Bernie Mac ‘s “Final Performance”
(August 16, 2008, Chicago, IL)
South Side Ole’ Chicago aint so bad! Early Saturday morning, four elect ladies journeyed there to Bernie Mac’s Funeral, which one of the local cops referred to as his “final performance”. This death-fest was held at the House of Hope, which held 10,000 people. No doubt every seat was filled with local, national, and likely inter-national big-wigs (if you can believe a word the media says) from the entertainment world, all of whom passed directly by our colorful signs. Even as we were preparing to head out of town Larry King had a panel of B-Mac’s co-stars who were all declaring they would be at his memorial. Now, would they lie? 😉
Born Bernard McCullough, and raised on the south side of Chicago, Bernie Mac knew about God and his standards, and claimed to believe them. Then, after God blessed him greatly and gave him the gift of comedy by which he reached and influenced the world, he quit serving God and began to serve other gods – fame and fortune, sex and drugs. :no: Worse yet, he taught the people to do the same. He was a wicked, slothful, unprofitable, and unfaithful servant; Bernie Mac is in hell. I got Bible for that, to wit:
Mat. 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 19:12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Dr. Gill has some good words on Matthew 25:30: “this man was unprofitable … with respect to men, being of no use for the conversion of sinners, or the comfort of saints, or the edifying of the body of Christ; and brought no honour to his master, and was of no service for the spreading of his Gospel, and enlargement of his kingdom and interest; and therefore, as one good for nothing …” he was cast into hell.
By the hand of God, Bernie Mac had the ear of the entire entertainment industry, the youth of this nation, and his people from South Side Ole’ Chicago. He was required to use that platform to spread the Gospel of Christ, and to faithfully maintain God’s standards in this earth. He was further required to give God the glory for all that he had – his family, fame and fortune. He did none of that; instead, he used his God-given talents to teach the youth, and his fellow-man to sin their lives away. He mocked God’s standard of one-man, one-woman, one-lifetime, and encouraged his neighbors to engage in fornication, adultery and sodomy. (Yes, we know he made fun of fags in his comedy routines; but, he did that because of and according to his own standards, NOT God’s. He never told them plainly or even in humor that it was not okay to be a fag or that being a fag is an abomination that will damn their souls in hell forever. How could he? He had no moral authority to tell them anything with his fornication-enabling, adultery-enabling, murdering-innocent-babies-enabling, idol-worshipping-enabling, etc., standards.)
It is required of a steward that he be found faithful. (1 Cor. 4:2). Bernie Mac was not found faithful by his master, God Almighty. These terms “servant” and “steward” are both used by the Holy Ghost in the passages we are looking at. Thus, I thought it necessary to point at that a steward is a servant; however, not every servant is a steward. A steward has authority over, and is entrusted with the management of, his master’s affairs on a matter. See how these terms are interchanged in this passage:
Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
So, you see that it would have been better for Bernie Mac if he was just plain old Bernard McCullough instead of a world-wide known comedian. That was not what God required of him, however. A Sovereign God determined and set the bounds of his habitation – he could be a very funny person and he used that talent to mold and shape the mores of his society. He should have insisted that those mores conformed to the standards of God, and he should have used every bit of influence he had to hold that line. :yes: He did the opposite. He will be beaten with many stripes, and his portion is with the unbelievers in hell forever.
Ironically, in his “final performance” – his funeral – he was profitable in that by that occasion God’s word was faithfully delivered to Bernie Mac’s fans. :lalala: He wanted us there to tell it to his brethren (ala Luke 16). God let us be there to do that. We are so thankful, and give glory to our God! :p Praise the LORD!!
A Mother in Israel.