Month: December 2011

The Biblical Remix – Without You

December 27, 2011

The Biblical Remix – Without U

John 6:35-69 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixwithoutu

Jesus had just fed 5000 peeps with fish and bread the day before.  You know how people are.  They came back the next day looking for Him.  He blew up their spot by telling them about themselves.  How they didn’t care about who He was, they were just hungry and wanted more food.  Dag!

Jesus then threw on his professor hat and started schooling everyone on life, on who God was, and also about who Jesus Himself was.

The peoples couldn’t take it all in.  Most of them actually bounced.

Then Jesus looked at his main crew of 12 and asked them if they wanted to bounce too.  The hoodrat of the crew, Peter, was like ” Yo, you got the words of real life.   This is ride or die for us.  We know you the one God sent to us.”

In the background this David Guetta/Usher song played:

“I am lost, I am vain, I will never be the same without you, Without you, I won’t run, I won’t fly, I will never make it by without you, Without you…”

Reflection:

A friend of mine shared how this song describes her relationship with God.  The connection didn’t dawn on me until she said it.

The truth is I know without God my life would be in shambles. The past fourteen years has been a wonderful adventure of getting to know who God is and also getting to know who I am. Trust me, I have not arrived on either of these two. I am still walking the journey.

However I can say my life is way healthier, more enjoyable and definitely blessed. Like Peter, I have traveled this journey so far that I have come to understand no one or nothing else has the words of life like Jesus.

This Christmas is the reminder God gave mankind the gift of His Son. That Jesus, being all God, also became all man by taking on our human form and by dwelling amongst us. Eventually He would sacrifice His own life by being crucified to save us from our sin.

Do you know Jesus has a daily concern for you?  Could you live without that sacrificial love being a part of your daily reality.  I can only tell you his love, from my personal experience, surpasses anything the mind can try to understand.  Do you really want to live without Him?

The Biblical Remix – Lovin’ U

December 19, 2011

The Biblical Remix – Lovin’ U

Genesis 38:6-18 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixlovinu

There was a man named Judah who had mad family issues.  His first son Er had died because Er was living foul and God killed him.  Er had a wife named Tamar who was now a widow.

Because of the culture, Judah’s second son Onan got together with Tamar.  Then Onan died too…lol.

Judah had one son left, Shelah, and Judah was shook thinking Shelah would die if he got with Tamar.  So Judah told Tamar to go back home to her pop’s crib until Shelah was older.  Judah was gonna wait it out and avoid Tamar.

Then Judah’s wife died.  So Judah was mad tight.

After some time he traveled to the town of Timnah to do some work.  Along the way he peeped this prostitute on the roadside (FYI – the prostitute was his daughter-in-law Tamar dressed up on the low.  She went to Timnah to trick Judah into getting her prego).

So Judah rolls up on the prostitute (Timanh in disguise).  The words he said were from this Enrique Iglesias song:

“Please excuse I don’t mean to be rude, But tonight I’m loving you, Oh you know, That tonight I’m loving you…”

Reflection:

If you know the original version of this song Enrique is a little more explicit/crass in his assertion.  Some of us men can be like that.

However I want to reflect on Tamar.  Here is a broken woman.  She lost her husband, who was her livelihood.  After becoming a widow her husband’s brother did evilness and he was killed.  Then Tamar’s father-in-law sends her away and ignores her.

Rejected, abandoned, and ashamed, Tamar decides to get her life back on track by…prostituting. I want to focus in on this choice.  Tamar does this only once but I find this very interesting.

Recently I visited some young juvenille offenders in New York City.  A good amount of the 15 to 17 year old girls who were there were arrested for…prostitution.

What gets a teenage girl to a place where she chooses to prostitute?  How much rejection has she gone through?  How much abandonment has she experienced?  How heavy is the shame weighing on her?  How has she been violated growing up?  How broken is she on the inside?

There are many Tamars in the system and in our communities that are looked upon by Judahs as a thing to be conquered or a piece of bootie to be tapped.  When and how do we choose to restore our current day Tamars?

The narratives we sing or rap about in the urban culture actually glorify the accomplishment of violating Tamars emotionally and mentally. We use and abuse them.  Otherwise why would we dance and sing catchy hooks like “Excuse me I don’t mean to be rude but tonight I’m f***ing u”

The Biblical Remix – Wanna Sex U

December 12, 2011

The Biblical Remix – Wanna Sex U

Genesis 19:1-13 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixwannasexu

My man Lot was chilling in the middle of the town of Sodom one evening when two dudes (who were actually angels in disguise) showed up.  Lot had some manners so he invited the dudes to stay at his place for the night.  This was a custom of the people and the times.

For whatever reason the two dudes wanted to sleep on the ground in the square.  Lot, knowing the neighborhood, was able to convince them that was not a cool thing and eventually they went to his crib.

Yo, he hooked them up with some chicken, rice and beans, and some biscuits.  After they finished eating, they were feeling really good.

Then somebody started banging on the door loudly like they got stuck in the elevator in the projects.

Suddenly all these voices were heard.  All the men from the neighborhood were outside Lot’s crib. They heard about the two new guests in the town and they wanted to take turns having sex with them.

In the background this Color Me Badd song was playing:

“I wanna sex you up, All night, You make me feel good, I wanna rub you down, I wanna sex you up…”

Reflection:

I am sure the title really had you interested in reading this remix.  The 21st Century American culture is so “sexualized” there is rarely a day where we are not bombarded through the media with various messages regarding sex.

So what is the message we have here in this event in Sodom?

Both the male leaders of the town and the other men from the neighborhood wanted to tap the booties of  the two guests (the angels).  It wasn’t like some down low brothers.  These dudes bumrushed Lot’s home demanding to have a homosexual orgy. Imagine people banging on your door talking about bring out your guests cause we want to get freaky with them.

Historically this was common behavior for the people of that land.  But when Lot speaks to the men he refers to it as a wicked thing. Yes, he calls it a wicked thing.

So what do you think?  Is men having sex with other men a “wicked” thing?

Was Lot wrong in his assertion?

If Lot was on CNN today and made this comment, he most certainly would be labeled as homophobic by some people, amongst other things. But was he homophobic?

Interestingly enough if you go through the whole Bible you will find a consistency to Lot’s statement in the books of Leviticus, Judges, Romans, 1 Corinthians and Jude.

So what does this mean?  Does God see gay sex as wickedness?

God sees sin as wickedness.  That includes adultery, having sex before marriage, lying, gossiping, and also gay sex.

So as we look at the wickedness of these men in Sodom, let us also look at the wickedness in our own hearts.

The truth is we need a savior to help us save us from ourselves.  This is the beauty of Jesus, the son of God who became the son of man to redeem us from the wickedness of sin which betrays us because it lives within our very own hearts.  Is Jesus your savior?

The Biblical Remix – Make It Happen

December 1, 2011

 

The Biblical Remix – Make It Happen

Genesis 37, 39, 40, 41 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixmakeithappen

Of all the dudes in the Bible who had it tough I def have to look at Joseph, the son of Jacob.

While still young his moms died.  His pops showed him mad love but that actually made his life worse cause his ten brothers hated on him big time.  The hateration got so bad his brothers actually sold him into slavery.  Joseph was only a teenager.

As a foreigner in a strange land he had to work wherever he was sold.  At one spot he was wrongfully accused of raping his master’s wife.  They threw him in prison for that one.  He did a bid for a couple of years.

However whatever situation Joseph was in, the favor of God was with him.  It was mad evident.

By the time Joseph hit thirty years of age, he was a boss.  He became the Second in Command to Pharaoh in Egypt.

During the ceremony, the Pharoah had a fine linen robe and a fat gold chain placed on Joseph.  In the background this Mariah Carey song was playing:

“If you believe in yourself enough, And know what you want, You’re gonna make it happen, Make it happen, And if you get down on your knees at night, And pray to the Lord, He’s gonna make it happen…”

Reflection:

Many of us have gone through hardships.  Some of us have been incarcerated and have found work after prison really difficult to find.

Some of us have been wrongly accused in marriages, relationships, and work ordeals.

Some of us have been abandoned, abused, and disregarded by our families.

And yet we stand.  We stand by the grace of God.

Joseph knew in the midst of all his problems there was a God who was watching and intervening in his life.  A span of 12 to 13 years existed from when he was sold as a slave until he became Second in Command of Egypt.  Yet in every circumstance there is no record of him giving up.

During his trials he knew no one.  He had no family.  And he lived in a foreign country where he had to learn new customs and a new language.  Yet Joseph did not give up hope.

And today I say that to you.  Life may have sucked for you up to this point.  Hardships may keep piling and piling up.  Trust in the Lord.  Trust in your Heavenly Father.  Your earthly father may have bounced but God has never left you nor has He given up on you.

For some people what I am saying is very hard to accept.  Your history and reasoning tell you to think something different.  However in your heart you know what I am saying is true.  He loves you.  God really loves you.

Don’t you ever think He can’t love you because of the life you have led.  God is love.  He doesn’t love us because we deserve it.  He loves us because He IS love.

Don’t give up.  Get down on your knees and pray.  God CAN make it happen.