21 Days of Listening Day 12: The Blessing of Conviction

This Week's Reading: Matthew Ch 5-7

Matthew 5:29 NKJV
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

One thing that the Holy Spirit will do in your quiet time as well as any time during the day is convict you.

I'm not talking about guilt. There is a difference.

Guilt keeps us in bondage. It implies judgment for not living up to a standard. Conviction on the other hand liberates us by merely point out our wrong doing to encourage us to be more Christlike.

The difference between guilt and conviction is grace.

Grace means that we can be forgiven. After all, that's the whole point to Jesus right? When you are guilty nothing can change that. There is no truth in guilt for those who believe in Jesus.

If you are plagued with guilt then odds are it is because you have not asked for forgiveness or given forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. Forgiveness is the source of freedom. It is the ultimate expression of love.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help. You can say this prayer.

God, please help me to forgive all who have wronged me; including myself. Please reveal the truth of those situations and show me the next Christlike step I should take. Please also forgive me for any wrongs I may have done to anyone else and help me to ask them for forgiveness. In the name of Jesus, Amen

This is a great way to open your prayer time! It starts you off from a position of spiritual freedom.
Jesus came to set us free. We do not belong behind the prison bars of guilt.

On Lebron and Second Chances

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God… 1 Peter 8-11

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 30-32; 1 Peter 4

I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about basketball and we started talking about Lebron James.

What Are We Celebrating?

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. –Jesus speaking in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:38-39

When I heard the news about bin Laden an avalanche of thoughts overwhelmed me.

What is "Right" and "Wrong"?

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste – Isaiah 7:14-16

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

So I was reading this passage and I just couldn’t get past it. It is so fascinating to me.

Us Christians believe that Jesus is the Immanuel that God is speaking of through Isaiah. So, of course as I got here to this passage I was like oh nice! Let me see what he has to say. Then I came to the 15th verse:

He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right – Isaiah 7:15

Whoa whoa whoa! Wait a minute!

Christmas - A Day of Giving Love

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Christmas is a special time for many of us.

For Christians it is a time to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus (cause ya know for us that I kind of a big deal). It is the celebration of the most special gift that was given when we did not deserve. We are celebrating what for us is the ultimate expression of grace and love.

But it is also a special time for many folks who aren’t Christian. It is a time to give and receive gifts. It is an opportunity to express love in ways that we do not normally express ourselves during the year. This too is an expression of grace.

Regardless of what brings you to this special day, it is a day of giving. It provides us with a chance to show love to those that we care about whether or not we feel that they may deserve that love. This is what I love about this day. We have an excuse to come together and reconcile past wounds. We are given a chance to collectively heal over some of the biggest meals that we will eat all year long! It is not just a celebration of a child born two thousands years ago but it is also a celebration of love.

As you sit at the dinner table with folks that you love, and some that might annoy you, remember that today can be a new day. If you want to you can open new doors of communication and begin the process of restoring old bonds. Or you can strengthen the wonderful bonds that you already have with those that you are sharing this season with.

Christmas is an important day of giving, and the greatest gift that we can give is our love. 

Thanksgiving

 Sing to the LORD with grateful praise;
   make music to our God on the harp.

 He covers the sky with clouds;
   he supplies the earth with rain
   and makes grass grow on the hills.
He provides food for the cattle
   and for the young ravens when they call. - Psalm 147:7-9

Today’s Reading: Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Thanksgiving was always a trying time for me.

I grew up going back and forth between my Mom’s and Dad’s houses each week. But the holidays were different. On Thanksgiving (just like Christmas) I used to switch mid day. Just as I had woken up and gotten settled at one house, soon enough, there was a ring at the doorbell signaling that it was time to go. Me and my sister had to pack up our things and leave one parent for the other, never getting to share the entirety of any holiday in one household.

When I used to look back on what became “normal” for me I used to get frustrated. It bothered me that I never knew the stability of sharing any special day with my whole family at one dinner table. But now I look at it very differently.

Today, as I go on my Thanksgiving journey, I realize just how amazingly blessed I am. I am going to share this wonderful day of thanks twice with two sets of parents that love me unconditionally. Many people in this world cannot say the same for even one set of parents or even a single parent for that matter. When I think about how I used to be frustrated by what I saw as a burden, I just feel an immense sense of gratitude that life has gotten me to a point where I can see the best in life’s situations.

Everyone is dealt different cards in the game of life. What we must never forget is the most important rule to winning this game. We must always keep our minds and hearts focused on what is good. We must search out life’s treasures all around us; because even though it may not seem like it, they are there.

I honestly believe that this type of attitude is a decision that everyone can make. I’m sure that many folks will point to the most extreme situations in life and say that I am wrong and I humbly submit that I can only speak from my perspective. I believe that the more we decide to focus on the glass being half full, the faster that glass starts to fill up until it overflows.

There are many things in life that are out of our control. But one of the things that we do have a measure of control over is our attitude. Several years ago I realized this for myself. I used to be one of those half empty dudes. When I decided to make that shift, when I decided to seek out the treasures and blessings already abundant in my life I was better able to see the new ones that were on the horizon.

So let’s use this Thanksgiving as an opportunity to really give thanks. Take an inventory of your life and really try to find the wonderful blessings that you may have missed. Maybe it is an unappreciated friend or family member. Or perhaps it was a new opportunity this year. No matter who you are I believe that you have at least one thing to be thankful for.

And when you are sitting at your dinner table today; whether it is with family or friends or at a soup kitchen because you had nowhere else to go, try to use this meal as an opportunity to take a new step in the right direction.

Let today be the first of many days that you give thanks for what life has brought you. I know that I will; and I hope that very soon this act of giving thanks will bring abundant joy to your life in ways that you could never have imagined. 

Meditation Day 2: Crash

“You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

Today’s Reading: Matthew 5-7

Yesterday was an interesting day.

As some of you know I am a big fan of public transportation. I have been working in downtown LA for several years now and have relied exclusively on buses and trains to get me down there. Besides saving money I feel that riding the metro exposes me to a totally different Los Angeles. 

It is a true melting pot where business executives may sit next to the homeless, kids in skinny jeans stand chatting above single mothers with their children, gangsters bump elbows with law enforcement and military veterans. The metro has finally become part of the major veins and arteries to the heart of downtown.

There was a movie called Crash that came out several years ago. It was about Los Angeles and what happens when we are forced out of the bubbles of our manicured lawns and single passenger cars through chance interactions with other people. These types of crashes don’t typically happen on the metro, if not for any other reason than that everyone on the train voluntarily left their bubbles when they decided to take public transportation.

But yesterday there was such a crash, and I was right in the middle of the intersection where it happened.

I got on the Gold Line train to Pasadena arrived at union station at around six o’clock in the evening. I was tired and feeling drained and my back was hurting from sitting too long in a chair that is a bit too small. Because of how I felt I was highly motivated to find a seat. Before the trains come, experienced riders strategically place themselves on the platform where they expect the doors to open. It is a tricky mixture of politeness and gamesmanship; so sophisticated that new riders would never notice.

I stood more often than not the first several weeks I rode this train.

I arrived at the platform several minutes before the train so I was in an ideal position to hold down a prime spot. I chose the last door of the last train as I knew that there were two isolated seats facing each other at the end. I enjoy reading on the train and these seats are the best for that endeavor.

By the time the train came the platform was packed, but I didn’t mind. My strategic positioning paid off. I was one of the first three people on the already almost full car. I found my ideal seat, sat and opened my book. My back felt better, I felt better; life was grand.

There was a dude standing right above me holding the hand rail. He seemed like a current or reformed gangster of some sort but he was a nice fellow. We exchanged nodding hellos and I carried on about the business of reading my book.

Two stops later a disturbance occurred.

The doors opened and this loud exceptionally rude man entered the train. By now it was so full that it would be hard for anyone to walk the isles without the obligatory “excuses me” and “pardon me” with each step. But there were a few things different about this man.

He had no manners, offered no apologies, and he was blind.

Yep… dude was blind. He was the “cane with a red tip” kind of blind. Obviously everyone tried to help him wade through the crowd because it was impossible to navigate, even for the sighted, but he wasn’t having it. He literally screamed at every attempt to help. “Don’t tell me where to go I can figure it out!” Of course the fact that there literally was nowhere to go without help escaped him. So he pushed and shoved and tapped and elbowed his way through the perplexed crowd, stepping on several shoes and kicking even more shins. He passed the handicapped seats and headed to the end of the train where the gangster dude and I were.

As the young blind man reached us he slammed into dude so hard that it dislodged him from where he was standing. My man tried to help him by guiding him in the right direction.

“HANDS OFF! DON’T TOUCH ME! I KNOW WHERE I’M GOING.”

To which old buddy responded, “no you don’t… I’m just trying to help you.”

The blind man took a short break from bickering with the alleged gangster to punk me out of my seat.

“CAN I HAVE THIS SEAT!” he demanded.

Presented with the dilemma of protecting my manhood against the challenge of a blind man I decided to get up and let him have the seat.

Rude Blind Man: 1

Manhood and Pride: 0

I stood up and gave him my seat, careful not to tell him where it was because after all, he can see right...?

After bumbling around for a spell he figured it out and sat down. He then continued to fight with the annoyed man standing above him. They exchanged barbs for the better part of ten minutes while the other riders listened on. The gangsterish dude commented on how the blind man must be bitter about life because of how rude he was. The blind man retorted that he wasn’t bitter; as a matter of fact he is happy with his life. He has the best life ever.

More than a few of us were skeptical about the truth behind his words.

The conversation degenerated into terribleness on both sides. The only reason why they didn’t physically fight is because the same pride that made the sighted fellow stand up for himself against the blind dude is the same pride that would not allow him to beat the jerk to within an inch of his life.

The cold part about it is that the blind guy knew it… he used his blindness to bully everyone around him.

It was the strangest of sights. After about two or three minutes of trying to focus on my book I thought for a minute… maybe I’m supposed to learn something here. So I started listening and reflecting on what was happening. I’m still thinking about it but I did realize a few things.

Both the blind man and the irritated, sighted fellow were playing the same part in the same play. Both were bullies in their own right. The blind man used his blindness to command control on all of those around him. He used the pity that so offended him when folks tried to help against those very same people. When the perturbed, sighted fellow fought back he in turn verbally bullied the blind man as much as he could since he could not rain blows upon his countenance.

Finally the sighted fellow stopped as his rage dissipated enough to realize the pattern. He wanted to exit the play.

But the blind man wouldn’t let him. He continued to talk trash to him; and when he no longer got a response, he got on his phone and started loudly talking to some person on the other side about this rude jerk standing next to him and how he had prevailed over him in the recent struggle.

It was quite unbelievable.

From my front row seat I thought about who was right and who was wrong. I guess more accurately, about who was more right and who was more wrong. I sympathized with the sighted fellow. He was rudely bumped into. When he tried to help he was verbally abused by a man who comfortably hid behind his handicap. It seemed to me that it was an injustice that was unbearably foul. I understood why he fought back.

But he was wrong too. He shouldn’t have answered the call to arms. He should have just inoculated himself with love to ward off the blind man’s venom.

Or so I thought. I really don’t know.

That’s what I thought I was doing when I gave up my seat but maybe I just punked out. It’s not like the blind man couldn’t walk. Why was it any more difficult for him to stand than it was for me? He could hold on to the rail just like I did. But he shamed me out of my seat. I didn’t want to be the jerk on the train that wouldn’t give his seat to a blind man. There’s no way that looks right.

In the end I was happy that I didn’t take the blind man’s invitation to the drama of his life. It was as sad a display of humanity as it was maddeningly complex. I am convinced that turning the other cheek was the right move here. Even the furious fellow who decided to fight with him ended up doing the same, at a higher cost to his pride.

It’s just annoying that some people push us to these extremes.

Today’s Meals:

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs

Snack: Mixed roasted nuts

Lunch: Home grilled chicken thighs and green beans (leftovers)

Snack: More nuts

Dinner: Pan seared rare albacore tuna and green beans

Beverage of the day… Water

A Convo with Kofi About Sex

So I wrote this post yesterday about the passages in 1 Cor 6 regarding sexual immorality. 

Shortly there after the homie Kofi hit me up on chat with some challenging questions and the following conversation ensued. I believe that one of the ways that God speaks to us is through those around us. 

My man Kof makes some good points... Enjoy

Kofi: haha...interesting, I gotta run, be back later. I just wanted to ask several Questions: Did you look at all the other verses having to do with sex before coming to the conclusion of permissibility? Have you considered 1 Cor 6:12 in the context of Matthew 5:28, 1 Cor 7:9, and Job 31:1? What do you think it means that sex is never discussed in the Bible in a positive way before marriage? Have you truly searched your spirit man for not just wisdom but 'understanding' on some 1 Cor 2 stuff (before writing this particular piece)? How explicit would the writers have to be to convince people that sex before marriage is sin, and would that be practical? Would it be spiritual? If even thinking lustfully at a woman is sin, how could actual sex not be? Is the lack of definition of sexual immorality a call for us to get away from seeing sin through adherence to ' 'law' and really seeking God's spirit rather than our human intellect to decide how we should live or who we should we?

me: haha just saw your comments. Let me read through them..

Did I look at all of the scriptures no. but I'm not even convinced that "fornication" is sex outside of marriage.

Regarding Matt: 5:28 adultery, by definition, implies that one has already entered into the marriage bond. Even so that is an impossible standard. I'm not sure if you read my entire post but I do submit to the fact that Paul is right about it being bad, assuming that he is talking about sex outside of marriage.

Regarding 1 Cor 7:9... look at verse 6 for context.. “I say this as a concession, not as a command.”

In both chapter 6 and 7 he is clear that this is not a command.

He is also clear in saying that this is wise and the best way to go... and I agree with him.

Job: 31:1: Wasn't Job married? Also this is not part of the Laws of Moses. I'm certain of that. It is a New Testament thing.

I'd argue that sex isn't discussed at all in terms of it being before marriage. I've seen sex discussed in marriage, in adultery, and with prostitutes. It may very well be the case that folk really weren't having sex with women outside of marriage (unless they were prostitutes) because it was such a taboo.

I have searched for wisdom on this. And I readily accept that I could be wrong but I felt compelled to write this because I'm not the only person thinking about it. If having a dialog about it means that I come out as being the one that is flawed then I'm ok with that. But I didn't want to shy away from writing about it just because I have problems with it (I almost punked out).

I do think it would have been practical to mention it explicitly. The old law is explicit about not having sex with animals and homosexuality... why not be explicit about this? In the New Testament verse I mentioned in the blog, Mark 10... I can see someone using that as a rationale… but still it is in the context of divorce and marriage. I don't understand why the Bible is explicit about so many other general aspects of sex and not this one.

The part about seeing God's spirit... you've got me there

Maybe this really speaks to the sickness of our society. I do not believe that it is ideal for human beings to be unmarried into their 30s... at the time folk were getting married in their teens… big cultural changes have occurred... again I'm not saying this to explain away the situation... but maybe our society is so sick that the sexual part of obedience is that much more trying.

Let's discuss further.

Kofi returned

me: well you made the point that I made in the second half of my post

 In terms of the will of God and what the spirit says on the matter, which makes the definition of "fornication" kinda a moot point

Kofi: I want to go back to a couple of points you made

me: ok

Kofi: I’m interested in the definition of adultery

me: INTERESTING

Kofi: adultery, as I interpret it in the bible does not mean marriage. From our reading of the whole book its essential meaning has to do with faithfulness to God

me: see… now that is what I have heard about fornication

  never about adultery

  

Kofi: well going back to Matthew 5

  and lustfulness

me: fornication meaning not putting anything before God

  ok

  listening

Kofi: to me Matthew 5 is really getting at God wanting us to be free of a lustful mind

  that's why he doesn't break it down into specific sex acts

  because if we could sniff each others butts to fulfill lustful mental desires

  we would do it

  like "God didn’t say we couldn’t do this"

to me marriage is part of what justifies sexual gratification in Gods eyes

me: hmmm

Kofi: because going back to adultery, and faithfulness,

  these fleshly bodies

  aren’t ours

  they're his

  bought with his blood

with his spirit inserted into those who receive it

coming together in lust, lust in itself being a sin, to me is definitely sin

me: still here listening FYI

Kofi: Rather than breaking down specifics, he focuses on lust, because it is an affliction of the spirit, that deals with all of the physical acts associated with it

me: great point

Kofi: like if you kiss a girl on the mouth, like I'm feeling you, I love you, shoot I love the God in you

  not necessarily lust

whereas if you kiss someone and you're like, "dang I just want to knock the stuffin’ out that English muffin"

  its lust

me: hahahaah

  is it possible to knock the stuffin out the english muffin in a "i love the God in you" kind of way without being married?

  j/k kinda

Kofi: hahahahaha

me: hahahahaha

Kofi: well in marriage, presuming a whole lot of other factors outside of the bounds of this convo, God's cosigned on the union

  we got justification

  its like, right now

  I'm still a sinner

  I'm just justified

  by his grace

Sex without marriage is Sex without the grace covering

  does that make it fall short of being actual sin?

  I dont think so, because sex without lusting

  dont exist

me: damn you

Kofi: I was thinking the exact same thing

  lol

  {damn me}

me: hahahahahhaa

  thank you for being a great friend

Kofi: thank you brotha, unlike Wesley Snipes in New Jack City, "I am my brothas keeper" (trying to be)

me: hahahaha thanks man

I still don't follow you on the expansive definition on adultery...

  but I do understand you taking the leap on the lustful mind

  adultery or not

  That's where the Holy Spirit comes in... cause otherwise it's impossible.

  The lustful mind part

Kofi: Got you, I got my concept about adultery from verses like Jeremiah 9:1-3 and Hosea 7:1-5

in which he calls people adulterers, for being unfaithful to him. You know how there's that verse about a married person's priority is their spouses and a single person's is God's business? He seems to be saying you're never really single. You're either in covenant with him, or him and your spouse, either way, your heart, mind, and body belong to him first.

me: I don't read these verses the same way

why isn't calling them adulterers just one extra thing they are all doing wrong?

 yeah that's 1 Cor 7

Kofi: well in Hosea 7 he says they are "all" adulterers

me: yes

  he says all in Jeremiah too

  maybe they all were just sexin’ all kinds of prostitutes and scalawags

Kofi: maybe, I think they were bad

  but as bad as we are

  we aint that bad

  and our generation is pretty terrible

me: hahaha

  yeah that's real

he makes it sound like Sodom 10.0!

  all kinds of unsavory, skullduggerous pandemonium

Let's Talk About Sex

embrace by Egon Schiele

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh. "But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. – 1 Corinthians 6:12-17

Today’s Reading: Psalms 113-115; 1 Corinthians 6

Ok I’m gonna come right out and say it…

I don’t think sex outside marriage is a "sin".

I know that 99% of my Christian brothers and sisters will disagree with me here and to be honest I’m ok with that. Maybe I will receive a new understanding in the future and change sides on this one. I have two issues with it. 

First, what is “sexual immorality” anyway? I haven’t seen it explicitly defined as sex outside of marriage. In the last chapter it was used when discussing a man sleeping with his father’s wife. Now THAT is pretty darn immoral. I get that. But someone please help me with a scripture explicitly saying that sexual immorality (fornication) is sex outside of marriage. I will also accept an argument that seems to break that down by saying what can and cannot be done. Provide scriptures please.

Secondly, every time I have heard a sermon on the topic they reference these verses…

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

Okaaaaaaaaaaaay… I can dig that. 

But they never include these verses…

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. – 1 Corinthians 6:12

It’s from the same section of the same chapter! Context matters.

I have spent years thinking about this for obvious reasons. It’s not like I’m a virgin or anything. And call me a sinner if you want but good gracious, sex being a sin has never made sense to me.

But then I read the next few verses and I see the point that Paul is making here:

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." – 1 Corinthians 6:16

The point here is that there is something more going on with sex than the physical. When we have sex with someone we are connecting on a deeper level than we realize. That person becomes a part of us and we become a part of them. You know each other in a way that cannot be articulated.

I don’t know if you have experienced this but let me test it out for you. Do you remember the last time you saw someone that you had sex with in the past but have not seen in a while? There is a familiarity there that is more intimate than what you feel when you see a long lost friend. In a deeper sense you know each other.

There is a soul tie.

You’ve shared a bond, whether it was for several years or just one night. The duration of the relationship may affect the intensity but it doesn’t change the fact that a connection is there. During sex we are at our most vulnerable. We open ourselves up to the other person in a way that doesn’t happen in any other kind of human interaction.

This is why Paul’s general point makes sense to me. Whether or not it is permissible is not really the point. The question is whether or not it is beneficial. If we have a lasting connection with everyone that we have ever had sex with, then how does this affect our future relationships? Are we bringing this baggage into our marriages?

Paul would say yes. And I’d have to agree… reluctantly.

I think this is something compelling to think about. Of course I believe in Grace and that these connections can be overcome but geez… we can’t front on these things being complicated. So I guess the fewer the connections the better.

And this gets us back to the original point… sex outside of marriage.

I do believe that not having sex outside of marriage is ideal in a profound way. But I also think it is permissible. However, like with everything we do, there are costs and benefits.

The question is, is it worth it?

That is not for me to tell you. But I think the argument for no sex before marriage very compelling. I’m not gonna sit here and promise you that I won’t do it. I’m no fool. But I do think it is an interesting discussion to have.

What do you think? Agreements, disagreements and comments are welcome as always. 




UPDATE:


This is what Jesus had to say about divorce... this is the best I've found on sex outside of marriage being no bueno.. but it refers to the bond of marriage... What about the time between leaving your folks and getting married? If you believe that divorce is not a sin, outside of it being caused by adultery, then how is premarital sex sin? Perhaps the change in our society of folks getting married later and living outside the home before marriage changes the game? Then again maybe not. Interesting stuff tho. 


Mark 10: 1-12

On Revenge: A Letter To A Psalmist

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongs—
         O God, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth!
 Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
         Render punishment to the proud.
 LORD, how long will the wicked,
         How long will the wicked triumph? – Psalm 94: 1-3

Today’s Reading: Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

Dear Psalmist,

Hello good sir. I’ve been reading the words of you and your cohorts and I have noticed many themes; but the one that currently intrigues me is revenge.

Through your words I see that you have experienced much injustice. You have seen bad people win and good people lose and wondered aloud what that is all about. How could God allow this to happen? What did the good do to deserve to lose out to the wicked? What does the future hold for both? There are times where you have doubted and blasted out words of fury and frustration.

But you always have a way of coming back around. In the end you choose to believe.

That is something that I am working on. It is a struggle for me to believe what I cannot see or to ignore that which I do see.

I look around at the news and society and I see much of what you complain about. At times I feel frustrated when I see the little guy made to be a scapegoat for the actions or incompetence of others who are more powerful. I wonder why and how this is allowed to continue sometimes.

But then there are those other times…

There are the times when I see folks get their comeuppance. On occasion I have seen the mighty fall under the burden of their actions. This seemed good and right to me and I must admit that I have definitely relished in that revelation in the past.

But I am starting to see that God does not wish for me to feel this way either. He wants me to operate in a place of love that feels the same sadness and remorse for all who fall; big or small, rich or poor. It is this universal love that I see as a constant struggle. It is an impossible goal to attain but a worthwhile endeavor to pursue.

We are challenged to shoot for the stars so that we may hit the moon. Either way we will have traveled out of this world.

Thank you sir for reminding me that it is ok to feel what I feel but also that it is not ok to stop there. I must constantly search for new ways to love, knowing that God will help me get there.

And in the process I can leave all of those other frustrations in God’s hands, where they belong. 

Why I Am A Christian

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says,“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” – Romans 10:8-13

Today’s Reading: Psalms 77-78; Romans 10

Yesterday I talked about why I believe in God… I spoke about how I see God in everything no matter how bad things get. There is always something that I can look to that provides me with evidence of God’s love, purpose and existence.

Coincidentally (if you believe in coincidences) we have come across one of those key verses of Christianity: Romans 10:9-10. It’s one that is often quoted. Whether or not you are a Christian you have probably heard it:

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There is a deeper meaning here that the casual reader may not see. For the past few chapters Paul has been setting up these verses. He has talked about the imperfection of human beings and how we cannot live up to the standard of any laws. No matter how hard we try we cannot be perfect. And as the rules dictate, everyone must pay a cost for the mistakes we make. Then he talks about how Jesus came to be that payment, the perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices.

But what is the underlying theme here? What is compelling about all this spiritual mumbo jumbo?

For me it is Grace.

Grace, in this sense, is defined as unmerited favor. It is the notion that one can receive something and not deserve it.

I too believe that I am not perfect and that there is no possible way I can achieve perfection on my own. I also believe that God is perfect. So, how can I possibly connect with something that is perfect?

I imagine it like having a glass of pure, clean water. That is God. That is perfection. And imperfection is like a drop of red dye. No matter how small the drop it will corrupt the entire glass. If any imperfection is to come into contact with perfection then what was once perfect will be rendered imperfect.

So how do I connect with God, be “at one” with God, when I am the one bringing the imperfection? I cannot do it through my actions because I can never hope to be perfect. What qualifies me? What makes me special?

Nothing at all of my doing…

But what’s’ interesting about the Jesus story is that He claims to have bridged the gap. Through His life and death and rising again he paid the price of imperfection and became that bridge that I can cross to reach God.

Ok fine Clarence. You just inundated me with all these ridiculous fairytales. So go on, why is it important to you to believe this stuff?

Well for me, my faith represents taking a step across that bridge. Sure I am imperfect and God is perfect. And sure the whole Jesus thing may be this bridge that connects the two; but if I don’t take the leap of faith then I will never cross that bridge.

I can never get to where I want to go if I don’t first take the steps necessary to get there.

So that’s what it is for me in a nutshell. I know that I am imperfect. I believe that God is perfect. And for me, my faith in Jesus is what bridges that gap. This faith is the firm ground that I can walk on as I embark on the path of the purpose for my life.

With each leap of faith I take one step closer to God, and one step closer to the man that I am becoming.

Pushing Through

Truly God is good to Israel,
         To such as are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
         My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
         When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalms 73:1-3

Today’s Reading: Psalms 72-73; Romans 9:1-15

I’ve been struggling with Psalms 73 all day long. I started reading it in the early afternoon but couldn’t get past the three verses above.

For some reason things kept getting in the way. At first I lost focus. I would get to the third verse and then my mind would go somewhere else. I didn’t like the music I was playing. And then I was hungry, so I made some food. And then after that I started gchatting and tweeting.

Then about an hour later I tried to read it again and started yawning before I finished the third verse. My eyes got heavy and I felt really tired so I decided to take a break.

After all I had already written a post today. This was number two. It can wait right?

So I started watching some programs on Netflix. Of course my fatigue disappeared immediately. Then I talked on the phone for a while and took a super long nap (really it was sleep but can you really call it that when the sun is out?).

So now here I am at home on a Saturday night staring at this passage again. I’ve talked about this issue before. Envy is like a cancer. When it overtakes us it whittles away at our energy and our drive. We end up spending the time that we should be using to pursue our dreams on focusing on the success of others.

But we’ve discussed this before right? So why am I so stuck on this Psalm? Is it because I think I have learned the lesson but I really haven’t? Is it because there is a hidden aspect to it that I still need to see?

I wasn’t sure.

What do I do in such situations? I ask for help (of course after I’ve exhausted myself with avoiding it through TV, chatting, and sleep). Fortunately for me the homie Kofi was online. I hit him up and we start talking about our weekends so far. Then I bring up my challenge and how I feel like God is trying to tell me something and won’t let me let go of this passage until I learn it.

Then Kofi says “yeah man, He doesn’t want us to frustrate his grace” and sent me this passage from Isaiah:

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
       he rises to show you compassion.
       For the LORD is a God of justice.
       Blessed are all who wait for him! – Isaiah 30:18

I was immediately hit with the answer. Yes the Psalm is very important for me to understand. We all need to be careful not to fall into the trap of envy.

But also what I learned today is that often times through avoiding what is right in front of us we can be our own worst enemy. We can be the ones who are standing in the way of our dreams.

Hopefully the next time I experience a challenge like I did today it won’t take me all day to follow through on the task set before me. Hopefully I will have the strength to push through when I feel the initial resistance.

No one said that the journey would always be easy.

Sigh…

We Will Not Lose

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:37-39

Today’s Reading: Psalms 70-71; Romans 8:22-39

I love this. Paul is so absolutely ride or die with his faith. This is one of those spiritual pep talk scriptures for Christians.

But there is an important thing to remember here. The part of this passage that hits me the hardest is “through Him who loved us.”

Paul lists off all of these things that seem to be more powerful than us: death, life, angels, principalities, powers. Against these things we are to be more than conquerors. We shall persevere through the trials of the present and the future. There is nothing that can separate us from God and what God has for us to do.

But this statement isn’t a statement of one’s own power. It is a statement of what we can do when we connect with the love of God. That’s what “through Him who loved us” means to me. When we tap into that love that goes beyond human understanding then nothing can stand in our way.

Proof of this for me is the example that I always go back to; the Civil Rights Movement. It must have seemed so strange when black folks in the south and their allies from various cultural backgrounds resisted the violent policies of Jim Crow intimidation with peaceful measures. I remember learning about it as a kid and thinking that it was crazy.

But I get it now. As King said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

It takes a love beyond my understanding to live like this; and for me, that love can only come from my connection to God.

It has not only been helpful in the extreme environment of social struggle but it can be helpful for all of us in our day to day lives. The same love that was required to turn the other cheek during the sit-ins is what powers our forgiveness of those who have wronged us. It is what allows us to take another chance on love when we have been hurt in the past. It is what allows us to reach out and help those in our lives who take more than they give.

The power of love cannot be defeated in and of itself. It only yields when we have lost our faith, when we have lost the courage to get up, carry on, and continue on love’s journey.

If we don’t give up then we will never lose. 

The MC of Antiquity

Break their teeth in their mouth, O God!
         Break out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
         When he bends his bow,
         Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
         Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Psalm 58: 6-8

Today’s Reading: Psalms 57-59; Romans 4

Ohhh buddy! David sure is mad.

If you remember back to when we were reading Samuel you’ll remember that David had a whole lot to be mad about. The King STAYED trying to kill him. He pursued him to the point where David had to leave town, collect a militia from the unsavory elements of society, and live in caves till Saul died.

But good grief! Look at what he said up there. It’s beautifully written, but pretty dreadful. The best line is this:

Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Psalms 58:8

Ouch.

But you know what. This Psalm is actually very healthy.

Yes I know that probably sounds strange but hear me out. Remember during the story of David when he was dodging Saul’s attacks? He had several opportunities to kill him but he refused. Didn’t you wonder how he was able to refuse taking revenge? I know I did.

This is how. He put pen to paper. He was able to release the pain and anger in a constructive way. Instead of destroying his king by the sword, he released his anger through poetry and song.

I bet David would be a legendary rapper if he was alive today. Just as David spit his venom on page many of the MCs that I grew to love during my childhood did the same thing with their songs. They avoided the realities of their neighborhood by channeling them into art that would allow them to escape those realities. When I was a kid I used writing as my escape too. Poetry was my therapist and the pad and pen were the couch where I gave voice to my feelings.

Sometimes there are things about our reality that we cannot control and that can be infuriating. We can choose to deal with them in constructive or destructive ways. But before we seek revenge or act out on our feelings it is best to try to channel that negative energy into something positive. For people like me, rappers, and David it was writing. For others it has been therapy, creating art, cooking, talking to a loved, martial arts and other creative and social endeavors.

Find what allows your soul to sing and express yourself. If we can find that release then maybe we’ll be like David when the true test comes. Maybe we’ll have the strength to forgive when we have the power to exact revenge. 

Legacy

Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,
         And leave their wealth to others.
Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever,
         Their dwelling places to all generations;
         They call their lands after their own names.
Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain;
         He is like the beasts that perish. - Psalm 49:10-12

Do not be afraid when one becomes rich,
         When the glory of his house is increased;
For when he dies he shall carry nothing away;
         His glory shall not descend after him. – Psalm 49:16-17

Today’s Reading: Psalms 49-50; Romans 1

If you stroll around the campus of any major university and look at the buildings there is one thing that is consistent. Most of them are named after somebody.

Sometimes they are named after the person who wrote the check responsible for it being made. Other times they are named after important graduates or historical figures. The legacy of that individual lives on in the building, through the scholarship of the students who are educated within its walls.

Eh… not really.

Every one of the buildings at my college had names on them and I didn’t know who they were or why they were there. For all I know they were a bunch of dusty dead folks who were so narcissistically concerned with their legacy that they dished out copious amount of coin to make sure that their name is never forgotten.

Buildings may last longer than our bodies, but memories don’t endure all that long. People come and people go. Even those who are “remembered” are seldom remembered for who they actually were. They become historical figures, lost in the mythology of their towering triumphs and colossal defeats.

So this makes me wonder. What legacy do I want to leave?

The vain, egotistical side of me of course wants to leave a legacy. Remember me! I’ll take one order of that towering triumph mythology please. Thanks.

But on the real, I don’t care much about legacy anymore.

Let’s get one thing straight. I do care about making an impact on the world. I think it is important that as a citizen of humanity I do my part to make the world a better place.

But even more than that I hope that I can pass along the things I have learned to my future kids. Sure it would be nice if they inherited material security, but more than that, I want them to be the beneficiaries of a life lived with courage and faith. I want them to have an example of loving kindness and forgiveness. I want them to see the content of my character and strive to be better than me, and their kids to be better than them so that we can continue to spread love throughout the world.

I know that this is something that I can give to the world no matter how much money I make or how many buildings have my name on it.

And if my children and grandchildren inherit these things, they will be the best investment I will have made in my entire life.

What legacy do you want to leave? Chime in!