Kevin Samuels used to say, “Y’all want a Boaz, but y’all not Ruth!” After reading the Book of Ruth for the 3rd time and taking the criticism into consideration, I had some thoughts here.
Points Discussed:
What Happens when People Do What’s Good in their Own Eyes
The Levite’s Concubine (Gibeah’s Crime) and how Women were Treated
Boaz as a Role Model for Men
Ruth as a Role Model for Women
Marriage and Divorce
A Biblical High-Value Man
Ruth MADE THE FIRST MOVE!
As always, I encourage everyone to read the Bible for themselves. Don’t just rely on the pastor or what someone told you the Bible says. Go to the source. Read it for yourself. Use your own mind to make conclusions about what you believe. God bless!
For those who don’t know, I’m Rock Kitaro (Tennie) an author, essayist and a good-natured provoker of thoughts. I’m the unpopular opinion, currently publishing essays at StageInTheSky.com.
This was from my first live stream. It started out as me just testing the studio equipment…but rolled into a beautiful sermon of sorts. I honestly felt the Holy Spirit wash over me with this one. None of it was planned. None of it was written out. I usually mess up my words, which is why I edit them in videos of my essays, but for this Live Stream…it was incredible. I had to be careful because it’s the first time I spoke my honest thoughts about subjects that could get me in trouble while showing my actual face speaking the words. But that just goes to speak of how wicked this world has become…when saying the right thing, doing the right thing, and doing what’s good in God’s eyes can get you fired.
Topics Discussed:
Going all-in in Christianity
Do Christians Today Know what Christ Taught?
How I went from Rejecting Religion to Reading the Entire Bible
How the World’s Ideologies (Feminism, Leftism) Conflicts with Bible Principles
Strong and Independent, Trying to Find a Wife
Attacking Popular Movements (BelieveAllWomen, Submission)
I’d Rather Get Something Done than Hang Out with Friends
In the wake of Roe v Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court, many Youtubers were asking their followers (mostly black men) what they think. And sadly…what I’ve been seeing is this notion of “we gotta stay silent.”
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard such sentiments. Comedians have been preaching it to their audiences for years. “When it comes to abortion, we men need to shut the eff up” I believe Chappelle said, which was followed by raucous applause.
This was the comment from a Youtuber on the topic of Roe v Wade being overturned, “I’ve noticed when it comes to black women bodies and their sisterhood it’s best to say quiet fellas . All we can do is wrap it up and avoid a 18-year problem.”
Honestly, after seeing what’s been going on and recognizing the need for Men to actually step up and lead…I had to respond with this: “We can’t stay silent, bro. Unchecked immoral behavior is what’s led to the decline of our culture, society, and the increase of black children being born out of wedlock. We need to speak up. Some women need to be told something other than what stupid ideologues have been feeding them. We need to step up!”
Long story short, they don’t. It’s a trick. Ever since I was a kid, I simply nodded along to the cliché that good girls fall for the bad boys. Even after learning about the Red Pill and observing the dating culture, on the surface there does seem to be some truth to it. It wasn’t until recently that I started to question, “If you fall for a bad boy, are you really good?”
There’s important reasons as to why I’m writing this. 1) It’s insulting to the women who really are good. 2) It encourages men to be “bad boys”. 3) “Boring” is being used as a label, more than an adjective, which I think is a deceptive trick to pressure men into prioritizing what women want over being responsible and 4) I think it’s just one more thing people use to justify their bad behavior and foolish choices. As in…“Hey! It’s out of my hands. I’m good so I got no control over myself but to fall for the bad boy!”
You see it in movies and TV shows. There’s the good, honest, wholesome girl who ends up being enticed, manipulated, and turned away from her virtuous values by the Bad Boy. Sometimes, it’s depicted as a good thing. Often, the girl is being oppressed by her religiously strict parents or their rigid traditions that were always holding her back from what she really wanted.
“Nah-uh, Rock! Don’t even start! Alladin was not a bad boy! He was a good guy with a heart of gold! He only stole to survive. He only lied about being a prince because he really wanted to get with Jasmine! That doesn’t make him a ‘bad boy’.”
I apologize if the title sounds insulting. But I promise you…what I’m about to reveal is a bunch of embarrassing insights that speaks more to our weaknesses as Men.
Couple of things to keep in mind. I don’t speak for ALL men. However, if you are proud of being strong and independent and you’re wondering why a certain kind of man isn’t going for you, perhaps this might explain why. And lastly…there are a lot of women who claim to be “strong and independent” the same way a lot of people claim to be “Christians”. If you’re not, you’re not. We’re going to be honest today.
Allow me to begin by suggesting there are different types of strengths and weaknesses. An example mentioned in other essays (and by a late Christian Apologetic): Men generally have greater physical strength, but a woman may have greater emotional strength. When you have a sick dying child, the father may need to get up and leave the room because his emotions are too much, while the mother will have the strength stay by the child’s side.
What prompted this essay, though the topic’s been on my mind for a while, was when a speaker suggested that a “Woman’s strength is in the façade of her weakness.” He used it to explain why a lot of men might not be as interested in marriage and long-term relationships as the men of prior generations. I thought it was weird and dismissed it at first…but lately, I’m beginning to understand.
More and more ladies are openly asking, “What’s the point of a man?” There’s a famous clip of Cher where she’s asked, “Do You Think Men Are Important?” She answers, “for what?”.
To love someone, you must first love yourself. Because if you don’t love yourself, how could you ever love someone else? Sounds like a profound question. In fact, the notion of loving yourself sounds all good and proper. And yet, through mere observation…something seems off.
The first time I heard about this notion of “loving yourself” was when I was 23-years-old, back in January 2010. It was by a Scientologist from my acting class, an older Venezuelan singer in his mid-30s. I remember that night. He spotted me on the treadmill while driving by the gym. I ended my work-out and we talked for hours about philosophy, love, and life. I remember his name. Jessy Leros!
This guy, who was signed by Sony and went on to star in NCIS New Orleans, was kind enough to school me, turning on my critical thinking skills, teaching me that just because two ways are presented to you, it doesn’t mean you can’t create a third. And it was him who told me, “in order to love someone, you must first love yourself.”
He said this because, back then…I was still about 312lbs and had a crush on one of the girls in our acting class. I confided in him about my lack of confidence. She was gorgeous and I really was this big, fat, ugly black dude. You can tell just by looking at Jessy that it’s hard to believe he ever had that problem. But still, he insisted the key was for me to focus on myself. To love myself. Be confident in myself. To have greater respect for myself.
Even before talking to Jessy, there were other Scientologists in the class imparting a similar philosophy. The emphasis on “self” was one of their main talking points. They had a very enticing concept that was, “What’s true for you is true for you…” which is tantamount to self-acceptance. It’s a shortened quote from L.Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who says, “What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. And when you lose that, you have lost everything.”
Is it bad that I wish we could go back to the Old Testament laws? One of the things I like to say about the Bible is the New Testament teaches us the Gospels (Greek for good news), but the Old Testament teaches us about God’s character.
This is my 3rd reading of Deuteronomy and I confess…it’s getting really difficult to see what’s happening in the world and not harbor all kinds of hate and resentment in my heart. It’s tough because, as Christ said, we as Christians should be the light of the world. I want to be an example of shining optimism, fully believing in the hope of everlasting life beyond this world…but lately, I’ve been this guy.
For those who don’t know, Deuteronomy is the 5th Book of the Bible penned by Moses as God’s Word. Aside from the recap of Israel’s exodus from Egypt and their blunder that resulted in most of a generation perishing in the wilderness, Deuteronomy is essentially a book of laws, of traditions, of warnings, of blessings and curses. It’s the ultimate book of “cause and effect.” The answer to the question of, “WHY ARE THINGS SO BAD!?”
As I’m going through, I’m reminded of the brutal punishments God laid out for specific crimes and…i know this sounds bad, but I kinda wish we could go back to that. Part of me wishes we could go back to capital punishment for things like rape and adultery.
“But Rock! If those old laws were put in place, there’d be no one left alive!”
I know words like “controversial” and misogynistic are thrown around when it comes to Kevin Samuels. He blew up thanks to WorldStarHipHop because he told a 35-year-old black single mother that she was going to die alone. Of course, if you don’t know the context of this conversation, sounds like a horrible thing to say. Even with the proper context, it still sounds horrible.
But sometimes, the truth is horrible. Yes, Kevin did give a lot of opinions…but he also provided facts. Such as facts about fatherless households, or that being a single mother isn’t as pleasant and glorified as the media makes it out to be…or that a lot of people have been lied to by Feminism. Because he holds men and women accountable and calls the Black Community out on their BS, if you go to Twitter right now, you’ll find a slew of tweets celebrating and mocking the death of Kevin Samuels. He was 56.
When I heard about Kevin’s death today, my heart sank. As a Christian, there were some things Samuels said that was disappointing. For instance, he seemed to advocate the hook-up culture. He promoted the “high value male” lifestyle when, really, our priorities should be putting God first and doing what’s good in his eyes.
That being said, Kevin Samuels was doing a world of good when it comes to exposing the truth, hypocrisies and double standards within the Black Community. For years, for decades even…it seems like Black Women have gone unchecked in a sense. I know that sentence alone makes me sound like a misogynists, which is why Kevin Samuels was so valuable. Samuels and men like him were able to openly have conversations and say things that a lot of us men are actually thinking, what we want to say about black women and black culture, but we’d risk our jobs, careers, and reputations. (this essay was written on the fly. Not really edited to filter out inappropriate thoughts that might be deemed insensitive. So enter at your own discretion)
So…came across one of Melanie King’s videos where, once again, a lady’s confirming what a lot of guys have been saying about the dating culture these days. But don’t worry. I’m also going to hit at Male Leadership and why we as Christians need to stand firm.
In the beginning of the video, the soon-to-be divorced woman says, “you can’t dress a certain way and you can’t post sexy pictures on social media. But I dressed a certain way when I first met you!”…she says this to complain that her husband was “controlling”.
Couple of thoughts here. First, you could say that this is just who she is, sexual and sensual, and a man has no right to change her. “WOMEN AREN’T DRESSED TO IMPRESS YOU! WE DRESS LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT MAKES US HAPPY!”
Right, if you’re in that camp, this essay ain’t for you. I’m talking to the real ones out here who respect straight-forward honesty. I’m talking to the ladies who know they dress a certain way and posts pictures WITH THE INTENT of getting attention, attracting a mate. This doesn’t have to mean slutty or half-naked pictures…but come on. I’ve seen many of sistahs fully clothed in dresses that tell me everything I need to know and I’m like…
When it comes to fictional characters, James Bond and Bruce Wayne have always been my favorite guys when it comes to encouraging me to stay focused and forge ahead. Heads up, this post is going to include just one spoiler if you haven’t seen “The Batman” yet.
Some of the greatest moments in my life were often unseen. So many times, I’ve helped people, sacrificed for them, pushed myself to get things done for them and went without recognition. So many times I’ve resisted temptation, yet still suspected of giving in. So many times I could have taken the easy way, methods that would’ve hurt or betrayed others to get me where I wanted farther and faster. But I didn’t. Instead, I see others taking the easy (wrong) way and reaping the rewards, looking at me as if I’m the fool.
Most of the time, I take it in stride. I tell myself that God sees it and that’s enough. But every now and then, it starts to wear thin. The lack of appreciation or immediate rewards that almost feels like self-inflicted suffering starts to make me question whether being a good man is really worth it. Reading the Bible helps, but not when I’m resentful. Not when I’m down. Reading the Bible while I’m so full of pent-up frustration only makes me angrier at myself for not having enough faith.
It’s then that I sometimes put on any Batman or James Bond movie (excluding the Roger Moore depictions), and through the example of these characters I’m able to shake off this human desire for recognition, appreciation, or validation. Just stay focus on the mission.
James Bond and Bruce Wayne have a lot in common, more than people realize. But for me, the main thing I’ve always admired was their almost dogged-like determination to stay focused on the mission, the overall objective. They may encounter romance, friends, and side-tasks along the way, but at the end of the day, the mission comes first. As a Christian living in these modern times…how can I not find that inspirational? Allow me to explain.
Stage In The Sky 