"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" is NOT Theologically Sound

I just had an epiphany (ironic huh). As I was watching DMBW (the movie- actually the director’s comments) Tyler Perry was discussing a part near the end of the film where the entire family was at the dinner table. During that scene the main character (Helen) places her divorce papers and wedding ring in front of her husband to show that she had signed them thus signifying her “moving on with life.” Mr. Perry then goes on to say that he changed this part from the original play because of the younger crowd response. In the play version, the wife and husband stay together and work things out. No it’s not glamorous, but it is a reality that is hard to swallow (especially with today’s “quick divorce” lifestyle).

Mr. Perry goes on to describe why he changed the play, because the younger women (the under 40 crowd) wanted Helen to move on and find a romantic, fairytale love story with another man (Shemar Moore’s character). This struck a chord with me because as Tyler Perry puts it, the women over 40 said Helen should stay with her husband and work things out. Now aside from the fact that Helen’s husband completely and ruthlessly dogged her out, he himself realized his errors. Now, am I saying that if this were to happen in real life that she ought to just say “cay sera sera{sic}” and go on as if everything were ok?” Emphatically- no! There would need to be a healing time and in truth that would not be an overnight, over week, over month, or even over year healing process. There may even need to be a time of physical separation in some extreme cases. Some wounds run deep and take awhile to overcome. But it takes three to make a marriage last- the two spouses to admit their faults, shortcomings and forgive one another, and the Lord who “works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”

Now back to the women over 40. It seems that Tyler Perry disregarded their pleas to keep the marriage together. Being a Christian-based movie, he should have listened. If he is going to lay a foundation of Christ then he must do so biblically- not just on the response of the audience (which is a big problem with the Name It and Claim It gospel- which we will deal with in another post). In not heeding to the over 40 ladies, he disregarded the scripture in Titus 2:4-5 “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” In fact, we see Madea try to imitate the older female Christian role model- and fail miserably. He does try to salt the movie with lines from Cicely Tyson, but in the end she doesn’t play an important role.

Now I know that some will disagree and say that it is not right for me to judge him because this is after all “entertainment” and he is speaking on real life issues. Well, entertainment or not, if you speak on the things of Christ then you have an obligation to do it in a manner that glorifies God. Marriages that have ended in divorce rarely glorify God (but restored and redeemed ones more often than not do). I know that there are some situations where it just had to end that way, but not every one that has gone through a divorce should have. And yes it deals with real life. In real life, just because someone gets divorced- it rarely makes folk happier in the end. And how many women automatically get to meet their Prince Charming while still married to another man? Is that even right? I think not. In fact, how many women that got divorced thought the men that they were marrying were their “Prince Charmings”?

Alas, this will fall on so many deaf ears because no one wants the truth and no one seeks after God. Truly God filled lifelong marriages are wrought in Christ alone. The problem is, most people have a grand scheme for marriage and in the real world nothing ever really pans out the way we wanted it to. However, couples who are faithful to God can and will endure to the glory of the Father. Every marriage ought to have Christ as its center and His glory as its goal. Tyler Perry ought to start reflecting that if he is to continue making movies under the Christian banner. Nevertheless, I see him slipping away and it won’t be long until the “roar of the crowd” drowns out the “still small voice” of the Spirit.

God and the Hottie of R&B

(I know this news is old, but I came across it recently. I post it with my remarks because I want people to understand the difference between what she said at that time and to what the Gospel speaks of. I don't know if she has recanted what she said. I can only pray that she has and has repented before the Lord. Sometimes out of ignorance people say what they actually believe is true. For Ms. Blige, I fully believe it has to do with the faulty "Name and Claim IT/ Prosperity Gospels" rampant among many churches nowadays. Regardless, she has a Bible and if she studied it enough, she would have a problem with what she was thinking.)

'God wants Blige to wear bling'- Mary J. Blige says she has found religion, but she makes no apologies for her earthly materialism. In fact, she says God has willed her to wear bling.
“My God is a God who wants me to have things,” the singer tells May’s Blender magazine. “He wants me to bling. He wants me to be the hottest thing on the block. I don’t know what kind of God the rest of y’all are serving, but the God I serve says, ‘Mary, you need to be the hottest thing this year, and I’m gonna make sure you’re doing that’.”

Since when did Christ’s death, burial and resurrection mean that the gift of God was a blessing for us to have “things?” This is one of the biggest problems with the church in general today. Christ did not die for us to have “stuff.” He did not die to give us a home, two cars in the garage and perfect health. He did not die for women to get tummy tucks so that they could find a man or vice versa. Yet this young lady has falsely believed that God cares about her having the latest “it-things.” Is it wrong if we have stuff? No. But the purpose of God was not so that we could be rich in order to consume it upon our lusts. Yet as the scriptures say, “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouths speak great swelling [words], having men's persons in admiration because of advantage Jude 1:16.” [Side note* read the whole the chapter] Undoubtedly, people will look up to her and agree, setting themselves up for spiritual failure.

Ms. Blige wants to look good and have all that stuff because she wants to be “MISS IT”! Her desire is to be the center of attention. She has created an idol of her own believing that her god wants her to be popular. True servants of Christ don’t want to be glorified; they want to give glory- to God! When John the Baptist did his work, he stated, “I must decrease so that He might increase!” Paul stated in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Nowhere in scripture are we told that God wants any of us to be the hottest thing on the planet (this year or any other). If some of the most honorable men in the Bible did not look to earthly riches for their joy, why should we?

Christ’s sacrificial death goes farther than even our own desires dictate. As stated earlier, Christ’s death was not so that we could be empowered by the things in this world. In fact, scripture clearly shows (and life even testifies) that the things in this world are temporal. Even natural science agrees. Things in this world are short lived and must come to an end. Even the nicest toys will break one day. And they always do. They, unlike our Lord can never stand the test of time!

So what does Christ’s death provide? What are we “saved” from? We are saved from God himself. With all the hoopla today about how “special” we are, few Christians understand how disgusting we actually are to God. In our sinful state, we are mortal enemies of the Most High. James 4:4, “whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world IS the ENEMY of God” and again in Romans 5:10, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” And there it is. Christ’s death on the cross provides salvation from the wrath of God (upon His enemies) that will inevitably come. Remember, it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. We are all going to die and we will all stand before Him in judgment, regardless of our possessions.

Mary J. Blige believes that God has told her He wants her to be the “hottest” thing out there. But according to scripture, she is wrong. The scriptures say that “he that is to be the greatest must be the servant of all.” She has not properly studied the Word of God and it is evident by her remarks. She says that God wants her to have “bling,” but the Scriptures say that we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Him. Unfortunately her doctrine is false and people who believe like she does jeopardizes the possibility of their faith. Even worse is the image of the gospel she is presenting. How many people will believe what she says and take it to heart?

Lastly, I bring up this story of Ms Blige because it immediately had me think of another one. A young man in Pakistan was found out to be a Christian. The Muslims took him, beat him down and molested him. When the police (who were Muslim) found out, they did nothing to arrest the men who committed the crime. When the boy was taken to the hospital he was refused treatment and medication (the doctors were Muslim). With little work and no money, the family presses on in Christ. The boy has suffered for being a Christian and continues to suffer because he is a Christian with no money. This stands in stark contrast to Mary J. Blige believing that God wants her to be the “hottest” and that her god wants her to “bling.” But I say this, the scriptures have only one interpretation, either we are to glorify God in denying ourselves or God saves us to look good. You decide.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12137215/
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=5405