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The very first division of Psalms says something to the affect of: “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seats of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and he meditates on it day and night.”

Then the texts begins a simile describing how this person is like a tree planted by water. It continues to grow and never needs anything as it has been planted in a place where all its needs are met (Ps. 1:3). The idea is that our knowledge of God has a huge factor in determining whether or not we have a strong relationship with him.

When we think of any relationship, we know it takes time to develop. The relationship between a mother and baby takes time and continues throughout each ones life. That baby grows in his relationship with his mother as he begins to learn who she is, what she does and how she acts. After a while, no one could tell that child anything about his mother that he hasn’t already experienced. He knows his mother as a great source of help, encouragement, love, care and the like. You cannot tell a young child anything negative about his parent once he has truly gotten to know that parent.

Think about your relationship with your own children if you have them. My children are old enough to have formed their own opinions about me long ago. If someone told them that I was a “dead-beat dad” they would be offended, categorically deny it and probably start fighting if the conversation continued (well, hopefully not fight, but you get what I mean). Over time, my relationship with my children has developed to the point where I am their source for everything!

I’ve been God-like to them. The whole point is that as they know me as their “father”, it’s easier for them to understand the concept of God being their “Father in heaven.” I believe that a dad’s job is to build a relationship with his children that will allow them to understand some things about God. That means the dad has to be loving, giving, have self control, long suffering, nurturing, trustworthy and knowledgeable. Children should see their dad faithful to them, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. The dad has to be as good of a provider as his faith is to God. His children’s needs should be met — this doesn’t require every father to be rich, but it does require him to provide a living to secure his household or be the “house band” (this concept is where we get our word “husband”). Until he is able to do that, he should not marry or have children.

How can you as a dad or mom or anyone profess faith in God without knowing him? The relationship built between a parent and child should mirror the parent’s relationship with God.

“He is faithful to me, so I will be faithful to my children.”

“He provides for me, so I will provide for my children.”

“He is there when I need him, so I will be there when my children need me.”

“He loves me unconditionally, so I will love my children unconditionally.”

Since our God doesn’t turn us away, our relationship with Him is what WE made it. So how is that working for you?

Don’t you just hate the feeling of guilt? It’s those times when you know you’re wrong and the need to fix it becomes the largest problem. After all, who wants to be wrong?

Guilt only comes when we’ve learned better, but don’t put into practice what we’ve learned. We then do something with our eyes wide open. We knew better, but either lust, revenge, anger, fear or some other vice held us captive. We were literally drawn away by our own lusts and enticed which is what lead to the sin.

One of the reasons Jesus died on the cross for us was that he wanted us to see that there is another way. He wanted us to know that we have options and he didn’t want us held hostage any longer by sin. The real problem is that many don’t know they are free.

Zacchaeus was small in stature, but had a reputation much taller than he was. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector of sorts. A rich man who must have heard about the choice because when Jesus came near him, he was seeking to find out who Jesus was and get to know him for who he was (Luke 19:1-10). So this little man climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus because the crowd around him was larger than his height would allow.

Clearly because of Zacchaeus’ desire, Jesus came to him and said I’m having dinner with you today. Zacchaeus was happy to oblige and during their fellowship, Zacchaeus was pricked in his heart and told the Lord that he would gladly repay fourfold for anyone he had taken advantage of. Isn’t that interesting? We don’t read where the day before this incident that Zacchaeus was contemplating turning over a new leaf. Yet something about being in the very presence of the Lord made this man want to change.

Dear reader, since we know that nothing is hidden from God, why are we not moved about being in his presence like Zacchaeus? The interesting part is that Jesus did not have “all power in heaven and in earth” when he sat with Zacchaeus. However, each one of us met the resurrected Jesus when we became Christians. That same Jesus who was crucified has been made both Lord and Christ.

So, if our all-powerful Lord watches over us and nothing can be hidden from him, then what’s our problem?

There have been many theories and sermons done on the topic of why Jesus wept. I believe that although many lessons can be extracted from the story, there is only one “real” reason why he wept.

It was Jesus’ compassion for his friend Lazarus who had died. His family was weeping and his compassion moved him to tears.

A question to ponder is why would Jesus weep over a situation that he had the power to change? I know, good question, right?

Let’s look at this story closer. If you focus on Christ you will miss the point. Christ was all man and all God at the same time. So every now and then you see humanity seep out. But this does tells us a little something about compassion.

When we are moved with compassion it makes it very difficult for us not to feel. To feel things like sorrow, sadness and grief. A person moved with compassion will always seek to make things better.

Our world needs a few more criers. A few more people to actually care about a person’s well being instead of their own wealth. A person who is willing to look down at another man only to help him up.

Compassion is God’s contribution to our fellowship. He wants us to care enough to cry with one another and help one another.

So what are you waiting for?

So recently I got this question about where in the bible can you find “cleanliness is next to Godliness?” I had to laugh at my response because it was: “Oh that’s in Habakkuk 15:5!” (Look it up if you didn’t get the joke). This question lead me to thinking about cleanliness and how often I take showers.

I can probably be considered a “clean freak” because in warm weather I average 1.5 showers per day (or one to two a day) and one a day when it’s cold. I do not like the “sticky feeling” nor do I like smells. It is a definite turnoff for me. I grew up in a household where I truly believe my mother created the word “clean”. She’s over the top with it and I’m her offspring.

I have read much research on this phenomenon and it seems that some researchers can make a strong case for this being a psychological effect of slavery. You see, Blacks were considered dirty by Whites because of the color of their skin. This added a psychological effect to those dark complected because they never wanted to be considered dirty. So, we cleaned. Not just our bodies, but our dwelling places, our children, our cars — everything. And why not, we were doing it for others. To this day the word “dirty” carries a horrible connotation in the Black community. When you call someone dirty it’s not merely a word, but an adjective that goes beyond the person who was called it, straight to their entire generation! Dirty carries with it all the other words associated with it like stinky, stanky, nasty, funky and filthy. It’s a syllogistic compounded adjective as it carries multiple insults.

With that said, I researched taking showers and bathing in particular to see if there were any medical benefits for doing it the way I do. What I found was interesting. There is no medical evidence that taking a shower every day is healthier. Taking daily showers is considered to be more social and aesthetic than healthy. It is said that the one a day showers are “somewhat unnecessary.” Our advancement as a country gave us more options than in other parts of the world. There are still people in other countries living in places that don’t have indoor plumbing, laundry facilities or multiple bathrooms. Cultural shifts in our society along with the stigma associated with bad odor, religious beliefs, clean water, climate and lifestyle are all key factors in moving showers higher on the list of important things in America.

There is also information stating that there are skin diseases and other things that make bathing a necessity. However, some US researchers at the University of Colorado did a study and found that “pathogens which occur naturally at low levels in water supplies can accumulate in high concentrations in ‘biofilms’ inside shower heads, meaning that every time you turn on the water, you’re getting a facefull of nastiness”. The pathogen is linked to pulmonary disease and is called Mycobacterium avium. They recommend buying a steel shower head.

On a lighter note, Australians are considered the cleanest people on earth because a study showed that people there take showers more frequently than any other group in the civilized world. Sixty-two percent of the folks there shower everyday; 29 percent shower twice a day; and nine percent shower three or more times a day. These figures mean that no Australian goes more than a day without taking a shower. And yes, we were included in this study and before you try to make an argument, take a bus or train ride or just spend some time in close quarters with your fellow Americans. You won’t ever want to eat another Whopper again!

It is good to know that there is cleanliness “down under”!

Have you ever seen an adult act like a kid? I mean really act like a kid. You know the type of people I’m talking about. They pout, throw fits, take their balls and go home…everything seems to be about them.

Their behavior is not an accident. They have a wounded inner child.

When our inner child is wounded it means that something happened in the past that never really got resolved.  Some may be living with the trauma of child molestation, child abuse (physical and/or verbal), sexual abuse / assault (normally by a blood relative), witnessing abuse, or worse.  Normally, they didn’t get enough attention when they were younger so they are starved for that attention now. No one ever let them know that they mattered or that they were loved. The people who were supposed to fulfill those roles in their lives let them down and now they have a different view of the world. These folks are broken.

That doesn’t excuse the behavior but it should clear things up a bit. People are living their lives carrying burdens that they don’t know how to get rid of. As a result, these folks act like control freaks, liars or slanderers.  They can act bossy, be jealous or depressed and in most cases they’re over weight. These people drive our kids to school, work with us, fix our cars, serve our food and even run our cities — they’re everywhere!

Until they seek counseling to help with the healing, they are destined to a life of bad relationships, bad blood and negative behaviors. Every household they have will be divided, every relationship in turmoil and they will be bitter and angry.

I speak of this simply because these people will act out at any time and it doesn’t have anything to do with their current condition. Three things you need to do to cope with these people are: 1) Pray for them regularly. God has a wonderful way of working out the impossible. 2) Have an extra dose of patience and understanding toward them. This should not be difficult unless … you are one of them. 3) Be very direct with them. These folks are not capable of having a real relationship or true friendship in this condition. Encourage them and be honest with them. Love them enough to speak the truth to them. When all else fails, go back to number one.

We’re in a fight!

It really starts with the spiritual warfare within, but it’s most commonly seen manifested in the flesh. Hate is going around breaking hearts and it’s out of control. Hate is the fire in our society that burns everything. In its path are charred remains of hurt people, broken lives, the walking dead. Clearly hurt people will . . . hurt people. And this hate has a platform. All you have to do is turn on the news or read the latest headlines. The media will tell you that if it bleeds it leads. They actually believe that we want to see that junk. The truth is that misery loves company and there are actually viewers out there who would rather watch someone else’s tragedy than their own. So we watch and we’re thankful that it’s not us — at least not yet.

God gave us a trump card for hate. You guessed it, it’s love. And as powerful as you see hate displayed, I’m telling you love is a hundred times stronger. Just as Superman has his kryptonite, hate hates to see love come calling. And oh boy when it does … You see hate knows it can’t do anything with love. Just as light chases darkness out of a room so can love manhandle hate.

God chose not to give love a platform and for good reason. The more hate uses its platform, the weaker it gets. People get in a state of apathy and become desensitized. It no longer has the shock and awe that it used to have. Love on the other hand was always intended to be shared through word of mouth. No big advertising campaigns, no media blitz, just someone who cares shows up in the midst of your rage, pierces in your eyes as to look directly into your soul and says, “I love you”.

I love you! I love you! I love you! And you can’t do anything about it! I love you not for what you have done, nor for what you have. I don’t love you because you deserve it or because of what you think you’ve done. I love you because God first loved me!

When the Apostle Paul went to Athens, he preached before a group of people who seemed to have an idol god for every occasion. What was really noble about these folks is that they didn’t want to offend any god. Cute.

In Acts 17:22 Paul says: “…Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.” (which is to say very religious). Paul could say the same thing about America.

With all of our wonderful freedoms, religion fits right up in there as being the most important. You see, we don’t want government telling us who, how and when to worship. We as Americans don’t really like to be told anything.

With that said, isn’t it ironic that we even believe in God? I say this because we can’t even be pleasing to God if we don’t believe (Heb. 11:6) and with our belief, the creator of the universe is expecting humble submission from us.

That means the only choice we really have is to serve God or not. If we choose to serve Him, then the life that we life in the flesh is lived by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20).

So then He is in control and all of our decisions would be done in a way as to make Him proud. We would live lives with the purpose of leading others to Him and allowing them to experience the liberties we have in Christ.

This sounds great on paper, but in practice, it’s not so good.

Many who profess a belief in God do not live for God. Less than many don’t read their Bibles and most of those who do, are reading without understanding. Most of us who have children live contradicting lives before them and many who grew up in the church, do not darken the doors as adults.

Within just the Catholic Church, there are more than 61 million Americans who have associated themselves as Catholic. How many do you think attend regularly?

My point here is not a call for us to return to church. It is also not a plea for us to live righteously. My emphasis is for us to be more spiritual than religious. My plea is for us to build a personal relationship with God on our own (meaning without a middle man) and allow God to connect with us without religion.

Religion is simply man’s tradition. It is the enemy. It divides us! Religion makes one person say to another: “You are wrong and I am right. It produces religious nuts that go about trying to make others do things their way. Our traditions need to be nailed to the cross. God left us His words to live by. We have Jesus’ life recorded for the purpose of knowing how to live a life honoring our Father in heaven. Jesus taught about family and excluded no one. Religion today is pretty good about excluding drug users, felons, gays and lesbians, and the poor.

Jesus would have never done such a thing!

The Bible teaches us that God is spirit and those who worship Him must do so (with our spirits) in spirit and (according to His revelation) in truth (John 4:24).

My friends, going to a place of worship on Sunday with people that you love is great and hopefully that fellowship extends beyond one day per week. But if you do not have a personal relationship with God where an exchange of information is taking place, conversing daily with an inner joy of the Holy Spirit, then you are lacking much.

I would encourage you to read Psalms 1. It only has a few scriptures, but they echo this message. Start with Psalms chapter 1 and just keep: Reading Until Something Happens (RUSH).

Stevie Wonder wrote a song entitled “Love’s in need of love today.” This song appeared on his mid-1970’s album called “Songs in the Key of Life” – still one of my favorite albums of all time.

It’s interesting that in the 70’s, Stevie could write a song so profound and so true. It made me wonder that if a song like this was needed in the seventies, what would this song say today.

He said, “Love’s in need of love today. Don’t delay, send yours in right away. Hate’s going around breaking many hearts. Stop it please, before it goes too far.” Stevie’s vision explains the darkness of racial prejudice and despair in the world and thought that if we all could just help love out, it might survive.

The difference in the world today and in the 70’s is that back then, the world had somewhat of a conscience. You could speak the truth and people actually had a harder time violating it in the 70’s than they do now.

Hypocrisy runs wild. Things that are evil are now acceptable. Wrongdoing can go on now and if the media doesn’t tell us it’s bad, we don’t care. Just how did things get so turned around? Let me give you a few examples of what I’m talking about.

We have been pushing democracy off on other countries, telling them it’s better for them. We tell them that it’s the best way to run a government – for the people and by the people. We sent this message to Iraq, remember, in 2000. We boasted about voting, but had a hard time counting our own votes. We told them the freedoms we share, but the controversies of the 2000 and 2004 elections didn’t speak of freedom at all – just hypocrisy.

We watched for almost a decade (eight years to be exact) as the Republican Party destroyed the fabric of countries future by leading us into a bogus war and spending trillions of dollars. Now, the Democratic Party feels they must spend trillions of dollars too. The first group says it was spending money for the safety of America. The second group claims they’re spending money on the welfare of America. The truth is that when you look beyond the surface of what each is saying you won’t find any help for America – just hypocrisy.

Michael Vick was in the prime of his life when our society took taxpayers money to prosecute him for running or housing a dog-fighting operation. It seems that Mr. Vick should have been eating these dogs – then it would have been ok. The reason you ask? Well, if you (and the animal rights activists) really take a hard look at the way we raise, treat, and slaughter chickens, pigs and cattle in this country, you would understand my point. Are these not animals? Or does it magically become “OK” if we’re eating them? I wonder about the countries that eat dogs. If Vick goes to jail for what he did, shouldn’t we be at war with those countries that eat the covenant dog? Once again, this is nothing but hypocrisy.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” This must be the fix. Love. The only way love will cover a multitude of sins would be if we let it. We would have to begin loving people through their troubles. We would have to start loving good rather than evil. We would have to try to practice what we preach and only place expectations on ourselves.

Is it possible for us to choose to build up one another rather than to tear down each other? Is it possible for us to help those around us first, before traveling abroad to assist in any relief efforts? Is it possible for us to love one another so much that we become the place we say we are?

That’s my goal. Is it yours?