1. The Lord is present to help you.

2. The Lord is prepared to help you.

III. The Lord welcomes in those who trust him (23:5-6)

A. You can live in the abundance of God's generous hospitality (v. 5)

1. Look at my enemies (v. 5a)

2. Look at my head (v. 5b)

3. Look at my cup (v. 5c)

B. You can live with the expectation of God's continued hospitality (v. 6)

1. God's hospitality continues everyday (v. 6a)

2. God's hospitality continues forever (v. 6b)

Notes from Sunday... 03/09/08

- I was not feeling well today. I am battling the early symptoms of a cold. And I found it hard to pull myself together. But at no point this morning did I feel that I should not preach today, even though I was not feeling up to it.

- Crystal did not rest well last night. But she felt strong enough to attend service this morning. I am always more relaxed (in contrast to anxious) when Crystal is present when I am preaching.

- There seemed to be quite a few guests in worship today. I saw many new and unfamiliar faces. This is always encouraging.

- I preached Psalm 23 today. I called the message “Living with Confidence in God.” I argued that the Lord watches over (vv. 2-3), walks with (v. 4), and welcomes in (vv. 5-6) those who trust in him.

- I seemed to have a lot of quotations in my sermon today. My studies notes were quite extensive. And it seemed like of my reading slipped into my sermon manuscript.

- For the fourth week in a row, I have written a sermon manuscript that was more than nine pages. My sermon manuscripts are typically seven or eight pages long, single-spaced. But for some reason, I have done a poor job of editing them down over the past few weeks. I will have to work harder at this in the weeks to come.

- I preached with a sore throat today. But, by God’s goodness, the more I preached the less it bothered me. God be praised.

- Today was a beautiful day. While the news reports of snow and storms throughout the country, today was a typical sunny day in Los Angeles.

- The final episode of one of the few TV shows I like aired tonight. I am sad.

Don't Forget to Spring Forward

I know. I died. I thought last week was Daylight Savings Time. Oops.

But, for real, this time, don't forget to spring forward one hour tonight. You don't want to be late to church in the morning, do you?

Living with Confidence in God

I am working on an exposition of Psalm 23 for this coming Sunday. And it has been rough going, for several reasons.

First of all, I am in a citywide revival meeting this week in San Antonio. It's a five-day meeting. And there are day and evening services. And I have been preaching on a rotating system, morning and evening. I miss my family. I have been trying to keep up with MSMBC stuff. And I have been fighting off cold symptoms all week, as the weather here keeps changing. The bottom-line is that it has been a long week. Even though it has been a great week of worship and fellowship, I am exhausted. This, I'm sure, has had some impact on my preparation this week.

Likewise, I preached through Psalm 23 about nine or so years ago. It was a line-by-line series, containing sixteen messages. And, strange as it may sound, this has made it hard for me to prepare this single message on the entire psalm. I did a completely new study of the psalm, so it would be fresh in my heart and mind, and so that I would get a better feel for the psalm as a single unit of thought. But before I left Los Angeles, I packed about ten of the sermon manuscripts from the previous series to review. I am not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. We'll see.

Regardless, I am determined to press through in my preparations to be ready to preach Psalm 23 this coming Sunday. I really wanted to preach something this week to both challenge and comfort our congregation. And I was drawn to this passage in my devotional time. And I really think it is appropriate for where we are as a congregation. I trust it will be helpful to those in our congregation who are going through some difficulties right now. And, to be candid, I really think I need the message of this psalm - that you can live with confidence in the Lord's faithful oversight of your life. In fact, that's my working title for the message at this point; "Living with Confidence in God."

Pray for me.

Speaking @ San Antonio Citywide Revival 2008

I am in San Antonio. I am preaching in their citywide revival. This is the second year I have been a part of this meeting. Last year, I preached with Pastor Dennis Jones of Houston. This year, I am preaching with Dr. C.E. McLain, who pastors the Little Union Baptist Church in Shreveport. It is the church his father served. And he has been there for some seventeen years. Dr. McLain is one of the noted preachers of our country, who has had a great ministry in several cities over the years.

I heard Dr. McLain in person for the first time last night. But I have a tape of him from 1980, recorded at the L.K. Williams Institute in Dallas. He preached a message entitled, "Standard Equipment for the Ministry," from 2 Timothy 1:7. It was a powerful message that continues to ground me after all these years. So it was a joy to hear him in person last night. It was a great word from Exodus 14. He called it, "What to do When you are Trapped."

The auditorium was almost full on Monday night. But it was half empty last night. Last night was the Texas Two-Step - primary and caucus. Many people went to caucus last night and the lines were reportedly so long all over town that many were not able to make it to the worship services. Dr. McLain, a seasoned preacher, went to work without it troubling him at all.

I have three more messages to preach before I head home. Please remember me, Dr. McLain, and this citywide revival in your prayers.

Go Natalie, It's Your Birthday!!!

Today is my daughter's - Natalie Marie Charles -sixth birthday. Soon, Crystal will give birth to our second daughter. And my household will then official be overrun by women. But I suspect that Natalie will have no "middle child" issues to deal with. She will always be my first daughter... and first diva! Our new baby will have to establish her own identify, because Natalie is in a class by herself and is an impossible act to follow.

It is with great joy that I have the privilege, along with my wife, of shaping this little "image bearer." And I also have a front row seat to watch her ongoing and rapid development. I am very proud of Natalie. And I pray that she will continue to grow as Jesus grew - in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Happy Birthday, Natalie.

Your daddy loves you little girl!

Notes from Sunday

- I died. I thought Daylight Savings Time was to spring us forward this past weekend. I was a week early. Oops.

- The L.A. Marathon has altered its route. And my family and I were able to get to church with absolutely no complications. And it did not hurt our worship attendance, either. Cool.

- My wife was able to go to church for the first time in several weeks. She has been feeling better and has been able to move around a bit. I was so happy to see her in her typical spot. I had to work at points not to stare at her.

- I finished my series on "Total-Life Stewardship" with a message on the stewardship of your witness. If was the seventh message of the series, even though it feels like it has been much longer than that. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.

- I cannot wait to get back to doing verse-by-verse exposition of passages, even though I was just getting into a rhythm of preaching thematic (verse-with-verse) messages.

- I have been preaching really long sermons on the past several weeks. I am a long-winded preacher. But I think I have been piling it on the past few weeks. I need to work on that. I am glad that the congregation has been patient with my preaching.

- I love when we celebrate the Lord's Supper in our worship services at MSMBC!

- There were quite of few guests in worship with us Sunday. Some have been visiting for several weeks, and I was able to finally match a name with a face. It was very encouraging to hear how our congregation is helping people who are taking steps of faith toward Christ and the church.

- I was great to be able to announce that we had closed on the properties we are purchasing. God be praised!

- For the record, I have not jumped on the Lakers bandwagon. And I will not. I still don't like them. Deport me if you must!

The Stewardship of your Witness

I am scheduled to complete my series on "Total-Life Stewardship" this Sunday. It will be the seventh message of the series. My focus will be on the stewardship of our Christian witness.

In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, Paul says, "This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy." I hope to teach the church about what it means to be a stewards of our witness. And I want to challenge the congregation to do four things: (1) know what you believe, (2) defend what you believe, (3) live what you believe, and (4) share what you believe.

We have two things working against us this coming Sunday. First, the annual Los Angeles Marathon is running this Sunday. And, secondly, time will spring forward one hour Saturday night. I hope and pray these will not be detours - or excuses - that keep the members of MSMBC from being marked present for the corporate assembly of worship on the Lord's Day. We have much to celebrate this coming Sunday. As we share the Lord's Supper, we will celebrate together the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and the spiritual bond we share in him. Likewise, escrow closed this Friday on our new facilities. Praise God for his faithfulness, goodness, and power!

How do you think I am doing today?

"How are you doing today, H.B.?" you ask. Well, look at these pictures and then take one wild guess about how this lifelong resident of Los Angeles is doing today during his visit to Detroit.

Happy Leap Day!

I was born in the coolest month of the year. February is the shortest month of the year, consisting of only twenty-eight days. But once every four years, February gets an extra day. It’s called leap year. I am not sure about the reason for this. But I think it’s cool, nonetheless. Enjoy it.

Happy Leap Day!

Speaking @ Greater Burnette Baptist Church

I am in Detroit, Michigan. How am I doing? When I landed yesterday afternoon, it was 18 degrees. It was supposed to have dropped to 8 degrees last night - I was sequestered in my hotel room long before that had an opportunity to happen. And there is supposed to be a slight heat wave today - 20 something degrees. And it is supposed to snow again tomorrow. My daughter told me this morning that I should have watched the news and brought my gloves - never mind that she has never seen my with a pair of gloves ever in her life. But I understand her concern. I am almost tempted to get some gloves. On second thought, no I'm not. I'll just stay in my room until preaching time.

Anyway, I am here preaching Founder's Week Revival at the Burnette Church, hosted by Pastor Nathaniel Caldwell. He is the son of the founding pastor - the late Dr. J. Allen Caldwell. Dr. Caldwell first invited me to preach during Holy Week, 1990. And I have preached at Burnette almost every year since then. Dr. Caldwell went to heaven in 2005, and Pastor Nathaniel is continuing his the great work of this historic church.

We had a pretty good opening night last night. And I am looking forward to these next two nights of worship, prayer, and preaching. And then I am looking forward to getting by to sunny California before I become a "HBcycle."

Pray for me.

Sunday Stuff

- It was pouring down raining Sunday morning. I drove to church expecting very few of our congregation to be present. I was pleasantly surprised.

- For the third Sunday in a row, my wife was not able to go to church. I am glad she is getting her rest and that our baby is doing fine. But I really miss being in worship with her. And yesterday, for some reason, it was particularly hard for me.

- I listened to the song, "I will Sing Praises" on an older album I have - "A Change Will Come" by Rev. Ernest Davis Jr.'s Wilmington Chester Mass Choir. Boy did this song hit the spot and help me to get ready for worship.

- I continued my series on "Total-Life Stewardship." It was the next to last message of the series, on "The Stewardship of your Gifts."

- In the afternoon, I preached the 5th pastoral anniversary for Barry Wilson at the New Life Christian Fellowship. Barry and I started preaching together, were ordained together, and have been friends for years.

- I preached one of the petitions of the Lord's Prayer yesterday afternoon. I preached about through the Lord's Prayer about nine years ago. And it has been more than five years, at least, since I last preached from the Lord's Prayer. What a fool i am!

- R.I.P. Omar!!!

The Stewardship Of Your Gifts

God willing, I will continue my series on "Total-Life Stewardship" this Sunday. I am nearing the end. And it is pretty interesting how this series has been growing on me as the weeks have gone by. Sunday's message will be the next to last in the series. I plan to speak on the stewardship of our (spiritual) gifts.

1 Peter 4:10-11 is the foundational text for this message. It says: "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (ESV)

My goal is to help the congregation under what scripture teaches about spiritual gifts. Then I want to challenge the church to use their God-given gifts in service to one another. Hopefully, I will be able to challenge the church to make a new commitment to Christian service and show them some practical, next steps they can take to become a better steward of their spiritual gifts.

On-Target Evangelism Conference

I attended the On-Target Evangelism Conference this week in Anaheim. The California Southern Baptist Convention sponsored this event. This was the second time I have attended. I attended several years ago, and I was both challenged and encouraged by the messages that I heard. Unfortunately, I missed last year. But I was able to attend this year. And it was even better than the last time I was there.

Nelson Searcy – Nelson Searcy, who pastors the Journey Metro Church in New York City, gave several lectures on breaking growth barriers. I cannot swallow all that Searcy teaches without spitting out some bones. But I do like the way he has thought through various matters of church life (like stewardship, assimilation, and small-groups) in practical and systematic ways. I found his lectures very helpful, even though I have heard much of the material before.

Ed Stetzer was the main speaker for this event. He has recently written a book entitled, Comeback Churches. He preached during his first session. And the remaining lectures were on his book. Even though it is based on research of so-called "comeback churches," it is a book filled with spiritual wisdom. I read it during my vacation in December and thought it was a good work. And his elaboration of the subject made it even better for me.

Voddie Baucham – Voddie Baucham, who pastors Grace Family Baptist Church near Houston, preached the opening night. I have heard much about him and was looking forward to hearing him in person. His message was stellar, even though some of the people sitting around me were definitely not pleased. Baucham preached the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20). But throughout the message, he challenged us with the practical implications of our mission and confronted a lot of “sacred cows” we have in the church. In many ways, his messages crossed paths with some of the earlier messages. But I think this was a good thing. I felt like the different messages about how to do church in practical terms were important. No one has it absolutely right.

Local Pastors – Throughout the second day of the meeting, local pastors from different parts of California talked about what was working and not working in their local churches. Their testimonies were honest, refreshing, and encouraging. God really is doing great things in different ways in many churches.

Rick Warren –Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Community Church, closed the meeting. Honestly, I was tempted not to say, thinking I already knew what I was going to hear. But I was absolutely surprised. For more than an hour, Warren just sat on a stool and challenged us pastors about our personal, spiritual growth. He had a printed outline. But he didn’t follow it. He just talked to us about the fact that we cannot really expect our churches to grow if we are not growing. He landed with an exposition of 1 John 2:15-17. It was fantastic. I was so convicted and have begun to think through some personal changes I need to make in my own life.

Sunday Stuff

I continued our series on “Total-Life Stewardship.” My message was on the stewardship of speech. I tried to tackle it in terms of three relationships – God, self, others. My major points were: (1) God is listening to what you say; (2) your words tell on you; (3) your tongue has powerful effects on others.

Among our guests Sunday, there was a young man from Detroit. Pastor Tolar Morgan, whom I preached for several years ago, pointed him to our church. There was also a young man in town for business from Houston. Pastor Ralph West had pointed him to our church. Cool.

This was the second week that my sermon manuscript was nine pages long. I try to keep them down to seven pages. Eight is long. Nine is an eternity. And I think it has really showed in the past two messages. I need to work harder at editing down my messages.

I was praying for my friend, Pastor Romell Williams to feel better.

Sunday afternoon, we worshiped with the Redeemer Baptist Church of Los Angeles. Pastor Curtis Monroe was being honored for 10 years of pastoral leadership at Redeemer. I brought the message. I preached from Romans 8:28. I know that this was a strange text to take for a pastor’s anniversary service. But this really was what was on my heart. I wanted to say a word of encouragement.

There was something different about this service. Rather than each choir singing, the various musicians and choirs met together and sung together as one group. I don’t know if I have seen that happen before. It was encouraging. However, it didn’t make the service any shorter.

I was glad that many members of MSMBC attended the service, our first church outing of the year.

Crystal and I spent five hours at the hospital Sunday night. She was in quite a bit of pain. So we went to the emergency room. She was having early contractions. But she was not going into labor. Praise God. We have about five more weeks to go. And we want this little one “in the oven” to finish cooking.

A Really Nice Birthday Surprise

My wife, Crystal, managed to give me a surprise dinner for my birthday this past weekend. She called me Friday afternoon and told me she was hungry and what she wanted to eat and that it was time to come home. So I did. Hey, my wife is pregnant and I’m not crazy.

We arrived at the restaurant and had to wait a while for a seat. So we went across the way to the bookstore. When we returned to get our table, the wife and daughter of one of our pastors came out of the door. Then it clicked – but only then. Several leaders and their families showed up and we had a wonderful time eating and laughing and talking. It was great. I was so grateful to my wife for organizing this, even though she didn’t feel well. And it was really special to have this time together with the guys in their families – engaged in the holy work of doing nothing together.

Here are some pictures.

The Stewardship of your Speech

On last Lord's day, I continued my series on "Total-Life Stewardship." The message was on the stewardship of the body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). I sought to make two major points in that message: (1) We should strive to be healthy, and more importantly, (2) we should strive to be holy.

God willing, this sunday I will preach on the stewardship of our speech or our words. The Bible is clear that words matter to God. And our words matter to God. There are many reasons why what we say matters. But maybe the most important reason why we should be on guard about what comes out of our mouths is because the words we say reveal the condition of our hearts (Matthew 12:34b). Or as the old saying goes, "What's down in the well will come up in the bucket."

Words are powerful (Proverbs 18:21 - I hope to take a moment in the message to address what this verse does and does not mean). And we should use our words for good and not for evil (James 3:1-12).

This is a hard subject, because none of us can say that we have totally mastered our tongues - even though that would be a great thing to do (James 3:2). But the good news is that God is able to change the way you talk. If you confess your sins, the Lord will forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And the Bible gives a lot of practical instruction for how to bridle our tongues.

May the Lord use his word to help us to become better stewards of our words.

The Key to Effective Preaching

At the end of Rediscovering Expository Preaching, John MacArthur answers the question: What is the ultimate key to effective preaching? His answer is: “Very simply, stay in your study until you know that the Lord will gladly accept what you have prepared to preach because it rightly represents his word” (p. 348). MacArthur then follows this advice with a plan for making a preacher out of your pastor, written by an unknown parishioner (pp. 348-49):

Fling him into his office. Tear the “Office” sign from the door and nail on the sign, “Study.” Take him off the mailing list. Lock him up with his books and his typewriter and broken hearts and the flock of lives of a superficial flock and a holy God.

Force him to be the one man in our surfeited communities who knows about God. Throw him into the ring with God until he learns how short his arms are. Engage him to wrestle with God all the night through. And let him come out only when he’s bruised and beaten into a being a blessing.

Shut his mouth forever spouting remarks, and stop his tongue forever tripping lightly over every nonessential. Require him to have something to say before he breaks the silence. Bend his knees in the lonesome valley.

Burn his eyes with weary study. Wreck his emotional poise with worry for God. And make him exchange his pious stance for a human walk with God and man. Make him spend and be spent for the glory of God. Rip out his telephone. Burn up his ecclesiastical success sheets.

Put water in his gas tank. Give him a Bible and tie him to the pulpit. And make him preach the Word of the living God!

Test him. Quiz him. Examine him. Humiliate him for his ignorance of things divine. Shame him for his good comprehension of finances, batting averages, and political-in-fighting. Laugh at his frustrated effort to play psychiatrist. Form a choir and raise a change haunting him with it night and day – “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

When at long last he dares assay the pulpit, ask him if he has a word from God. If he does not, then dismiss him. Tell him you can read the morning paper and digest the television commentaries, and think through the day’s superficial problems, and manage the community’s weary drives, and bless the sordid baked potatoes and green beans, ad infinitum, better than he can.

Command him not to come back until he’s read and reread, written and rewritten, until he can stand up, worn and forlorn, and say, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Break him across the board of his ill-gotten popularity. Smack him hard wit his own prestige. Corner him with questions about god. Cover him with demands for celestial wisdom. And give him no escape until he’s back against the wall of the Word.

And sit down before him and listen to the only word he has left – God’s Word. Let him be totally ignorant of the down-street gossip, but gut give him a chapter and order him to walk around it, camp on it, sup with it, and come at last to speak it backward and forward, until all he says about it rings with the truth of eternity.

And when he’s burned out by the flaming Word, when he’s consumed at last by the fiery grace blazing through him, and when he’s privileged to translate the truth of God to man, finally transferred from earth to heaven, then bear him away gently and blow a muted trumpet and lay him down softly. Plan a two-edged sword in his coffin, and raise the tomb triumphant. For he was a brave soldier of the Word. And ere he died, he had become a man of God.

Website Oops

There were some problems with the sermons on our website this weekend. But it has been corrected and you should be able to find many messages from the pulpit of Mt Sinai on our website.

Again, hats off to Pastor G. Hurtt for addressing this problem.

Go H.B. It's You're Birthday!

Today is my 35th birthday. It is a quiet day for me. No special plans. But it is nonetheless a special day. God has been good to me in my life. He has saved me. He has called me to preach his word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. He has blessed me with a wonderful family - my wife, Crystal, and our children, H.B., Natalie, and the one "in the oven." And the Lord has given me a great job - to lead, teach, and minister to the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles. These blessings are more than any man deserves or could ask for. Yet beyond all of this, the Lord has and continues to pour out his kindness in abundance to me.

Some people keep getting older but never grow up. I don't want that to be my story. And I am grateful that I am maturing as I am getting older. May the Lord help me to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

There is another big milestone today. Today marks the 18th anniversary of Buster Douglas' shocking upset of Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship of the world. This soured my birthday then. And I don't think I have been able to get over it yet. The Douglas-Tyson fight is the greatest upset of my lifetime - including the Giants upset of the Patriots.

Happy Birthday, Mom - Ellen Charles

"Happy Birthday! We love you." - H.B., Crystal, H.B. (III), Natalie, and your granddaughter "in the oven."

The Mt. Sinai Website Updated

The Mt. Sinai Church website has been updated. Browse around it and learn more about our church when you get the opportunity.

The most important feature I want you to know about it is the audio messages that you can listen to for free. Actually, this is one of the primary reasons why we updated the site – so that we will be able to put more material on the website more easily... for free. Approximately two years of teaching and preaching is in the "sermons" section. And you should be able to subscribe to our messages as podcasts, as well. We plan to update it with new messages each week. In the coming months, we hope to add video and live webcasts to the website.

Browse, enjoy, and be blessed.

Hats off to Pastor George Hurtt for his leadership and hard work on this project.

The Pastor's Public Ministry

I have just finished one of the most helpful and challenging little books on pastoral ministry that I have ever read (For the record, it always seems that whatever I just finished reading is the most important book I've ever read.): The Pastor’s Public Ministry by Terry L. Johnson (published by Reformed Academic Press). Terry Johnson pastors the Independent Presbyterian Church of Savannah, Georgia. I first heard of Johnson when I was given a free book he had written at a conference I attended several years ago (Footnote: For a bibliophile like me, there are few things in the world that are more wonderful than receiving free books!). Afterward, I picked up several other works Johnson had written.

Johnson has written a series of books that I really appreciate: When Grace Comes Home (which explains the practical implications of Calvinism for Christian living), When Grace Transforms (on the Beatitudes), and When Grace Comes Alive (on the Lord’s Prayer). And when I found an article on public prayer Johnson had co-written on public prayer in the February 2008 9marks newsletter (click here for article), I began digging for more material by Johnson. This is how I got my hands of The Pastor’s Public Ministry.

The Pastor’s Public Ministry is the publication of a series of lectures Mr. Johnson delivered, which were later published as magazine articles. In this short book (only 82 pages), Johnson carefully and passionately exhorts pastors to make a renewed commitment to three basic, fundamental pastoral responsibilities: (1) leading corporate worship, (2) leading prayer in worship, and (3) biblical preaching. I have read quite of few books on pastoral ministry over the years. (In fact, I have already read four books on pastoral ministry from cover to cover so far this year.) But so many books that are written by pastors for pastors really have nothing to do with what it really means to be a pastor. I think this one of the reasons why I found Johnson’s Public Ministry to be so refreshing – even revolutionary. So many – too many – so-called experts promote various, competing programs, techniques, and gimmicks for pastors to use in church growth. Of course, “church growth” is usually measured in purely numerical terms of bodies in the seats or dollars in the plate, rather than developing fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20).

With all the books, conferences, and websites promoting different theories of pastoral work, it’s easy for pastors to become confused about what a pastor is to be and do. For the reason, Public Ministry is a much needed call for pastors to be actually be pastors – not CEOs, administrators, motivational speakers, or any other worldly offices imposed upon unsuspecting churches. The title of John Piper’s book for pastors says it well: Brothers, we are not professionals! We are pastors. And our public ministries should be concerned about ensuring that the worship assemblies of our congregations focus on the ministry of the word. And not just at preaching time, but also in the music that is sung and the prayers that are offered.

Johnson not only calls pastors to renewed diligence in overseeing the music, prayers, and preaching of our worship services, but he makes a sound and compelling argument – from both scripture and church history – that these are the proper priorities for the pastor’s public ministry. And he fills each section with practical advice for starting where you are and taking small but definite steps to watch out for your congregation’s souls in and through corporate worship. I warmly commend this volume to every pastor and every congregational leader and member who truly desires their church to be a biblically functioning community of believers.

My First Message at our New Location

Last night, our congregation met at our new location for the first time. Three congregations are going through a transition at the same time in this process – Mt. Sinai, the congregation purchasing our facility, and the congregation whose facilities we are purchasing. And to do our part to accommodate everyone, we have switched our midweek service from Tuesdays to Wednesdays. And we have begun meeting at our new location on Wednesdays. We hope to be fully moved into our new location over the next several months.

For most of the members who attended last night’s service, it was their first time in the new building. Of course, there was the curiosity factor that I think most of us were going through. I was more nervous than usual. In fact, “panic” may be a better word to describe what I was experiencing. I parked down the street and sat in my car for about ten minutes, trying to get my composure before I went in. As always, the Lord gave me strength as it was needed. And the Lord richly blessed the worship service. It was really a special moment in the life of our church. And I trust that the Lord was glorified. Here is the skeleton of the message that I preached.

TITLE: Great Expectations for a New Beginning

TEXT: Psalm 126

THEME: A Song of Divine Restoration Experienced and Anticipated

POINT: You can face life’s turning points with confidence that the Lord has done it before and the Lord can do it again.

OUTLINE:

I. Look back and consider what the Lord has already done (126:1-3).

A. The Lord has been good to us (v. 1-2a).

1. The Lord has turned our dreams into reality (v. 1b).

2. The Lord has turned our sorrows into joy (v. 2a)

B. The Lord has done great things for us (vv. 2b-3).

1. Lost people should acknowledge the great things the Lord has done (v. 2b).

2. Saved people should acknowledge the great things the Lord has done (v. 3).

II. Look ahead with confidence that the Lord can do it again. (126:4-6).

A. God’s sovereign authority is acknowledged in a prayer for help (v. 4).

1. The petition (v. 4a)

2. The picture (v. 4b)

B. Our personal responsibility is acknowledged in the principle of the harvest (vv. 5-6).

1. Look past the sorrow of sowing (v. 5).

2. Look forward the success of your sowing (v. 6).

2008 State of the Church Address

I usually give a “State of the Church Address” each year at Mt. Sinai, during the first midweek service resumes. We call it our “Vision Night” service. But I chose to delay that message this year, not really knowing if I would ever actually get to it. Our congregation is in the midst of a relocation process. The Lord has been answering our prayers and doing great things on our behalf. But these first weeks of the new year have also been rather challenging. We delayed our final planning that would have been completed in October or November, trusting that there would be more clarity in the new year. Well, the new year came. And things have remained very fluid. So I questioned whether or not I should do the state of the church message this year. But I decided to do this message yesterday, in our Sunday morning service, to help give our congregation a sense of direction amidst all that changes that are taking place.

I was quite nervous about doing this “special message” yesterday. I believe that Sunday mornings are times for preaching. So I really didn’t know how comfortable the congregation would be with me doing so different. But the Lord helped me in a great way. I was able to share my heart, cast vision, and point the congregation to several passages of scripture that have meant much to me in this process. And our congregation received the message warmly. I was very encouraged to hear members share with me how it provided the clarification, direction and confirmation that they needed to go forward. God be praised!

The title of my message yesterday was “Great Expectations.” And it accurately reflects my attitude toward the days to come. I am blessed to pastor a great church! It is my joy to minister to them and serve Christ with them. Mt. Sinai has a great history and legacy. But our dreams are even greater than our memories. We confidently expect great things from God. And we are committed to attempt great things for God. Please pray for us that the Lord will fulfill every holy desire we have and fulfill every deed prompted by faith to his glory.

Introducing "My Terryfic World"

Last October, I had the privilege of ministering several days at the Antioch Baptist Church in Omaha, where Dr. Reginald Terry is the pastor. During my stay, Pastor Terry told me about and let me read an article on preaching that he had recently written. As he discussed the options he had considered for publishing his article, I noticed that there was an option he had not considered or mentioned – starting his own weblog. So I recommended that he start a blog in which he could begin writing and publishing his work for a larger audience.

Pastor Terry responded to my recommendation by agreeing to think about it. Apparently, he thought about it. Favorably. The result is Pastor Terry’s new blog – My Terryfic World. I strongly doubt that my promptings are directly responsible for launching Pastor Terry into the blogsophere. But to whatever extend my subtle coaxing contributed to his decision to publish his work, I feel very gratified. Pastor Reginald Terry is a great preacher. He has a sharp mind. And he should be writing. I hope the thoughtful articles he posts in his new blog are just the beginning of a fruitful writing ministry for Reginald Terry. So I am glad to commend My Terryfic World to you. Read it and enjoy.

The African American Pulpit's "New Revivalists"

The African American Pulpit is one of (if not the) leading magazines or journals that spotlights African American pulpit work. Published quarterly, it includes edited sermon manuscripts, essays, interviews, sermon helps, and other articles that provide both a platform and resource for African American preachers.

The Winter 2007-08 edition has just been released, featuring preachers who are considered “New Revivalists.” In the past, TAAP has spotlighted prominent “revival preachers” from across the country. And, apparently, this edition seeks to note some of the up and coming voices from around the country.

The editors graciously invited me contribute a sermon for this edition. I was absolutely surprised by the invitation. And I am very grateful for the consideration. I do not personally know any of the editors of this journal. And I don’t personally know most of the other preachers whose contributed to this edition – most being more prominent voices. So I grateful, honored, and encouraged that my name was some how added to the number.

The past couple of years, I have done quite a bit of “revival” preaching across the country. But I do not really consider myself a “revival preacher.” I am the primary teaching pastor of a local church here in Los Angeles. And the heavy lifting of my preaching labors is dedicated to lead the congregation I serve to be a God-exalting, Christ-centered, and biblically functioning congregation that wins more Christians and develops better Christians in Los Angeles. The revival preaching I do is the overflow of work I have done is a very specific context. Praise God for those who have been blessed my preaching labors beyond the pulpit at my beloved MSMBC. And I am grateful for the many pastors who have trusted me to faithfully water the seeds they have already been planting. May god give the increase!

Total Life Stewardship

This coming Sunday I will begin a new sermon series that I am calling "Total-Life Stewardship: Being Faithful with a Borrowed Life."

The bottom-line of Christian stewardship is simply that God owns everything. We are just stewards (or managers) of the things we possess. And this stewardship involves more than just our time, talents, and treasures - even though it definitely includes these fundamental things. Christian stewardship involves every area of our lives. It is required of stewards that one be found faithful. And one day we will have to answer to the Lord for how we have lived our lives. So over the next seven weeks we will study together various aspects of Christian stewardship (or discipleship) in our Sunday morning worship services. Here is the schedule of the messages:

1/13- The Stewardship of Your Time

1/20 - The Stewardship of Your Finances

1/27 - The Stewardship of Your Relationships

2/3 - The Stewardship of Your Body

2/10 - The Stewardship of Your Speech

2/17 - The Stewardship of Your Gifts

2/24 - The Stewardship of Your Witness

MSMBC Vision Night 2008

Tonight we will have our annual “Vision Night” service at MSMBC. This is what we call our first midweek service each year. We worship God together in songs of praise. We spend an extended and focused time in prayer for our health, mission, and development of our church. And I usually give a “State of the Church Address.” These meetings have been a special time in the life over the years. And I expect tonight’s meeting to be no different. May God smile on our time together tonight.

The 1st Sunday on 2008

Yesterday was a long, busy, and exciting day.

I laid down Saturday night to sleep for a couple of hours, planning to get up and tighten up my message. I had been working all week on an exposition of Psalm 23. However, when I woke up early Sunday morning, the message that I intended to preach at our first Tuesday night service tomorrow was on my heart and mind. So that’s what I preached – a message on 2 Kings 6:1-7 that I called “Losing Your Cutting Edge.” I was quite shocked that I shifted directions so sharply in just a few hours. But I believe I did what the Lord wanted me to do.

I usually teach the youth and adults in a mass Bible study during the Sunday School hour in January. And I began that series of lessons yesterday, except – again – I did not teach on what I intended. I had planned to begin a series on what it means to be a participating member of the church. But I was moved to teach instead of examining your spiritual health and maturity. Again, I believe I did what the Lord wanted me to do. I intend to begin the series on the church this coming Sunday.

After our morning services, I came home to pack a bag and catch a flight to Oakland. Pastor Elliot Ivey invited me to preach the consecration service for the leaders and members of the New Beginnings Baptist Church. The worship service was so encouraging and refreshing to me. And it was a joy to minister to this attentive and receptive congregation. Pastor Ivey, who is younger than I am, is one of the very fine young preachers of our day. He is multi-gifted. And he is sound in this theology (Believe it or not, the two don’t often go together!). And he is seeking to develop a faithful and fruitful ministry. I was really glad to share in the worship and fellowship with my friends in the Bay area. And I am excited to see what God will do in and through New Beginnings Church in the days to come.

I returned home this morning. And I spent as much time as I could today on my couch recuperating from the weekend. Work begins again tomorrow - God willing. Thank you MSMBC for your prayers.

2008 Prayer Bowl @ Mt. Moriah

We have never had a "Watchnight Service" at MSMBC during my pastorate. However, we do participate in a special service at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church on the first day of the year that is called "The Prayer Bowl." Every year, Pastor Melvin Wade invites various preachers from across the Los Angeles area to participate in this marathon service of prayer, praise, and the preaching of the word of God. The service is typically full throughout the whole day. And it is usually an encouraging and fruitful meeting. I have had the privilege of preaching in this meeting for at least thirteen years. And I am scheduled to be the final speaker this year. Here is the 2008 lineup of speakers:

9 AM - Pastor Earl a Pleasant (Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, Inglewood)

10 AM - Pastor L. Daniel Williams (New Covenant Baptist Church, Norwalk)

11 AM - Pastor Billy Ingram (Maranatha Community Church, Los Angeles)

12 PM - Pastor Lewis E. Logan, II (Bethel AME Church, Los Angeles)

1 PM - Pastor Andrew C. Turner, II (Covenant Worship Center, Inglewood)

2 PM - Pastor Edward V. Hill, II (Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Los Angeles)

3 PM - Pastor Michael Fisher (Little Zion Baptist Church, Compton)

4 PM - H.B. Charles, Jr. (Mt Sinai Baptist Church, Los Angeles)

Happy New Year and God Bless You

Happy New Year! May God's rich blessings of spiritual growth and fruitfulness be yours in 2008.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your on understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)