Lyrical Theology: "Doublespeak"

Ignorance isn't bliss...
It's a hiss -

Whispering in your ear
Tellin' you that night is day
That death is life
And every breath you take
Is word made flesh;
A Manifest Destiny relegated
To Tainted fruit and sound bites
Edited for your approval -

But little did you know
That removal of the restriction
Would end up in a hearse...
Or did you?

I mean..
It was really hard to miss
The forest for the trees
'Cause it was all you had
For miles around to see

But, that one...
Set apart...
Oh, how it took root
In a heart of darkness
And sparked a blaze
That we haven't been able
To put out since

Every single resident
Covered in dust and ashes
Leaven roasting over an open fire
Is consumption for the masses
Satiated by mud pies
And drunk off the blood of our ancestors
Even if the milk and honey are free
We can't imagine it tasting any better

Dung pile after dung pile
Comprised of filthy rags and false idols
Stained glass mingled with clay feet
And a razor-wire smile

"Blessed are those who eat;
For they shall inherit the earth."
Back we go from whence we came
Doublespeak and a wink
Puts us right back in the dirt

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

How to Kill & Be Killed 101: Systematic Boldness - The Gospel v. The World

Romans 1:1-6 - The Gospel Defined.

Up and against much of the spurious and aberrant teaching of his day, Paul makes a clear distinction from the outset of what the "Gospel of God" truly is...

Romans 1:14 - The Intended Audience.

Paul is making it clear, (as he states in Rom. 1:8) that the Gospel is UNIVERSAL. It is meant to be proclaimed and heard among everyone, everywhere. Complete and total "everyday apocalypse" -- regardless of status, education, race, finances, etc.

Romans 1:16, 17 - A Declaration of Boldness.

Paul's affirmation and unwavering confidence in the Gospel is the hinge point of this chapter. Everyone is familiar with what the message entails. And in such a culture as Rome, it would most likely be deemed as foolish by the majority. This could be his way of encouraging others to follow his example of bold proclamation even under the threat of ridicule or even death. Also to be noted is that he lets the reader and listeners know that this gospel is only wrought by faith and faith alone from beginning to end -- from dust to glory.

Romans 1:18-32 - The Current State of Affairs (or Why It's Necessary)

Paul's weightiness of his unashamed proclamation (Rom. 1:16) is emphasized here by an awareness of the wrath of God that looms over the creation due to man's hardened and ungrateful heart, and willingness to believe lies instead of the truth. The long list of sinful behaviors starts off with sexual sin (including homosexuality), but he is not trying to put emphasis on this as more of a sin than others. What Paul is trying to show here could be seen as a two-fold consequence:

1. As a result of man not acknowledging God, he now acts like the things he worships -- an unreasoning beast, driven by base and lustful desires.

and,

2. Being driven by said desires, he often engages in acts (both sexual and non-sexual) that have natural consequences that lead to ultimate demise (inability to reproduce or replicate themselves, and/or leading into war, murder, strife, etc.). Therefore, not only unable to have communion with the Creator, but with each other as well; this will sever any chance of truly being fruitful and multiplying. Sin causes the image of man to be seriously broken on all levels; thus the need for a bold, unashamed proclamation of the Gospel in the person and work of Jesus Christ.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

EvangeLies: Do You Even Bible, Bro?!

Apparently, Joel does not...

(cf. Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35)

SDG,
Shon

Anastasis

Committin’ crimes of necessity

Ancient Greek ἀνάστασις (anástasis, “resurrection”).

The world’s gettin’ the best of me
Street life got me twisted
Plus baby’s mama been stressin’ me
Fools always out here flexin’
So I  pack  a piece for my protection
Still no peace of mind from the struggle
Goin’ numb is my only weapon

Am I the next in line to hang
Like strange fruit  from the family tree?
Chokin’ on the vine...
I come from a  long line of leavers
“Underachiever…”
‘Cause success to me
Is stay hungry and keep breathin’
Whatever keeps my daughter fed
(Prayin' she don’t turn out to be a heathen)

Schemin’ and stead’y dreamin’
I know this trap money is fleetin’
But when you’re runnin’ outta options
There ain’t too much left to believe in
I’ve been grievin’ since my daddy’s gone
Momma raised me on her own
Now the doctor says she’s dyin’ too
Won’t be long before I’m all alone

Truth be told
All my friends really repulse me
And the lifestyle that I’m livin’
I might end up under dust quick
If the Lord is my shepherd
Have mercy and come get me
‘Cause the wolves are preyin’ as I speak
And I’m prayin’ that you can fix this

The Devil wants me dead
Yet, ironically, so does Jesus -
One leads to life as a felon
The other leads to anastasis

As it's written:
“Cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree…”
He hung Himself on that wood, so now I can hang one from me
I’m clingin'...


(cf. Prov. 30:7-9; Luke 9:23-24; John 10:7-18; Rom. 6:4, 8:13; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:1-10; Col. 3:1; 1 Peter 5:8)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

J.O. (An Open Letter)

"As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear."  - 1 Timothy 5:20 ESV

You've been lying a long time
Selling people the wrong kind
Of faith - it's unkind
Pumping poison into their minds
It's the blind leading the blind
A rocket ship to perdition
Dope lines and a nice smile
Without the slightest hint of contrition

I'm suspicious -
That's not in the Bible
Your rhetoric's become an idol
An opiate of false hope
For the masses who eagerly swallow -
Down the hatch, check the latch
Katie's barred the doors to heaven
Convinced them they're living in victory
But the sacrament you feed them is leaven

No need for flesh and blood
Just tell people what's good
Speaking promise into the lives
Of those who've never understood
The battle of attrition -
A will unwilling to submit
To the truth about the God who's there
And the final fate that awaits the sinner

So they don't want the Father
They want a vending machine
And Jesus suffered and died
So we could have nicer things
And the Holy Ghost is reduced
To being the author of confusion
Long gone is the Hound of Heaven...
He's just a U.N. interpreter trying to fool you

You're an evangelical pragmatist
Simon Magus meets the alchemist
Feeding egos may be your steelo
But your breadth of theology is ridiculousness
Short-sighted, misguided
Out of context and never striving
To find the truth within the text
You don't rightly divide; you just contrive it

And no, you're not the only one
There's plenty others just like you
Who deny the merit of the Cross
Through sensuality and false virtue
So I urge you - return to the path of old
And be healed of your pathological need to please
Abandon "discovering the champion in you"
For finding a life that's hidden in Jesus


(cf. Ezekiel 22:28; Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:28-30)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

How To Be Perfect: The Righteousness of Christ

"God's standard isn't progress. God's standard is perfection...We have broken every single commandment. Jesus has fulfilled each and every one on our behalf. Only when we are crushed by God's demand for perfection can we be cured by His grace. Jesus came to fulfill the law for you and me...When God looks at us, he doesn't see how we've failed - He sees how Jesus succeeded. That's salvation. That's the gospel. When God looks at us, He doesn't see our unrighteousness - He sees Christ's righteousness. Because of Jesus, we are perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Before God, the righteousness of Christ is all we need. Before God, the righteousness of Christ is all we have." - Tullian Tchividjian

(cf. Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:17, 20; Philippians 3:9)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Love Like Suicide: Our Hope In Christ

I've been there.

So I'm always saddened to hear stories like this one. It's hard to make sense of it all...

But I think that the pattern of depression and suicide within the entertainment industry has to do with the fact that they give and give without ever being able to take off the mask - or so they perceive. The cameras are always on them. So the profession becomes a coping mechanism. They become very good at being "on" all of the time (I also believe that this is a reason that some turn to drugs). In the struggle to find emotional, mental, and spiritual balance they still have to perform... "the show must go on". Eventually, it's only a matter of time before we (as well as they themselves) lose the person behind the carefully crafted persona.

It's yet another sobering reminder that we need to see people as human beings. The identity of being human goes much deeper than the masks that we all have a tendency to wear. There is a inherent God-given dignity bestowed on all of us - regardless of how fractured we may be - that is greater than any character or facade we create (Gen. 1:26; 5:2). We often love people for what they do...but that is always mutable. Therefore, let this tragedy be a catalyst for us to love the person for what is beneath the surface as well, if not more so (John 7:24).

We all need hope...
And there's only one place that we can turn to truly find it.

(cf.  Ps. 42:5; Is. 53:3-9; Matt. 5:4, 11:28-30; John 11:35; Rom. 12:15; 2 Cor. 1:8-10, 4:7-10; Heb. 4:15, 5:2)


"Looking back it is clear to me that a man is more than the sum of his deeds; and how you made good of this mess I've made is a profound mystery..." - Aaron Tate (Lead of Love)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon