Curtain Call Watch - Noose Gettin' Loose

And once again the oldest sibling rivalry on earth, dating back centuries before the birth of Christ, is churning up for some action. Twin brothers and religious (and political) patriarchs Jacob and Esau, grandsons of Abraham who is noted of being the "father of many nations (Genesis 17:5)"; actually began their beef in their mothers' (Rebekah) womb (Genesis 25:23-26).  These extremely unique beginnings would more than likely lead to a volatile relationship between any set of twin brothers; but with a grandfather who had such a proclamation on his life and family, another layer is added.  Without spending a huge amount of key strokes describing the story, I encourage you to read Genesis 17 - 27 to get a gist of the relationship between the boys.  We'll get into the "last straw" between Jacob and Esau in a minute; but some fun facts to note about them:

The Give Over

Not too long ago I was introduced to a young lady who was completing a study on polygamy (either for her class or for personal study) and asked me to share my thoughts on the matter.  More specifically, she was searching for Biblical justification against being a polygamist; with her firm platform that claimed the Bible does not clarify whether or not it is wrong and therefore it must be an acceptable practice.  I wrote to her about what I thought seemed to show the intent God; which was displayed during the creation of mankind (Genesis 1:20-24), and some of the statements Jesus had on the Father's intent (Matthew 19).  I wrapped up my answer with asking her to consider a consistent study of the Bible, which I felt would help her know the intent or heart of God better.  Unfortunately, she expressed that she viewed the Bible as not always a credible source of information and that more "concrete" facts that come from outlets such as Wikipedia would provide her with the answers she needed.  At that point, I realized that she had been given over.

Priest-in-Chief

Yesterday had to be a tough day to be a current or former commander-in-chief.  National and global media outlets across the globe were tuning in to Manhattan to witness at least some portion of the memorial service of the victims who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the New York City, Arlington, Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  I think it's fair to say that a large portion of the viewers, whether they were at Ground Zero, watching on television, or listening on the radio were a little anxious about how it was all going to go down for [encouraged] reasons.  Former President George W. Bush most likely had a heart that weighed a ton as he looked over hundreds of onlookers and being aware that millions of others recognized that his Administration was stained with this horror.  And the the current leader of the "free" world may have shared a similar burden; knowing that this was the America he inherited.  Yet as I watched the openings of the ceremony, our president did something I found to be admirable.

The Matrimony Mirror

I believe that quiet time with the Lord is the most overlooked and underrated aspect of Christian life in this age. Most of us young adults have become accustomed to noise; and some sort of rattling almost must happen in order for us to function, sadly even in our walk with God. And while the devotion apps on the mobile phone, the powerful discussions on your favorite Gospel radio show, and your senior pastors' CDs of the latest sermon are all great tools; none of that beats the 5 or 6 in the mornings with an open Bible and not another sound.  Even better is the scripture you've reviewed in your head while you sit in silence.  God told Joshua that meditation on His Law was key to Joshua and the Israelites acquiring Canaan from the stronger tribes that lived there (Joshua 1:8).  We must be sure within ourselves that this was not just what God had for Moses' successor, but it is vital for completing our assignments given by God through Jesus.  One reason I have found why this is important is because during quiet time, the Holy Spirit can tell you some things that one, give you practical insight into the Word; and two, provide you with age old knowledge when you only have 2 months of experience.  For this piece here, my example deals with marriage.

The Game Against Metro

Lemme share...

Riding back from Norfolk last week, I heard sports journalist Scott Van Pelt declare on his radio show that baseball had lost it with the America.  I don't have actual quotes to offer, and I assume he was speaking from his own opinion; but he cited several reasons for the decline of baseball's popularity over the last 30 years.  All of which were valid points as to why this sport is quickly losing it's luster among the common American household, and I second the notion that baseball hasnlt been the national pastime for a while now.  Still, in the usual fashion where national issues manifest itself in the African American community first, the vanishing baseball trend has been on light speed here. 

You Must Learn

Believe it or not, there was a time where a good portion of hip-hop artists were uplifting, encouraging, educationally-thinking, and embracing the positive attributes of African-American culture.  To go with that, there was even a respectable portion of artists who integrated their religious beliefs and principles in their music.  Possibly because of the militant and/or ethnic nature of Black Islam (not necessarily the same as Islam), Islamic beliefs and sects associated with Islam pretty much dominated raps' landscape.  From the times of Rakim Allah (Eric B. and Rakim) all the way up to the Wu Tang Clan, knowledge of self from a 5 Percent point of view was prevalent.  And if you were reared in Christianity while having a fondness for hip hop, you might get confused about what was true.  I remember friends of mine, following the trends that many of these artists ignited, would ask me why I go to church every Sunday to pray to a "white Jesus".  This was far before the time I had done any research on the Hebraic race circa 100 B.C. - 100 A.D.  But at the time, because this was the extent of my knowledge, I accepted it as truth.  This, my friends, is the never ending saga of African American history.