Should You Go To Seminary?

Because of my public ministry, I receive a lot of questions. One question that comes up from time to time is whether the questioner should go to seminary or the location that one should attend seminary.

I see myself in many of these people. 10 years ago, I was in the same boat, just accepted my "call to preach" and ready to go to school to get the entrance requirements into ministry.

Continue

What Are All These Things That Will Be Added?

I was listening to a preacher who condemned as faithless those who did not believe that God has guaranteed us perfect health and the best of things. We can expect that God wants us to be the head not the tail and therefore we can expect the best car on the block. If God is truly a good God, doesn't God want to give us good things?

The preacher gave two texts to support this theology. We will look at both in this short series. The first of these is Matthew 6:33 that you have heard before.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Continue

How I Got Over

What I love about this song is that it glories in "not knowing." I don't know how I got over, in fact I look back and wonder. But the orientation of the song is instructive. You see the singer is on the other side of the problem. The singer is not in the midst of the mess, but she is on the other side looking back.

Another thing that is interesting is that the singer was there before "getting over" and yet can't figure out the process of "getting over." This reminds us that we may be in the midst of overriding conditions and yet if God has the last word, we don't have to see our way out. God will take us out even if it is in such a way that we can't even see the "taking out" happen. We may not even be able to see God's doing it.

Continue

Will Righteous Children Beg For Bread?

I must admit that this is one of our "shout" texts, but does it say what we want it to say? Psalm 37:25 says "I was young and now I am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread." On the face of it is simply a statement of fact for the Psalmist. He has never seen it happen. OK, but then we read it and see it as a promise that our children, if we are true to God, if we pay our tithe, and if we go to church, etc, will never have to worry about food.

Continue

The Importance of Now

---

Sinner Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass
Sinner Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass
And Die and Lose Your Soul At Last
Sinner Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass

---

There is a strong "evangelistic" mode to many of the spirituals. We do know that some of them were "coded" having a dual message of current realities and the apocalyptic ending. So they would be singing about the end and at the same time singing about the underground railroad that would lead to freedom.

Continue

The Vision Can See Through Death

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made excellent use of the story of Moses being prohibited from entering the promised land. God gave Moses that view of the land (Deuteronomy 34:1-12). This is a very interesting use of this text. King speaks of his desire for a long life, but he also faces the reality that he would not see his dreams fully accomplished.

This might be seen as a tragic story, but it is certainly not that different. It is the same story as the ancient people of faith who did not see the promise fully realized, but had to embrace them from afar off. (Hebrews 11:13).

Continue

I Want To Cross Over

---

Deep River
My Home Is Over Jordan
Deep River, Lord
I Want To Cross Over Into Camp Ground

---

Not too long ago we saw a spiritual where we simply uttered our despair. This spiritual is close to that, but it goes a little further and simply states what the singer wants. There is a gulf standing between the singer and "camp ground" and "peace." The singer states that she wants to go to there. It is an important step to groan over the pain, but it is also important to be able to articulate what you want and where you wish to go.

Continue

No Weapon Shall Prosper - Really?

The Bible says in Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper." Many preachers, gospel singers and Bible teachers have emphasized this text to us who have their enemies come against them. We sing this in our songs. We rejoice at what seems to be a guarantee that weapons will not assail us.

What Does This Mean?

However in the midst of our shouting, some of us must ask the simple question, "what does this mean?" Some of us make a simple statement that if our enemies weapons cannot hurt the true child of God. In that world the righteous are a bit like Superman. The wicked shoot guns at the righteous but the bullets simply fall down. Knives don't cut the child of God and the weapons of evil doers are rendered useless in their presence. Such a world does not seem real to our minds. It doesn't seem to make sense when we look at the history of the martyrs and it doesn't make sense in light of the Bible which lets us know that we will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12)

Continue

Look To That Great Day

---

Great Day,
Great Day, The Righteous Marching
Great Day, God's Gonna Build Up
Zion's Walls

---

It is absolutely amazing that those who found themselves in the midst of slavery could still muster up hope. This hope served as a death sentence to hopelessness. This spiritual reminds us that the hope is based in God's future action. God is going to do something in the future that will turn around this situation we are in now. This something in the future is that "Great Day" we look forward to.

Continue

A Long Way From Home

---

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
A Long Way From Home

---

I love the spirituals because they speak truth even when it that truth is not popular or pious. The singer here is not afraid to state that sometimes she feels like an orphan in a strange land. Certainly this is not the only theme we find in the spirituals. There are times to celebrate the "Great Day." There are times to strengthen our resolve to "follow Jesus, no turning back." And yes there are even times to contemplate our Lord and his sacrifice by solemnly singing "were you there when they crucified my lord?"

Continue