"Our business is to present the Christian faith clothed in modern terms, not to propagate modern thought clothed in Christian terms. Confusion here is fatal." - J.I. Packer
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"Here come those backpacking, fanatical, card-carrying radicals
Down-for-the-cause acolytes who never take a sabbatical..."
Everyday's a Sabbath Day
Battling for a better way
Ready to lay it down
On any opposition that comes our way
So much to say
About Yahweh and His Redeemer
And Spirit He uses to save men
Even though we're the chiefest of sinners
Winners over death
Through the conquering Christ, we're champions
Never clamoring for the limelight
'Cause he furnished us with a lampstand
So in our darkest hours
When the enemy seeks to devour
Any and everything all around us
We stay connected to the power
Alpha and Omega -
The power source for the ages
For tearing down any strongholds
And empty wisdom of sages
I'm a phrase turner, burning
From a Life-altering encounter
On a collision course with the World
Living to uplift the Messiah
We never tire;
Engaging the culture
Dying daily to ourselves
Waging war on giants and vultures
As we're murdering our flesh
Covered in blood, armed to the teeth
With swift feet and a sharp Sword
Raising our Banner over everything
'Cause in the beginning was the Word...
(cf. Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:5; Song 2:4; John 1:1-5; 2 Cor. 10:4; Hebrews 4:12) Soli Deo Gloria, Shon
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them,“Takecare, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”And he told them a parable, saying,“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”- Luke 12:13-21 ESV
The act of self-humiliation
Is better than
Defecating on yourself
After you've denied the realities
Of your true nature
And realize that the standard
Isn't found in your wealth
It's been all but forgotten
'Til the Grim Reaper comes knockin'
And you trade
Your thousand count thread sheets
For one of those silk-lined coffins
A life of burnt offerings...
Instead of being a living sacrifice
You settled for living big and suffering
And your passion for pleasures
Measures up to a disaster
When you live that empty life to the fullest
And say never mind
To what comes after
The crucial part to figuring out
You've got a problem
Is to know you're at the bottom
When your toes scratch the surface
You know you've run out of options
Thinking you can just keep digging
In hopes of seeing the other side
Would be an exercise in futility -
You'll end up buried alive
All your strivin' and your strugglin'
It'll all be for nothin'
It's love in an elevator
With no working buttons
Live it up while you're goin' down
There's no stoppin' 'til you hit the ground
Your joyride reached its capacity
The silver cable's been severed;
No mercy to be found
Working for the weekend
Only brings about a weak end
And your accumulation of stuff
Took you deep six
In the deep end
But it was all but forgotten
Until the Grim Reaper came knockin'
And you traded
Your thousand count thread sheets
For one of those silk-lined coffins...
We bring our discipleship series to a close by looking at one of the most misconstrued and misunderstood passages in all of scripture (Philippians 4:13). As we study and cross reference - allowing the scripture to interpret itself - we discover that this verse is more that just a catch all for positive actions. In its proper context, we are being offered so much more. This truth flies in the face of what is known in present day as the "Prosperity/Word of Faith" movement...
Did Jesus come to make you happy? Make you rich? Did he die to make your life "abundant" and easy?!
Yes. But probably not in the way that you think...
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:8-9 ESV
Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon
Came into the world with collapsed lungs
And a heart barely beating
My beginning could be the end
If I don’t respond to the treatments
The prognosis – it ain’t pretty
Doc’s preparing my mother for the worst
Sayin’ even if I make it to tomorrow
My future would still be uncertain
But just as the curtain closed
She knows something that they don’t know
A Great Physician with a different opinion
On how the story’s supposed to go
“Lord, if it’s his time, that’s fine
But if he lives, he won’t be mine…
He’ll be yours to shape and mold
Give him life and make him shine”
The curse of death was looming heavy
But He chose to remove it
Took a broken, feeble fetus
And He purposed to renew it
So when I get fed up
And want to let up
Thinking that I’ll never make it through this
I remember His past mercies
And how relentless His pursuit is
He makes all things good
And critics attribute it to “western privilege”
But the postman always rings twice
And only the Christ can deliver
Psalm 22:9-10, 51:5, Psalm 139:14; Matthew 6:13; Galatians 1:3-5 Soli Deo Gloria, Shon
In this discussion, we take a look at the reason that Jesus Christ had to come to us...
To bring us to God.
We discuss the radical nature of sin and how it effects all of us. Putting us in dire need of a savior from the wrath of God for our inherent evilness, Jesus comes not only to call us to repentance, but to satisfy the wrath of God by becoming sin for us.
"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." - Mark 2:17
“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.”- (Song of Solomon 4:7 ESV)
She thinks I’m on one
And that my intentions are dumb
Always calling me stupid
And telling me I should know better
Sometimes she even says that I could do better…
Than her?!
No sir. Omnia vincit amor
She’s everything I could ever want or ask for
But she sees herself as gangly and unkempt
And when I call her beautiful
She holds me in contempt
Tells me that I put her on a pedestal
To which I reply, “Guilty as charged”
She is a lily among the thorns
And the captor of my heart
Every time I see her face
I’m reminded that it’s her lips alone
That I want to taste…
A glimpse of God’s grace Omnia vincit amor
She’s the only one that I adore
She rejects my neglect of her imperfections
Dissects herself through harsh introspection
And tries to convince me to see them
But she doesn’t understand
Since Jesus had to bleed for us
I have no need to make a fuss
She’s altogether lovely
Perfect from head to toe
She’s better than wine
So I have to take her in slow Omnia vincit amor
So intoxicated by this love
That it brings me to the floor
Fearfully and wonderfully made
So what is there possibly to hate?
I’m a zealot for her affections
It’s only her hand that I’m willing to take
Others may disregard her value
But she’s worth more than I dare to say
The statuesque features
Of such a heavenly creature
Speak to the truth…
Something the Lord’s made
She’s not just a “dime” or a “cutie”
She carries within her a deeper beauty
A courageous heart and sense of justice
A faithful daughter; a mother on duty
So when it’s been one of those days
And it’s like the world is on her case
I find nothing but pleasure in doing all I can
To show how much I lover her
And bring a smile to her face
Omnia vincit amor
Forevermore.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends…” - (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV)
“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”
- Luke 12:24 ESV
Swagged out, lookin’ clean
Sayin’ that life is perfect
You’re the picture of peace
But there’s nothin’ but beefin’
Beneath the surface
Your heart is lacking purpose
And broken from the searching
For a means to put an end
To those feelings of worthlessness
The caged bird don’t sing no more
‘Cause ravens are gettin’ locked up in cages
Never to be seen again – NEVERMORE.
It’s a battle for the ages
Between ten to twenty-seven
Because the Devil’s got ‘em believin’
That G’s can really go to Heaven
So as they rattle and hum
Hypnotized by the chirp of the sirens
Unaware of the wrath to come
And that sin will only beget violence
I pray, Lord, please
Give ‘em eyes to see
And give us the strength that we need
Because the workers are few
But the need for rescue is plenty…
(cf. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Luke 10:2; John 4:35; Mark 4:26-29)
We explore the glorious truth of our faith through the Gospel of Mark. We discover who Jesus REALLY is through the eyewitness accounts of his miracles and what the implications are for us and our belief in Him as the Christ (God's Holy Anointed King)...not just a good moral teacher or merely a prophet.
"...we've gone from black is beautiful to black is ghetto." - Dr. Carl Ellis
We went from being property to President
To homeowners and residents
By God’s grace
We overcame the cotton fields and hatred
But still never quite made it off of the plantation…
Hobbled by our own lust
For the so-called “American Dream” Took our newfound freedom for granted 'Cause all we cared about was forty acres and the C.R.E.A.M. Livin’ in white rooms with black curtains We’ve got a culture that still hurtin’ – “Cash Rules Everything Around Me” And we’re its loyal and humble servants Blackface, you know Has a different look to it these days… It exists in the form of Gold Chains, Bentleys, Swisher Sweets, and Three-ways I know what you’re thinkin’ – What in the hell happened to the ‘Talented Tenth’?!” Well, the dollar became their Almighty Allah And you know they gotta pay rent It’s a high price to pay When you render unto Caesar; Pawned your soul for a “Jesus Piece” And Sickle Cell Anemia We’ve stopped wearin’ X’s like Malcolm ‘Cause we’ve crossed over and sold out Faster than Lando Calrissian did When he lost the Millennium Falcon We don’t talk about “Founding Fathers” ‘Cause daddy’s nowhere to be found Until he shows up on the Maury Show Actin’ like a clown… Shuckin’ and Jivin’ – Never claiming his daughters Now she’ll grow up and repeat the cycle ‘Cause it’s all that men have ever taught her No, he ain’t tryin’ to stay But he’ll pay to have her give it up Or to “make it go away”… If this is what you call “Being on the come up” I’d much rather go back To just being a slave
"For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ."
“…For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 1:4 ESV)
Wake up, you sleepy heads! And before you let “amen” Leave your lips You need to seriously reconsider What’s being said because…
THOSE WORDS ARE DEAD.
And that ain’t no pastor That’s an actor – That’s why he's woofin’ and wailin’ It’s all just a performance To keep you from paying attention To what he’s really saying He could’ve said, “I’m Sarah Palin!” And everybody would still be swayin’ But if you listen with discernment You’d know this dude is whack ‘Cause he says If you want God to bless you Then you gotta earn it, jack
That ain’t no pastor Sure, he’s “preachin’” But he’s reachin’ Way out of context With the scripture that he’s readin’ Faith like a mustard seed Has nothing to do With how wide I’m willin’ to Open up my checkbook It’s believing that The Lord is my trust fall So I don’t even have to look
That ain’t no pastor And what you’re hearing Is not a sermon That’s not Holy Ghost fire, Homey He’s got a mouth like a furnace A fire-breathing dragon With no capacity to be honest Ready to scatter the flock like ashes And many will never see it comin’
No, these aren’t pastors At best, they’re bastardized renditions The agony of deceit – Full of hypocrisy and omission Please, take up and read Don’t let your souls be led astray ‘Cause every dog will have its day To tragically discover Exactly how its own vomit tastes…
(cf. Isaiah 51:17; 1 Cor. 15:34; Revelation 3:2, 3; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 13:9, 22:28; Matthew 7:15, 24:11-24; Luke 6:26; John 5:39-44; Acts 17:10-11, 20:29-30; 2 Peter 2:1, 18-22; 1 John 4:1)
Eternity shut in a span
God becomes a man
And introduces Himself
In the form of a child
To execute His wondrous plan;
Redemption so close at hand
That you could literally touch it
And He too would touch us...
As far as the curse is found
He would detoxify the dust
With the government on his shoulders
And boulders of debt around our necks
He traded His glory for a yoke
And descended willingly into death;
Born into scorn
Living to die
To show that the Strongman
Just ain't strong enough
And to snatch us from the fire
The light shines through the darkness
And the darkness can't overcome it
So, when the shepherds heard the good news
You know they had to come runnin'
To behold the One foretold
The Axis of the world
With a love so bold
That He'd come as the Prodigal Son
To bring wayward siblings back home
He who knew no sin
Was born so that we
Could be born again -
Immanuel has come!
Peace on earth
And goodwill towards men
“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14 ESV
"Evil has visited Newtown today..."
But despite the ages of most of the victims We're seeking a higher education In the face of a tragedy so senseless 'Cause the definition of wickedness Ain't so elementary... Not anymore. Dark days like these Leave us clamoring And grasping for the door From Columbine, to Virginia Tech, to Sandy Hook; Leaves no doubt in my mind That Screwtape's up to his old tricks Doing everything he can To make sure that our faith is shook "Look...where is God now? Where's the goodness he promised? Love don't let little kids die, man! Stop frontin' and be honest." As I read the countless status updates And timelines filled with fear and rage I'm reminded of the words That the Rock of Ages said: "Let the little children come to me..." You can't stop em - Don't try to hold em back There in the arms of the Good Shepherd So they'll never again want or lack It was an act of the most vicious kind Orchestrated with the intent Of distracting from God's sovereignty And get us to question his omnipotence But yea though we walk through valley Of the shadow of death His grace is still consistent
He gives us a peace that surpasses all understanding His overwhelming mercy still abounds Even amidst the unspeakable atrocities That puts young loved ones into the ground The graveyard is the Farmer's field And he will one day reap what he has sown And we will all behold the glory Of the greatest harvest
I remember a time when a homeless guy cleaned my windshield and I gave him what I had on me…
a couple of quarters and a dime.
He looked at me and said, “Is that it?” ‘Is that it’?! I was livid
Because first of all
He could’ve cleaned my window
Better with spit
I gave him all I had
(Minus my debit card)
But it didn’t matter –
He had no regard for it
Here I am trying to do the Lord’s work
And he’s looking at me like
“Thanks for the change, jerk.”
As far as he was concerned
I might as well have given him nothing…
But his reaction was pushing the button
On a deeper subject
That touches us all
The fact that we’ve been given
The world and everything in it
But we treat it like a mall
We consume until we’re full
With no consideration
Of the considerate nature
Of how it got here
We’re allergic to the concept
That we’re dust…
I too often have a hard time
With the fact that
I’m a sand castle with a pulse;
The same stuff they’ll use to bury me
Is the essential ingredient
To my physical make up
I’m nothing more spit and clay
In it’s heyday …
We think that we’re made men
But we can be done in
By the slightest headwind
We confirm our ignorance
To our disposition
With an oversight
To this revelation:
The air we breathe can’t be seen
And that speaks to the attribute
Of our Creator
We constantly demand
That He show His face
When His DNA is in everything
That we taste, see, and touch
Our senses are drenched in Him
Without so much as a mention
And we could give a…
You know what?
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it–
We’re going nuts
Looking for a payday
When Yaweh has already paid for us
The check ain’t in the mail
Because your debt
Was nailed to the Cross
That’s the equivalent
Of getting 100% gratuity
Only to treat it
Like a stop-loss
So the slightest inconvenience
Sends us flying off the handle
One little prick of the needle
And the damage is done -
We start accusing God
Of giving us way more
Than we can manage
And start calling for His job
No graciousness filling our hearts these days
Instead, we’d rather waste our time
Like disappointed kids on Christmas
Throwing temper tantrums
Because we think that
Santa must’ve missed us
We’re nothing more than straight up beggars
Who always think we deserve better
Than what we’ve been given
Always trying to hit the lottery
When we ain’t even
Got a pot to piss in
The sin committed by our first parents
Was rooted in a lack of gratitude–
Having everything wasn’t good enough
So they forgot to say, “Thank You.”
So greedy that they couldn’t even leave God
That one tree…
A blatant disregard for the Law
Mixed with an eagerness to take His place
(And that, kids, is how we came
To celebrate Black Friday)
Man, we’d all be turkeys on a plate
If it wasn’t for His grace
He became a sacrifice
Given for ignorant creatures
Who weren’t even trying to relate…
So while you’re thankful for your food
Remember that He’s the one
Who bought the farm
And if you thank Him for the calm
You gotta thank him for the storms
Be grateful for the good and the bad times
If you’re a have or a have not
He gives us abundant life through everything
And for that we gotta say,
“Thanks”...a lot
Conform me.
Mold me.
Make me.
Shape me.
Do whatever you have to do -
Even if it means
You gotta break me
Don't forsake me
Wake me up
Remove the scales
From my eyes
I'm seeing men as trees
Falling down around me
Because I was born
Legally blind
Out of sight
Out of my mind
No appreciation
For the divine
Design flaw
To the interior;
A heart that's wicked
All the time...
"Here come those backpacking, fanatical, card-carrying radicals
