I HATE senseless violence. I live in the United States of America, so I guess I'd better get used to it, huh? HELL and NO!!! Obviously, I am implying that I think there is such a thing as sensible and purposeful violence, since I have stated I hate senseless violence, so let me remove that implication: yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as sensible, purposeful, and even necessary violence. For example, I see someone attacking your mother and I step in and beat the dog crap out of them: THAT, as long as I only did what was necessary to subdue the assailant and remove the threat to your dear mother, is purposeful, sensible, and necessary. When are we as a nation going to rid ourselves of this misuse and abuse, this INTENTIONAL MISINTERPRETATION of the 2nd Amendment? I mean, THIS IS A DANGEROUS PLACE. The violent mentality of this nation IS A PROBLEM. As I turn a jaundiced eye towards my own fragmented Tribe, I scream "What gives?" even louder. WHEN DID WE LOSE THE BASIC APPRECIATION OF AND FOR LIFE? What is going on? And, yes, Parenting is the issue as well as the solution. PARENT YOUR CHILDREN. DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILDREN. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE MORES AND FOLKWAYS OF OLD. SHOWER THEM WITH LOVE SO THAT THEY WILL LEARN TO LOVE. RESPECT THEM SO THAT THEY WILL INSTINCTIVELY RESPECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS. EDUCATE THEM SO THAT THEY WILL VALUE LEARNING AND CRITICAL THINKING. OUR VERY SURVIVAL DEPENDS UPON IT. I'm not feeling one iota of sorrow or pity for those parents that refuse to actually parent. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY EXCUSES. I know too many widows, widowers, single mothers, single fathers, grandparents, and others that have stood up and did the BLESSED THING to hear ANY excuses. The life of grief that you get you DESERVE, especially in light of all of the drama WE have to deal with because you FAILED to deal with YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. MAY YOU REAP WHAT YOU HAVE SOWN IN SPADES!!! I pray for victims of senseless violence EVERYWHERE. May you be COMFORTED in your hour of travail.

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Birthday America!

What a Love-Hate relationship I have had with you!

You have said the sweetest things to me, only to dash my hopes time and again with your bigotry and racism.

You call yourself a moral, Christian nation, yet Jah isn't welcome in your schools or public places.

You are a nation founded by illegal immigrants that wants to crush those that dare to look for a better life within these borders mainly because they don't look like most of you or speak the same primary language.

Nevertheless, you are genuinely UNIQUE among nations. I appreciate that and will enjoy us continuing to grow and mature. Together.

P. S. Don't eat too much today. It isn't healthy.

April 4, 2009...

"Early morning, April 4/A shot rings out in the Memphis sky/"Free at last!"/They took your life/But they could not take your pride/In the name of love/One more in the name of love"...from Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2.

I can hardly believe that it has been 41 years since Martin King was murdered. I don't have as clear memory of that evening as I would like--I was only six years old-- but I remember Washington, DC, burning in the days following. The "H" Street, NE, corridor still hasn't completely recovered from the carnage. But I digress...

I wonder if, rather, how many people REMEMBER how important this day is and forever will be? Radical that I am, I used to always ask Black folks on April 4th if they knew what the day was. Too often, I was disappointed. I am not about to pretend I understood their forgetfulness/ignorance. I was disturbed because Martin King was/is a truly transformative figure. He was an icon. He was a legend in his own time.

I wondered if they realized that Martin King was really about justice for everyone. I wondered if they ever considered his stances on poverty or the Vietnam War. I wanted them to know the scholar/preacher/crusader who sacrificed his life even in life for them.

Did they know how the FBI followed and harassed him? Did they know of his sense of humor? Were they the least bit concerned with the inner struggles of the man, the husband, the father, the preacher?

In 2009, we have an opportunity to rejoice in knowing that the dream of the dreamer has been realized in ways we may have never thought imaginable. I NEVER thought that this nation would elect a son of Africa as President, let alone one my age. However, in our giddiness over Barack Hussein Obama's victory, we can not forget that too many of us live in stultifying poverty. We can not forget that too many of our children aren't being educated. Our appetite for drugs and alcohol is seemingly insatiable. We act as if Black-on-Black crime is the jue de jour. As a result, we kill too many of our mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers. We have even picked up the nasty habit of suicide. So while we have certainly achieved a lot, we may have even further to go than when Martin King was alive.

OK, Dude, what is your point? I am glad you asked. I want you to remember this day and the man who sacrificed and was sacrificed for us and our future. If I sound as if I am conflating Martin King and Yeshua (Jesus Christ), I am, in a way. If your desire is to serve Jah and your fellow man, there is no greater example. I recognize that Martin King was a man and therefore imperfect by nature, but there is still much to be gleaned from his example. He served, not for his benefit, but for the benefit of others. Yeshua served, not for His own salvation, but to secure the salvation of others. Likewise, we must serve, not for our own amelioration, but for the advancement of others.

In the final analysis, our lives are not really our own. We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue* have a responsibility to live our lives as if someone else depends on us. Easy? Of course not, but that is the point. The more we stretch ourselves the more Jah can fill us. I am grateful that I lived during Martin King's lifetime. His life is a great testament of what one person, determined, can do. He lived and died as if he believed the Gospel that he preached. We can't be him, of course, but Yeshua would be pleased if we learned from the sterling example set by Martin King. I am going to do MY best. Won't you join me?


Love and Peace...

* Hat tip to the late, great Curtis Mayfield

...

Not An Average Relationship

“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye shall go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit shall remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father of my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.” John 15:1-17.

Beloved, this is not an average relationship. The words of Jesus the Messiah as recorded in the 15^th chapter of John reveal the heart of our Savior as he was about to be arrested and tried for crimes He did not commit. In chapters 13 and 14 we see Jesus giving life to these words He was about to speak to the eleven apostles. Yes, eleven, because Judas Iscariot had already left the immediate scene to do his evil deed. Jesus had washed the feet of the apostles. Judas had been a participant, a recipient, but his heart was hardened beyond redemption: hardened the point where hearing these Spirit-filled words would have done him not a bit of good, as he was bound to do the work of the evil one. However, this isn’t about Judas and his ilk: it is about you and I in such a way I imagine many of us have never grasped.

God is using the Lord Jesus to tell us that He does not see us as mere pawns to do His bidding. No, Beloved, He has given us a much more exalted place than that. We are the friends of Jesus the Messiah, the veritable and verifiable friends of God. Beloved, this is not an average relationship. I want to dance around the scriptures a little to show you that this premise is firmly rooted in the word of God, and not just the insane musings of a crazy preacher with too much time on his hands, glory to God. Beloved, God’s word is TRUTH and LIGHT and LIFE, and I am issuing a challenge to each and everyone who is here now, whether you be in Jesus or not; I DARE YOU TO BELIEVE AND ACCEPT THE WORD OF GOD THAT WILL BE PUT BEFORE YOU TODAY. Now, you can sit there and refuse to get the Life you need if you choose. I am going to do what I have been called to do.

Beloved, Jesus has said to us plainly that if we obey his commandments, we are His friends. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but this some really important news. Before this point and time, mankind did not, nay, could not see itself as being on such intimate terms with the Creator. Even in the Hebrew tradition—no need to speak of the heathen nations—the men that were accorded a special relationship with God were seemingly few and far between. Men like Adam (before the Fall); Enoch, whom God took and was no more; Abraham, who was the father of the faithful and called the friend of God; Moses, who spoke to God as a man speaks to his friend, face to face; and, David, who was a man after God’s own heart. There are a few others, but I believe the point has been made. Such an intimate relationship with God was viewed, generally, as unobtainable, if it was even thought of at all. Remember that the Israelites refused to even pronounce The Name of God. Now here we have Jesus, saying that if we give Him due diligence by obeying Him, we were the friends of God.

Jesus starts by delineating the order of the relationship between God, Messiah and mankind. Jesus is the vine, the Sustainer of us all. God is the Husbandman, the One who prunes and shapes and cultivates the vine. We are the branches, the ones who are the visible manifestation of the Father’s work. Beloved, please do not miss that: we are the visible manifestation of the Father’s work. Yes, Beloved, you and I represent God and His goodness in this world. You and I represent His lovingkindness and mercy. You and I represent His love. You and I testify of His vitality. Beloved, we show the world-at-large how good God is. Now, considering the importance of our assignment, would God want to trust this to those who did not know Him, to those that couldn’t be trusted, to those that had no intimacy with Him? Absolutely not, Beloved: God isn’t stupid.

God knew that He had to overcome millennia of ignorance about His character and His desires for His creation. Yes, God had to overcome ignorance—willful ignorance at that. Just like today, men and women of antiquity made the choice to refuse to honor God as God. The traditions of men—to include astrology, mythology, numerology, various mystery religious systems and secret societies—even blatant atheism and agnotisicism, gave our historical fore-parents ‘choices’. Well, they thought that they were choices. What they were were vehicles with which the enemy used to distort the perfect memory of God that creation had at the beginning, before sin raised its head. Before Jesus, the last man to have this perfect memory of God and His character was Adam. Beloved, a lot of water had passed under the proverbial bridge between Adam’s sin and the birth of Jesus. What God knew was that His earthly creation had a very limited knowledge of who He was and what He wanted for them. Accordingly, He had to reeducate His creation—another reason why Jesus had such a dynamic teaching ministry. God wants more than just to save us from eternal damnation—He wants us to know Him intimately, so that we can fulfill our purpose. He wants us to know Him intimately so that we can legitimately reflect His image in this world we are visiting. Yes Beloved, this world we are visiting.

The teachings of the Lord Jesus in the 15^th chapter of John was designed to let the primary disciples know—and us, by extension—that we have a unique and peculiarly intimate relationship available with the Creator if we choose to pursue it. How are we to pursue this intimacy the God desires us to have with Him? The answer is dwelling in His love. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye shall go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit shall remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father of my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another.” John 15:4-17.

We have to abide in His love. We have to continue in His love. The pathway to intimacy with our Lord is clear: we must abide, continue and obey. These three things will nurture us, encourage us, and solidify our intimacy with Him. Beloved, understand that abide is a verb, an action word. The Greek meno, the word that is rendered abide, means to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy. Abide strongly suggests that there is a measure of endurance required by those that choose to abide. Yes, Beloved, endurance. We can’t approach abiding in God in a wishy-washy, willy-nilly fashion. It has to be “until death do us part” with God. And, understand that not even death can separate us from His love. So, when those gentle rains in your life get an upgrade to a Category 5 hurricane, you endure in His love. You don’t go running to your past, to what seems to be comfortable at the moment: you simply abide and endure. Be assured that in His Secret Place is all you need to make it through whatever drama is lurking outside of your door. Abide and endure. Trust him to do all that He has promised, and if you don’t know what He has promised, get into the word that He has left for us to examine, study and apply to our lives.

Beloved, the alternative is to be cut off from your life source, from the sustenance that is in God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that none of us want to wither, die and be burned. That was Jesus politely saying that those who refuse this awesome intimacy that was to purchased by His precious blood were headed for the fires of Gehenna—the fire of Hell. Beloved, abide. No matter what it looks like, abide in His love and in His care. Endure whatever temporary hardships there may be along the way and abide in Him.

Jesus next expounds on the benefits of abiding in Him. We all want our prayers answered don’t we? Although God is not a celestial errand boy, IF we abide in Him and He in us, we can ask what we will and expect it to be made manifest. Abiding in Him is the key to having prayers answered. I mean, there is a sermon in just this bit of information, but I will simply say this: the more we abide in Him, the better we get to know Him. And the better we get to know Him and His purpose for our individuals lives, the more purposeful and pleasing our prayers will be, because we will be asking for what we need, rather just for things to satisfy our unfruitful lust.

Is there anybody out there that knows what I am saying? Good.

Continue in His love Beloved; continue in His love. If we keep His commandments we will abide in the love of Jesus in the exact same way He abided and yet abides in the Father’s love. Love is all you need to succeed. Not some 1960s Flower Child version of love, but the love that craves intimacy with God. Beloved we are created in His image. Our human spirit was providentially designed to connect with the Creator, to have an awesome intimacy that screams to the world-at-large that every “Glory, Hallelujah” we give Him is deserved by Him. This is not an average relationship Beloved.

It is not an average relationship because of the benefits that we receive from our Father. Jesus has instructed us to abide in Him and to keep His commandments so that the Joy of the Lord Jesus Christ may remain in us and that our joy might be full. Beloved, the joy of the Lord is truly our strength. Do you see the unselfishness of God here? Do you see His mercy? Do you see His thoughts reverberating and resounding through eternity to ensure out safety? Do you see Him pulling out all of the stops to be sure we are reconciled to Him in all fullness? Beloved, remember that Jesus had not yet been crucified and resurrected, although the die had been cast. He wanted there to be an understanding of His purpose by His disciples that would be seared into their collective conscience as He was readying Himself for His terrible, yet necessary journey. This is not an average relationship Beloved.

This intimacy is expressed further when Jesus informs His disciples that greater love has no man than this to lay His life down for His friends. The Master, the Teacher as friend to those that were subject to Him: The Living Word, God with us, the Living Truth, the Son of God as friend to mankind—fallen mankind at that. Jesus, the one that would soon sacrifice His life opens the door to complete intimacy with all of us by willingly laying His life down for you and I—His friends. Please don’t miss the import of this statement Beloved, because it goes far beyond something simply said so that we could repeat it and smile. This is at the very core of the relationship that God desires with you and I. Friendship—true friendship—that speaks to the very spirit and soul of man. Not a superficial smile or handshake or hug, but a friendship that feels the joy and pain that you feel, even if a word is never uttered in praise or complaint. Friendship that will tell you the truth no matter how much it cuts, because the friend knows that the healing will be for a lifetime, as opposed to some sweet nothings that will just rot the soul like too much sugar will rot the teeth. Friendship that is eternal, that transcends time and space, and that also that transcends circumstances. A friendship that not only is rooted in but is consumed by love and that love is A Love Supreme: the love, agape love, that emanates from El Shaddai, from Jah, from Almighty God.

We are His friends if we do whatsoever He commands us. Beloved, this is not an average relationship, because, if we desire this friendship, we must offer due diligence to the Lord Jesus and His word. This isn’t a small thing, no matter how dedicated we think we are. If we desire the same thing that He desires, we will obey the word that He has left for us. We will study it. That means some Wednesday nights, and some Saturday mornings. That means we praise Him as if we have lost our ever-loving minds, because He is worthy of the praise. That means we love each other no matter what, no matter how dumb we may feel or how stupid we may think it makes us look. We love each other because He has commanded us to. Beloved be sure that if we do not love each other, we cannot love Him. If we do not follow His commandments, we can not be His friends, because we will have disqualified ourselves.

To make sure that we get the point, Jesus makes it known that He does not call us servants. He, through the word, has made everything we need to know known to us. He hasn’t hidden anything in some banal ritual. He has put it all out there in the same way that God has revealed it to Him. No secrets here, Beloved. I am going to hit someone right between the eyes and say if you don’t know this it is because you haven’t tried to find out. If your relationship with God isn’t where you claim you want it to be, it is because you haven’t researched the record to find out what you need to know. So, as the young folk say, “If you don’t know, you better ask somebody!” Ask Jesus. After all, He lives! Take some time to meditate and pray. After all, prayer is communication, and communication is central to a vital, intimate relationship.

In the meantime, let me tell you what Jesus said. He chose you and I so that we would bear fruit and that our fruit would remain. That fruit that we are to produce will glorify God. In light of that, have you checked out your fruit lately? Are we blessing the lives of others not in the fold with the love of Jesus? I don’t just mean showing it among the parishioners that are present: I am speaking about the ones that hate God and think we are stupid. Yes, Beloved, those folk that you almost have to put a gun to their heads to get them to listen to anything about the goodness of God. Are we spreading love? Or, are we perpetuating negativity and distrust by being too judgmental of those that are where we once were? Think about it.

Jesus adds a little something else to this awesome relationship and that is the use of His name in our dealings with God. Yes Beloved, Jesus has given us power of attorney. Like I said, this is not an average relationship. We are divinely privileged Beloved. The King of Glory has said that we may use His name to ask God for what we need. Now, I am about to close so I won’t dwell on this other than to say that this power of attorney was signed on Golgotha’s Hill in blood a couple of millennia ago, and it is still in effect. I suggest you make yourself eligible to use it, because this is a benefit available to friends of the Lord Jesus Christ only. Hey, it beats American Express, so please don’t leave home without it.

Finally, we are left with another command: love one another. Yes, Jesus has already said this, but it brought to mind a chapter in my life that I hope will be helpful for someone to hear. I am closing, so please bear with me just a little longer. I hate hearing people say “I love you to death”, and I’ll tell you why. I know it sounds like we are all devoted to the object of our affection and all, but the last word in that sentence reveals more than you may realize. Beloved, love isn’t about death: remember that we aren’t talking about average relationships. Average relationships end in death. Okay, I am about to open my closet door and let this skeleton out, so if a bone hits you, it’s your own fault. Twenty-two years ago, when I was in the Marine Corps stationed in South Carolina, I met this young woman that took my breath away. She was dark, petite, beautiful and best of all she was crazy about me too. I thought that we had something that would last forever. I was definitely planning on changing her last name. I mean, she would drive five hours from her home in North Carolina to spend time with me. Oh, yes, and she loved me to death and told me that many times. Beloved, the trouble was she really was loving me to death. She was loving me straight to Hell, because those five hours drives were at the expense of her husband and children. Now, while I am sure her feelings were genuine and I know that mine were, we couldn’t have been anymore wrong. I thank God for the courage and strength to break out of that situation even though I wasn’t living for Him at the time, because adultery is a horrible thing. Now that I know the Lord and desire to live in more intimate relationship with Him I know that I never want to be "loved to death" ever again. I don’t even want to hear the words said in reference to me.

Now, there is someone out there accusing me of trying to contradict Jesus because He gave His life for us. They are saying, “Jesus loved us to death: He died for us on the cross.” Well, Sir or Madam, you are only half correct. Yes, Jesus did die, but He got up on the third day from the grave to redeem you and I. Jesus didn’t just love us to death: He loved us unto and through death: He loved us to life, to life eternal. So, don’t love me to death; that is average, and I don’t want any average relationships. You see Beloved, I am a child of the King; therefore average and ordinary just won’t do. If you are going to love me, love me like Jesus loves me: Love me to life. That is what makes what God wants of us not an average relationship: He loves us to life.

Tuesday Evening...

Tuesday evening and not a lot to say. I am still concerned about our economy, but I am more concerned about the state of humanity in general. There are folks in Darfur that are suffering to a degree that none of us may ever comprehend. Innocent children are being molested, raped, and killed. There is so much more I could say, but what would be the point? We already know about the war on the other side of the door.

Well, there is ALWAYS a point. We--all of us--must endeavor to do what little we can do make this world a little more pleasant for someone else. I do not dare tell you what that may be--I can not determine that for anyone. However, I do believe that EVERYONE has some sort of calling from the Divine One. Jah made us for a reason.

I just believe we have a responsibility to enhance someone else's life, some way, somehow. Search yourself. The answer has already been placed within you. Like a songwriter said many years ago, "If you can not not sing like angels/ If you can not preach the Word of God like Paul/ You can tell the love of Jesus/ You can say He died for all, He died for all/ Loud and long, the Master calleth/ Rich rewards He offers free to you and me/ Who will answer, gladly saying/ 'Here am I, O Lord, send me--I'll go'". I may not have quoted the song perfectly, but the message is there nonetheless.

We can all do SOMETHING. No better time than the present to SERVE. Am I right about it?

Love and Peace...

For Grown Folks Only...

It is interesting to go back and see how your thoughts have developed over the years. I wrote this in 2006 in response to a question a sister had on a forum. Three years later, it seems to have been on the mark. I am glad about that! Full Disclosure: I have have made some very small stylistic adjustments and I corrected a typo or three, but the content has not changed one bit. I was pleased after reading it again. I hope it blesses you like it blessed me. By the way, I convinced my wife to get rid of those glasses...

(1) Why is respect more important to husbands than love?

(2) Do men have an inner vulnerability?

(3) Why does sex unlock a man's emotions?

(4) Is a wife's appearance important?

Interesting questions...

(1) Respect is often viewed by men as a BIRTHRIGHT. This is because of an incomplete, nay, completely deranged view of what a helper/helpmeet is. Jah, when He created Eve, didn't create her as a footstool. He didn't create her as a slave. He saw her as co-equal with Adam. Eve wasn't subjected to a subordinate position. Jah gave the male and female that He created dominion over the earth--not just the male alone (see Genesis 1:26-31). Now, AFTER the fall, things did change, but Eve still wasn't supposed to have Adam's boot on her neck.

Misdirected chauvinism is what you get when you suppose that men are somehow superior to women--which is not in keeping with Jah's original intent. (I purposely said "misdirected chauvinism", because chauvinism in and of itself is not a bad thing. No chauvinism, no chivalry. I KNOW you want doors opened, et cetera...) Men that view respect as superior or more important than love have a seriously distorted view of their own manhood and role in life. That view is full of pride and false pride at that.

There are brothers that believe because they support the household, i.e., are the breadwinners, that whatever they say has to be the rule. It is a misplaced view of what true leadership is. Some dude in antiquity forgot about the joy that Adam had when the woman (Eve) was presented to him and in the early days afterward. Adam lost his mind! He loved him some Eve! Check this out: even though all that is recorded about Eve (as far as action goes) before she gave birth to Cain is her unfortunate collaberation with the serpent, Adam regarded her highly enough to name her the mother of all living. So it follows that if you have no joy, you have no regard for the importance of love.

Also, men seem to want to act like kings instead of the King. An earthly king brooks no dissent; you know, the whole "off with their heads" paradigm. Mercy is limited. Love is relegated to a secondary if not tertiary place. That isn't of Jah. Period.

(2) "Big Boys don't cry. But, Big Boys aren't Men." (LOL...I wrote that YEARS ago). Men ARE vulnerable. There is no "hidden" about it. An honest man has no problem showing a little vulnerability at times. However, it isn't prudent to have such a trait on display 24/7 because of how most folks view vulnerability, as a weakness. This isn't healthy because it isn't real. Yeshua told us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, because He was aware of the distorted, vile and evil nature of mankind since the appearance of sin in human history. That is also why Yeshua told us not to cast our pearls before swine.

So the vulnerabilty isn't hidden; it has been compartmentalized and possibly even locked away. I repeat, it isn't healthy. It isn't even manly. Yeshua wept. I challenge anyone to find more of a "man's man" than Him. Men need to have the courage to be more vulnerable, in the right measure, of course. That requires seeking Jah (which requires vulnerability enough to recognize that you don't have all of the answers).

(3) This is so patronizing and so off of the mark that it almost angers me. It isn't a view of the regenerated man. For one thing, sex and emotion are mutually exclusive. One can perform a sex act totally void of emotion, i.e., masturbation (which is idolatry anyway).

The man regenerated in Yeshua regards the act of making love with his wife as worship. Yes, worship to Jah Almighty. Consider this: what is our life in Yeshua supposed to be? Is it not supposed to be worship? Isn't the sexual relationship between a man and his wife supposed to be representative of the mystery between Yeshua and the Church? Isn't the very marriage itself a representation of that mystery? Isn't that a worshipful experience? You can not divorce emotion from worship. You can not divorce adoration and love from worship. Likewise, you can not divorce emotion from lovemaking in its proper context. The only proper context for lovemaking is in a loving, Yeshua-centered marriage.

(4) This question is a land mine. I am going to direct you to the Song of Solomon and suggest that you peruse it and meditate on it and so that the Holy Spirit can minister to you on this critically important issue. I will say this: I do believe a woman's appearance is important, but not in the traditional context.

Jah made man in His own image. Jah fashioned Eve from Adam's rib. Just as Jah wanted to see a representation of Himself in mankind, a man should expect to see a representation of himself in his wife. This has nothing to do with personal taste which is of the flesh. It does have everything to do with seeing as Jah sees. Yeshua made it a point to tell us that man looks on the outward appearance, but Jah looks on the heart.

I am blessed that in my wife I see someone who follows hard after Jah. I am blessed that I see someone who is my complement in ministry. When I first met her, having no idea that we would one day enter into a marriage covenant, I saw her as pure. Yes, pure--the same purity I experienced in my spirit the moment I gave my life to Yeshua (THAT should have been a clue LOL). As our friendship developed, I saw her heart. Seeing her heart was much more important than seeing her physical beauty.

You see, beauty is much more than skin deep. It has to permeate the very being. Holiness is beautiful. Righteousness is beautiful. Sacrifice to Jah is beautiful. Obedience to Jah is beautiful. Modesty is beautiful. For me, if those things are not part of that woman's appearance, she isn't a "heart-turner." Shoot, anyone (or anything) can turn a man's head--traffic accidents cause a great amount of rubber-necking!

I saw a question about a woman's weight earlier in the thread. To that I say this: any brother that has an issue with his wife's weight should be willing to hit the gym with her or do whatever is necessary to accommodate her. Yeshua gave Himself for the church--completely. A brother should do no less in regards to his wife. So if weight is an issue, he should discuss it with her but without badgering or bludgeoning her about it. He must encourage her rather than criticize her.

Having said that, it is okay to "pretty" yourself up for the brother. Hopefully a married couple has discussed what is attractive and unattractive to one another and have made a serious and sincere attempt to please each other. For example, my wife LOVES my goatee. I like to switch up the facial hair sometimes, but I recognize to keep her happy I need to keep the goatee. On the flip side (LOL) she has these hideous glasses from 20 (or more) years ago that she wears to bed and around the house after she takes her contacts out. Even though, praise the Lord, we can easily afford another pair, she holds on to them like Linus holds on to his doggone blanket! Please be in prayer with us on this issue.

May you be blessed by Jah beyond your ability to conceive it!

Love and Peace...

Mercy, Mercy, Me: The Economy

With apologies to the late Marvin Gaye...

When I was at Syracuse University, I majored in Accounting. Accounting majors MUST take Economics. I actually remember some of that stuff, so I have a more than rudimentary understanding of what is behind much of the debate our nation is having right now. I have two very basic pieces of advice for anyone trying to understand what needs to be done to fix the ginormous mess we are in. First, IGNORE the GOP. They are selling the same snake oil that essentially caused this mess in the first place. Second on my list is this: understand what Gross Domestic Product (GDP) means.

Since ignoring the GOP is not that hard to do, I want to give a very brief lesson on GDP. Simply put, the Gross Domestic Product is a way to measure our national income AND the output of our economy. Since it is MEASURABLE, there is a handy formula for it:

C+I+E+G = GDP.

C = Consumer Spending. Currently, this is in the toilet.

I = Gross Investment. This too, is currently in the doldrums.

E = Exports MINUS Imports, AKA the Trade Deficit. It doesn't HAVE to be a negative number, but I venture that most of us haven't known a time when the USA ran a Trade Surplus. We certainly haven't lately.

G = Government Spending.

There is the formula for GDP. Anyone with common sense or that will take the time to HONESTLY think about it knows that three out of the four components of GDP are down. Way down. Two consecutive quarters of negative growth equal a recession. We are currently in a recession. With the lack of consumer and investor confidence, don't expect to see a rise in either C or I in the near term. E, which is currently a HUGE negative number, isn't going to become a surplus soon, if ever again in our lifetime. That leaves G, the dreaded Government Spending to pull the economy out of its tailspin. Sorry GOP, but that is a FACT. It is a well known fact if you have taken Economics 101.

So, do not moan about the $787,000,000,000 stimulus that was recently signed into law. It was necessary. In my humble opinion, it is too small by nearly half. I think that $1.3 TRILLION would have been a much better figure, but I don't get a say in these matters. Be patient. The economy WILL turn around. My guess is by March, 2010, we will be able to breathe a little bit better.

Love and Peace...

On the Winning Side!

Psalm 118 King James Bible

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1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

2 Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

4 Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.

5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.

6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

10 All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

11 They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

12 They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.

19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:

20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

21 I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.

29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

I wonder how often we look at Psalm 118 and realize what is going on in it. I am not going to say much, but I just want to point out that it is a powerful declaration of what is, IF you have hitched your wagon to Jah and His righteousness. We have to give Him the honor He is due. That is first and foremost, my friends. We have to recognize who He is in our life. We have to understand that He provides for us and protects us. It is in Him that we must put our trust and confidence, ESPECIALLY in times like these.

Don't forget that He has sacrificed for us. Yeshua, His mighty right hand, is the propitiation for our sin as well as the Author, Developer, and Finisher our faith. So, yes, give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good and His mercy endures FOREVER.

Love and Peace...