Eight Laid Down

Eight laid down -
I'm waiting for that trumpet blast to sound
A resounding statement
Of Kingdom Come in the flesh
A silencing of the violence
And the long awaited death of Death
We anticipate with bated breath
And endure the hardships and tribulations
Without the slightest hesitation
Because we know that the tears will be erased

No more of the notion
Of life as a holocaust in slow motion
We beat back the Devil's fiery arrows
By keeping our eyes on the sparrow
We stay on the straight and narrow
Whether in feast or fallow
Because as we have believed
We have eaten
Stomachs full of faith and repentance
So the sentence first handed down
Has been rescinded
Befriended by a God
Who switched out defendants
And put my rap sheet on His own blood
So that it wouldn't have to be a wrap for me

Once blind, but now I see
As I eagerly await to behold
The manifestation of his majesty and beauty
Then and only then will I be complete

What we know now in part
Will then be fully known...

Eight laid down -
Life in the presence of the Lamb
Who forever sits upon the throne

(cf. Psalm 23:6; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 20:6, 14)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

M.O.E.

Dollar dollar bills, y'all!
The cash reigns superior
As long as the check is in the mail
Other concerns become inferior
You won't catch me slippin'
Because I keep my knot stupid
Even if the world would end tomorrow
My money tree would stay rooted

"In God We Trust" on my trust fund
And if it can't be bought with a Black Card
Then I don't really want none
Heaven's gonna have to wait
'Cause I ain't done gettin' paid yet
I got bands to make her dance
And the forecast is callin' for a reign check

Mind the throne -
Where the king stands alone
Caked up like a bake sale
In my million dollar home
Bottle Service on my breath
A new Bugatti on the brain
If I don't have that whip by the morning
Then I'll probably go insane

Money over everything
Nothin' in my hands I bring
You want me clingin' to the cross
But I'd rather hang on to my green and leave
Who needs bread for today
When there's more than enough for tomorrow?
I'll be too busy rackin' chips
To worry about all the sorrow...

I'll be too busy stackin' paper
To notice my soul is hollow
The blimp told me
"THE WORLD IS YOURS"
But failed to mention
That time is borrowed
When the credits roll on my escrow
And my page is finally turned
They'll write my legacy on my headstone:
HE HAD MONEY TO BURN.

( cf. Psalm 49:7, 8; Matthew 6:24; 16:26)


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

"Shake The Dust" (Spoken Word Challenge Entry)

Please check out my entry in the Spoken Word Challenge (Every view helps)!

Watch "Shake the Dust" on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S99l84XnxX0

Remember, every view helps me get one step closer to the finals and spread the good news about our identity in Christ through high art. God bless and thanks for your consideration...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

The Banner

"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

Joyride

 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, “Take care, 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...

cf. Ecclesiastes 5:8-19


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Zeros and Ones: Content In Christ

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...



Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Zeros & Ones: Rejoicing In Christ

"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

True Blood

If I would've been there 

I would've done the same 

I would've been the first one to ridicule 

And put him to shame 

I definitely would've been the one 

That hated Him the most 

So, He did what He had to do... 

 

He killed us both. 

 

And when He got back up 

He brought me along 

To drink from His cup 

And sing a new song 

Truest blood shed from His wounds 

Forever covers my deepest stains 

 

Now I'm alive in Christ -- 

His death. My gain.

 

Isaiah 53:1-12; Galatians 2:20 

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Deliverance

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

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Zeros and Ones: Why Did Jesus Come?

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

Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

(Puttin' On) Airs

"I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind." - Ecclesiastes 1:14 ESV

They’ve been standin’ in line for days

Pushin’ their way to the front

Paying to have greatness

On the tip of their toungues

The time has finally come –

And when the clock struck midnight

The whole crowd went dumb

So awestruck and amazed

That you’d think that it was something

That the Lord had made

But the reality is

That the object of devotion and praise

Was made by a young girl in a sweatshop

Working for twenty cents a day

And the dude they pay homage to

Most of ’em have never even seen him play

It’s a fashion statement – a status symbol

Meant to portray what’s hot in the street

But contrary to the namesake

The high cost don’t get you no further

From the ground beneath your feet...

 

(Ecclesiastes 1:14-17; 2:11-26; 4:4-16; 6:9; Mark 8:36)

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

 

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Omnia Vincit Amor

“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)



Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Nevermore

“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)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Zeros & Ones: Who Is Jesus?

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.

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

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

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Up With Slavery (The Ballad of Uncle Ruckus)

"...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."

- 1 Corinthians 7:22 ESV

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Welcome To Midnight

For many, this year will not end on a high note…

 

Right now, somewhere,

Someone is about to lose hope

Right now, somewhere,

Someone is just trying to cope

Making it to midnight’s been a struggle

And they’re at the end of the rope

Barely afloat –

Helplessly failing as the water gets higher

And the last 24 hours

Sets the soul on fire…

The losses, crosses, addictions, divorces;

Hearts heavy from the waiting

And the ominous voices

Telling you to “force quit”

Because a promising future

Does not compute

Just more of the same

Of what you won’t get

‘Cause obviously you were born to lose

Two thousand and thirteen:

Year of the Serpent –

And he’s hissing in your ears

Convincing you that you’re worthless

 

Take heart and know

That the enemy’s already been defeated

No matter what tomorrow brings

The blood of Christ has already succeeded

Don’t be afraid –

Say welcome to midnight with open arms

Because the Son was crushed

Rest assured that joy

Is gonna come in the morning

 

 

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

- Psalm 30:5 ESV

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

(And a Happy New Year!!)

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

The End.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

(Revelation 22:13 ESV)

 

 

The Beginning is the End

Of all things...

 

And nobody knows

What type of trouble

Tomorrow will bring 

Famine, plagues, natural disasters

Terrorism, AIDS, or ridiculous banter 

About how it's all gonna finish 

(Possibly a "Zombie Pandemic"?!)

Prophets for profit postulating

Nuclear Holocaust and derision 

Bible in one hand

Headlines in the other 

It's the gospel according to Chicken Little 

Time to duck and cover

Because the sky is falling  

And Scientists are falsifying data

Cookin' up the books 

To support the calculations 

Of an extinct civilization 

So, Black Hole Sun, won't you come 

Because Pakistan's got the bomb

North Korea's still trippin'

And Russia's a cause for alarm

 

Left Behind got us blinded

Looking to LeHaye and Camping 

To lead us 

I'm holding on to a passion

For the Parousia -

Waiting To see Jesus

Coming back the way he left 

Quick as lightning 

Flashes east to west 

The real King is back in the building 

There's nothing comparable to that 

The last day in this life

Becomes the first day of forever 

No more death and sorrow 

And unspeakable joy

That can never be measured

 

It's gonna happen 

Just as He promised

But only God knows

When is "then"

For now, you should go plant an apple tree

Seek the Lord and repent of your sins - 

 

Because you just never know;

Tomorrow could very well be...

 

THE END.

 

(cf. John 1:1, 2; Matthew 6:34, 24:27-28, 36-44; James 4:14; Revelation 19:11-16, 21:1-4, 22:13)

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)

Ain't No Pastor

“…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)


Soli Deo Gloria,
Shon

Posted via email from THE CENTER (ROOM 116)