Beloved Union,
This is a hard time to be black, biblically faithful and socially conscious.  Many Christians have allowed their blackness to override the veracity of the Bible.  Unbelievers want justice without Jesus.  However, there is no justice without Jesus.  Unbelievers ignore the greatest injustice ever committed was the crucifixion of Jesus!  This world is a cursed, crooked, and callous place.  To assume that what is wrong in this world will be made completely right on this side of eternity is to misunderstand God’s intention for this world and His intentions in overcoming the curse. This world is passing away and unfortunately, there will others like Terrance Crutcher who is oppressed, mistreated, and subjugated.
Nevertheless, here is the believers’ hope.  Jesus will return and set all things right!  Then paradise lost will be paradise regained!  In the meantime, believers are to live by the words of Micah 6:8, “Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”  That is the believers’ requirement.  This is the believers’ reward, “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”         (2 Peter 3:13)
Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields

Beloved Union,
 
The Apostle Paul wants you to know God according to Ephesians 1:17 which states, “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him…”  Knowing God is our prize possession!  Knowing God is product of prayer and personal time in His word.  Knowing God is making Him a priority! It’s a horrible thing to know Biology, Kinesiology, Psychology, and even Philosophy, but not know the God of Theology.  It’s a sad soul who has degrees, but does not know the Devine God. 
 
Take time to get to know God personally and intimately through prayer and bible study.  "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."  (Proverbs 10:22)
 
Sincerely yours and securely His, 
Pastor Darryl K. Fields

Union,
I am especially grateful to our God for allowing me to serve this local assembly. Union, you have been
so kind to my family and me, demonstrating the warmth and compassion that Christ shows to us.
Thank you for being a God fearing congregation that respects and supports your pastor.
We have grown to love and respect one another over these six years. We have accomplished so
much in Christ because we have trusted the Lord.  I believe God only has bigger and better for us as
we stand on the proverb. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Union, let us keep taking our directions from our Deliver!

Glad the tomb is empty,

Rev. Darryl K. Fields

Beloved Union, 

Let me challenge you to delight yourself in the Lord during the coming week. Our God has shown Himself to be a deliverer and a delight. The Word promises, "But, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you." (Matt. 6:33 HCSB)

God provides and keeps His promises to those wo know Him as a deliverer adn a delight. Psalms 37:4 tells the believer, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desire." Make it your job to delight in the Lord this week!

Sincerely yours and securely His,
Pastor Darryl K. Fields

Beloved,
 
Jesus provides an extreme picture of hell in Mark 9:42-48 as a warning to those who would wound people in worship with their actions and attitudes.If we seek God’s promotion we must be mindful not to wound people who have come to God’s House to worship.Jesus paints three extreme pictures to point out the extreme ends we should go to in avoiding wounding a worshipper.
 
Really, Jesus is saying it is better you enter Heaven wounded than wound a worshiper. That’s the extremes in the text.Verse 43, If your hand offends, cut it off.That’s extreme! But, your hand represents what you do and it is better you be maimed here than go to hell.Verse 45, If your foot offends, cut it off.That’s extreme!But, your foot represents where you go and it is better to be halt than land in hell.Verse 47, If your eye offends, pluck it out.  That’s extreme! But, if you can’t stop looking and lusting it is better to pluck it out than find your place in perdition. Jesus is painting an extreme picture of the extreme nature of landing in hell.Get this, Jesus does not want us wounding ourselves, but He does want us to worship Him. Here’s the point, it is better to enter heaven absent your hands, feet or eyes than have your whole body go to hell.
 
Sincerely yours and securely His,
 
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Servants and Saints, Jesus has called you the salt of the earth. (Matt. 5:13)  Have salt in yourselves… (Mark 9:50) In other words, this means hold onto your Christian character, conduct and conversation. ...but if the salt has lost his savor, where with shall it be salted?" it is henceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden uder foot of men.  Cussing is not Christian conversation, cheating is not Christian conduct and confusion is not Christian character. Have salt in yourselves… 
 
Paul told the Colossians, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”  (Colossians 4:5-6)  Are you seasoning with salt? Or are you just salty, burning, stinging and without flavor?  Seasoning means giving just the right amount to make better.
 
Salt that has it savor seasons and it saves that which would otherwise spoil.  Salt that is a sweet smelling savor purifies and preserves that which would otherwise be putrid. Salt that is not trodden under foot and is not a stumbling block, but transforms and adds taste to what would otherwise be bland. Salt influences and changes food and folks for the better.  This week season some people with salt.  Indeed, you are the salt of the earth!  Christians are to change the world and make this a better place.

Sincerely yours and Securely His,


Pastor Darryl K. Fields

 

Beloved, This Sunday is Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four canonical Gospels.  In the accounts of the four canonical Gospels, Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem takes place about a week before his Resurrection.    The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in the Greco-Roman culture of the Roman Empire, and became the most common attribute of the goddess Nike or Victory.

John 12:13 tells us, “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”  They called Jesus their King.  They cried out, “Hosanna,” which means save now.  They waived Palm Branches to indicate there was Victory in the air.  But, the same folks, who called Jesus victor, would make Him a victim of the cross in less than a week.
The lesson to be learned from this Trinitarian Triumph is not to get too excited over those who declare your victory because those same folks can make you a victim. 
 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. (Psalm 118:8)
 

Sincerely yours and Securely His, Pastor Darryl K. Fields

Beloved,
I read an article by Princeton Professor of Preaching Dr. Eddie Glaude in the Huffington Post a while ago declaring, “The Black Church is Dead.”  This troubled me initially, but I was driven to the text of scripture.  Here is what I found.  “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…” (Revelation 5:9)  The truth of this text is tantamount to this faith fact.  The redeemed are the church and the church is made of “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…”
 
Dr. Glaude set up and knocked over a straw man when He suggested that there was ever a “Black Church.”  Indeed, the Black Church maybe dead because the Black church is not Biblical.  In fact, if the “Black Church” is still alive.  I believe we should take the “Black Church” off life support because the so called “Black Church” is not beneficial.  Black communities are leading statistically in most negative areas of society.  The question becomes do we need a “Black Church” that is not benefiting Black communities.  I say let it die.
 
We need a church that belongs completely and whole heartedly to Christ.  We don’t need Black, White, Red or Green Churches.  We need Christ centered churches.  We need Bible believing churches.  We need churches that know they have always belonged to Jesus.  Christ’s Church is eternal and ethereal. Christ’s Church is incapable of ending because it is sustained by the Savior.  Christ’s Church is intimate with Immanuel, satisfied in the Savior and mimics the Master.
 
While Dr. Glaude was erudite in his examination of the Black Church, he was fooled in the fallacy there was ever a Black Church.  We are Christ Church! Christ’s church is called to change for Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), conform to Christ (Romans 12:1-2) and comfort the world for Christ (II Corinthians 1:4).   Let the church, be the church.
 
Sincerely yours and Securely His,
 
 
Pastor Darryl K. Fields
 

Beloved,   I want to challenge each of you to excite and invite someone to church and to Bible Study.  Sometimes we are disingenuous and a little super spiritual about our motives for serving a risen Savior in Christ Jesus.  So, often we hear, “Who would work for the Lord just to be recognized or rewarded in the church?” As if, it is wrong work for reward.  The Bible says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) I want to be pointed and plain that there is nothing wrong with serving the resurrected Christ because you know God is going to reward you.  That is one of the driving principles in our faith.  God gives new life in Jesus.  God gives rewards.  God gives crowns in the eternal.

In fact, there is a crown for soul winning. The crown of rejoicing is found in 1 Thess. 2:19- 20 and Dan 12:3. To those who faithfully are witnesses to the saving grace of God and leads souls to Jesus. This crown has also been named the soul winner's crown. It seems to indicate here that God will be giving a crown to those who have been witnessing to others and leading people to Christ.

Telling others about the grace of God, telling others about Jesus, is the greatest thing that you can do for someone while here on this earth. When you help someone to be led to the Lord, you have just been used as a vessel of God.

God will judge you by your willingness and desire to be used by Him to witness to others, not necessarily on how many actually get saved, because we are to water and He gives the increase. There are many Christians who are simply too busy to be willing to be used by God to try to lead others to the Lord. God can fit opportunities for you in your life to witness and work for Him if you allow Him to. Some could be your unsaved friends, family members or co-workers, etc.  Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”
 

Sincerely yours and Securely His, Pastor Darryl K. Fields

Beloved,   Our Praying Priorities prayer push ended a few weeks ago.  I pray that you were revived in your constant conversation with Christ.  Prayer is indeed a pressing priority because it is through prayer that we know our Lord and grow closer to Him.  We have assess and authority through the atoning work of Christ on the cross.  So, let us utilize the privilege of prayer.  God showed up and blessed our sincere supplication in prayer for economic, financial and employment opportunities by blessing five (5) Union members with new jobs. God is good!      Let me press upon you to continue what we have started here at Union.  Indeed, God has declared, “My House shall be called a house of prayer…”  (Matthew 21:13) Union will be just what God intended if we keep his commands.  Union, the Word of God has commanded that we pray without ceasing.   Lift up your voices and call on the name above every name.  Lift up your voice and ask and it shall be given.  Lift up your voice as you seek and you shall find.  Lift up your voice while you knock and it shall be opened unto you.   There is power in your prayer. So, stay plugged into the power source of the church in our Savior through your prayers!    Sincerely yours and Securely His, Pastor Darryl K. Fields