​Was Jesus White or Black?
By: Otis Dion Culliver
 
There are some who attempt to label my faith with race,
Citing those who misrepresented Christianity to elevate themselves to a pseudo superior place.
 
They created an image of my Savior as lily white,
Blonde hair, pale Jesus with blue eyes sparkling bright.
 
They painted Christianity to match their reflection,
Yet, this image doesn’t match my devotional recollection.
 
According to John the Revelator, He has skin like bronze and hair like wool, this description doesn’t sound European or white,
So, let’s pause and think, so we can get the story right.
 
This pseudo image in stain glass windows of churches must be demolished,
Because it’s origins are unbiblical, oppressive, misleading, and demonic.
 
The fact is Jesus was neither white nor black, he was a Palestinian Jew,
Who identified with the downtrodden, oppressed, and marginalized like me and you.
 
The debate about his skin color is trivial and unnecessary,
We’re all created in his image, which is multifaceted; therefore our complexions vary.
 
So don’t fall for the “Christianity is a white man’s religion” debate
Don’t miss your Savior because some misconstrued the sacred to justify their hate.
 
See our Savior empathizes with out plight and fight for relief,
He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
 
He loves us so much that He bore the sins of the world on the cross,
Choose Him today and end your wandering through time spiritually lost.
 
See it matters not whether Jesus was white or black,
The true question is will you be ready He comes back?

​Biblical Preaching and Cultural Relevance
Otis Dion Culliver
What is truth?  In our current culture, which is dominated by the philosophy of relativism, those who are searching for the freedom the truth offers cannot as easily discern truth.  Relativism is the philosophical thought that argues that knowledge, truth, and morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute truth.  In such a society, one is free to determine one’s own standards of right and wrong because the context of the current culture will dictate the moral values of the society.  Hence, it is easy for those who are captives of the crumbling culture to reject the truth of scripture on the basis of relativism.  Yet, those who are believers hold to the doctrine of inerrancy.  We believe the Bible is still true, relevant, and speak to our hearts today.  Therefore the preacher must overcome the trends of society and the tug of culture when presenting the truth of God word to a world plagued by relativism. 
How does the preacher preach in a contemporary setting that is saturated with philosophical relativism?  I argue this must be done through cultural contextualization of the sermon with a clarion call for parishioners to engage society with the truth and justice to the glory of God.  Since relativism finds it’s standard for truth in culture the preacher must show the truth of God’s word relates to the cultural condition of the hearer.  In order to preach the word of God effectively the preacher must consider culture of his ministerial context when preparing and present the sermon. 
What is cultural contextualization?  Cultural contextualization is the art of making the biblical text relevant to the hearer by finding parallels within the biblical context of the text and the cultural context of the hearers.  One common pearl of wisdom my father would give preachers was always have your Bible and newspaper on your desk.  The preacher is charged to exegete the biblical text but they must be able to exegete the cultural context in order to give application of the biblical text that is relevant to the hearer’s current context. 
The effectiveness of the sermon is often measured by hearers’ interest in the subject matter.  Cultural contextualization is often discerned in the introduction of the sermon.  Cultural contextualization of the introduction grasps the listener’s attention so that they are ready to hear biblical solution within the text to their fallen cultural condition.  Cultural contextualization helps the hearer make application of the message for their current personal, social and cultural situation.
Worshippers who gather in our sanctuaries on Sunday morning have been interacting with culture all week.  They are bombarded on a daily basis with the information through a variety of communication mediums.  The personalities on these media outlets are shaping their perspective of world and define their standards of morality, truth, and justice.  Moreover, many of these conversations are not objective and interested in conveying facts, effectively creating a cyclone of information that misleads the hearer.  These varieties of opinions include censored cable news outlets, syndicated radio broadcast, and social media.  Subsequently, there is a need in the age of relativism for the preacher to communicate God’s perspective on the ills of culture in order to admonish hearers to lead counter cultural lives based on the ageless truths of the scripture.  Furthermore, by engaging with the culture in the preaching moment, the preacher is able to give a redemptive perspective on the sin that plagues society which offers hope as well as comfort to the occupants of the pews.  On Sunday morning sermon should be preached from the Bible with application to our culture so that you will be biblically informed and socially conscious so that we can lead a life of truth while fighting for justice.

​Wow, 2016, what a year!!
It’s been full of twists, turns, and turmoil, Inducing a whirlwind of emotions.
Fear and frustration coupled with anger and agitation,
Causing timely uprising, unrest, and demonstrations.

And yet there’s no calm after the storms,
Grey clouds hang low and chilly winds still whistle chilling words that shake the foundations of our social progress,
Reminding us that our society is still going through the process.
The process of healing the past and redeeming the present,
Leaving a tomorrow that’s brighter than our yesterdays and more promising than our today.

The gravity of this responsibility forces us to our knees;
No human effort alone is capable of meeting our needs.
So as 2016 swiftly comes to an end,
It is appropriate for us to reassess our plight and acknowledge the King.

The King who reigns in sovereignty over all world powers,
Who is able to subdue all things unto Himself by the counsel of His will.
The King who is righteous; His truth always prevails,
Who rules with justice and equality.
The King whose knowledge is infinite, whose character is holy,
Who will by no means clear the guilty who fail to repent.
The King whose wrath can consume mere finite creatures;
Yet, He is full of compassion, slow to anger, and His mercy everlasting.
So, if we want the calm after the storm, if we want the raging winds to cease,
We need the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace.

So as 2016 swiftly comes to an end,
Let’s pause and remember what we need has already been given.
The prophet Isaiah said it best through his inspired prophetic pen.
I rest with my thoughts here and end with these:
“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.’’

Open your heart and receive Him for yourself.
Open your mouth and share Him with someone else.
Open your eyes and see He’s all we need.
He’s the one who causes wars to cease,
He is Jesus, the Prince of Peace!
​

​The Marriage of Word and Worship
By: Pastor ODC
“What God has joined together, let not man put asunder!”  In the nineteenth chapter of Matthew’s gospel Jesus was confronted by Pharisees, who were trying to put Him to the test, concerning his stands on divorce.  In response to this inquiry Jesus recites the words spoken in Genesis 2:24 – 25 states, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave upon his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”  Then Jesus goes on to add this commentary on marriage, “So they are no longer two but one flesh.  What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.”
God has inextricably linked the word and worship together and the two should never be separated.  There is, if you would, a marriage between the proclamation of the word and the community of worship.  However, many of our modern churches have unconsciously created a schism between preaching and worship.  Many individuals who gather in sanctuaries throughout the country believe worship is lead by the worship leader, the praise team, and the choir but not the preacher.  Some congregations have matured to recognize giving as an act of worship but do not acknowledge preaching as such.  We have treated preaching as if it is something that occurs after we worship, as if it is a footnote to the worship experience, or a spiritual addendum.  We correct this misguided mindset by asserting that preaching is worship!  There is worship in the pulpit.  Preaching is not an afterthought; it is the crescendo of worship, the pinnacle of our service!  In fact no Christian worship experience is complete without the preaching of the word.  It is at this moment that we hear from God and our hearts sing, “Bread of heaven, bread of heaven feed me till I want no more.”  When we mount the pulpit to stand behind that sacred desk, we bow in worship proclaiming that Jesus is Lord; glory, honor, dominion, and power to the One who was, who is, and who is to come!!
The preaching of the word enlightens the worshipper’s heart and mind, which enables them to worship with the proper perspective of the triune God.  Worship without the word leads to ignorance.  Moreover, worship that is not based on the word is void and empty.  Knowledge of God is a prerequisite to worship God.  Jesus reveals this to the Samaritan woman at the well.  After perceiving that Jesus was a prophet she attempts to instruct the one who deserves true worship on liturgical beliefs of the Samaritan people.  Jesus turns to her and exposes the emptiness of their worship saying, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know” (John 4:22).  While this is a strong, and possibly offensive, indictment by the Savior, it is an accurate one for several reasons: (1) Samaritans did not have the whole Old Testament witness.  They did not accept the historical books, wisdom literature, or the books of prophecy. (2) The Samaritans’ version of the Torah differed from the Jewish Torah. 
Jesus tells the woman at the well that she does not know the God of the word, whom she professes to worship, because she does not know the word of God.  Then, He gives her a lecture on ecclesiology and worship, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth.  God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23 – 24).  Furthermore, Jesus defines what the “truth” is in the high priestly prayer He prays for us in the seventeenth chapter of John.  Jesus prays, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).  Therefore, God must be worshipped in Spirit and with the truth of His word.  God has married worship with His word, and what God has joined together let not man put asunder.
Today our pews are filled with biblically illiterate congregants.  Subsequently, often the “worship” within the walls of our sanctuaries is based on emotions rather than the truth of who God is, as revealed in His word.  This leads to people basing their worship on a “feeling” not adoration of the triune God.  Worshippers often leave service with the sobering complaint, “I didn’t feel anything.”  This has caused many who lead worship, as well as those who preach the gospel, to appeal to people’s emotions, subsequently pleasing the crowd rather than the God of the crowd.  It swings the pendulum from worship to entertainment.  While we attempt to work the crowd, arouse the crowd, and please the crowd; the crowd’s worship grows more vain and empty because “they worship what they do not know” (John 4:22).  Furthermore, the crowd leaves with their “feeling” but no understanding of the feeling, no conviction of their sins, and no discernment of God’s will for their lives.  I am not denying the emotional aspect of worship because worship should engage our hearts and touch our emotions.  However, I question what is stimulating our emotions?  Worship must engage our minds and hearts, which will touch our emotions and move our will toward His will. 
We attempt to enhance our “worship” with more musicians, a more contemporary song selection, technological advancement of media and sound but all these efforts, while well intentioned, does not prove to have a lasting effect upon the hearts of the people or lead to any spiritual growth.  The only way to effectively enhance true worship is through sound biblical preaching which will improve the congregation’s biblical knowledge.  Preaching is an act of worship, which leads to more worship because as we preach people hear the word, believe the word, are convicted by the word, and commit their lives to the WORD (Jesus – John 1:1 – 14).  Paul asks, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe on him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”  It is in light of what we know about God, first through biblical preaching, then personal experience that we are able to worship more intelligently.  As the hymn writer penned, “Oh the world is hungry for the living bread.” The word must be preached in order for the church to properly worship God in Spirit and in Truth.  Worship will get better when preaching get better! Therefore, we must work diligently to strengthen this marriage, which will strengthen the church.  Word and worship: what God has joined together let not man put asunder. 

​Honesty from the Pastor’s Heart
By: Pastor ODC​
Happy New Year!!! 2016 is here, and excitement fills the air, for some but not all.  I have been in conversation with several people who have voiced their ongoing frustrations with battling to overcome the many stresses they encountered during 2015.  Ironically, several of these conversations have included pastors and spiritual leaders, who have been doing a “good work” for the Lord and His people.  In the interest of full disclosure, I was one of the participants on this “I’m Blessed but Stressed Hotline.”
Yes, here at the very start of the year 2016, instead of being excited and energetic I feel exhausted and empty. I am mentally drained and running on “E”, hoping I could cross off one more item on “my” to-do-list before I completely run out of gas.  It appears that my efforts to be “successful” (fruitful – more spiritual word) are producing more stress than success.  Moreover, my efforts have taken a negative effect on my body and my spirit.  My body is battered, and my soul is sick from the clutter invading my life.  I have been emptying myself for others but have not cared enough for myself to refill my own tank.
So I asked myself, what is the problem?  I mean I’m doing a good work; in fact, I would argue I have been fulfilling my calling.  I have been selflessly offering myself to bless others, and those efforts have brought me much joy and fulfillment.  Yet, how could something so fulfilling leave me feeling so empty and burnout?  Subsequently, upon pondering this thought, I grew confused. Was the problem within me or not spending enough time taking care of me?  While these are the common diagnoses for those who experience my symptoms, they are not the answers to my condition.  The fact of the matter is I have gotten so focused on others that I lost focus of HIM. Shame on you Pastor!  I have been so focused on what He told me to do that I lost focus of who He called me to be!!  In my efforts to fulfill my “calling,” I forgot the first call on my life, the call to be a disciple.  That’s right, before I was called to pastor and preach, I was called to be a follower of Jesus, a Jesus lover, a Jesus fanatic, a Jesus freak!  I was called to daily devotionals, believing prayer, and joyful intimate fellowship with Christ. 
This is what Jesus meant when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).  When we focus on Him, He will enable us to effectively handle our to-do-list. He will restore our joy, renew our strength, and reorder our steps.  He will grant us grace, give us wisdom, and govern our hearts and minds with His peace.  God never intended for us to do it alone; He wants to do it through us.  The Apostle Paul testifies, “For this I toil, struggling with all HIS energy that HE powerfully works within me” (Colossians 1:29).  So if you’re a pastor, spiritual leader, or lay leader who is experiencing frustration and fatigue, allow me to share with you what God shared with me, “Refocus on Him and never become so focused on doing the disciple’s work that you lose focus of being a disciple.”

​









The Process
By: Pastor ODC
I have something on my mind, may I speak?
Something on my mind, I don’t understand why I’m so weak.
I mean, I try to be strong,
Try to do right, detour from wrong,
But when I make up my mind to do what’s right,
It seems that something’s pulling me, influencing me,
Tripping me up, this battle within
Enticing me, inviting me to sin.
I said I wasn’t going to do it anymore.
Ashamed of my actions,
My soul seems divided like fractions,
Yet my heart is committed;
My mind is made up,
But I don’t understand why I relapse on my past.
I’m about to throw up
It’s frustrating me, I want to be free.
Free from these chains,
Free from captivity,
Free from the strongholds of the enemy.
Anybody feeling me?
I’ve prayed about it, prayed night and day,
Prayed for God to forgive me and erase sin’s stain.
Prayed for strength for my weakness, the courage to walk away,
Yet it seems the more I pray, the busier the enemy gets
Taking temptation to a new level.
I’m trying to resist the devil.
Leave me alone, stop torturing me!
I don’t want you, I renounce you!
Stop harassing me with your accusations, condemnation, and twisted lies.
My heart is with Christ, my eyes fixed on the prize.
I’ve finally concluded, I’m in a battle I can’t win;
I need somebody to save me from my sin.
Save me from me, I finally see
The battle is warring in my mind; my mind is a slave to sin.
As painful as it may be, the enemy is me.
Then I read the Word, Romans chapter 7, verses 14 through 25.
Paul spoke the truth; it opened my eyes to the cause of my frustration,
It is called sanctification.
It’s a process of unrest
One you will detest,
Yet it’s for the best.
I’m learning to trust myself less,
Depend on God to handle the rest,
And by His grace I will pass this test.
By His grace, I’m strong when I’m weak.
By His grace, I’m more than a conqueror, never succumbing to defeat.
By His grace, I’m dying to myself.
By His grace, I’m living victoriously,
Even though I’m wounded…I’m a courageous warrior.
What didn’t kill me made me more mature, wiser, stronger.
So, I’m going through the process, humble with my head up high
Because when the process is over, I’ll greet my SAVIOR in the sky.