Just Keeping It Real

Introduction

In the few years that I have been granted to live and mature here on planet earth, I have discovered that each generation is fascinating. Each generation is characterized by their sense of fashion, hairstyles, and language—particularly, the slang.

Spoken language is one of the primary ways people express ideas and attitudes. It is interesting to observe how over the years, words take on different meanings.

Today, if someone makes the statement, “that person looks cool,” we would likely not think it was a reference to their body temperature. But rather, we would conjure up images of their apparel or the gait in their walk.

One of the popular mantras or slogans among today’s youth is they want things real, as opposed to fake. They want people to be real or genuine. They want conversations to be real. In fact, they not only want their conversations to be real, they go a step further and say, “keep it real.”

I love keeping it real. However, to ensure we mean the same thing when we use the word, real, it is important to define the word, lest we make the mistake as with the word “cool.”

When I hear the word real, I think of genuine, not artificial or not fraudulent. Thus, for the purposes of this message, when I use the word real, that is the definition I am working with. So, let’s keep it real.

Although the statement “keeping it real” is popular, it has been my experience that when it comes to certain subjects, people want to avoid keeping it real. If you want to talk sports or music or movies, people are passionate to engage.

However, when it comes to deeper more probing and thoughtful subjects, like the origin of life, the reality of death, and life after death, most people are less passionate and willing to engage in the discussion.

I wonder why?

Well, from my experience, the answer is usually fear, often disguised with the fig leaf of arrogance and/or indifference. Sometimes the answer is superstition or delusion.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to probe all of the nuances of human behavior, but keep it real, and ask yourself:

“Do I fall into one of these categories when it comes to the subject of the origin of life, the reality of death, and life after death?”

Well, whether you fall into one of those categories or not, do yourself a favor and take the time right now to listen. Because, we are about to go deep, and we are going to keep it real.

Disclaimer

As a disclaimer, to keep it real, I confess that I believe in the God of the Bible. I believe that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and immutable word of God.

Disclaimer continued...

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of His mother the Virgin Mary, was crucified on the cross for all sinners that will come to Him in faith; was buried, and rose from the dead three days later according to the Scriptures.

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I believe that after 40 days He ascended back to heaven and is seated at the right-hand of God. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I strive to view the world and conduct myself from a biblical perspective. In short, I am a Christian.

That said, what I want to talk about is true whether you believe the Bible or not. Truth is real, objective and immutable, which means it never changes. Truth never changes because it does not need to change, because it is true.

I am not talking about my truth or your truth, but the truth. Amen, somebody. Just keeping it real.

Two Universal Truths...

There are two universal and objective truths that apply to every human being. No matter your race, creed, color, nationality, religion, education, social status, language or economic status, gender or sexual preference, these two truths apply to you and me.

So, what I am about to say is directed at you—personally.

This is not one of those moments, when a preacher may say, “Look at your neighbor and say, he’s talking to you.” Rather, I want you to look in the mirror and say, he’s talking to me.”

So, what are these two universal and objective truths?

You are going to run out of time; and,

You are going somewhere.

Amen, somebody. Just keeping it real.

Let me begin by making a couple related statements to these truths:

“Life is an effect not a cause.”

“You are alive right now, but you have not always been here. Something or someone caused you to be here.”

By “here,” I mean alive on planet earth. But, just in case you may want to act confused, let me put it to you like this, you were not alive 200 years ago. Amen, somebody. Just keeping it real.

However, there was a day on the calendar, a time on the clock, and a place on the map, that you showed up or was born.

In fact, in civil societies and under normal circumstances, the truth of this event is documented. Local government even has a special place that stores the documentation of this event.

In Los Angeles, the building used to be called the Hall of Records, but the name has been changed to the Registrar-Recorder. The Registrar-Recorder has a document that certifies this event—it is called a Certificate of Birth or Birth Certificate.

The Birth Certificate shows the date, time and place of your birth; parents’ names (at least the mother’s); race, blood type, and other information. Amen somebody. Just keeping it real.

OK. So what is the big deal?

That is a good question, and I am so glad you asked. The big deal is this.

Given the established fact that you are alive and have not always been here, from where did your life come? What is its origin and cause?

Most would answer, “My life came from my parents.” A reasonable answer. But, from where did their lives come? Again, most would answer, “from their parents.” Another reasonable answer. Do you see where this is going?

If we continue along this line of questioning, we will by necessity arrive at the first parents—Adam and Eve. But, from where did their lives come? What was the origin and cause?

The answer is found in the Bible, and outside of the Bible, no one can truthfully answer these questions. Genesis 1:1, 26-28, says:

“In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. (26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

I already know that most people do not believe the Genesis account. And, if you are one of those people, I am not mad at you. You are not my enemy.

By the same token, I hope that you are not mad at me, and my position does not make me your enemy. I have already told you that I derive my worldview from the Bible—to me, it makes perfect sense.

Another reality check is this, you are a creature of time and time effects everything and everybody. Life as we know it is measured and governed by time. Amen somebody. Just keeping it real.

You cannot control time, but time controls you. The calendar keeps turning and the clock keeps ticking. It matters not how you feel about it, it just keeps going.

You can burn the calendar and break the clock and it will not make a difference. The earth continues to spin, and time continues to advance. Amen somebody. Just keeping it real.

Forgive me, but I feel compelled to take a little more time to press the point. The reality of time is all around us. The Bible says, in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

I counted 28x in eight verses the writer mentions time and how it relates to life. I think he is trying to tell us something important about time. Amen somebody. Just keeping it real.

While we are on the subject of time, here is another reality check. As a creature of time, you have a limited amount of time. You have only so many years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. In other words, you are on the clock, and you are running out of time.

Let me use basketball as an example, there is a limited amount of time on the clock that applies to both teams. When the time runs out, the buzzer sounds, and the referee blows the whistle, the game is over.

Any baskets made after time has expired does not count. You can get angry with the referee and the timekeeper; nevertheless, the game is over, and you must leave the court.

Another example is the game of chess. If you use a clock, each player gets the same amount of time. However, it your flag falls before your opponents’ flag, which means you have run out of time, you lose—even if you have superior position.

And, one day you will run out of time regardless of your position in life. Ebonicly speaking, “You gon’ run out uh time.” The question is, “How much time do you have?” No one knows but God, and He is not telling. Amen somebody. Just keeping it real.

I know this may come across as bad news, and it is. But stay tuned, it gets worse. Nevertheless, there is hope, it is called good news, which is what gospel means. And, glory to God, the gospel is far better than all the bad news put together.

I pray that God’s grace and mercy extends your time to next week. Until then, keep it real. May the Lord bless and keep you is my earnest prayer.