biblical remix

The Biblical Remix – YOLO

May 24, 2012

The Biblical Remix – YOLO

Luke 15:11-24 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixyolo

My boy Prodigal was going dolo so he rolled up on his pops and demanded his inheritance.  Pops actually gave him the money.  Within a short time Prodigal bounced from the family crib and went to some far away country.

With nobody around to tell him nuthing, Prodigal was straight wildin’ out.  He was was getting drunk every night while partying with a couple of hookers at the local strip joint.

As Prodigal was paying for those bottles, this Drake song was playing in the background:

“You only live once: that’s the motto, YOLO, And we bout it every day, every day, every day, Like we sittin on the bench, we don’t really play…”

Reflection:

Why is YOLO usually used to justify doing things that are risky or stupid?  What if  YOLO were used as a reference for kids doing amazing things like staying after school to do homework, or doing a science project just for the fun of it, or going to serve senior citizens in a nursing home?  Sounds silly doesn’t it.

Interestingly enough the Bible says Prodigal WASTED his money living recklessly.  Some of the things we big-up in the hip-hop community and in pop culture the Bible considers a Waste.  Yet how many videos do we see promoting this kind of behavior.  How many dudes in their 40s and 50s are still up in the club trying to chase honeys half their age? And how many women do we see dressing like “hookers” all up in the club and even at a children’s birthday party (yes, I have seen this!).  I think you understand where I am going.

What I do love about Jesus is he teaches us the true application of YOLO with His own words: “What good will it be for you to gain the whole world and lose your soul? For I am the way and the truth and the life and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. And He who hears what I am saying and trusts the One who sent Me has everlasting life. Because I have come that they may have life, and a life better than they have ever dreamed of.”

So if you are only going to live once, live for Jesus.  #YOLO

The Biblical Remix – Thirsty

April 19, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Thirsty

John 4:3-18 – http://bit.ly/IRD75x

Jesus was mad tired from his journey through the country of Samaria.  He and his boys stopped off at a hood called Sychar to rest.   It was around noontime.

Tired and thirsty Jesus copped a squat by a well.  He sent his disciples into town to pick up some food and some Twizzlers.

A Samaritan woman stepped up to the well to draw some water out of it with her bucket.  Jesus kindly asked her if she would hook him up with a lil water from the well.  She was mad surprised cause in those days Jewish people and Samaritans weren’t cool like that.

Jesus then started breaking down some spiritual truths to her but she wasn’t flowing with him.  So he then he got open on her and asked her to go get her husband.  She was honest and told him she ain’t have a husband.  (Then this is my favorite part.)  He then blows up her spot and tells her that she had five husbands already and the dude she is living with at the moment is not even her husband.  (Dag!  What did she feel like when this stranger just told her about herself?).

As she was reflecting on the truth of what Jesus said of having five divorces, this Stacy Lattisaw song was playing:

“With music softly playing, his lips were gently saying, “Honey I love you”, He held me in desperation, I thought it was a revelation, And then he walked out, I found love on a two way street, and lost it on a lonely highway…”

Reflection:

Break-ups suck!  How many of us have experienced the horrible pain that comes with a break-up?  You love the person but s/he no longer loves you.  Or maybe it is the other way around and they are in love with you but you are not.  Or perhaps you are both in love but can’t seem to work it out without emotionally killing each other.  Well, I have experienced all three…lol…and the pain did hurt.

I think parts of our heart are so hurt by these breakups we become numb to love or to relationships.  Recently I have been engaged in conversations where individuals seem more content on giving up on “love” rather than risking the danger of being hurt in a relationship.  Avoidance is safer than engagement for them.

This has caused me to consider my own singleness.  Am I avoiding pain?  Upon reflection, my answer is no.  Am I avoiding foolishness?  Most definitely, especially if I see it clearly in front of me.  Am I closing myself off to love and a relationship?  Sometimes.

The idea of sharing my life with someone is something I take very seriously.  Before I make an investment emotionally, physically, and spiritually, I do my research.  Patience for me in this area is a virtue.  I enjoy the friendship so I can get to know better who the person really is, not just get lost by her smooth presentation.  I also want her to see me for who I really am and not get lost in her fantasy idea of me.

I say this because I have witnessed some people who get into relationships because basically they are mad thirsty.  They just want to feel a little love and attention, even if the relationship is a train wreck from the get go.  Sometimes being touched or touching someone is the only language of love some of us know (or want to know).  I have watched  how destructive that has been from my past experiences as well as the lives of some people I personally know.

Now what is it like to have been the Samaritan woman and have gone through not one, but five different divorces (big time break ups)?  Finding rejection in five different marriages could easily shape a woman’s perspective on love and men (Can I get an “Amen”?).  Perhaps those experiences explain why she was living with dude number six and not married to him (I’m just saying yo).

With all that being said, I love how Jesus, against social and religious customs, takes the time to meet her at her point of need.  He goes into her hood, puts her business out there (in private conversation of course), and offers her a grace the religious folk and secular folk of that time (and even today) would never offer her.  That is real love.  That is real grace.  It affected her so much she became the first person to proclaim to the masses about Jesus being the Messiah.

I pray that whatever situation you have gone through or are going through, that you would call out to Jesus so He can give you a living water that will quench your thirst for love, grace, and acceptance.

The Biblical Remix – Bow Down

April 6, 2012

 

The Biblical Remix – Bow Down

Esther 3:1-6 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixbowdown

When you step up to the big leagues you be rolling with kings.  That’s what it was like for Haman.  King Xerxes promoted him to be the top dawg in the government.  He was now such a G, the king even ordered people to bow down and kneel before Haman.

My dude Mordecai was def not feeling that.  He took offense at bowing down before a man as if he were God.  Mordecai loved God and knew worshipping a man was no bueno.

One day a few of the servants were cracking jokes on Mordecai cuz he wasn’t bowing down whenever Haman showed up in the spot.  Mordecai wouldn’t budge.  They kept asking him day after day why he was bugging and not bowing down.  When Mordecai got tired of them harassing him he told them he was a Jew.

You know how people are, so some of those same servants bounced over to Haman’s crib and started talking smack about Mordecai.  They told Haman Mordecai was being mad disrespectful and Haman ought to go handle that.  Haman had never peeped Mordecai before.  So the next time Haman rolled by he looked out for Mordecai.  Bam, that’s when he noticed Mordecai was the only person not bowing or taking a knee.

Haman was pissed off.  In the midst of his rage he started scheming.  In the background this Lox chorus rapped by Lil Kim was playing:

“It’s the key to life. Money, power, and respect, Whatchu’ need in life. Money, power and respect…”

Reflection:

Some of us want to be honored.  And some of us want to be adored and even worshipped.  We don’t say it outright but in our pride we want everyone to know how great we are.

When we step off the stage or when we step out of the pulpit, for some of us there is this craving for not just attention, but pure adoration.  We want to know our words moved people.  We want to know our stories not only got to people, but that we hit it out of the ballpark.

How do you stay humble in the things that you do very well?  What do you do?

I find in many occasions God keeps me from getting the attention my pride wants and feels it deserves.  When I don’t get it, that is when my prideful hearts starts jumping up and down.  It doesn’t usually last long because I have gotten better with strangling it.  But I cannot lie and act as if it doesn’t surface from time to time.

Truth be told, most people have no clue what I am involved in.  I believe that low key element is truly designed by God.  Perhaps if it were different I might get full of myself like Haman did.

Even though we may be achievers, we as a people are not all that.  From time to time we need to remind ourselves that God is sovereign and that He is number one.  We can easily be replaced.  We are not the be-all and end-all of things.

The Bible teaches us that pride comes before a fall (Prov 16:18).  Had Haman known that he wouldn’t have ended up beheaded (yeah, you have to read up to the end of Chapter 7 in the book of Esther).

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

The Biblical Remix – Dreams

March 22, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Dreams

Genesis 37:1-11 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixdreams

Having big families was the way it was back in the biblical day.  When I say big family I am not talking about like a basketball squad.  I am talking like a football squad.

My man Jacob had twelve sons.  That’s right, Jacob was going in with his wives and concubines. With all them kids you know there had to be a favorite. (Sidenote: How do you remember the names of all them kids if you are the daddy…I’m just saying).

Anyway, Joseph (the second youngest) happened to be the favorite.  His pops showed him mad love.  He even bought him a colorful Louis Vuitton Lambskin Jacket with a matching pair of Wolf Grey Air Yeezy 2 sneakers.

Of course Joseph’s brothers were hating on him big time.  It also didn’t help Joseph was OD happy to share about the two dreams he had where everyone in the family was bowing down to him in honor.

While Joseph was sharing his dreams and his brothers were looking at him with mad rage, this chorus of Bruno Mars was playing in the background:

“This one’s for you and me, living out our dreams, we’re all right where we should be…”

Reflection:

Some of us have seen our dreams played out right before our eyes in our imagination.  Others have never dared to dream beyond their circumstances.   And yet still there are those embracing and living out their dreams right here and right now.

What is a dream?  What is this future reality/fantasy that stirs up this great longing inside of us?

For Joseph it was prophetic.  God was literally showing him a portion of what would happen in his future.  And God gave him the same message in two dreams.

What about you? What has God been saying to you?  What dreams and longings has He been encouraging you to pursue?

Whatever they are I am encouraging you not to give up on your dreams.  Though this world and/or your family may not embrace it, that is no cause to kill off the dream.  You were made for more than the ordinary.  Dare to live in the extraordinary.  You know you are worth it.

The Biblical Remix – Can You

March 8, 2012

 

The Biblical Remix – Can You

Job 2:7-10 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixcanyou

Job had it real bad. Satan had struck him with sores all over his body.  His breath was mad stank.  He was in constant pain.  And his wife looked at him like he was naaasty.

One day while he was sitting by a heap of trash his wife stepped to him and told him to curse God and just die.  Daaaag!

Job looked at her and told her dead in her face she was a fool.

While his wife walked away with an attitude, this New Edition song played in the background:

“Storms will come, This we know for sure, (This we know for sure), Tell me baby can you stand the rain…”

Reflection:

Sometimes in relationships we align ourselves with people who buckle under the pressure and stop supporting us. That feeling sucks. Especially when you were diligent in supporting the other person all the way.

I was in that kind of situation some years ago.  It was no bueno.  I lost perspective and spent most of my energies trying to please her not knowing on her part it was conditional.

At the end of the day, I am a “ride or die” kind of guy.  Therefore loyalty is a core value for me in a relationship.  If we are in this together, then there is full commitment in spite of all the bullcrap.

Job needed that kind of support.  Many of us need that kind of support.

Job was a real G because he did not take his wife’s advice.  Actually he blew up her spot by calling her on her foolishness.

If the person you are with right now doesn’t fully support you by their ACTIONS (Note:  I did not use their “words”), you might want to reexamine your relationship.  However before you do that you better make sure your actions exemplify loyalty first.  You cannot be a princess/prince and expect others just to serve you and you not do the same. (Note: I am biased against self-centered/selfish people. I am still learning to show mercy regarding their foolishness. If you just took offense to what I wrote, you might be that princess/prince…I’m just saying).

The Biblical Remix – Just Fine

February 27, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Just Fine

Acts 12:20-23 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixjustfine

Herod the King was pissed off at the people who lived in the land of Tyre and Sidon.  They were so shook they quickly made peace with him.

Just to show off, Herod threw on his kingly best outfit and sat on his blinged-out throne and he spoke to the masses.  He loved the praises and the screams of the people and they made sure they gave it to him.  In the crowds you heard the shouts of “He ain’t no man. He is a god” and “This is the voice of a god”.

While Herod soaked it all in, this Mary J. Blige song was playing in the background:

“You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Fine, Oooo…”

Reflection:

Even when people are loving us and giving us mad props it can be very easy for the masses to think we got it going on.  If they only knew the truth.

How many of us are smiling on the outside but have a slow death going on the inside?  We are not fine at all.

Some of us need the glory of other people praising us in order to combat this inner void.  The adulation and adoration empowers us to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to.  In order to make up for the lack inside, we thirst for the praises of mankind (Side note: I can attest to having been at this place.  Even today I still have to pay attention to make sure I don’t revert back.)

This is all too prevalent in our entertainment society. We idolize musicians, athletes and actors.  They grace magazines and awards shows, but are they fine? How many stories have we seen or read regarding their battles with alcohol/drugs/jail/gambling/prostitutes/extra-marital affairs?  These “heroes” rise and fall daily on tabloid television.

I wonder how many of them give glory to God.  I wonder how many of us give glory to God.

I close today by asking: Are you fine?  No, really are you fine?  How is your life?  Are there things you would like to change?  If so, go ahead and do them.  Just make sure you give God the glory for the great things He has done by giving you life and the air that you breathe.  I wouldn’t want you to end up like King Herod…

P.S. – Oh yeah after the song played King Herod was struck with a disease where worms ate him from the inside.  Within five days he died.  Why?  Because he did not correct the people calling him a god.  He did not give the rightful honor to the one, true living God.

Um, yeah.  It’s like that.  Remember pride comes right before a destruction.

The Biblical Remix – Move

February 20, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Move

John 18:1-11 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixmove

Of all the disciples Peter was the most gully.  Jesus and eleven of the disciples were chilling in the spot, the Garden of Gethsemane.

That twelfth disciple, Judas, was a snitch. He cut a deal with the chief priests and Pharisees to sell out Jesus. At the Garden Judas rolled up with soldiers and officers carrying torches and weapons.  It was about to go down.

Jesus already knew this.  So he stepped to them and asked them who they were looking for.  They said “Jesus the Nazarene”.  Jesus was like “That’s me”.  Bam, with the power of His words they LITERALLY fell to the ground. (Sidenote: Jesus was so real and so divine.  A true G.)

The soldiers got back up from the ground mad shook.  Jesus asked them again who they were looking for. They said “Jesus the Nazarene”.  Jesus was like “Yo, I told you that is me.  You can take me but let my crew go”.

At that Peter jumped in with his shank.  He cut off the right ear of this dude named Malchus.

While Peter was watching the blood drip from the ear, this Ludacris song was playing in the background:

“Move b****, Get out the way, Get out the way, Get out the way, Move b****…”

Reflection:

In protecting his peoples (especially his rabbi Jesus), Peter stepped into projects mode and pulled out his shank on the coming opposition.  He missed the head of Malchus but managed to cut off his right ear.  Peter was down for the fight.  Unfortunately that was not the kind of fight Jesus wanted Peter to have.  The fight Jesus wanted was earlier that day in prayer.  Jesus knew how the night was going to go down and he knew prayer was the key to the battle.  Unfortunately the disciples kept falling asleep (Matthew 26 – http://bit.ly/A5B2Nn)

This is so us.  Sometimes when ish goes down we revert to our old ways and get real gully.  Cussing.  Cutting.  Coming out of our face.  We say exactly what is on our minds regardless if it hurts people.  How many times have we embarrassed ourselves because we handled a situation in a very untasteful way?  But that is not what Jesus role modeled in the Garden.  He prayed.

How is your prayer life?  Do you even pray?

I am ready to battle in prayer when ish goes down.  But how many times could I have prayed before things popped off?  Too many times.  Honestly I can be real lax with it.  This is a struggle I have had.  In analyzing it, for some reason I wait to be defensive in prayer when I could have been offensive earlier which might have helped me avoid the unnecessary foolishness to begin with.

I know for some people pulling out the shank is so much easier.  It is familiar.  It is what we grew up around.  My encouragement to you are the words of Jesus Himself, “those who use the sword will die by the sword”.  Don’t let your old ways keep you from growing/progressing/living in the new life Jesus offers.

The Biblical Remix – Hit & Run

February 10, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Hit & Run

Proverbs 7:6-21 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixhitandrun

It was mad dark and my dude was outside walking. This loose chick he never met before rolled up on him ready to jump his bones.  She was OD with the flirtatiousness.

Bust it how she told him her husband was out of town and she just prepared her bedroom for some all night booty knocking.

Dude was so caught up by her seducing words and seeing how her butt cheeks were slightly hanging out her shorts, that he followed her right to the crib.

As they approached the bedroom door this J. Cole song was playing in the background:

“Straight up now tell me are you really gonna love me forever (ooh ooh ooh), Or is it just a hit and run…”

Reflection:

Like the dude above some of us march down the wrong path just looking to walk into traps.  We might not consciously want to do that but our actions find us straddling the line of caution in areas we know are not beneficial to our health.  I don’t know if it is the mystery or the danger that excites us.  Yet we tread on grounds that we know can be highly explosive.

If you have been part of a hit and run, please raise your hand.  Okay so I am not alone here.  If we recount those experiences (if you can remember that far or that many…woooooow…j-k…actually I’m not…), could things have gone the wrong way?  I mean to say did we place ourselves in compromising situations?  I have.

Interestingly enough at the end of the day a hit and run is really about me pleasing me.  The other person really doesn’t matter.  Even if I personally know them.  It is about me satisfying my lusts.  Can we be honest about that?

I know a “jump off” is looked upon favorably in our hip hop culture (Side Note: notice how many artists and athletes be having so many babies by different mamas…).  If I look at the big picture, what have we sowed in our communities?  High rates of HIV.  High rates of single parent homes.  Not enough baby fathers participating in the lives of their children.  A culture of low accountability and responsibility.

Truthfully if I have access to tapping some booty without ever having to commit to it, then who is to say I need to take responsibility for the consequences of my actions.  Am I content with a community that praises women to just “work out for me”?  Some dudes be whining about hitting it “in the morning”.  Others are “young, wild and free” and they don’t care who sees.  These are the lessons we are teaching to our young ones who are coming up.

Perhaps the hit and run is our way of acknowledging our sexuality at the cost of devaluing another human being.

Some people may never fully understand what I just said.  To those my advice is “stop giving it away for free”.  You are worth more than that.

The Biblical Remix – Beautiful

February 2, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Beautiful

Esther 2:3-17 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixbeautiful

Esther had a banging body and a pretty face.  With no mom and pops alive, she was raised by her uncle in a foreign land.

A time came when King Xerxes was looking for a new queen.  His guards went out into the surrounding towns and scooped up like four hundred virgins (Esther being one of them). For twelve months they all had to chill in the spa and get beauty treatments.

It so happened the head person in charge of the preparations was really feeling Esther.  He hooked her up with special treatments and a really nice crib during those twelve months.

When the spa preparations were done, each of them had to go to the king’s chambers and handle that bedroom business.  If the king wasn’t feeling you, you would have to bounce to the concubine’s chambers and chill there for the rest of your life never being able to marry another man.

On the night Esther had to hook up with the king she must have really put it on him.  Because the next morning he done made her the queen.  As the morning sun was shining on the two of them, the king looked at Esther while this Snoop Dogg song was played in the background:

“Beautiful, I just want you to know (Oh-hooo!), You’re my favorite girl…(Ehh…oh yeah, there’s something about you…)”

Reflection:

Notice how he said “favorite” girl.  Not the “only” girl.

I will pick up from where I left off last week.  There are some guys who are very content in having you as a “favorite”.  Commitment seems to be a word that has less value these days.  Don’t think because the sex is good you should stay and be treated like crap.  Yes, I said it!

Just because he takes you out and spends some money on you does not mean he is interested in you.  He might just be interested in the booty.  Don’t let him use you like a soft-priced hoe.

Let me flip the script.  Ladies you are not exempt from this “favorite” thing either.  Some of y’all play the field mad hard and mad wide. You have some of these men dangling from strings.  It may feel empowering but it is actually not a good look.

Unfortunately most of this has to do with straight up lust, lack of self-worth and lack of self-discipline.  I have been guilty of this foolishness in the past too.  I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it.  It didn’t matter if I had a girl or was married.  Pure selfishness. (Side Note: Actually I was never married…lol)

How many stupid (and dangerous) things have we done in order to appease our appetites? I mean really.  Was it that serious?  Some of those very things could have ruined our lives.  Unfortunately some have ruined the lives of people we know and love.  Marriages, families, friends…gone!  Because we could not get enough.

Just because you see something “looks” beautiful, does not mean it is beautiful.  Just because it “looks” good, does not mean it is actually beneficial to your life.

If you are tired of being just a “favorite”, do something about it and stop settling.  If you want to stay as just the “favorite”, know it has nothing to do with real love.

The Biblical Remix – Real Love

January 26, 2012

The Biblical Remix – Real Love

1 Samuel 25:2-39 – http://bit.ly/biblicalremixreallove

Abigail was a ride or die chick.  She truly loved her husband Nabal, even though he was a fool.  Sad enough, the name Nabal actually translates as fool.

Nabal was mad rich.  No not ghetto fab rich, I mean really rich. Unfortunately he had a nasty attitude and didn’t know how to talk to people.

One day with respect and dignity David sent a text message to Nabal asking if he could hook him & his people’s up with some food and drink.  During that time David had watched out for Nabal’s servants and property and did not let robbers hurt them. He thought in looking out for him Nabal would follow through as was a custom of the times.  Instead Nabal started badmouthing the name of David and sent him a text back “Who the heck are you? You ain’t nobody”.

No bueno.  David got tight and left his crib in the wilderness (Sidenote: David was hiding from the authorities at this time so he was kinda roaming from spot to spot with his 600 warriors).

David was now in pursuit to destroy Nabal’s entire household.

One of the servants told Abigail about the text message exchange so she had to come to the rescue.  She hooked up some chicken wings, biscuits, and mashed potatoes and sent them ahead to David and his people.  She also sent some pumpkin pie.  Then she took it upon herself to go down to meet David before things popped off.

When she saw David she got off the donkey she was riding and apologized for the foolishness of her husband.  With great words she calmed David down and stopped the beat down that was about to take place

When she got back home Nabal was drinking and partying hard.  Weed and Hennessy was all over the crib.

In the morning as she looked at the hungover Nabal, this Toni Braxton song was playing in the background:

“How many ways, I love you, Let me count the ways, How many ways, I love you, Let me count the ways…”

Reflection:

I see Nabals all the time.  They are clowns.  Dudes who do not bring any real value to a relationship.  And yet I see SO many women dating and/or living with Nabals. Of course I do not need to mention any names because the truth is you know names from your own circle of friends and family.

The saddest part is these women are intelligent, beautiful, and full of wisdom, yet CHOOSE to connect themselves with damn fools. Deep inside they know he is a fool, but what is it that keeps them in these relationships?

Sometimes it is straight booty.  They enjoy getting tapped from him.  Sometimes it is money.  Many times it is pure desperation.  Did I say “desperation”?  Ya damn skippy.  They don’t want to be alone and gravitate to the first dude who will throw some game their way or at least pay attention to them.  Upon further examination they have low standards because they have low self-worth. Pause, and think about that ladies.

As for the fellas, we are not exempt from this either. I know plenty of dudes, including myself, who have embraced female Nabals for the same above mentioned reasons.  Are we really that shallow?  Is the drama really worth it?  Really?

Now for everyone.  Should you choose to stay with that fool, you will have to do damage control constantly.  If you don’t believe me, look at the deterioration of your close friendships and your family.  Yeah!  That is because of the fool you desperately want to keep in your life.

You need to be like Abigail and get off  the ass you are riding and humble yourself by getting on your knees.  Please pray and ask God for direction.  Ask Him to expose the things you are too blind and too close to see.  He has been warning you through friends and strangers and you have chosen not to receive the message. (Sidenote: This is that message).

Also ask Him for grace to help you through the mess you are in, whether it is the mess you CHOOSE to stay in or the mess you CHOOSE to get out of.

God knows the intentions of your heart so do not think you are fooling Him.  If you want the assistance, truly pray.  If you enjoy your fool, don’t say you weren’t warned.

Holla!