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

Enemy of The State

I'm an enemy of the state of mind

That tells me that ignorance is bliss...
Homey, that's a hiss
A lick to tickle the ears
Something to soothe our deepest, subconscious fear
That is searing our collective conscience like a hot iron
And firing across the great divide
Between reason and cosmic treason
Because we deem it a way better option
To credit creativity to the creation
And fashion ourselves in the way of logic
Instead of "Our Father in heaven..."
We're always willing to go one god further

Make 'em up as we go along
And then turn around and say that
Religion is a pestilence
(Pay no attention to the evidence)
Yeah, this is what's wrong with society
Still praying every night that someone would come along
And worship me
Or at the very least, let me do as I please
But we wouldn't call that sovereignty
We call it "freewill" -
"Doin' whatever suits me
And I don't even gotta take a pill"

Homey, wake up!
You are still in the Matrix
The Oracle was always wrong
And Morpheus is a sadist
This is real life
Where the strife comes by the boatloads
And we've still got starving children in Africa
And dudes smokin' each other in the 'Hood
Over shoes and clothes

I'm at odds with the atheistic narrative
So I'm labeled narrow-minded
I refuse to be blinded by the Zeitgeist
'Cause it ain't nothin but a bank heist
You jack the riches of another worldview
And then apply it to your own life...
(Minus the sacrifice, of course)

Homey, that's a myth
Wishful thinking being fleshed out in a valley of dry bones -
I stand opposed to giving up everything I have
To try to hang on to all the things
That I will never own
You see, it's not foolish for a man
To stand against the odds
The portrait of a proper fool
Is a man that says there is no God
It's a fallacy and a fraud
Because deep down we know better
You stand in the rain with no umbrella
And honestly believe
That you won't get any wetter
Only to raise a fist
Because if God truly exists
He should've granted you sunny weather

My dude, you're a debtor
And that storm is a privilege
Because it falls on the just and the unjust
But you see it as a menace
Homey, you don't run this
Everything you've got has been a given
And if the Lord sees fit to take it away
He could snatch it from you in an instant
Health, wealth, and prosperity...
All are handed out on the basis of Charity

But you don't get it, see
That grace don't come cheap
Because we get what we don't rightfully deserve
And that seems to only feed the beast
So we feast on each other
And anything else we can get our hands on
What we don't got is exactly what we want
And everyone else always has a greener lawn

Same song, different day
But I'm strummin' it the other way
Backmasking the track on helter skelter
So you can hear
That the price has already been paid...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Jester

Bring in the clown

Beat him down

It's time to court-martial the jester

Let's heckle the herald

Wear him down 'til he recants his confession

Teach him a lesson 

We'll show him

Who’s really playing the fool

And if he won't listen to reason

Then we'll tighten the screws and ridicule

For his ridiculous rants and rhetoric

Label him as a terrorist

Tolerate him as entertainment

And tell 'em his message

Makes him a pessimist

Limit his access to the residents

And his words become irrelevant

We can target him as a heretic

Making a mockery of his benevolence

Never address him as a martyr

Denounce the prominence of his Father

If he's a bastard with no inheritance

Then the people won't even bother

Color him reckless and a derelict 

Unfit to be a prophet

But know that if he's truly a man of God

We'll never be able to stop him...

(Matthew 5:11; John15:20; Acts 5:35-41; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 25; Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 4:14; Hebrews 11:26)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

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