You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. - Psalm 23:5 Psalm 23:5 envisions a great banquet. David is not just an invited guest. He is the guest of honor. As David enjoyed the delicacies at the table, his mortal enemies stand around the table looking on. David did not fear the evil in the valley because of his shepherd. And David did not fear the presence of his enemies because of his host. David was not a delegate who negotiated his way to the table. He...

The preacher should live as a preacher, watching his life and doctrine. The preacher should also labor as a preacher, giving himself to the hard work of prayer and the ministry of the word. And the preacher should lead as a preacher. The pastor is often judged by the work he does outside of the pulpit more than the work he does in it. Yet there is no biblical dichotomy between the pastor as a preacher and the pastor as a leader. Preaching is leadership! First and foremost, the pastor-teacher is charged to preach the word (2 Timothy 4:1-2). His...

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23 Proverbs 4:23 consists of an exhortation and an explanation, a command and a reason. The verse begins with a call to keep your heart with all vigilance. Like a soldier defending his post against attack, you must guard your heart. We typically associate the heart with our emotions. In scripture, however, the heart represents the mind, the will, and the emotions. The heart is the seat of personhood. It is one's innermost being; the control-center of life. The command to keep your heart...

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. - Ephesians 5:18-21 The filling of the Spirit is the most controversial, divisive, and misunderstood ministry of the Holy Spirit. Christians respond to the subject with ignorance, fear, speculation, fanaticism, or indifference. Why is there so...

https://player.vimeo.com/video/398816944 Shiloh Church family, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. – Philippians 1:3 As the COVID-19 virus continues to adversely impact our city, nation, and the world, we are living through an unprecedented crisis. For all of the negative consequences of the Coronavirus, it is made all the worse by the fact that we are not able to meet together in person. But know that I love you greatly, miss you desperately, and pray for you fervently. Our elders and deacons are here for you. If an emergency arises, you have a need, or there is...

Shiloh Church family, I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. – Philippians 1:3 As the COVID-19 virus continues to adversely impact our city, nation, and the world, we are living through an unprecedented crisis. For all of the negative consequences of the Coronavirus, it is made all the worse by the fact that we are not able to meet together in person. But know that I love you greatly, miss you desperately, and pray for you fervently. Our elders and deacons are here for you. If an emergency arises, you have a need, or there is any...

  Good day, Shiloh Church family. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. – 2 Peter 1:2 We are in the midst of a critical and unprecedented national emergency, because of the outbreak and rapid spreading of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus. With the consultation of elders and staff, I have made the difficult but prayerful decision to cancel in-person worship services this week. It is a biblical duty to meet together publicly and corporately for worship. However, for your safety and protection, in submission to the recommendations of government...

https://player.vimeo.com/video/397527818 Good day, Shiloh Church family. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. – 2 Peter 1:2 We are in the midst of a critical and unprecedented national emergency, because of the outbreak and rapid spreading of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus. With the consultation of elders and staff, I have made the difficult but prayerful decision to cancel in-person worship services this week. It is a biblical duty to meet together publicly and corporately for worship. However, for your safety and protection, in submission to the recommendations of government...

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:29 Matthew 11:28 is one of the great declarations of Jesus, golden verses of the Bible, and best invitations ever offered: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus extends a personal, exclusive, and compelling invitation to anyone, everyone who is tired of to-do list religion. You cannot find rest in yourself, material possessions, or anything this world offers. But Jesus promises true rest...

I am often asked about African-American preaching voices you should know. I often refer questioners to Karry D. Wesley, founding pastor of the Antioch Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas. As a young pastor, I wanted to preach through the book of Jonah for the first time. I asked my pastor to recommend resources. He told me I needed Karry Wesley’s book on Jonah. He loaned it to me. But demanded it back as soon as I was done. I found Wesley’s book helpful, and commended it to others. But I did not investigate his ministry further. Later, I was...

When I meet new people, initial conversations often raise the same questions. It begins with my name. Yes, my name is H.B. No, it does not stand for anything. I don’t know. My father did it to me, and I did it to my son. The next set of questions is about the church I serve. The detail that typically captures attention is that the church I serve is in Florida. The conversation turns to whatever the person thinks about Florida, good or bad. Then I am asked if I was raised in Florida. I answer that I have lived...

  David confessed, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). This sin problem is not David’s dilemma alone. Every one of us shares this sad testimony. We are all sinners – by nature, birth, inclination, choice, and conduct. Paul indicts us all: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). Consequently, we do not need anyone to teach us how to sin. If you don’t believe...