Comedian, Radio Host, Actor, New York Times best-selling author Steve Harvey performed his last stand-up comedy show of his 27-year career to a sold-out audience at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas last Thursday, according The Huffington Post.
I watched a video of his final words to the audience before he left the stage. His words, which were delivered through his nearly held back tears, really touched me…Here are a few quotes from his final words…
“Bishop Jakes, T. D. Jakes, told me, heard him in a sermon say, ‘I would hate to die and never do the thing I was born to do.’ Man, God let me do it!”
“I’m not a perfect Christian, ya dig.”
“I’m just a living witness that you can be an imperfect soldier and still be in the army fighting for God Almighty. Don’t think you have to be perfect because I ain’t.”
What do you think about his poignant words? Are you doing the thing you were born to do? Are you a perfect Christian? Are you fighting in the army of God Almighty? Just some things to think about today…
Well, this week in church news has been a doozy…and it kind of reminds me of the lyrics in Prince’s song “Controversy.” Below is an excerpt of the lyrics…
I just can’t believe All the things people say, controversy Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay? Controversy…
And Prince even references “The Lord’s Prayer” in the rest of the song…And this verse also reminds me of a few verses in Matthew 10.
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
In this verse and the verses that follow, Jesus basically says that your faith in God will cause you to be involved in some controversy and with this in mind, a run-down of the controversial church news of the week…
6. In more “first black” news, some racial controversy at Duke University…Well, this is not a controversial story, but it would have been years ago as Duke University named its first black dean of its chapel…“Duke Names New Dean of Chapel” (Newsobserver.com)
As I write this post this morning, I am very saddened by man’s inhumanity to man from the obviously troubled young man who massacred moviegoers as they attended a screening of the new Batman movie last week to teen murderer George Zimmerman who invoked the name of God as he attempted to justify shooting down an unarmed boy.
Since the movie massacre occurred just days ago, all of the details that led to this tragedy are still unfolding so I’m certain there will be more analysis to come as that happens…But as far as Zimmerman is concerned, since he murdered Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, the public has had numerous opportunities to get to know Zimmerman (who somehow has still managed to elude being imprisoned though Trayvon was buried in his grave nearly half a year ago) and learn exactly what transpired that dark night.
The latest opportunity to learn about Zimmerman was Sean Hannity’s interview with him on Fox News last Wednesday. Instead of expressing remorse for his horrific crime, he said had did not regret what happened and that he believed it was “God’s plan.” Later in the interview (his lawyer likely prompted him to mollify his startling statements during a commercial break), Zimmerman said, “I do wish that there was something, anything, I could have done that wouldn’t have put me in the situation where I had to take (Martin’s) life,” according to USNews.com. And then he offered a weak apology to Trayvon’s parents: “I am sorry that they buried their child, I can’t imagine what it must feel like,” he said. “I pray for them daily.”
His statements are contradictory at best and deceitful at worst…He either feels remorse about murdering that boy or he has no regret for what did, but he cannot feel both. And furthermore, Zimmerman libeled God because annihilating an unarmed teenage boy is NOT God’s plan…And to restore God’s name in the public domain, I have 7 reasons why Zimmerman should keep God’s name out of his mouth unless he is asking for forgiveness…
1. In the 10 Commandments, we are commanded to NOT murder in Exodus 20:13. Please commit this scripture to memory Mr. Zimmerman…
2. While our government at the state and nationwide level is not perfect, God has instructed us to adhere to our government’s laws in Romans 13: 1-5. Zimmerman was told to NOT pursue Trayvon on Feb. 26 by a 911 dispatcher. In spite of this directive, Zimmerman followed Trayvon to disastrous consequences…
3. It has been reported that Zimmerman pursued Trayvon out of fear and was particularly fearful once he encountered the boy which is why he is claiming self-defense. In 2 Timothy 1:7, we are told it is not God who bestows fear rather He bestows power, love and a sound mind. If Zimmerman had a sound mind and truly felt fearful, he would have stayed in his car if he felt someone dangerous was in his neighborhood.
4. We cannot forget the Golden Rule in Matthew 7:12. Only do to others what you would want done to you. I’m reasonably sure that if Zimmerman had a teenage son, he would not want some arbitrary man to shoot his son first and ask questions later.
5. Now, let’s imagine that killing Trayvon was truly in God’s plan, then providing for Zimmerman’s defense would be in God’s plan too, right?. And by setting up his website, Zimmerman collected thousands of dollars from his supporters presumably for his defense. But that has proven to NOT be the case. Not only did Zimmerman lie to a judge about his passport and his financial status (which was bolstered through his website), he used very little of the money he received for his defense for his defense. In Proverbs 6:17, we are told that God hates a “lying tongue”…
6. Also, we are told in that very same verse (Provers 6:17) that God hates “hands that shed innocent blood.” Trayvon was armed with a hoodie, skittles and iced tea while Zimmerman was packing a gun. Enough said.
7. And why did Zimmerman think that Trayvon looked “real suspicious” that dark night? Was it because Trayvon was black? I truly do believe that if Trayvon had been a white teenager, he would not responded the same way, which is particularly disturbing as Zimmerman is partly Hispanic. (Hispanic people are also victimized due to racial profiling.) The woman featured in Song of Solomon, the romance book in the Bible, is a black woman. Black is beautiful and is not to be feared…I find it crazy that for years and years black people were enslaved, beaten, disenfranchised, dehumanized and on and on and black people are feared? C’mon son…
God’s plan is for all of his creation to get along as the recently deceased Rodney King so eloquently put it 20 years ago. Yes, murders, tragedies, sicknesses, wars and sins of all kinds occur in a fallen world, but that was not God’s original plan according to Genesis. But He has created a way for us to be redeemed in spite of it all, and I hope we judge ourselves accordingly so we will not be judged…1 Corinthians 11:31…You would do well to reflect on this verse before claiming God’s plan again George Zimmerman…
