Which Jesus Do You Serve?

In American culture, the name of Jesus Christ is regarded in quite a few ways.  For some, myself included, the name of Jesus Christ is the most blessed, wonderful name in all existence.  For all too many Americans the name of Jesus Christ is merely a curse-word, a by-word, even the name of the figment of some diabolical imagination.  Nevertheless, Jesus Christ has been right in the middle of American culture from its inception as the unavoidable, immovable mountain in the center of the square of the marketplace of ideas.  At one time, the name of Jesus Christ in the United States was respected above all values, names, or ideologies.  Now, the name of Jesus Christ is loosely and flippantly tossed around and one might even expect skeptics and enemies of Jesus Christ to be engaged in such behavior but there are now even professing Christians who bring his name into disrepute and dishonor.  This brings us to the character, the person bearing the name.

We naturally associate not only the faces of family, friends, and associates with their respective names, but also the character of each.  In our minds, a person's behavior is inseparable from their name and the same is true of Jesus Christ.  When one uses Christ's name dishonorably, that person automatically reflects their own perception of Christ, a disposition that sees him as just a historical figure, or a fictitious construct like the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.  Who takes the Easter Bunny seriously-?  Children who either know no better, or children who willingly believe the fiction.  Sadly, today, far too many Christians have no idea who and what Jesus Christ truly is.  The story of the "babe wrapped in swaddling cloths," born to a mild virgin has been told and retold so many times, Nativity scenes have been on display each December annually like clockwork have become a part of pop culture. 

For many, that's all that's known about Jesus Christ.  Consider for a moment the paintings, sculptures of Jesus Christ, still found in the United States, especially in Roman Catholic institutions and ponder the humble, gentle visages of those images.  Christ is shown as a supernaturally stoic, calm man who rarely smiles and just as seldom shows emotion, particularly the emotion of anger.  This image has become associated with that name in modern times unfortunately, and such a shame, for the Bible says that his name is a name above all names and that all shall confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  His name is one at the mere mention of which Satan and his demonic host shudder and tremble.

Modern Americans have become very accustomed to this Jesus.  Christians have too.  It is my objective to present another Jesus, one who is starkly different from the Jesus of American mainstream culture.  The Jesus I present may frighten many.

First, we have to briefly establish why Jesus is such a prominent part of history.  The Bible says that Jesus simply came to destroy the work of the devil and to seek and to save that which was lost.  He came to buy back, to redeem a lost, corrupt humanity from an incurable, one-hundred percent fatal malady- sin.  This is why he came.  Period.  The Jesus of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ was such an outstanding, Biblically accurate depiction of the Passion Week and comes as close as possible to what he went through out of love for us and obedience to his Father.  We see a submissive Jesus, one who restricts the use of his power, even against his bitter enemies.  Throughout the movie we see him condescending to the level of man, even washing the feet of his own disciples.  Yet again, Jesus came to deal with Satan's power over a lost mankind and sin's iron grip.  Sin's vise-like hold prevented God from living within man.  Jesus came to make it possible.

But sin rages on.  Satan continues to ravage the earth, seemingly without restraint (although those born again know better).  Christ succeeded, didn't he?  Of course, and there are, still today, people being saved from the eternal penalty of sin, hell.  God will not force man to obey his will.  Man, at his heart is by nature an enemy of God and does not want to be ruled by God.  God joyously receives all that embrace his Son in saving, repentant faith, but the day will come when the cancer of sin, born in Satan's heart and devouring the lives of mankind will finally be destroyed.  This presents the "other" Jesus.

The Jesus that will return to earth will not be the one who was spat upon and beaten, mocked and ridiculed.  This Jesus will be a mighty warrior, coming for battle, coming to settle all accounts, to give to all that which is deserved.  Now of course, both illustrations of Jesus Christ presented in this essay are one and the same, however separated only by purpose.  In his first coming, Christ came as a humble Redeemer.  At his second coming he will come as a King to take that which is rightfully his- worship and absolute, unresisted rule over the world.  The Jesus who will return to balance the scales will, in awesome, frightening fashion brandish his power on all who have resisted him, fought him, disobeyed him.  The Jesus who will return is a strong, regal figure who tolerates no rebellion or disobedience.  We would do well to remember that this time until his return is one of grace, of mercy, or urgency.  He is beseeching all to enter into the ark of salvation before it's too late because if you reject the Jesus who came in humility and meekness and incomprehensible restraint, you will have to face the Jesus who is returning as one who "treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of El Shaddai."

The time is now, Christian and non-Christian alike, to come to grips with the reality of Jesus Christ, that he is one who is coming to set everything aright and will forever eliminate that which does not fit within his plan for eternity.  By nature, man seeks to create his own objects of worship, therefore, man has comfortably fashioned a Jesus that he can fit into his own "box" but that, my friend is idolatry.  Jesus Christ will not permit himself to be made or remade by anyone.

The Men Are What's Wrong With America

“And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his father Manasseh had done" (II Kings 21:20).</p>
<p>If one looks at present-day American culture, one will undeniably see a civilization in its geo-political twilight, one which is, as far as morality is concerned, already six feet under the cold earth, long since eulogized, the weeping crowd having despondently departed, with future visitations uncertain.&#160; America's tombstone shall be a mighty, massive monument to her once world-famous decadence, her offal-smelling political theatre, her feints of global superiority from lazily resting upon laurels.&#160; Take comfort America-lovers, Patriots, you hearty scions of Minutemen and Buffalo Soldiers, for this is written with a heavy heart, with fear, with trembling of one who loves the United States of America strongly.&#160; Yes, I love my country and I love her enough to not turn a blind eye to her depravity.</p>
<p>Th United States has been in a continuous slide downward into the valley of impotence, and that cannot be disputed.&#160; Some might say that this is just a &#8220;dry spell,&#8221; just a &#8220;bump in the road&#8221; or even that the collective losing of our scruples should rather be interpreted as our ascent onto the mountain peak of intellectual freedom, the loosing of old-world shackles of outmoded, sexist, oppressive traditional code.&#160; Obviously opinions will vary about our beloved country's true moral condition.&nbsp; Facts, however, cannot be argued against.&nbsp; Just this week, I read in the Chicago Tribune of a 14-year-old boy's being beaten into a coma by a vicious street gang in Logan Square.&nbsp; Gang violence in our cities is sky-rocketing.&nbsp; Teen pregnancy has become an epidemic, partially because young ladies have not been effectively taught how to properly measure potential suitors against in-home, upstanding, hard-working men.&nbsp; The father is supposed to be the bar.&nbsp; The husband and father is to be ever-present exemplar of discipline, honor, and self-control.&nbsp; Over the past few decades, the absence of fathers and husbands in the home has invariably led to today's broken and battered society.</p>
<p>The attraction of quick money, combined with duress are two huge contributors to young men joining gangs, but I had parents, particularly a strong father who I feared infinitely more than any gangster or gangbanger, and my old neighborhood was replete with them.&nbsp; My father being there was a tremendous check against the pull of a life that I was not destined nor designed to live, and it is has been my father who has been my model after which I have patterned my work ethic and self-discipline.</p>
<p>The Bible verse at the opening of this post concerns the reign of King Amon, son of King Manasseh.  King Manasseh was the son and heir of a righteous king, Hezekiah who obeyed the commandments of the Lord and fought a valiant war against a storm of idolatry that chronically threatened to sweep through the nation and ensure the devastating impact of the hammer of God's judgment on the land.  If Hezekiah was so righteous, why was his son Manasseh and his grandson Amon so wicked?  The Bible says in II Chronicles 33:9 that Manasseh had caused the people of Judah to do more evil than the pagan nations that had been driven out of the land before them.  All of the reforms Hezekiah had instituted that were in perfect line with Jewish law he reversed.  How?  Why was Hezekiah the king so effective, but Hezekiah the father so ineffective?  This is one of the main ailments that plagues the United States of America- fathers who are are like absentee landlords.

The rapidity of our society's breakdown, I believe, is due to the failure of men to hold back the corruption that inherently lurks under the surface of all societies.  Fathers in particular are charged with the solemn duty to raise their sons and daughters to valiantly hold the line of morality and to advance high standards, thereby preserving and improving society.  Hezekiah, for whatever reason, did not make sure that his sons would walk in the way of God's Law.  Ultimately, their society unraveled, shown in the wickedness and depravity of the people, merely following the example set by their leadership.

Men have allowed their sons and daughters to be raised by the unscrupulous entertainers and musicians of the day, and they themselves are becoming enslaved by the constant stream of sexually explicit and pornograhic material flowing through every media outlet, and the “sins of the fathers” are passed on to the children.  Men, who have exhausted incalculable energies in careers and various pursuits, garnered numerous acolades aren't making the same investments into the lives of their children, nieces and nephews, the children of their neighborhoods. As a result, we are losing everything.  Without spiritual strength, every battle against each volley of societal and familial decay will be lost.  Without men who stand tall and strong, determined not to give in, the children will continue to be killed, abused, raised by television and movies.  All the righteous work of King Hezekiah had, by the time of his grandson Amon, been forgotten and undone.  Amon, as a result of the unfettered life of immorality and moral relativism, had been killed by his own servants.  Our children are also being cut down in youth.  Amon was twenty-two when he became king and was assassinated at age twenty-four.  Sound familiar?  How many news headlines could any one of us pull up recounting the tragic death of a young man?  If the men of the United States do not get in their rightful positions as servant-leaders of their homes and communities, empowered by God Himself, there will no longer be a United States of America on earth. 

"Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour." (I John 2:18)

"God Is Not a Christian" by Desmond Tutu http://pulsene.ws/1NWI4
Almost anywhere in the civilized world, the name of Bishop Desmond Tutu evokes tremendous respect- even love by those who know him personally, and rightfully so, among friends.  I have long heard of the endeavors of Bishop Tutu, of his tireless, relentless campaign against man's inhumanity toward man, and he should most certainly be applauded for not being content to serve his church behind the safety of the four walls of chapels and cathedrals.  The name of Desmond Tutu now, on the "Mount Rushmore" of human rights champions, is etched into that honorable granite alongside the likes of Mother Teresa, Mohatma Ghandi, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With all of the violence, societal upheaval, and pestilence, it warms the heart to see what would appear to be one of the most superb examples of the love of God in active, compassionate display. Speaking of God, Desmond Tutu, who has more Biblical knowledge in his pinky toe than I in my entire body, said something in the above-noted article that really perked up my ears. He said that Christians, along with all mankind should "be willing to learn from one another, not claiming that we alone possess all truth and that somehow we have a corner on God." Therein is the lethal subtley of his plea. I understand the honorable intent of what he's urging mankind to do especially in light of growing distrust and hostility toward Muslims worldwide, the increasingly ferocious persecution of Christians globally, the palpable shadow of the Final Solution still lurking through Europe and millennia of spilled blood of millions of innocents in the name of religious purity and doctrine. His resolution to humanity's problems in the area of religious tolerance absolutely seem to be found in a real understanding of each other's spirituality and the self-control to not allow one's own beliefs not to translate into violent conflict, be it physical or intellectual. Ah! If only it were that simple! Archbishop Tutu (retired) leaves out the one, true salve to man's depravity, especially so when wrapped in the white raiment of spirituality and religious orthodoxy. (There's almost nothing more dangerous in the world than a confused or spiritually twisted, well-meaning religious zealot who thinks his wickedness is proper, sacred service to God.) Man has, in thousands of years of recorded human history, been inundated with religion, from the noble to the savage and he still has yet to fully subdue his own propensity for evil and self-destruction. It is my premise, based on the Bible, that man has not become better, more refined, more godlike with his myriad of religions simply because he is impotent to do so, he is totally incapable of removing from his own soul the scourge of that lethal condition that Jesus Christ addressed purely and simply as sin. The true culprit behind the slaughter of untold millions in the multiple wars instigated by religious agendas is sin, not ignorance of the truths of the religious doctrine of others. One need only read a newspaper or view the nightly news to understand the bottomless depths of man's total depravity. What transformative benefit is it to understand why the Quran advocates the execution of apostates? How will it further foster peaceful human coexistence if one understands the process of reincarnation? Mere understanding of one another's beliefs miserably fails to lift mankind to the ultimate height of responsible altruistic living. But that's exactly what Desmond Tutu believes will cure our societal ills. In the Bible, specifically in the Book of Genesis, Satan convinces that if she should follow her own dictates, her own will, her own understanding in eating of the forbidden fruit, she would ascend to godhood, and if one objectively thinks about man's religions, they all aspire to transform man into his idealistic, perfect state: godhood. What Desmond Tutu desires man to accomplish is most certainly a good goal but since he leaves out the necessity of man being born again through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ his hopes are built on shifting sand. As long as he leaves out the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit, man will never make his dream a reality and instead will always, despite his best attempts revisit the cruel crucible of persecution and war. There is a man the Bible says is coming onto the world scene (very soon) who will unite the entire world under the umbrella of a one-world religion that will seek to do all that Desmond Tutu wants man to do right now. This man will speak of peace like no one ever has before and will have the means to make it so. I wouldn't want anyone to take this as a mere conspiratorial rant. All one has to do is just take a rudimentary look at history and one will be forced to admit that mankind's past has been full, almost from its origin, of egomaniacal would-be world rulers, bent on the absolute subjugation of everything that breathes. Just look at the twentieth century! So it's not outside the realm of logic that another will come, who will take full advantage of disaster and misfortune, that his own agenda succeeds above all else. Humanity is ripe for a “new Caesar” to emerge, to “save” us from ourselves, from famine and war and economic crash after crash, from racism, religious persecution, pandemics, and the you-fill-in-the-blank. The Book of Daniel clearly says this world ruler will come to power peaceably and with enough intrigue able to make his rule absolute. One of his platforms, possibly his main platform, is one of peace between religions- obviously citing religiously motivated events in history that have been man's bloodiest conflicts. Just as Adolph Hitler was able to take full advantage Germany's squalor and devastation after her defeat in World War I, so Antichrist will exploit the looming threats of global economic collapse and a nuclear, biologically weaponized World War III. Man wants peace so badly, believes he can achieve it so strongly without Jesus Christ that he will believe anything and anyone who convincingly claims power to deliver it. Yes, the message of Desmond Tutu is the message of Antichrist for it imagines a world united, but at the expense of Truth. The message of the last hour will be one of tolerant, if not loving unity that man will be able to take his collective leap to godhood. The message will be that “We're all praying/worshipping the same God; he has revealed himself through different prophets, using diverse names and we dishonor him with our ignorant bickering.” This is why Desmond Tutu's message is dangerous. It naively attributes to man that which is, under his own power, infinitely beyond his reach. It assumes that the conflicts are all due to simple misunderstandings of each other's faiths; should one stand firmly on his deeply-held, time-tested beliefs, that one is misguided, intolerant, prepared for the road of blind religious hatred to his fellow man. It is my experience that standing on the immutable Truth of the Bible is the best, safest place in all of existence and the only true shelter against the deceptively cancerous, humanist treatises of men like Desmond Tutu who have exchanged the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for hopelessly flawed manifestos for the sake of peace and unity. “...Even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

To All of the Good-Hearted American Socialists and Communists

For a large portion of my life I was forced to rely on the learning and experience of others for my own worldview to take shape, and in truth, that worldview that I called my very own really wasn't mine, but a tapestry of pieces of others' worldviews sewn together, held together by an intrinsic need for ideological and philosophical structure.  I owe much of what and who I am to my parents, the valiant conquerers of Jim Crow Mississippi sad Arkansas and a racially oppressive Chicago at the height of the Civil Rights struggle.  They worked harder than there exists adjectives to describe their diligent toil to provide quality private school education for my entire childhood, including college and in college, my truly very own evaluation of the world took form.
     Still, though, I had an untested judgment of Socialism and Communism.  I had always been taught (and told) that especially Communism had been one of the great scourges of the twentieth century but I did not have objective facts to judge the validity of such claims.  Again, I was forced, to a degree to accept at face value.  But the greatest beauty of college is the unfettered access to all the world's knowledge and the greatest tragedy is not unearthing innumerable gems of truth. 
     It wasn't until fairly recently, now that my beloved America is in the throes of societal upheaval, that I came to really understand what Socialism and Communism are all about.  And my purpose here is not to condemn or praise these systems but to appeal to my fellow Americans who adhere to these philosophies.
     First, in the interest of being transparent, I am not a supporter of Socialism or Communism if not for their collective body count, then for their impracticality.  Socialism and Communism cannot endure for one reason above all others irregardless of the motives and intentions of the purveyors thereof. 
     I would dare postulate that there is actually a rather large number of well-meaning disciples of Marx in the United States that truly love America.  They have, however, chosen systems of government and economics that are flawed, and fundamentally so- as is Capitalism and our system of Constitutional Republicanism.  (They are all imperfect, by the way, because they are all human institutions.)  I would think that some, if not all the adherents of Socialism sad Communism (in America) had similar quests for objective truth to mine and they finally settled on that which they believed was best for America, and best for the hundreds of thousands locked out of the "American Dream" because of educational deficiencies, poverty, racism, sexism, etc.
     I can honestly understand why a country-loving patriot would promulgate Socialism out of a sincere belief that the socio-economic inequities deeply entrenched into the fabric of our nation don't allow one from the poverty and crime-oppressed Englewood community (on the south side of Chicago) the break/advantage they would need for escape.  I really do understand that, and why they would want a fair-dealing powerful government to balance the scales so that the power of corporations, banks, etc is checked by the servants of the people, all of whom are duly elected and empowered by the people.
     Therein lies the problem.  All government is comprised of people, and history has, with crystal clarity shown us that these virtually all-powerful governments, when given the power to act for the people always serve themselves above all.  What is missing is Almighty God, and the Founders of this great Republic knew firsthand of man's total depravity, and the natural tendency of powerful monarchs and governmental bodies to invariably lean toward tyranny, toward despotism.  The Founders understood that embedded within the workings of the government were needed constitutional roadblocks to absolute power by any one member or branch of government.  Furthermore, they understood, indicated by their (almost) unanimous reverence of "Nature's God" that man desperately needed something on the inside of himself to curb him from his innate craving for self promotion, at the expense of others if necessary.
     Socialism cannot work because it empties God of His power, removes Him from His rightful place as judge of all man's actions and arbitor of Truth, placing man there instead.  Socialism can't work also because one day, when the government has devolved into tyranny, as it is doing now before our eyes, the people will throw its shackles off of their hands and necks and violently depose it.  It cannot work because its premise is an impossible one.  Human government cannot balance the scales.  It falls on individuals, familes, friends, churches to do that.
     My fellow Americans who love Socialism, all we need do to understand its workings is to look at the twentieth century and spend time studying National Socialism work its way to its only possible end.  Adolph Hitler had become a god to the Germans and his wicked pogrom they executed to his satisfaction. 
     Socialism would remove ingenuity and ambition, save the craving for position in government.  Socialism would destroy a man's desire to work hard for his wages because one thing Socialism needs more than anything is money, and that revenue would only be raised through oppressively high taxes and fees for governmental services.  Most of all though, Socialism (and Communism) would demand the exit of God, the only force capable of checking man's depravity, from the public square, a la North Korea.  Socialism didn't produce the greatest, most powerful, wealthiest nation on earth, so what would be the advantage in embracing it now?  Look what it's done for Cuba, Venezuela, China, North Korea, Cambodia, Germany, and other nations.  No, we as Americans, must once again fully embrace our Judeo-Christian heritage, our Constitutional Republican form of government, and a rejuvenated dedication to work that benefits ourselves and each other.  Socialism, as you'll honestly see has no part of our history and heritage, nor should it.

Eating Garbage During the NBA Finals

While watching the colossal collapse of the National Basketball Association's version of the Titanic, my heart actually went out to the fans of the outplayed, underachieving Miami Heat and I briefly shared in the exultation of the people of Cleveland as their Brutus was himself foiled in his own underhanded schemings. I felt for the basketball fans of the Heat because of their feverishly pitched expectations based on their team's "Big Three" and the amount of money spent to bring about what on paper should lead to dynastic realizations. It felt vindicating to see the Dallas Mavericks, through class, superior coaching, and sportsmanship totally outlast the presumed juggernaut of the League. Ask anyone outside of Dallas, and I'm sure fans all over the nation had the Heat winning the Finals in five games, six at the most. I watched the clinching game six with my father, and after the game, I drove home, elated. As I drove home, I arrived at an intersection of perpendicular streets all too familiar to residents of Chicago's South Side, the red light camera-laden meeting of 99th and Halsted. Waiting for the light to turn green, a downtrodden, despondent-looking gentleman came up to my window seeking spare change. While I gave him what little change I was willing to part with, guilt filled my heart. There I was, in a well-working vehicle, with a stomach still full of delicacies I enjoyed with my family at my parents' home. I had just watched what, for sports fans, was one of the best NBA Finals series of all time yet I had just realized that I had participated in an idolatry of a pervasive sort. I lent my little energies to the furtherance of an industry that had inverted the priorities of an entire nation. Multiple hundreds of millions of dollars had been creating an entire universe of almost unparalled comfort and privilege for a group some of the most selfish, self-absorbed individuals on the face of the earth, and by no means do I think that they owe us anything whatsoever, and I'm certainly not jealous of what their talents and collective dedication has brought them. My point of contention is with the citizens of the wealthiest, most advanced nation on earth permitting such massive financial resources to be squandered for ultimately meaningless entertainment. If one is honest, starving, deprived citizens well-being infinitely outweighs the successful matching of competitive teams onsome hard-wood floor. In a nation with the resources, dilapidated schools should not exist. Underfunded hospitals and clinics should be the stuff of fantasy. AIDS and cancer research should continue unfettered. The elderly should be venerated and cared for with dignity. What I'm calling for is not the seizure of the funds and assets of the players in the NBA, nor of the owners who make multiple times more than the players. Capitalism is a glorious, bittersweet economic system that allows one to amass his own largesse by his own sweat and toil. However, one of the beautiful aspects of this system is that its direction rests in the hands and decisions of the consumers. This grave social injustice of Americans eating garbage out of restaurant dumpsters while billions of dollars continue to beatify athletes must end soon. It ends with the willful channeling of our monetary powers toward those activities that will preserve, protect, and elevate human dignity.

My Marriage is Worth Saving- and So is Yours

How getting divorced revived my sex life

This article was an incredibly engaging read for reasons quite obvious to myself. I, too, am a married man (and that happily, might I add) but have not somehow, by God's divine power, been made immune to the pressures, hurts, and wounds the heart incurs during the union between husbands and wives.

Most marriages I would think begin as beautiful wellsprings of blissful love, evidenced by the constant pondering one to the other, the perpetual touching and calling, the throughout-the-day texting and emailing each other. Marriages, extending out of the courting or dating stage can be a part of the most vibrant, vivacious years of one's life, but the age-old question remains still- "how does a couple keep the magic in the marriage?" As explicitly explained in the article, the neglected wife found herself and her marriage incapable of withstanding the agonizingly slow and possibly unstoppable cooling of love's fire. Before she knew it, the energetic sex stopped, the flirty, coy playing ended and she eventually found herself basically just sharing space with who she believed her soulmate in the early days of love. While I consider her ultimate handling of her problem cowardly and selfish, I couldn't help but feel for her and slight ire for her husband who did not prevent the tragic end of his marriage.

I love my wife. I really, really love my wife and am finding more things to love about her as time passes. That's not to say that we haven't had our ups and downs. In fact, a couple of years ago, my wife and I had the worst time being married to one another. I can't deny that when we went through our "valley" she just flat out didn't like me very much. Well, maybe I'm being too generous- she didn't like me at all and I thought that all the pageantry, joy, love, and ferocious sex would all be forever nullified. It was without a doubt the darkest time of my life. I have to also confess, that I was the husband in the article; I was the one who did not show my wife the emotional nurturing and support that she, as a woman, was designed to thrive on. She was my flower- the sun of my love was hidden behind gray clouds of hurt and dejection.

I am relieved and even more thankful to God for the brevity of that time and write these words testifying to the fact that my marriage is stronger as a result, but more than that because of the presence of God Himself in my marriage. What one learns more than anything in matrimony is how to, on a daily basis, sacrifice personal desires, goals, ambitions, for the sake of the spouse. Marriage is the greatest arena wherein one can battle Self into subjection for the sake of one's spouse and therein is the best example of Love, not in words said but in deeds done. Obviously, the Holy Bible provides the lens through which a proper perspective of marriage is gained. In its sacred pages, God's people understand that marriage is SPIRITUAL and a profound mystery. Marriage is meant to last a lifetime, and for the Christian, to exemplify the relationship Jesus Christ has with His Church. The Scriptures show Christ laying down His own life for His people, laying aside His rights as Lord and Sovereign over this universe for His own. My point in bringing this up is not to exclude non-Christians from the truths about marriage, but to show the proper state of mind and spirit one has to have in order to have a successful marriage. As an aside, I'm not suggesting that all Christians have successful marriages as the statistics borne among present-day American professing Christians show that the divorce rate is almost identical to American non-Christians. The key is whether God Himself is in that marriage and if the husband and wife are in full submission to His Word and will.

With that said, the wife in the article chose Self over her marriage, Self over her husband (as he also did), and Self over her children. She allowed Self to dictate her next moves based on how her husband's behavior affected her. I know the wounds incurred in a marriage can be deep, but those in successful marriages are able to withstand, address, and prevent in the future those wounds and become better individuals as a result. Successful marriages are those in which husbands and wives learn true self-sacrifice, bad habits are destroyed, children learn what responsibility and true love are and are able to show it in their marriages and children.

I believe the marriage in the article could have been saved, along with any- yes, any- marriage troubled. The difference is made in the heart of the respective spouses. Are the spouses guided by true, self-sacrificial Love (as shown in the Holy Bible) or guided by the infamous "50-50" philosophy where "as long as you do right by me, I'll do right by you" is the credo. I am no marriage expert, or marriage counselor. The only real expert on marriage is the one Who designed it, God Himself. He designed it to be the beautiful ground upon which civilization would be built, wherein children would be brought up respecting God and authority, ready to do the same with their children, wherein husband would learn how to care for and nurture others more than himself, wherein a wife would learn to trust and submit to her husband who is her servant-leader. I understand all will not accept God's design for their marriage but truly want their marriage to survive and thrive. God's design is the best one.

More could be written about this subject, but finally Self must be subjected in order for a marriage to last. The needs of the other must be put before the needs of Self. Had that wife and husband considered each other, that marriage could have been saved. Sexual intimacy is very important in a marriage, but can't be the driving force of the marriage. Sex is EXTREMELY important in my marriage so are our five children, but the day will come when the sex will stop and the children will be gone and what's left is what will take us into our golden years. My marriage is worth fighting for. So is yours.

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Christian- or Sodomite?

written by Gary B. Dotson

This post is intended first and foremost for the adherents of Biblical Christianity, and those who think that by their church attendance they give God service.

"Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom." Genesis 19:1a

     It's an integral part of the human make-up that drives us to seek as much comfort as possible, and frankly, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be comfortable. However, vice and complacency almost always come in when we desire comfort above personal integrity and moral responsibility as revealed by the Word and will of God. Jehovah is most certainly a good God and loves to shower His children with His blessings and grace. One must always be reminded that His generosity is not always shown in the manifestation of material commodities. Jehovah is spirit, and His absolutely pure perspective is eternal. His blessings, in their essence, are those that will gloriously outlast the frail, paltry confines of time and space and it is those treasures that are to be secured by Christian men and women for eternity. 

     Obviously, there's a catch. Jehovah is a God of holiness, a lover of righteousness and justice, best shown in the brutal suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, God in Person. One cannot enjoy fully the blessings and comforts of God and hold to the comforts of the world as well. The Word of God is clear on this matter. It is crystal clear on this matter. Yet and still, we Christians allow ourselves to be led astray by our sinful nature over which we were given power to subjugate by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God (if, we've been born again, that is). 

     Consider the nephew of possibly the most notable of the patriarchs of the Christian faith, Abraham. Abraham had such a rock-solid faith in Jehovah that He saw fit to bless not only Abraham, but his seed, and the entire world, for that matter for it would be from the loins of Abraham that the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ would be born, who would take away the sin of the world.

Abraham had so many material blessings as a result of his greater spiritual blessings that he became a king of sorts, a chief of the region of Mesopotamia and later in the land of Canaan. Abraham had massive flocks of cattle, many servants and even had mighty men trained in the arts of war who had been born in his household for defensive purposes (whom he used to rescue his nephew Lot, who had been taken captive during a fairly serious conflict between the kings of the region).

     Now, consider Abraham's nephew Lot. Lot was also greatly blessed by the Lord because he was a member of Abraham's family. Lot and Abraham were so endowed that the day came when the household of Abraham and Lot could no longer coexist together. Imagine the headache of trying to keep order amongst the combined hundreds of family members and servants, thousands of cattle and various livestock and the strain the Bible says they placed on the resources of the region for their constant needs of food, water, and minerals. 

   

     Abraham and Lot loved each other and were loyal to one another, but the day came went the two households could not remain together so they mutually but amicably separated.

In Genesis 19:1, Lot finds himself not only in Sodom, the city he had chosen to reside in, but sitting in the gate of the city. That's significant because in those days the gate of those walled cities was often where those with political power and influence would be found, as those notable visitors and travelers would meet those others of influence for direction, and diplomatic and commercial interaction. Cities were walled, fortified, and tightly controlled in those days for protection. The gates of a city had to be watched and filled with people of power and standing. 

     I would imagine that the king and aristocracy of Sodom saw Lot as a most welcomed addition to the city. Remember, he was the nephew of one of the most powerful and wealthy men of the region and he, too, was fabulously wealthy. Lot entered Sodom and was automatically a member of the aristocracy.

Lot showed his status as a member of the elite of Sodom, and forgive my speculation, but I would think that the people and rulers may have also been in fear of Abraham as well treating Lot accordingly. With but three hundred and eighteen military-trained servants he freed Lot and all that was taken. The victory won by Abraham was so important in the region that the king of Sodom personally went out to meet Abraham. 

     Today, within the church and without, Sodom is known for it's exceedingly wicked sexual immorality and homosexuality, and I'm sure, horrific acts of pedophilia. We know Sodom today as the very definition of human depravity. Yet Lot, showered with the favor of Jehovah Most High, found himself quite comfortable with Sodom and her amenities. How many of us are following Lot's steps?

This world certainly has its "gates." Entertainers sit in the gate of their industry, at their vain award galas, pornographic videos, and hedonistic parties. Politicians posture in the gate of government, corrupt deal-making and deceit-laden speeches. The lukewarm clergy perpetrate in the gate of church boards, behind pulpits, secret mistresses and homosexual lovers. American citizens sit in the gate of their possessions, jobs, and money, and just as the Sodomites were totally oblivious to the imminent fiery, final judgment of God, so are we. 

Finally, when the two angels dispatched by God to destroy Sodom (and Gomorrah) were poised to do just that, Lot still didn't want to leave Sodom. He was so addicted to its worldly comforts but his family was in an even worse spiritual state as they were far more carnal. His sons-in-law thought he was joking when he told his family what the angels told him. Of course, they did, because they saw daily his compromised lifestyle and how he loved to sit in the gate of Sodom. 

     This is not about the disgusting, vile deeds of homosexuality, but about the Christian church becoming so comfortable living amongst modern-day Sodomites that it lives compromised lifestyles to the point where it is ineffective. Lot was a citizen of Sodom by choice and was nearly swept away in the searing destruction thereof. Lot's apostate lifestyle meant doom for his wife. He failed her as she held fast to Sodom down to the very last second of her compromising life. But Lot's "wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26). How many us are going to continue to look back as judgment looms overhead? Repent!

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If Abortion Isn't Murder, Then Your God is Dead

Politics. Religion. Homosexuality. Abortion. Of the countless topics that inspire the most polarized, intensely heated dialogue amongst Americans, the issue of abortion is arguably the most divisive. The medical procedure of terminating pregnancies in the United States has been so hotly debated, it has even led to the deaths of abortion doctors, property damage due to bombings, and imprisonment of advocates on both sides of this issue. Yes, from its inception, abortion has been one of the defining issues in American politics, religion, and pop culture.
Those who take time to read this post may probably know someone who may have had an abortion or may even had the procedure done themselves. Up front, I wish to make my disposition clear concerning abortion- I personally am convinced that abortion of unborn babies is equal to the murder of an adult. There's absolutely no difference whatsoever.
What the readers of this post think about abortion goes to the heart of their deeply-held religious beliefs (if, indeed, they hold any) and in particular what their God thinks about abortion. If one considers him/herself a Bible-believing Christian, they cannot endorse abortion as a valid method of dealing with pregnancies, wanted or not. The key to that is "Bible-believing."
I am aware that some professing Christians do not find abortion deplorable and outright wicked and those kinds of Christians are probably the main ailment of the Christain church in the United States.
Abortion has become so monolithic an institution primarliy because Americans have accepted the rhetoric of many in the medical community that the unborn does not truly qualify for the title of "personhood." Perhaps readers should be reminded that the Nazi-perpetrated slaughter of the Jews across Europe was not resisted en masse by citizens of Europe in large part because they accepted Nazi propaganda that the Jews were not "fully human."
It's easy to kill that which isn't human.
Even by many hardened criminals, convicted of some of the most violent acts imaginable find harm to children absolutely unacceptable and a line that they won't even cross. Children and babies are the most defenseless of our society and are certainly worthy to be protected and provided for. Obviously, there are those who do not agree.
Every society that does not protect its most defenseless citizens is doomed to fall, doomed to be destroyed by its own lust for blood. Abortion can only exist in a nation wherein its citizens do not have a right perception of God. If God is worthy to be called" God," then He must be just and must love life. If this is true and if anyone claims to worship such a God and does not oppose abortion then that person's devotion is a sham and his "God" is a sadistic figment of imagination.
Think about it, what God deserves to be worshipped who does not love his own creation? Even more, what person can be trusted to the greatest degree whho does not cherish human lufe, one who fudges with vocabulary determining that an unborn baby is a "fetus," a mere mass of tissue that doesn't classify as a human being. Such thinking smacks of the nonsense that originally was present in the Constitution of the United States that classiffied Blacks as "three-fifths" human. It was such thinking that helped make slavery flourish throughout Western Civilization and that made men bend their god to their ideology rather than conform their ideology to the dictates of their god.
Christian, your god is dead if abortion is not murder and furthermore, you are no different from the adherents to the ideologies of Mao, Hitler, Stalin, and Pot. They didn't cherish human life because for them, God was nonexistent and if human opinion, majority-rule, and human government are the final arbitrators of the value of human life, then we are destined for the same dark, godless future and it will be Christians who will make it possible.

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Our Bibles and Guns

written by Gary B. Dotson

Bear with what you may call melodrama, but America is at a crucial crossroads in her history at which the patriots within her borders must determine the path she will take in what seems, currently, to be the twilight of her existence. I warned you about the dramatics.
Right now, America is under assault at every side by godless, Leftist policies, and spineless leadership from the political Right. The leadership of America has grown fat, lazy, and hopelessly addicted to the comfortable standard of living and freedom and liberty purchased by our forebears with their collective lives, combined fortunes, and their priceless, sacred honor. America seems adrift upon the sea of moral and political relativism and she is paying the price. Her enemies are arming to the teeth around the clock and we have not learned one single lesson from the deafening noise of the fall of mighty, powerful Rome.
The end of Rome was inevitable as it was a completely godless political entity. The Roman citizens worldwide were governed by a litany of emperors drunk with absolute power and apathetic senators separated from the average citizen by an immeasurable gulf of riches and status.
Pure and simple, as America moves further and further away from its founding Biblical priciples, it will invariably embrace the same ideologies that thrust China into the bloody violence of blackhearted communism under the regime of Chairman Mao Zedong. Many Americans incorrectly think that "it can't happen here."
Christians and patriots, we must understand that without Christ at the center of all of our actions and thoughts, there's nothing on earth or within us that can restrain us from embracing the god of Humanism. Man will always worship something- anything.
In every oppressive regime, especially in the 20th century, Bibles and guns have been the targets of these regimes for systematic elimination. Already, America has clearly moved into a post-Christian age where Jesus Christ and the Bible are ridiculed with astonishing regularity and nonchalance. The mockers fail to realize that the enduring faith and devotion to Jesus Christ over the years by citizens and statesmen alike have helped make America a marvelously peculiar nation, unlike any that has ever existed. The Bible, more than any other book or idea elevated women to the equality of men and revealed their God-deposited worth. The Bible set forth the foundations for the limitations and responsibilities of government and the duties of a citizenry free from their first breath. Tyrants hate absolute, unalterable Truth because it shows that there is yet a greater Authority above them that shall bring to light their every act into the scouring light of the purity of His righteous judgment.
The Bible must be attacked by them and it will be again, just as in ultra-orthodox Islamo-fascist societies that at least, once tolerated Christianity.
When a people realize that they are created as free men and women with rights that cannot be taken by human government, they will be empowered to defend themselves, not their rights, but their status as free people in God's sight.
Faced with the fact that all- ALL human government becomes corrupt sooner or later, if patriots call themselves Christian and vice versa, it's high time to live righteously and responsibly according to Christ's standard only, but we must deposit as much Bible into our minds as possible to do that before it's too late and we must stand at the ready to defend ourselves from a corrupt government. We defend ourselves not to protect "rights" but as a deterrent to prevent the slaughter of human beings that is sure to come if we falter at all.
The Bible is our invincible, number one weapon that not only gives us the protocol on how to deal with injustice but also the message of the Gospel which is able to disarm all of the wickedness in men's hearts.
The hour is very late and the time draws near wherein we must make a stand to save this nation from extinction.
Get the Word in your heart before the Bibles are confiscated or outlawed as "hate literature."

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American Fuhrer

Recently, I was watching a program on the History Channel called The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, and obviously from the title, one can surmise the content of the program. The scenes that I saw were absolutely shocking as new analyses of the depths of Nazi cruelty were made by astute historians. I thought that I had a pretty concise summation of that darkest of periods of world history but I'm forced to admit my error. I learned new facts about not only the slaughter of millions of Jews, but the compliance of the German people in those atrocities.
This is not about the apathy of the German citizenry, or even about the wickedness of the National Socialist regime. This is more about the failure of the people of the United States to learn the most important lesson to be learned about the rise to power of the Third Reich.
Germany was dealt a humiliating and totally debilitating defeat in World War I and consequently, Germany's infrastructure was decimated. I want to just briefly but reasonably speculate on the state of the common German citizen. Currently in America, we're experiencing the worst economic trial since the Great Depression in the late 1920's through the start of America's entry into World War II. Even with part-time work, unemployment insurance and government assistance with subsidized housing and food stamps, times are difficult for millions of Americans- we haven't had a war fought on Anerican soil since the Civil War of the mid-1800's. Imagine Germany then, with the currency completely devalued, natural resources depleted or unable to be accessed, tens of millions of young German men, who had been the backbone of a robust work force dead or physically handicapped but in both cases, unable to work.
Imagine having arguably the most advanced society on planet earth, a center for higher learning, industry, and technological innovation, and a very high standard of living replete with almost every amenity imaginable. My point in stressing Germany's high standard of living is to point out how as human beings we become attached, expectant of our comfortability. This is true all over the world. (Look at the violent civil unrest in Greece right now, or in France over asterity measures.)
The German people went from plenty to nothing. From banks, full of Goldmarks and Papiermarks, grocery stores exploding with food to living off of rodents, even garbage. Imagine proud fathers, who wanted no handouts, who actually wanted to work to provide for their families as they always had, to the torture of having to watch wife and children starving and in want. Imagine dutiful mothers who desired nothing more than their family's well-being, foregoing food and comforts for children or aging parents.
Then suddenly, a man, strong-willed and brandishing the most powerful, irresistible oratorical skills one had ever seen before by anyone- a war hero as well- appears on the scene. He clearly and effectively lays out a plan to propel the nation back into its "superpower" status and that no longer would anyone be in need for anything whatsoever.
A people with empty stomachs will agree to almost anything. Anything.
Germany gave Adolph Hitler their everything in exchange for their lives back. The cost-? Close to fifty million men, women and children dead, billions of dollars in property damage and the Final Solution.
America is at a critical point in her history. The population continues to become more and more apathetic, increasingly less engaged in the political process, and almost totally engrossed in materialism and hedonism. We have fallen in love with our comforts and we expect- we expect- our stomachs to be full.
We are perfectly set up for some terrible disaster, whether natural or man-induced, to empty our bellies, deprive us of our cellular phone gods and other shiny pacifiers to force us to our knees for some American fuhrer to promise us our comforts in return for our very freedom. Americans have believed that "it can't happen here" but it can and will if we do not learn this harsh but crystal clear lesson from history.

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Tiffany Defeats Cancer

Cancer has, over the years, come to illicit the most agonizing of emotions even from those of us regarded as the strongest as well as those regarded as the mildest. "The Big C", "The Invisible Monster" are just a couple of titles given to this devastatingly harsh disease that has for centuries meant a certainty of death for those that diagnosed with this scourge. Recently in human history, most specifically in the late 20th century, scientific research and ingenuity have helped to make effective counteroffensives against a condition that has and is still taking the lives of millions on planet earth at this very moment. Yes, cancer, in nearly every one of its forms, kills almost certainly. Death may approach at the lazy, yet unceasing pace of a worm or like lightning when tigers hunt prey.
The blow to mind and spirit is almost always extreme, leaving the host in a state of disarray, disbelief, and with feelings of despair.
Yet, the best of us are able, after grappling with torrential storms of emotion, to not only look the beast in its heartless, blackhearted eyes, but to stand, and not rise to merely live the rest of life in mediocrity but with a mind and heart fixed on glorious victory wherein standing tall is the first volley of the war.
I know a woman with whom I share the same blood, the same name, many of the same memories, who right now is standing tall and free, openly brandishing the weapons that has forced the beast to hurriedly retreat. Tiffany L. Dotson is armed with an array of weapons that the beast had not considered the potency thereof and has paid a high price for its foolish miscalculation.
Even the most astute of scientists have failed to harness the tiniest of a fraction of the limitless power of the tools of her warfare. I shouldn't be surprised, for how could their formal, logical reasoning mathematically quantify the energy contained in her smile, more brilliant than one thousand suns, that is the outward indicator of an indomitable courage and joy? The beast had no answer to the onslaught of the laughter of a girl named Gabrielle full of innocence and happiness and it was crushed by a spirit free from this world's corruption. To spur her on, she has, in unending supply, the love of a family who walks her path with her and willing to shoulder any load for her. Ah, but she is strong- Tiffany has proven mightier than the monster and she stands today proud and as vibrant as ever.
Her family thanks the almighty God, Who in infinite wisdom bade her walk this bitter and simultaneously sweet path, Who alone knows the end thereof and we submit to His will and pray His grace, mercy, and continued strength in Jesus' Name.
Through chemotherapy and the subsequent ailments, under heavy crosses of emotional weight Tiffany presses on living life to the full, knowing all too well that her life is not her own but "owned" in part by her delicate flower that shares her face and soul- Gabrielle. I can do nothing but admire such dignity and courage and would like to think that her example would be followed by me should the beast attack me as well...
The Dotson Family loves immeasurably, Tiffany L. Dotson, and we rejoice that cancer has been unable to conquer you.

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The Brutal Execution of Hip-Hop

Obviously, everything that follows this sentence could most certainly be taken as mere opinion, however viewed as extreme hyperbole or accurate analysis. I've frequently discussed the topic of Hip-Hop culture and music with my wife, as we've reflected our own smiles at each other while reciting lyrics to the songs that without question helped to shape our respective personas. What Black thirty-something could ever forget "I Got It Made," "Eric B. For President," or "Sucker M.C.s?" (which was the first Hip-Hop song that I ever heard.) And when I say that I was shaped, in part, by Hip-Hop, I consider a song by Main Source, "A Friendly Game of Baseball" which happens to be the reason why I only wear black socks, even to this day. By the way, how many of us are still waiting for the Large Professor album?
From Hip-Hop's birth in the late 1970's over its evolution to what its become today, it would be a terrible understatement to say that it's changed enormously. I know that there are and will always be differences in the genres of music and distinct sounds people prefer but it's my assertion that Hip-Hop has changed for the worse. It's gone from the lofty, pristine heights it has shared with other uniquely beautiful genres of music and descended into the filthy sewer of gutteral forms of expression and communication. This is based first and foremost on Hip-Hop's fervent long-lasting love affair with misogyny, followed by its tearing down of strong, upstanding Black men.
Hip-Hop as a culture has showcased the many complex facets of the Black (& Latino) community. Through Hip-Hop, we've shown a world that has long ignored us how we've overcome poverty and consequnces of centuries of oppression through celebrating the cohesiveness of our neighborhoods, uniqueness, and talents and gifts. Chuck D. once referred to Hip-Hop as the Black CNN. Hip-Hop has, since its inception been the "grapevine" of an impoverished, neglected people in which the truth was told.
I remember a time when Slick Rick urged young people to respect your mother and to go to school. Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions urged the Hip-Hop community to know its history and be the positive threats to a society designed to keep it locked out of the American dream. We showed the world that we knew how to party, dance, talk love, current affairs and politics- and we loved Hip-Hop because through Hip-Hop we were able to transcend the ordinary, the mundane. Hip-Hop was a vibrant, energetic living thing.
"Of course we gotta pay rent, so money connects" and when Hip-Hop became a bonafide cash cow, that's when her blood-sucking enemies lined up against her to drain her of every drop of creative energy her fathers infused in her at her birth. I would trace the beginning of her death to the moment where her positivity met her profitability. Pure and simple, sex and violence sells records. The record companies knew this and capitalized on that and aggressively pushed artists who "dumbed down" the culture and music to the point now wherein Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and Soulja Boy are the exemplars of real Hip-Hop music.
I could go on for an eternity remarking on the degradation of this once-great artform and as long as Hip-Hop continues its degradation and exploitation of women it will never be great again. I would not want this to become a conspiracy theory for it is the Hip-Hop community that allowed the abduction and murder of its artform.
WE allowed our women to be commonly referred to as "bitches" and "hoes," "jumpoffs" and "bustdowns." We allowed a music and culture that enabled us to triumphantly transcend above the constraints of an ordinarily deplorable and distasteful reality (generally speaking) to enslave us all over again, to bind us all over again. Hip-Hop has showcased, for quite a while now, the drug-dealing, sexually promiscuous, booty-shorts-wearing, sagging-pants worst of us, and buffonish rappers, powerful CEOs, and record company presidents have profited beyond their wildest imaginations.
Hip-Hop was assassinated with cold, heartless precision. She now doesn't resemble in any way her original beauty. I consider the ignorance of a present generation that has no idea of what Hip-Hop can be or what it once was and it having the poor choices of Waka Flocka, 50 Cent, and Young Jeezy for its listening enjoyment. Hip-Hop once was the best of us. No longer, as profanity-ridden lyrics, drug-induced stupors, and men and women without morals, restraint, or regard for the community have overrun a once-great culture. I have no pleasure in laying flowers on her tombstone.

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The Death of Black Power

I'm so sorry to deliver this distressing and disappointing news, but Black Power is dead, and it didn't die gloriously on the field of battle and noble struggle, but within warm homes amid the blue glow of HDTV's and flickering cell phone lights. Yes, Black Power is good and dead, and affluence killed it. Now before the Black community and kind-hearted liberals leap up, with arms raised, flailing about, let me just take a moment to clarify what I mean. Conducting a simple comparison and contrasting of the Black community of today and the one during the Civil Rights era (and before) one must agree that even under the leather boots of oppression and socio-political injustice the Black community was a cohesive, tightly-knit organism that seemed to have one mind, one heart. Of course I speak in generalities. The power of the Black community of yesteryear emanated from the family- the complete, often extended family, with a strong-willed male at its head. That husband and father was driven by the expectation that the ensuing generation would be better off than his own, made possible through his own sacrifice of labor and self-denial, lessons learned from parents who more than likely died under the sweltering, bloodthirsty evil of the South. That husband's wife was like a wolf guarding her home, always giving more than she believed she had available, loving ever more than she thought she could to bring to life her dreams of a better life for her offspring. So many times she had to accept demeaning work, and long hours of it- but the brightness of the future spurred her on, and she never let go of her integrity or her family. By both, education was held in high esteem and was an absolute requirement to be pursued in excellence by the children. Great material wealth was rare. Richness of family, pride, and tradition appeared omnipresent. Jim Crow just had to fall before such a people; the Civil Rights Act had to come, it was inevitable. Color barriers had to fall.
Now, consider the Black community of today. We now live in homes that our grandparents would only have imagined in their dreams, and these massive houses have parked in front sleek, stylish vehicles worth more than the houses of our parents. Within, silence battles the constant stream of information from lavishly priced television sets, and our cupboards overflow with bounty. There is, however a humiliating, shameful contradiction to the aforementioned prosperity evident in the deplorable, sub-standard living conditions exemplified by government subsidized housing, in the slums, and ghettoes ruled by death, drug-addiction, and hopelessness. What is shameful is not that these neighborhoods exist, but what is shameful is that we allow them to exist. And in that, we have the cause for the death of Black Power. Self-absorbed affluence strangled the life from black, clenched fists once held high and an entire movement fell apart, never to rise again. Perhaps.
Yes, as long as we swam upstream in the white-foamed rapids of the Struggle, our resolve was unshakable, undaunted and formidable, but as soon as we made it to the glistening still waters of opportunity, we lost our focus. When we lost our focus, our connection to each other was lost and we found it acceptable to coexist with the ghettoes, as long as we had our non-ghetto piece of the American pie. Weak-minded males did more to destroy Black Power than anything that segregation or Bull Connor could ever have done, as when the fires of conflict waned, these scum found fulfillment beyond the fences of their own homes (incentivized in some cases, by the way).
Perhaps Black Power died because of its failure to adapt to new conflicts to a new Struggle, not with police dogs and water hoses, but against Jerry Springer, misogynistic Hip-Hop music, Jesse Jackson-like demagogues, and horrible education. Maybe Black Power died because we wanted it to, because we were tired of fighting and just wanted to enjoy being Americans and the fruit of our labor, as our forebears desired over the decades, even the centuries.
By the way, Black Power is not best exemplified by tightly fitting ebon gloves, leather jackets, and berets, no, but by families headed by men willing not just to die for those in his care but to live for them; by women dedicated to a higher form of integrity and duty, seriously attending their duty as first teachers to their children. Black Power is not allowing ghettoes to exist or to pollute our children's minds with a lifestyle that is not worthy of a people who have come from a proud, indomitable stock.
So is this a plea to resurrect Black Power? No, at least not as we once knew it. Rather, let us breathe new life into the Black Family for in it is the strength of the Black community and the antidote of the "ghetto state of mind." Fathers are needed who are disciplined enough to be husbands first as are mothers who view themselves too precious to circumvent marriage. The new Struggle is for the minds and souls of our children, and for quality education. The Family must be the weapon of choice or Black Power will forever be dead.

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Christian Pesecution is Coming

As I read the attached article, my mind immediately filled with contemplations about Germany, circa 1933, and invariably, I couldn't avoid dwelling on the brutal handling of the Jewish population of that country. As a sidebar, one should be astonished at such inhumane treatment in a nation considered by some historians as the most advanced on earth at that time. In any event, the Jews were made to be political scapegoats by millions of Germans frustrated and dissatisfied with the arrangements made concerning her neutralization and disarmament as a result of her defeat in World War I by the nations who defeated her. Europe and the rest of the world were wary of a militarized, economically strong Germany and rightly so as an unbiased examination of European history will show Germany at the heart of many conflicts on that continent.
The strong national pride and drive to excel seethed like a hungry beast in the hearts of the German people, and ultimately, all it took was for just one man to emerge with enough charisma and bravado to facilitate one of the most murderous, bloody periods in human history. Of course, despotic figures like Adolph Hitler thrive when the followers are galvanized within a climate based on the premise of the threat of attack by a common enemy. Adolph Hitler, we know now, had a very detailed, strategically arranged plan to first eliminate his foes, among which were Jewish Germans. Citing the Jewish Germans as the main reasons for the country's defeat in WWI united the people behind himself in a "righteous" cause with the ultimate goal of restoring Germany to the top among the nations of Europe. What German wouldn't want to live in a powerful, prosperous nation? According to Hitler, the existence of the Jews prevented this marvelous event from happening. The persecution was in full swing.
Without an entire history lesson, the persecution of the Jews began with registration and monitoring. Of course, as it became more and more "en vogue" to marginalize them, the persecution grew more intense. Jews were eventually prevented from holding certain jobs, living in certain communities, even celebrating their time-honored traditions publicly. Besides, when an entire people has to take the blame for something, it has too often been the Jews.
At the heart of this post rests the assertion that persecutions always, always start "small" and slowly, almost imperceptibly. I liken it to the lobster in the lukewarm water of the pot slowly being boiled. The lobster is totally unaware of his fate because the temperature of the water rises far too slowly for it to detect and he is dead before he can fully grasp what has happened. The same is true in civilized societies.
The article is from a situation in Great Britain where similar time-honored values are under attack and not permitted in the public arena. The couple, who have cared for other children, now are marginalized because of a new law that mandates "fair treatment" of people's sexual preferences. Never mind that the same Judeo-Christian values that helped the couple raise other children now productive members of society are now viewed as intolerant and hateful. My point is that this is how pogroms begin- under-the-radar, unnoticed amid the socio-political noise of our busy, hectic lives.
Today, Christians will not be permitted to adopt homosexual children or will be ordered to violate their beliefs for the "greater good" set by the State. Tomorrow, Christians will be imprisoned for owning the Holy Bible which condemns homosexuality as abominable in the sight of God. The day after that, Christains will be blamed for the collapse of society because of its corruption by Biblical values. Extreme you say? I disagree. Even Jim Jones, despotic demagogue who convinced over 900 of his followers to poison themselves believed that those who fail to learn from history will be doomed to repeat it. Christian persecution is not coming, it's already here.
?http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=227553

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Bishop Arthur M. Brazier: Greatest Man Who Ever Lived?

Consider the names Superman, Batman, and Iron Man and take note of the first commonality between these characters. There could obviously be a myriad of conclusions that could be drawn concerning their similarities, but chief among every commonality could possibly be that they are imaginary characters we might call "super heroes." Each one, respectively, are strong, indomitable, and brilliant, but are these things only in comic books and across silver theatric screens. In the hearts and minds of child and adult alike, the deeds of these valiant heroes dazzle and excite and even more inspire some to ascend above what they are, yet, these characters are forever beyond the reach of they that follow their adventures. Even when actors, with captivatingly convincing performances personify the very essence of these heroes, reality, like a mercilessly frigid gust swoops in reminding those fans that the "super heroes" are, alas, not real at all. They are in the end just intangible ideas and are of no consequence.
Julius Caesar. Emperor Charlemagne. Napoleon. These names inspire others to bring great dreams to fruition and in others, these names are but reminders of the damning pride of men and the blind folly of they that followed them without reason. Each of these men once held sway over hundreds of thousands, even millions of people and controlled with unquestioned authority (for a time) innumerable acres upon the face of the earth. These mighty men, with stern words and fiery eyes, commanded some of the most feared armies in all of human history and were heads of empires that absolutely and with brutal efficiency ground their rivals and enemies to powder. While these potentates by some are viewed as perfect examples of the pinnacle of human ambition and brilliance, just as many mark them as timeless examples of the depths of the depravity of the human heart. As companion to all their power and, at times spendor, was death- even the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Americans in particular, should be thanking God daily for being spared the rule of despotic statesmen as these. Julius Caesar ruled Rome, Charlemagne over the "Holy" Roman Empire, and Napoleon crowned himself emperor over a French empire he wanted to rule the planet, yet one thing more have they in common; they are all dead men. Their impact on humankind has been harsh and terrible and their brand of greatness should be shunned.
I consider another man now. A man who most certainly can be mentioned in the same breath as Dr. Martin Luther King, George Washington, Malcom X, Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, a man who also had/has possessed tremendous influence over tens of thousands, possibly more. The man I speak of did not through subtlety, guile, or malice ascend to the height of his power and influence nor upon the works or backs of others. The man I speak of is Arthur Monroe Brazier, commonly and respectfully addressed as the Honorable Bishop Arthur M. Brazier (1921-2010), Pastor Emeritus of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois.
It is my assertion that real greatness is measured not in "shaking up the world" or remaking the world in one's image, but in the impact one makes in individuals, how one affects the thinking of men, women, even children. So often, they that are regarded as great stand aloof from the rest of us. Consider celebrities, star atheletes of today. Many of them maintain a "buffer zone" between themselves and they that provide them their plush lifestyles. Not so with Bishop Brazier. His greatness was in his accessibility to those that he served- and he seemed to never, ever forget that he was a servant, a servant to his Savior Jesus Christ and to his congregation who hung on his every word. All of his knowledge, all of his rich, bitter, joyous, painful experiences he deposited into his children and his church. He withheld nothing from them as some do, as to maintain their "buffer zone."
Bishop Brazier was a man of unflinching courage and flawless dignity, unafraid to reveal his flaws but was filled with too much integrity to be undone by them. The Bishop was a military man, serving his country with honor during World War II in a segregated army, marched with Dr. King through the streets of the most racially charged, segregated, and hostile city in the nation at the height of the Civil Rights struggle, stared down the Blackstone Rangers of Woodlawn, and had the courage to part ways with the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World- and with dignity and faith in his God looked the beast of cancer squarely in its hideous eye and fought it to his death. He won, however, by his life.
Obviously, I could go on. I could continue and truly not even do his memory justice as I'm sure I have not so far. But his mark has been indelibly made onto the hearts of so many people because he gave himself to people based on their need, based on the command to do so from the Book he cherished. His greatness, no doubt will be remarked by magazines, history books, and journals, but will best be displayed in the lives of men and women who will walk in the example he set. Sounds simple? Well, it is. Gloriously simple. This man split lives wide open, he changed minds, not with armies, empires, fear and terror, or impossible feats of physical strength but with his devotion to his Lord, love for people, and love of Truth. His mark shall continue to be felt well into the future. Greatest man who ever lived? If you asked Bishop Brazier that, I surmise he would simply say, "No, I'm not the greatest, not even close. But I know who is, and his name is Jesus Christ. If you only knew where He brought me from and what He brought me through..."

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The Christian and the Wickedness of Political Silence

Corruption in the United States of America is omnipresent. Karl Marx once said that "there's a spectre hanging over Europe, the spectre of Communism." What Mr. Marx should have said was that the spectre of corruption was hanging over not only Europe, but over every society on earth and has infested nearly every, single human institution in the history of mankind. One might not agree with the above statements, but what facts could one possibly produce that would even come close to refuting that assertion? This writer need say only one thing: watch and read the news.
Corruption is literally the spoiling of a person, place, system, or idea. It is the transformation of something or someone that is useful or beneficial into that which is unprofitable. The late, great Bishop Arthur M. Brazier warned Christians in particular to avoid being what he called "unproductive." In keeping with the aforementioned admonition that one need only take note of daily news reports, what has been this writer's response to regular digestion of the goings-on of today? Rage at times, nauseated disgust even. But as of late and over the years, marked emotional responses have become terribly apathetic. This writer has, like millions of others in the United States, become quite accustomed to the normality of treachery and dishonesty in the affairs of politics and government. How did a nation that once possessed the most informed and politically conscious populace on earth become so disconnected from a solemn duty to hold public servants accountable for their service to their constituents? The citizenry simply accepted that corruption was just "the price of doing business," that's how. Now, Americans are more concerned with finding the candidate with the fewest flaws. In many ways that's only sensible, but more and more of public officials' flaws have, like poisonous, cancerous cells become outright scandals. No one should be accepting of a candidates participation in scandals. We, as heirs of the greatest, most special political entity in history owe ourselves and our posterity much better than mediocrity.
Christians especially are called to be two things in a rapidly disintegrating society: salt and light. Those who would call themselves Saints of the Most High are commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to preserve this decadent society; called to hold back its corruption, not go along with it or approve of it through silence. Salt was an apropo metaphor as, obviously, in the days of Christ there were no methods of refrigeration. Salt was used as a preservative to keeps meats fresh for weeks in heat that could be pleasant to downright oppressive. Not only did packing meat with salt inhibit decay, it served as a barrier against pests. Salt was so important a commodity that it was used as currency. Salt also adds flavor to our meals; so much more, Christians should be the "flavor" of society, bringing to life the real pleasures of life to be enjoyed in sanctity and purity. Needless to say, salt also irritates; it stings festering wounds as it simultaneously destroys bacteria. Yes, there's a reason why "pouring salt on a wound" is particularly malicious.
What can I possibly say more about the conspicuous meanings on being light in both the metaphorical and literal darkness of a rapidly eroding society. Light exposes those deeds thought safely done under the cover of darkness and that automatically implies away from eyes of those empowered to administer justice and rebuke. Christians must be that light, exposing those sinister activities, making ashamed those who would dare to perpetrate such evil upon us all.
It's well known and validated by history that those who would do us harm or enslave us, need far more than device or resource to rise as cruel masters over us. It's our silence and failure to simply stand, tall, and strong in opposition to all that we know to be just and true that they need more than all.
How easy it is to equate that silence to a citizen's failure to vote, to just report to the polls and make one's voice heard via ballot. It is the Christian's sacred duty to cast an informed ballot and subsequently hold those elected responsible for the solemn vow they take on behalf of an increasingly frustrated populace.
Those of other religions and athiests as well, do you not also reap benefits, immediate and delayed, when you also are astute, engaged members of a politically informed, astute citizenry? Obviously, the answer is yes.
My fellow citizen, corruption lurks about, seeking whom it may engulf, whose soul- the most noble, the most palatable for its appetite are of course, most lusted after. Corruption must be resisted with the most stout of dispositions and with Marine-like vigilance, fought to the death with every righteous, upright weapon at one's disposal. The battle against political corruption is a hard fight, only because it resides in every one of our hearts. In the heart of the Christian, it lay subdued, chained by Jesus Christ Himself (so long as that one remains submitted to his Lord) yet, in some, corruption seethes with power and anticipation, heaving like some monstrous beast, ready to roar forward at the proper opportunity. Yes, there are noble non-Christians who serve in government who are well-meaning, intent, determined even, to do the people's business and whenever those servants are found properly excercising their power given by the consent of the governed, we do well to commend and reward them. Conversely, those found unworthy, must- they must- be exposed and defeated regardless of the color they brandish or whether there's a D or an R after their name.
Silence for the Christian is a matter of power. Silence transfers power from we, who wish an honestly run government, to the corrupt, who seek to secure power for themselves and they who cling to the shadows of the curtains of the political stage. Jesus Christ is the Lord of a true Christian, and a very worthy example for the non-Christian in that He courageously and without shame spoke "truth to power" in the purest sense of that term. His words were so accurate, his railing so appropriately dead-on, He was ultimately killed because, mainly, of His threatening to completely overturn the very delicate political balance of the region. He was so full of Truth, nobility, knowledge, that His people, by force attempted to install Him as King of Israel and follow Him in battle against the evil, mighty empire of the Romans.
We do well by voting. We do greater by keeping a watchful eye on our elected officials as the affairs of government today are a matter of one keeping one's very soul clean in the filth of voracious striving for power and influence. Let us not be like the "good" Germans witnessing the young political career of Adolph Hitler who, by their silence, approved of the arrest and cruel treatment of Jews and Gypsies. He was not opposed soon enough. The corruption of his heart was not checked by a stalwart citizenry and the evil thereof plunged the entire planet earth into the throes of the bloodiest war in human history. Let us be on our post!

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The Light of Terrell Sykes

I would not consider this a simple blog post, nor just a simple citizen's opinion about an important social topic or issue. No, rather consider this a vicious, stalwart, angry retaliation against an extremely pervasive state of mind and system of economics that has, like cancerous cysts fed on the Black community especially within the last 30 years.
Many have undertaken to analyze the dark depths of the issue of Black-on-Black crime and the engine of illegal drugs that powers much of it and while it does require seriously addressing, this is not the time. This is a time to just remember a young Black man who, within days of this post, succumbed to the treachery of the aforementioned ills. Terrell Sykes is that man that I speak of, and I say "is" because he still lives; he is alive within the hearts of multiple dozens that he touched.
Concerning Terrell, time, nor space would permit me to expound on his impact on so many. Speaking for myself, I knew him in paradoxical parameters. He was possibly the funniest man I have ever known yet at the same time one of the most serious-minded. And I want no one to be misunderstood by what I mean by "funniest"- he was certainly not some absent-minded fool who, through the telling of jokes made people laugh. Quite the contrary. His personality was the source of his humor in that he could make those around him laugh without any words. He was very bright, very loose, and as a result, he made everyone around him at ease and as a result laughter followed. He just made people feel good.
Terrell and I were from the same neighborhood and I had the pleasure to know him for many years after he befriended a young lady whom I had regarded as a younger sister of sorts. At first, I didn't know what to think- as men, we're quite protective and territorial about our women, but that eventually faded as I came to understand, respect, like him, and ultimately love as a dear friend.
Among many of my regrets in life is the fact that I didn't get the opportunity to enrich our friendship and truly convey the intensity of my desire that he select another method of making money other than the one he chose. I didn't want that necessarily for his safety, though that was certainly a concern but his activities in the neighborhood were just so far beneath his limitless potential and his obvious gifts. I used to tell him that he should have been in politics because if you knew him you would agree with me that he had what we call "the gift of gab." He had charisma that was sparkling and he was extremely charming. He could talk you out your winter coat in the middle of a Chicago winter in January. His heart was so big though, he would give you his instead if you needed it.
The choices that he made were his and I don't judge him. But I recognize that his series of choices as those that eventually caught up with him. Others may disagree, and that's fine. My opinion is my own. Economic conditions were a factor, and in many ways Terrell is like dozens of other young men I know who saw certain activities as the only option for survival- not to get rich- but to just survive and while I can't ever condone some of those choices, I know why he chose them. How could I condemn him? He wouldn't condone some of my own choices.
I just wish Terrell was still here. Still above the ground to charm a city in desperate need of a big-hearted Black man smarter than most of the people he knew. That's right. Terrell was most times the "smartest person in the room" but he never put others down or hung it over anyone's head; and now that I think about that, and what makes this exceptionally tragic, is that he probably never realized how smart he was and that failure to see that lead him to an inglorious end. We could absolutely use his witty charisma right now as a magnet for hundreds of young Black men and boys to be drawn to, up and out of the muck and mire of their socio-economic condition toward a great future of positive, powerful impact on a society in many ways designed to destroy Black males.
Terrell's life has ended, but his light remains, bright and incapable of being ignored. Light cannot be annihilated, only extinguished for a time. Terrell's light burns brilliantly in the lives and hearts of those he uniquely touched, first and foremost in his children. Those who loved him are charged to take his light out of our comfort zones and prevent other young Black men from coming to such a demise by helping them discover their own gifts and potential. Let us ferociously defend our children, especially our sons and raise them to be powerful but positive threats to the present social order that crushes Black males. If we love him, we must!

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Dad and His Highness

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Smile of Byron T. Brazier

Alcoholics and poor people with lives ruined by the evils of drugs are sometimes blessed with what has come to be known as a "moment of clarity" wherein rock-bottom is hit with furious force and there's no worse fate than their then-present state. Within this powerfully transformative moment in time, a change in the soul occurs, and a profound change in desire happens and the individual finally once again begins to want better than what their reality has decayed into. The "moment of clarity" allows the alcoholic or addict to see that which had been hidden, that which he/she had become blind to.
This evening I had quite a similar moment as in the realm of spiritual matters I saw a phenomenon that had been before by me unseen. A great- and I do mean great- spiritual leader today passed away today leaving behind broken hearts and a multitude of tears but in his stead stood an astute man of power behind the same sacred desk that he spoke from for many, many years. The man I speak of is Bishop Arthur M. Brazier and the man who stood in his place to carry on the work of their God is Dr. Byron T. Brazier, pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois.
Tonight was a praise and prayer service to celebrate and honor the life and service of Bishop Brazier who is almost universally recognized as a giant in the Christian faith and in recent American history as a champion for civil rights. However, he was not remembered for his many challenging and thought-provoking religious and intellectual treatises or social activism but, by the thousands of members of the church he served as pastor, he was and is remembered for being one of the most accessible, humble, upright examples of how a devotee of Jesus Christ should think, believe, act, and serve. He is loved for being a father rather than a prophet; a kind mentor more than a great pioneer of one of the burgeoning denominations of Christianity; a humble leader in touch with his own flaws followed by men full of their own imperfections.
As his son started to address the packed sanctuary, fighting emotions threatening to crack and shatter his usually steady, mellow voice, I saw on his face, heavy with melancholy duty a smile that shone brighter than every light in the sacred room that gorged on a steady diet of electric voltage. Cliches here, diminish Dr. Brazier's uncanny serenity but even now, it's becoming increasingly difficult to accurately describe his unshakable serenity and while tears did ultimately find themselves racing each other down his cheeks, his peace was uncompromised, for its foundation was unmoved. I saw the purest, most powerful smile on the pastor's face that was the evidence of his being enabled to bear crosses of grief and responsibility unimaginable by most.
That smile, beaming a warm light over the heads of everyone sitting before me struck me to the core of my very soul and like a miserable addict, my "moment of clarity" came upon me and I knew I absolutely had to have what he had: the peace to face death, such loss, such responsibility and to not even bat an eye. Such peace is the result of a battle-tested, refined faith in God proven over the years. Now, my every thought, word, and action will be aimed at seizing that smile- or rather, the rich depth of the relationship with the One who is the source of that smile. My "moment of clarity" has placed me on a path that hopefully will allow me to face death and emerge as it's victorious conquerer. The pale horseman shall see my peace and say in ineptitude, "Ah, I've seen this before in the eyes of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier."

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