The End Of 2018

It never fails. People talk a big game and don't follow through.

Today's Sermon: Fake Apology

An apology is valid if it's followed up with repentance. If you're not willing to repent of whatever transgression that you apologized for, you can keep your fake apology because I don't want it.

Fellas: Choose Better, You Deserve It

Thought For Today: Christmas Ballin'

For some of you, Black Friday is going to be the first week in January. Y'all balled out for Christmas and January bills looking at you like, "Where's My Money?"

COGIC Pastor Kicks Out Drag Queen

COGIC pastor Pastor Rocquemore of Chicago, IL is catching major heat from the LGBT community for kicking out a transgender person of his church. After quick research, it was discovered this transgender person was told several times about coming into the church dressed as a woman. I'm all for sinners coming into God's house, but the Bible clearly forbids men dressing up as women. I stand with this pastor because it's about time we get pastors who aren't afraid to stand on the uncompromising truth of God's word. There are far too many milk toast pastors afraid to tell it like it is for fear of membership decline. I like what this pastor said about God holding him accountable because it's true: When you're in a position of leadership, you're held to a higher standard; that goes double for Christian leaders. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, as well as those selling animals. In other words, those people had no respect for God's house. The transgender person did what (s)he thought (s)he could get away with, but they learned today.

Excerpt from Pastor Rocquemore:
 "I hold a standard in here. Whatever you do on the outside is your business, but I will not let drag queens come in here. And if you're gonna come in here you're gonna dress like a man," the pastor said. "When you come in this house if you're a man, dress like a man. If you're a woman, you dress like a woman. I'm not going to allow it. My salvation is more important and God is holding me accountable."

Tell me what's so wrong about what he said...I'll wait. The world wants to regulate Christianity, but as soon as Christianity tries to impose godly standards for society, people are in their feelings. And some of these so-called believers who criticize what this pastor did, I question their salvation. I'm going to keep it real by saying: If people in the world are upset because this pastor did what was Biblically correct, then in his words, "Don't come." Go to one of these other marshmallow churches where you're comfortable in sin and aren't challenged to change.

No More

I don't know how many blessings I've blocked (I'm hoping I haven't blocked any) by keeping people in my life that should've been gone long ago, but no more. I'm trying to get all God has for me, and if I have to choose between my blessings and crossing people out of my life that have no business there, I'm going to choose my blessings every time.

WYD Texts Offensive?

Like the potential gov't shutdown, for example? Some things are too trivial to get offended over.

Pastor John Gray Criticized For Buying Wife $200K Lamborghini

Here we go again: People are in their feelings over Pastor John Gray buying his wife a $200,000 Lamborghini. The man has written books, has his own TV show, speaking engagements and I'm sure he has other income sources outside of ministry, so tell me why folks are mad again? Because they believe ministers are supposed to be broke & busted. As long as he didn't use church money to buy his wife the car, people should cut it out. I'm sure his wife enjoys the car, so let her and John be great.

Classic

I sporadically post some of my favorite songs from various decades, and this happens to be one of them.

I remember this song being played on the Cosby Show, when Bill & Claire celebrated their grandparents anniversary. Ray Charles - (Night time Is) The Right Time https://t.co/QTTbggsMcB via @YouTube

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) December 16, 2018

Today's Thought: Deadbeat Fathers Have No Rights To Their Children

Earlier today, I watched a Steve Harvey talk show clip where this single mother's son asked her to send him to military school, so she decides to send him. Her family is against the idea because the boy is 12, and they think he's not capable of making wise choices. Get this, the father wasn't involved in the boy's life at all. Here's the video footage:

Family Questions Parenting Choice

Kudos to this young man. This mother did the right thing by sending the boy to military school so he can get the structure and discipline he needs to do big things in life. I like how she admitted that she's not a man, so she doesn't know the first thing about raising a boy into a man. So many single mothers try to raise sons into men and while some are successful, they leave out where they had father figures along the way to show their sons what manhood is about. Unless this mother's family is taking part in raising this boy, they should have several seats and let this mother continue doing the awesome job she's doing with her son. Where do some fathers get off thinking they can dictate how their kids are raised when they weren't around since Day 1, and refuse to be in their children's lives?

Role Reversal

The idea for this blog came from someone's FB, where they posted the following meme:

Role reversal at it's finest. What's worse is that there are women who are ok with their pretty man, and men being ok with letting their woman make the money. Liberalism has done major damage to the roles of men & women. I don't want to hear nothing about "what works in your household, may not in everyone else's." There's a reason why God gave men & women separate roles, and that's to complement each other. I don't care about anyone else, but as a man, I feel whole when I'm grinding. I couldn't & wouldn't leave it up to my woman to be hardworking. Some of these men want to call themselves men when they have their woman working while they sit home and do nothing, I cannot.

"Racist", Overrated?

Racist is the most overused term today. People throw out the racist card for every little thing, even when there's nothing racist about someone, something or some place.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) December 15, 2018

You Have Not Because You Ask Not - Steve Harvey Rags to Riches video tes...

The Black Community Watched Out For Each Other

One time for my FB friend Vanessa for this trip down memory lane as it relates to the black community. I hope we as blacks can return to looking out for each other like we did back in the day.

Thought For Today: How Christians Should Vote

These last two elections have shown me how important it is to vote according to who closely aligns with godly values. I get that no candidate is perfect, but Christians should know better than to vote for what God is against.

Christians should vote for the candidates who most closely align w/biblical principles, who are pro-life & support religious freedom. Otherwise progressives & those who stand for godless secularism will be put into key leadership roles. 3/3

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) November 5, 2018

Loving The Unlovable

Some people are toxic to the point where they need to be written off and cast into the sea of forgetfulness.

“Those who act the worst, need the most love”.
One issue with this is that no matter how much love a mean, hateful person gets, they will still be mean & hateful.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) December 7, 2018

Dating Someone Of A Different Religion

2 Corinthians 6:14 states do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers, which means don't get involved with an unsaved person. This can extend to someone outside religion. There's too many issues that can arise.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) December 7, 2018

Submission: When Not To Submit

Some men need to study the word submission and what it really means, because these dudes take submission to mean their wife submits to every demand, even if it goes against God. They miss the part where man submits to God because God is the ultimate head, then wife submits to her husband. A wife is NOT obligated to submit to her husband if his request goes against God's law. Being that God frowns upon abortion, she would be correct in refusing to get one, even at her husband's displeasure. Going further, a Godly man would NEVER instruct his wife to do anything against God. Man submits to God, wife submits to husband. A man's responsibility as the head is to lead honorably.

Question Of The Day

Do you think prenuptial agreements are necessary? ❤️

— Mel Mann, MBA, M.Ed. 🎗 (@MelDMann) December 4, 2018

Answer: Yes, because they're a good way to weed out the undesirables. I used to believe prenups weren't necessary because people marry each other for love and companionship, but my eyes were opened after reading how many couples had bitter divorces, and the wife cleaned the husband out; left him almost penniless. The men were well-off, very successful. People change in marriage; the person you married 20 or 30 years ago isn't the same person 30 or 40 years from now (if y'all make it that far). All prenups do is ensure you leave with what you came into the relationship with. Make it so bad, some spouses get upset when their partner asks them to sign a prenup because in the spouse's eyes, (s)he doesn't trust them. Well...if people weren't so foul, prenups wouldn't be needed, but because people marry for ulterior motives, a prenup is necessary to protect the person coming into the relationship. Not everyone comes into your life with good intent, so you would be foolish to open your heart to an undesirable person. God gives us a brain, and he expects us to use it.

What if you're engaged to someone and you ask them to sign a prenup, they get upset and leave? Any (wo)man who gets upset at their partner's request to sign a prenup and leaves is doing the other person a big favor. The newly single person should see it as God looking out for them by showing them what that person was really about. 

Thought For Today: Some People Will Be Left Behind

As you elevate in life, some people will remain stagnant. It's no slight to you because when you're blessed, you want your loved ones to share in that blessing, but maybe...just maybe they're content at their current level.

Everybody that comes with you, can’t go all the way with you.

— Florida Made (@RichardMIATL) December 3, 2018