Thursday, February 17, 2005

Who Gets the Glory?

I was driving along in my car yesterday and I happened to catch the last part of Dr. Tony Evan’s radio show. My spirit had been running a bit heavy, because I had been wrestling with today’s post..changing and rearranging..editing and cutting, trying to fix the words to say what I wanted them to say, but it just wasn’t coming out right. I was stuck. And it’s not like I didn’t have anything to write, like the dreaded ‘writer’s block’ or anything like..quite the contrary, I’ve been writing a lot. But sometimes after I write a piece, I’ll step back and examine it and think, ‘Ain’t no way I can publish THAT for other people to see’ Whether it’s because of observed tendencies toward schizophrenia or evidence of idiotic rambling, I know that I have a tendency to be ‘out there’ a bit. This isn’t a new phenomena..as a young boy, right before my mother would release me from her watchful eye, whether it was dropping me off in the care of a friend or family member, she would always look at me with sharpened eyes and say, “Alright now…don’t be over there acting like you ain’t got no sense.” For some reason she always made a point to tell ME this..because she knew I had a tendency to get ‘caught up’ in my fervent pursuit of enjoying life. There were many days that I came to her for aid, with one of my many bloody noses or knotted up forehead from running into walls, doors, whatever happened to be in my way as I was running through, doing my thang.

My father would often observe me during these frequent bouts of haphazard clumsiness and societal aloofness with a confounded amazement. .I was so much into my own world, that my most frequent responses were ‘Huh?’ and ‘What?’he would often look at me and shake his head… 'Something just ain’t right with that boy…he act like he retarded or somethin’.

It got bad enough that my mother decided to have me examined to make sure I wasn’t going deaf or had some kind of inner ear disorder or something. After I took all the tests and passed them with flying colors, the doctor came in and told my parents that my hearing, reasoning and motor skills were perfectly normal.. 'He hears you, he’s just not listening. '

Once we left that doctor’s office that day, my mother made a point to take out those doctor’s fees she had to pay on my behind. And wouldn’t you know it..after a couple of weeks of feeling that heat, I was miraculously cured!! Wasn’t anymore “Huh?’ or What?..that ‘act right’ they put on me changed all that to, ‘Yes MA’AM!’ and ‘Yes SIR!!’ God is good ya’ll…ALL the time. He knows what you need, before you even need it. Some people say that God works in mysterious ways..which IS true..at times. But there are also times, when you can see His hand so gracefully in motion in your life and it will make you say ‘Thankya Lord’.

I know that my parents have been one of those supreme blessings that put me on that other level of the game of life. I’m not putting them on a pedestal and proclaiming them as the perfect couple or the perfect parents, I’m just telling ya’ll that I’ve got some real az parents..they ain’t got to front to kick it.

I’ve spoken of my father many times here on www.servinemup.com, he’s one of those Real Fathers, I love him to tears and it’s really a blessing to be able to learn how to be a man from a strong-hearted spiritual brother in Christ like my father is. So many black men have disconnected or strained relationships with their fathers, which I can definitely understand, because my father and I have lived in the same house as strangers before. Barely even speaking in passing of each other..but that’s just part of the male-macho dynamic. But even through these periods of coolness, there was always love and respect. Our relationship is actually getting better and better everyday, as we’re able to celebrate the family and exalt the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on one accord.

I know a lot of men ain’t got it like that, even the ones who have a civil and amicable relationship with their fathers, often have some division that keeps them at arms length with their affection..whether political difference or contrasting theological opinions, there’s usually something hindering the two from opening those floodgates of love and letting it all hang out. You don’t have to pace yourself with pure love, you go as hard as you can until you go to sleep and if the Lord blesses you to wake up in the morning, you get out of bed and go hard AGAIN. That’s part of being dead game…Believers don’t give up til we go up.

So..where was I?? Off on one of those rambling safaris again..oh yeah..I was listening to Tony Evans, and he gave a wonderful analogy regarding today’s epidemic of ‘prosperity preachers’. You know..those ministers and people out there who are all about that ‘ching-ching’ but they’re using the Word of God as an ends to their ultimate means.

Come to church so you can get your blessing!!

Pay your offerings and tithes and God will reward you so much that your storehouses will be overflowing!!

Pray like Jabez so that you can increase your land AND get a new house!

It’s not that God doesn’t want His children to be blessed here on earth…but material gain is not THE reason that we worship Him. Dr. Evans used the analogy of being a traveling father, who would always return home to wonderful hugs from his kids whenever he returned home from an out of town business trip. Eventually, he began to make it a habit to always bring a toy or special treat for the kids..so he’d get 2 hugs..one for arriving and then a 2nd one once the kids saw their gifts and hugged him again with gratitude and love. But then after awhile of this the mood changed..when he arrived home, his welcome went from ‘yaaaay..daddy’s home!’ to ‘Yaaay..daddy’s home..didja get us something?’ to the eventual..’What didja get me??” as soon as he arrived. That first hug for just being home went away, no gift..no hug. That’s how God sees His children in regards to the blessings that He can bestow on us. He doesn’t want us to get so caught up in the gifts, that we forget the ultimate prize of being near Him..and hugging Him close to our heart. I really liked that analogy..because I could FEEL it.

It made me understand better..gave me a more tangible construct of attitude to strive toward. Because I often ponder the ‘jankiness’ in me..you know..being a writer..quoting Scripture and expounding on the Word of God, but yet trying to get paid. There is a line to be drawn..how real can you be to your past, to your people, your hood, while at the same time remaining true to your Lord? Many people showed up here at www.servinemup.com because a fellow Christian or a Christian that’s been ministering the gospel to them passed them the link..

You need to check this brother D. Washington out…his language can be a bit risque’, but his theological exposition of the gospel is very thought provoking.

So for that, I realize that it’s not ME that’s causing the website to grow, all I had to do is lift up His Word, God is the one that’s drawing people in and for that I am grateful for the ultimate blessing of being used as a tool of the Good Shepherd. All sheep know the sound of their Master’s voice..so whenever you use the Bible, in quotes or illumination, then it will make people stop and listen. That’s how so many of the prosperity ministers ‘lure’ the unsuspecting and unlearned sheep into their snare of personal gratification. It’s kind of wild when you think about it..people think that Satan is some cloven hooved red devil with horns and a tail, but most often he appears as a man of God..quoting Scripture and making it sound GOOD to ya..all the while leading people toward the pursuit of that fools’ gold.

You know when you put gold to fire, the most precious part of the metal gravitates TOWARD the flame and all the impurities try to get away from the heat. That’s why it’s so important to READ the Bible for yourself..prayerfully with a teachable heart..study to show thyself approved. Because once you get rooted in that Word, you’re less susceptible to someone peeing on your head, but all the while telling you it’s raining. You ain’t gotta fall for that okey-doke..real never goes out of style! So with that in mind, I constantly pray to the Lord for direction..I pray David’s prayer in Psalms 19:14 ..”Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight..O Lord..my strength and my Redeemer.

As much as I may joke and clown..I don’t ever want ya’ll to think for one minute that I’m not serious about my conviction in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of us all. I know there are various faiths present here..Christians, Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Buddhist, Atheist,Agnostics..some are coming to get served some spiritual food, some are coming to get a laugh..some are coming by just to check out their homey get down for his on the world wide web.

I used to post the Sunday School Lessons from our class every week, but I started getting some strange emails from people requesting copies of my church programs and stuff. My only problem with that, is that I knew that the ministry God has called me to perform is not constrained to a building or pulpit. God wants to use our testimonies to draw other people toward Him. And I know my ability to crack a joke or two has it’s way of entertaining and engaging readers to read a bit more. So many people attempt to read the Bible, but after a few begats it’s ZZZZZZZZZZ…knocked out. Some of this is due to limited reading skills, but more often than not it’s due to lack of conviction, laziness and selfishness. People don’t have the time to read the Bible..it’s too thick..it’s too big…it’s too confusing.

That’s where me and my purpose comes in..because I know that if I can mesmerize that person who does not know the Lord with some of my Southside Houston-Stanford educated game, then they’ll be set up for that knockout punch of realness that the gospel of Christ packs. Of course, this has caused some good going ‘church folks’ to outcry with complaints about me using curse words or showing pictures with me holding a beer bottle in my hand..but hey, you can’t please everybody. Besides, all those sanctified and holy folks aren’t the ones I’m fishing for anyway..I’m trying to land that soul that’s floundering in the sea of futility and dead ends. Those souls out there that’s eager to grasp on to something that’s real. One of the principals at one of the high school’s here on the Southside of Houston used to get on the school PA system every morning and always close his remarks with, "They say you can lead a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink..but I always go a step further and push the horses’ head down in the water..that way the choice is more imperitave..either drink or drown. "

Along with the counsel of my parents, I also have a couple of uncles who are ministers who I can always call for a word of encouragement or direction for those times when my path seems murky and I need to lean on another for fellowship. One of these uncles actually has a lot to do with me being able to write today. When I first started kindergarten, he used to pick me up everyday when class was over. From time to time I’d have a note from the teacher that I was supposed to give to my parents. Since I wasn’t reading then.and I really wasn’t all that interested in learning, I’d always hand him the note so that he could tell me what it said. More often than not, he’d get the note and his eyes would start bulging as he read it…

Uh oh!!

What? What is it??

This note say you been acting up in class…yo mama and daddy go whup your butt!!

Of course this would cause my stomach to start doing those flip-flops with that nervous anticipation of a being in trouble seemed to bring and I’d have that worry all the way home..only to find out that the note was something harmless like a ‘Pack a sack lunch for the field trip Friday’ or something like that. I got so tired of being ‘tricked’ by him, that I decided then and there to learn how to read for myself.

Well, this same uncle also is like a big brother and confidant to me and he also happens to be pastor of one of the larger black churches in Port Arthur, Texas, the honorable Rev. Lloyd W. Scott, Sr. Of course, some people will laugh and smirk at the ‘honorable’ part..but can’t nobody say that this n’ga can’t preach. I had been receiving a lot of those, “I can’t BELIEVE you call yourself a Christian!” emails one week and I began questioning myself. How janky was I?? Was I part of the problem? Was I wrong in my application of God’s purpose for D?? My uncle just happened to call me and it wasn’t long before I was explaining my dilemma to him…

So what’s the problem?

I dunno..I guess I’m just freaked out..I never want to lead people the wrong way..or weaken the message by the frailties of my walk.

Oh…uhh..so what’s the problem?

I guess I’m just trying to use my real voice and it’s facing a lot of opposition.

You talking about curse words?

Yeah..I try to stay real..but then when I have to ‘clean up’ and act like we in church..I feel sanitized and bland.

You ain’t even the kind of n’ga that say a lot of curse words!

I know..but when I write..I have to use other characters and conversations that’s not always something I would say in mixed company. So it comes across as conflicting to the gospel to some people.

Aww %$#@!! You ain’t gotta worry about that! Ain’t nothing you do that's go please EVERYBODY, there’s this one preacher up in New Jersey that’s so crazy, that he even says ‘mf’ in the pulpit and there’s another one that frequently refers to Jesus as ‘that n’ga from Nazarene’!!

What??

Nephew..listen to your uncle…cuz I’m crazy, but I do have SOME sense now..no matter what it is you do, if you’re worried about your message, there’s one simple litmus test you have to pass to go forth.

What’s that?

After you get through doing what you do..and all is said and done..ask one simple question..’Who gets the glory’??

Who gets the glory??

That’s right Emma Lee! ‘Who gets the glory’? If the answer to that question ain’t Jesus..then you’ve got a problem. But as long as you know you’re glorifying His name..you’re fulfilling your purpose missionary. Ya hear me?

I don’t push my product to churches and religious groups …instead I’m pushing to those blockbleeders on the corners, those hoopers on the basketball court, those n’gaz banging down MLK with a bag full of sweets, that crowd at the club on those $2-You-Call-It drink special nights, ready to pick up a freak and jet to the mo for an hour or two, that single parent looking for hope and salvation from their ocean of struggle..I’m servin’ in the hood ya’ll and I’m preparing my line for a nice catch. The wild part is, even if I only sold one book in my lifetime and ONE person is brought closer to Christ through the words of D.E. Washington..I will have succeeded in the mission that the Lord has laid so clearly upon my heart.

Speaking of hearts..since we just had the Valentine’s Day money exchange..you know, rose peddlers, candy makers, restaraunts, jewelers and greeting card publishers just got PAID on February 14th..I thought I’d roll Rev. Janky on out there next for ya’ll a bit, then we can get a little bit deeper into that Word in regards to matters of the heart. I know a lot of people assume that me and my wife are an ideal couple, but what so many of ya’ll don’t realize is the struggle and hard work it took for us to get to this point in our lives. You gotta be ready to put in some HARD WORK, if you want to make your relationship last mane, and that's FO-REAL.