Quick Hits

- Today is a very sad day in the city of Newark and the church community at large as Pastor Willie Simmons, of the First Corinthian Baptist Church, went home to be with the Lord on yesterday. Pastor Simmons was truly a living legend in our city, who worked tirelessly with other more famous leaders, in the struggle for civil rights both in Newark and in his hometown of Birmingham, AL. Pastor Simmons was present in Birmingham during the hey day of the movement, even working along side Dr. King. In his later years in Newark, Pastor Simmons created affordable housing for many residents of the city at a time when it was not yet fashionable for churches to become involved in such business and community ventures. I will miss the presence of Willie Simmons as well as being able to listen to the rich stories that he told of the history of our struggle as a people to gain equality. Rest on my friend and I will see you in eternity!

-Tomorrow is Mother's Day and it will be a difficult day for me as it has been since the Lord called my momma home 2 years ago. I find myself thinking about her while I am preaching and it makes tough because I believe that I am beginning to enter my best years of preaching and I really wish that I had her here to share it with me. My mother sacrificed so much for me to get to the place I am now and I am sad that now that I am able to do more for her, she is not here. But in spite of that I am grateful and blessed to have my wife with me on those tough days, so as long as I can see her face while I am preaching things will work out fine. Please keep me in your prayers.

- If the Lord says so, I will be continuing our series on the Lord's letters to the 7 churches of Asia Minor with our look at the Church of Thyratira, which is the smallest city in the region but the Lord spent more verses on that church than the other 6, so I believe that it means there is something about that church in which the Lord really wants us to examine.

- One more item, on next Sunday we will celebrate our Family & Friends Day at First Mount Zion during our 10 AM worship and we will be blessed to have in our midst, the premier expositor of scripture of our day, Dr. Joel C. Gregory as our guest celebrant. His presence at our church will complete an awesome two months of powerful preaching, for Dr. Gregory's arrival comes on the heels of Rev. H.B. Charles Jr.'s flat out destroying our church during our 130th Church Anniversary Revival last month. I have been like a kid in a candy store, which will only get better this summer when my good friend Rev. Romell Williams, Pastor of the Lilydale Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Chicago will be with us in July.