Trailblazin Ministries

Voice - a theist

LaRosa Johnson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Album Overview

I enjoy lyrical theology, really, I do. I love it when an emcee can flex his creativity while dropping weighty spiritual truth. What really tops it off is when the music is just as good as the theology that's being taught in the rhymes. Well, I feel that's what I get from Curtis "Voice" Allen whenever he releases an album. To date, he has released three albums, all of which I love, minus some issues with theology on the third (my disagreeing with covenant theology). Well, he's back at it again, quietly releasing his fourth project titled a theist. And I do mean quietly, I only heard about this album through the grapevine, and ended up purchasing an MP3 download of the album.

What you get with a theist is exactly what you would expect from an emcee of Voice's caliber. It's a musically creative album that runs the gamut, giving you deep theological rhymes that are still culturally relevant, even tossing in a song or two that will tug at your heart. The one thing that I really like about this album is that Voice keeps it moving; there isn't a single dull spot in this album, it maintains a very high level from start to finish. Now, the thing about Voice is that neither the production or his rhymes will blow you away, but he has this knack that makes you want to keep listening and coming back for more. It's all around good hip-hop, and you get theology to top it off. One thing I like is that I can get into this album, enjoying the music, singing the hooks and all, and not even realize that I'm spitting some deep theological stuff that you'd find in a seminary level theology book.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this album. There hasn't been much music that I've liked thus far in 2009, but Voice's a theist is one that is in my top two or three right now. Considering how picky I've been this year, that's saying a lot. Why? Because it's a creative album and it's full of fresh content that hasn't been recycled, plus you can't help but love a guest spot from Christcentric's Evangel.

Spiritual Significance

Now, let's talk theology. Curtis is a student at Sovereign Grace's Pastors College, so he's a student of the Scripture and it shines through in an album like this. I mean, if you weren't a theology buff, then how else could you come up with the concept for a song like "A Chair is not a Throne" and the like? I don't think you can!

So, what is a theist all about? Well, it's a play on words. You have an atheist (no space) that doesn't have God in his worldview and tries to go out of his way that God doesn't exist; on the other hand, you have Voice who is a theist (note the space), a man with God at the center of his worldview and frames his views based on the revealed truth of God's Word. With that, the album takes you on a journey that highlights the differences between the two worldviews. You have songs like "Worldview" and "Cultural Jesus" that show the faults of an atheistic/agnostic worldview, including those the view of those that just "play" with religion. Then you have songs like "Still Pardoned" and "When It's All Said and Done" that bring the truth from a clearly theistic perspective.

It doesn't really matter what angle you take this album from because you're going to end up getting the truth of Scripture. Voice does a great job of showing the faulty logic behind having anything other than a theistic worldview. I love the song "I'm a Theist" on this album because there's nothing like modern day miracles to really help you solidify your faith in God. In this song Curtis gives some very personal reasons why he's a theist even through the two difficult trials that left him in a position where he could do nothing but trust in the Lord.

There's a lot of truth packed into this album. If you're a believer, it'll strengthen your walk with the Lord, and leave you declaring that you're a theist. If you're an unbeliever listening to this album, you'll either think it's a load of crock, or become a believer and declare that you're a theist too!

Topics Covered

I could outline everything that's covered in this album, but I really think this is one of those albums that you need to experience for yourself. Either way, I'll give you three, just to tease you...

Objecting to popular culture's view of Jesus
Realizing that God is in charge, even when man thinks he is
Trusting in God

That's it, that's all I'm giving you.

Key Tracks

A Chair is not a Throne, Cultural Jesus, Worldview, Still Pardoned

1 Thessalonians Chapter 3 Overview

LaRosa Johnson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

So far, in our overview of 1 Thessalonians, much of what we have encountered has been Paul expressing his love and appreciation for Thessalonica Bible Church and recalling the ministry that was performed during his brief stay in the city. Our study today, in chapter 3, remains very much in line with what Paul has already covered. This chapter is more of a recap, at least for us as readers, and gives us a detailed description of what happened after Paul, Silas, and Timothy were chased out of town. So, if hearts and minds are clear, let's dive into this chapter overview.

As we just said in the opening, this chapter primarily centers around the events that took place after Paul and his team were kicked out of Thessalonica by the unbelieving Jews. Like chapter two, we again have three primary divisions: 1) the ministry of Timothy (vv. 1-5), 2) Timothy's encouraging report (vv. 6-10), and 3) prayer for the church (vv. 11-13).

If you remember, in our survey of chapter 2, it closed with Paul longing to return to Thessalonica so that he could visit with these believers (2:17-20). Well, when you get to chapter 3, you realize that this missionary team has been forced all the way down to Athens by their protesters (3:1), after being forced out of both Thessalonica and Berea. With Paul wondering how the church was doing and wanting to go back, he and Silas decided to send Timothy back into Thessalonica. Because of his youth, Timothy was not involved in any of the scuffle that took place when Paul was chased out; therefore, he was free to return without consequence. As best we can tell from Scripture, this was Timothy's first official training assignment; his primary mission was to encourage and strengthen Thessalonica Bible Church in their faith (v. 2). We also find out in verse 5 that Timothy's secondary mission was to investigate any Satanic activity amongst the believers and report it back to Paul and Silas. This was a tremendous responsibility for such a youth, but Timothy was more than up to the task.

After an undetermined amount of time in Thessalonica, Timothy finally returns to Paul and Silas, meeting up with them in the city of Corinth (v. 6). Timothy's arrival is marked by a very encouraging report, that involves both a continued faith and love, which we find Paul making mention of in the beginning of this epistle (1:2-3). What Paul finds more than anything in Timothy's report is that everything he has felt towards the church has been reciprocated back to him, which will become a lesson for us in the reciprocal nature of spiritual encouragement. Paul thought of them and constantly prayed for the church; and, the church always thought of him and his team, always lifting them up in prayer. And just as Paul longed to see them, they longed to see him also. Because of this two-way rejoicing, Paul couldn't help but to be at a loss for words by which he could offer up praise to His Father in heaven (3:9-10); either way, Paul found a way to rejoice and give thanks.

Finally, after much thanksgiving, Paul offers up a prayer for Thessalonica Bible Church (vv. 11-13). In this prayer, he prays that God would once again lead him to them, since they both longed to see each other. He also prayed that they would continue to increase in their love for one another, but not just each other, but everyone. His desire was for them to continue to be marked by their labor of love (1:3) so that they would be without blame at the Lord's return. In other words, Paul prayed for them to live holy lives unto the Lord.

It's at this point that Paul is done reflecting upon his ministry efforts at Thessalonica. As we move forward into chapters 4 and 5, we find Paul beginning to offer up instructional teaching and doctrine that will help to solidify the truths that they have already learned. We will get into that next time; but, until then, keep your armor on and love one another!

Hazakim - Theophanies

LaRosa Johnson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:33:34 +0000

Album Overview

This year has been a pretty slow year for Christian hip-hop. There hasn't been much released that has piqued my interest, other than an album here and there. So, admittedly, there was a good deal of interest in knowing that the group Hazakim was finally releasing their anticipated follow-up to Hip-Hologetics, titled Theophanies: Hip-Hologetics Volume 2. The album has been years in the making and fans have been patiently waiting for a long time to get their hands on this album, myself included. I mean, it's not everyday that you get to hear two Messianic Jews spit bars over hip-hop beats.

Now, typically, most artists tend to have a bit of a sophomore slump when it comes to releasing their second album; but, this isn't one of those albums. One of the advantages that Hazakim had is that they took their time putting this album together. If you remember, Hip-Hologetics was released in 2001, and it's now eight years later that they're releasing their next album; that definitely has to be to their advantage, even though most fans will agree that it's a project that is long overdue.

So, what is it that you get with this album. Of course you get a heavy dose of lyrical theology, I mean, that's a given when you're talking about Hazakim. If you give Theophanies a good listen, you'll find that this is an album that is intent upon giving the listener the tools that they need to be a better apologist of the Faith, especially when speaking with those of Jewish descent. It also serves as a great reminder of why it's important to study the Old Testament and not simply focus on the New Testament.

Content aside, since we'll discuss that more later, this album brings the heat in both the lyricism and production departments. Starting with the production, it's simply bananas. While offering a diverse sound that ranges from your typical East Coast hip-hop to Middle Eastern tunes, they bring the kind of production that leaves your speakers rattling. Their selection in music is great on this album, as the tempo and style varies from track to track, which definitely keeps things fresh. As far as the lyricism, I love how Hazakim is able to masterfully blend the old school and the new school without sounding dated or corny. What I really love is that even with all the truth they give you, their rhymes are still witty and in your face, in true hip-hop fashion. With the two combined, there's a lot to like about this album.

Spiritual Significance

The meat of this album is really where it's at. Forget the banging beats and the ill rhyme schemes; those are nice, but they don't hold a candle to the weighty spiritual meat that you're going to find as you listen to this album. One of the things that I like about this album is its title; there are many artists who will put out an album with a cryptic title that you have to decipher, or have something that relates in no way to the album's content. Hazakim kept their title straight to the point: Theophanies. As you look at the album title, there's no question as to what you're getting, unless you have no idea what a theophany is. If not, let me help you out. A theophany is a physical appearance or personal manifestation of God to a person. This is an interesting study because we find God telling Moses in Exodus 33:20 that no man can see Him and live; yet, we see all of these physical manifestations of God throughout Scripture. Well, that's what Theophanies is all about; walking you through some of the theophanies of Scripture and giving you clear biblical insight & understanding.

As you listen to this album, there are four theophanies in particular that Hazakim chooses to focus on, and they can be found in the songs that contain Bible passages for their title: Genesis 18, Genesis 32, Exodus 3, and Judges 13. Each of these songs takes the listener on a journey back into Bible times as Hazakim describes the events that took place in each passage and vividly illustrate the theophany that took place. For example, in "Genesis 32" you get to hear the story of Jacob and the encounter he had while wrestling with a man, who turned out to be a physical manifestation of God. In doing this, the two brothers do an excellent job of bringing the stories to life and unveiling the truth to be had in these passages.

They don't stop there, seeing how that only covers four songs. The rest of Theophanies builds upon the truths depicted in the four stories. In true Messianic fashion, Hazakim use the Old Testament Scriptures to show the listener how it all points to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, even the theophanies. Songs like "Fulfillment," "Salvation Plan," and "Passover Lamb" make it abundantly clear that the Torah, the Writings, and the Prophets were all pointing forward to Yeshua ben Yosef (Yeshua ben David), the Messiah. For many believers this is simply remarkable because they have never seen the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, since so much focus is given to the gospels and epistles.

There are also many other enjoyable and thought provoking tracks on the album. Each one is designed to reveal Biblical truth and show you that you need the Messiah. It isn't enough to know that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah, but you need to understand your need for Him, and Hazakim does a good job of doing that with their music, and the interludes that they included throughout. The album's body of work then gets summed up in the end with a spill by Dr. Michael Brown called "Summary of the Evidence," which breaks it all down, if you didn't already grasp it from tracks one through nineteen.

The bottom line, you'll be feasting for days, weeks, months, and years as you listen to this album. And, I'd also encourage you, as you listen, to dive into the Bible for yourself and investigate all of the theophanies that they presented, and seek out the others. It's a fruitful study that I'm positive will be a blessing to you.

Topics Covered

Theophanies of Scripture
Plan of Salvation through the Old Testament
Heaven
The Crucifixion
Bearing Burdens & Carrying Your Cross

and so much more

Key Tracks

Shamayim of Gold, Salvation Plan, Genesis 32, Crucifixion Description

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 Overview

LaRosa Johnson — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

After opening his letter with heartfelt praise and thankfulness toward Thessalonica Bible Church, Paul continues on in the second chapter with his gracious attitude and reminiscence over the abundance of blessings reaped at this church. The bulk of this chapter focuses on the time that Paul spent in Thessalonica and the reception that he received while there. That is going to be our focus today as we take a survey of this chapter and investigate Paul's preaching of the gospel to the Thessalonicans. So, if we're ready for the study of God's truth, let's begin.

When broken down into its parts, more than half of this chapter's attention is given over to Paul remembering the details of what transpired during his brief time in Thessalonica (vv. 1-12). In referring back to our overall outline, we see that this section is labeled "Paul's Conduct & Example" and "Founding the Church." Both of these things are described for us in this chapter. As we walk through the chapter, the very first thing that we notice is that Paul and his team had already been mistreated because of the gospel, only to enter into Thessalonica and face further opposition because of the gospel message (vv. 1, 2). Further detail regarding their opposition is given in Acts 17, as well as later on in the chapter. But moving on, Paul states that amid the trouble, he preached a simple and pure gospel message, that had no pretense for seeking personal gain (vv. 3-6). That's an important point to note, because it would have been one thing if he had come into town seeking glory and fame for himself, but Paul did it with the sole intention of seeing souls come to Christ.

Once Paul had seen souls come to Christ and marked the founding of Thessalonica Bible Church, he didn't just stop there and skip town. Instead, Paul goes on to state that he began to tenderly nurture them by imparting the truth of Scripture and sharing his life with these new believers (vv. 7-12). In many ways, Paul cared for these believers in the same way that a mother would nurse and take care of her newborn child. Furthermore, Paul elaborates on the upright witness that he lived before them as he preached the gospel, living a blameless life, proving that was he spoke was true. And, just as he had cared for them as a mother would her child, he also states that he was firm with them like a father would be toward his sons, urging them to walk in a manner worthy of the God who saved them. The beautiful thing about this passage is that it really shows the love and care that Paul, Silas, and Timothy had for this church, being both gentle and firm in their teaching and ministry.

It is in verses 13-16 that we get into Paul's thankfulness toward the Thessalonicans because of their positive reception toward the word of God. Not only did they believe it, but they believed it for what it was, not mere words from men, but the living and true word of God. And, just like Thessalonica Bible Church became imitators of Paul and his team, he also lets them know that they are following in the example of the believers in Judea who were being persecuted by the Jews because of their Christian faith. In this, there is also a word of encouragement, as Paul lets them know that their persecutors are storing up wrath for their sins and God will repay them in the proper time. So, not only is Paul thankful for them believing in the gospel, but for also standing firm in the face of adversity and ridicule.

Finally, this chapter closes with Paul longing to return to Thessalonica (vv. 17-20). If you remember in Acts 17, Paul and his team were run out of town by the unbelieving Jews, causing them to leave this newly founded church, leaving them behind with much persecution hovering about. He even makes mention that he had made attempts to return, but the adversary prevented him from doing so each time. Either way, Paul reminds them that he is still there in spirit and knows that he will see them again at some point in the future, even if it's in the presence of the Lord. The point that Paul makes, though, is that he really wants to see them face-to-face and trusts that he will do so.

As we wrap up this chapter, we can see pretty clearly that Paul is enthusiastic about this group of believers. Even while facing some difficult circumstances, Paul remains encouraged in knowing that they were able to persevere and stand firm in the truth of God's Word. He is confident in what he's taught them and trusts that they will continue, even in his absence, which he hopes is short. I only hope that, as present day believers, we could live up to the same standard that the Thessalonicans set for us. Until next time, keep walking in a manner worthy of the God who called you!

Corey Hicks - The Antidote

Prince Woodrow — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:00:42 +0000

Album Overview

Jesus Christ is The Antidote! That’s the theme of Corey Hicks’ latest album. I have to admit, sometimes its hard reviewing artists that you have never listened to, because you don’t know what you are going to get. What do you get with Corey Hicks you ask? A man with a passion for Christ! This is not just an album with a positive message. The Antidote is focused on Christ, as you can see by the name, and there will be no question that it is if you listen to the album. Being born and raised in New Orleans, Corey Hicks brings a different dirty south style to the HHH genre, which may take some getting used to for some people. I had to warm up to his voice myself, but after a couple of spins, everything was just fine! The lyrics in the album were good. You get scriptures thrown at you every now and again, you hear Jesus’ name throughout the album, and you get encouragement to live for and seek the Antidote! Production on the album was on point. There was a wide variety of different sounding beats which is always a plus because same sounding beats makes an album get old real quick!

The “Intro” track is hot! Starting the album off with a bang seems to be a popular trend at the moment in Christian hip hop. “Eye Rep” talks about reppin’ the Church. I can see this being an anthem track. “New Orleans” is about the city of New Orleans recovering from hurricane Katrina. In this song, Corey Hicks raps about how he went out to help and tried to give the people of New Orleans the Good News and prays that they put Christ first in their life. “Love Story” and “Step Into My World” both have nice and catchy choruses as Corey Hicks invites the listener to check out his testimony. There are some good features on the album like Young Josh (this cat killed the verse on “Tryna Say”), J. Johnson, and Godsent.

Overall, this album was good and will make a good purchase if you are looking for some new Jesus music. The only drawback I can see is having to warming up to his voice and style if you’re not already used to it.

Spiritual Significance

“Rejoice in Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4) is the theme of the song “Saved.” This song is about finding our joy in Christ and in Christ alone. Earthly possessions can help us to enjoy life while we are here, but they should never replace Jesus as our main means of Joy. Corey Hicks also talks about how even though we may be in bad situations, the believer needs to rejoice because we are “gonna live with the King!” Our inner attitudes do not have to mach our outer circumstances. No matter what the situation is, Christ with us and our security should be found in Him.

The song “The Antidote” presents different stories of people who need the Antidote to be freed from their bondage like pornography, fornication, depression, and drug abuse to name a few. They need Jesus to free them from their sin. This song touches on 1 Thessalonians 1:9 and Acts 26:20, which talks about what repentance is: turning from your sin and turning to God. Repentance has often been described as "doing a 180," meaning we turn away from sin and turn to God. This is the very reason that psychology and humanistic programs fall short of truly assisting people who are trapped in sin. They attempt to get the person to turn away from sin, but cannot instruct them to turn to God. So they are, in essence, instructing us to do a 90-degree turn. This half-turning is never sufficient to truly eradicate sin from our lives. True repentance is not only turning from sin, it is turning to God and serving Him. We should be fervent in our service because we have little time before Christ returns. We don’t know when He will come so we have to be ready when He does.

If we want people to know what the Antidote is, we need to hit the streets and go tell them! That is another major topic that is talked about throughout the album. “Whaazaaaam” talks about going out and making disciples like Jesus commands in Matthew 28:19. In “Mankind,” Corey Hicks exhorts that whenever we do go out and spread the gospel, we need to do it in love. John 13:34 tells us that we are to love one another as He has loved us! We are to love others based on Jesus’ sacrificial love for us. Jesus loved us enough to die for us! We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love like listening, helping, encouraging, giving etc. Such love will not only bring unbelievers to Christ, it will also keep believers strong and united in a world hostile to God. Jesus was a living example of God’s love and we are to be a living example of Jesus’ love! “Tryna Say” talks about going out and spreading the good news even if the people are not trying to hear what you are “tryna say”. “B.O.C.” again stresses the importance of the Church going out to reach the lost because the Church is God’s plan to reach the world.

Topics covered

Jesus as the Antidote
Having joy in Christ
Spreading the Gospel and Making Disciples
New Life in Christ
Loving others as Jesus loved us

Key tracks

Intro, Saved ft. Levester White, Love Story ft. Kari Kirtland, The B.O.C. ft. Dre the Nomad, Young Josh

Tedashii - Identity Crisis

Gary Collins — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Album Overview

Most of us are familiar with going to the movies, seeing something that was good, not necessarily great, but it left you in suspense and piqued your interest enough to want to see the next one. That’s the way a lot of the CHH heads felt after listening to Tedashii’s initial release, Kingdom People. We heard him rip guest spots with Cross Movement, Trip Lee, Lecrae, Sho Baraka, and a host of others. On all of his guest appearances he absolutely ripped it, and a lot of times he stole the show. So, just like with a good movie that leaves you wanting more, we had a great anticipation/expectation regarding Tedashii’s sophomore release – Identity Crisis. Most sequels are disappointing, Tedashii’s Identity Crisis was not!

You don’t understand how difficult this album review was for me to write. It wasn’t due to the fact that I couldn’t find enough to say or that I couldn’t say anything nice; the main issue I had was being unable to listen without the incessant banging of the head long enough to take notes or do anything other than laugh at some of the parallelisms and wordplay used throughout. The production for this album was bananas! From beginning to end you get hit with sick snare rolls, bass lines, intense synth arrangements, and everything else you could imagine. Another thing we’ve come to love & expect from T-Dot is an album packed with dope hooks, and man he came through on that end as well; I’ll only mention one song, for now, on the hook aspect, listen in closely to “Hollywood” and you’ll feel the heat from that hook.

Lyrically, all I can say is OH – MY – GOOD-NESS! He had me at the intro; I was done. There was no monotony anywhere on this album. A lot of stuff we hear from the south, especially the secular realm (BOO secular), all sounds the same. Not only did he separate himself from his Christian contemporaries with diverse flows throughout the album, he showed the rest of the “artists” from the dirty how to bring it lyrically and keep the listeners guessing on what’s coming next. T-Dot incorporated a lot of that up tempo flow and the slowed down stuff too. He also switched it up though in a lot of songs so the ears didn’t get bored expecting the same thing throughout. Bottom line, you have got to get this album; it will definitely be an upgrade to whatever you have been listening to lately. This is my favorite album to come out this year and is already in heavy rotation in my “gym bangers” playlist.

Spiritual Significance

The theme of this album is from the Greek, Imago Dei – here is a quote from PBS.org on the meaning: “A theological term, applied uniquely to humans, which denotes the symbolical relation between God and humanity. The term has its roots in Genesis 1:27, wherein "God created man in his own image..." This scriptural passage does not mean that God is in human form, but rather, that humans are in the image of God in their moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. Thus, humans mirror God's divinity in their ability to actualize the unique qualities with which they have been endowed, and which make them different than all other creatures...” This a very relevant topic to today’s generation.

We are created in the image of God, and as such we represent Him and should strive to bring Him glory in all of our endeavors; as a people, it seems that we have strayed very far from that truth. Our focus has turned to “me” and what can “I” get. Generally speaking, we have no real concern that the things we do are supposed to reflect God to the world. In fact, we want to be the centerpiece and have people see & notice us versus the God that came to redeem us and is supposed to be actively at work in and though us. We forget that God’s image is perfect, and we are supposed to be perfected in Christ as we die daily 1st Cor 15:31 to the desires of our flesh. People have decided to let this world define them and who they are and have almost completely neglected the truth of who the bible says we are; not only have people neglected that truth, they have abandoned all aspirations to live up to that standard.

Tedashii is using this album as a wake up call to believers. Yes, it’s bangin’. Yes, the lyrics and production are dope, but, more importantly, the message is one that is relevant and needs people to listen and examine themselves to see where they stand. T-Dot sets the tone with the intro, just getting back to being who God created us to be and trying to help us see that when we aren’t striving to project Christ we undoubtedly tarnish God’s image to those around us that are unbelievers, and delves into other topics regarding our image as Christians.

Take the song “26’s” ft. Lecrae. The focus of the song is idolatry, check Deut 6:5-15, specifically the worship of cars, rims, and people letting their possessions define them and esteem them among men. They use the song to drive home the point that we shouldn’t be slave to things, nor should they define us. What happens when the car is gone, or someone steals your prized possession? Do you still have any worth? The same people that esteemed you highly because of your “26’s,” what do they think of you now? We see this day in and day out in our communities and portrayed in videos/movies. People brag about what they have and how many chicks they pull because of it, all the while blind to the fact they are slave to the idols they serve. Speaking of movies, the song “Hollywood” takes a look at tinsel town, the movies they put out, and the effect it has on our youth. Think about it, we always see kids pretending to be Superman or Spiderman after seeing the movie; you can see them with a blanket tied around their necks, jumping off the steps or even a roof in the case of the more daring children; so, what do you think is going to happen when we feed urban children movies like “Boyz in the Hood” or “Menace to Society,” or any of the movies we tend to be drawn to? Kids want to emulate those types of things as well because it’s appealing to be the big man on the block and have the respect of their peers, so they mold themselves to be a “G” just like O-dog or Doughboy (showing my age, I know). Like it or not, movies teach us how to sin just as well as anything else, and they lend us to living in a fantasy world instead of looking at what matters most, our relationship with Christ.

Identity Crisis is a well rounded album. I feel T-Dot did a good job of trying to relate every song to the central theme about learning who we are in Christ and then striving to live up to that standard while totally relying on God’s grace for the times we fall short. By all means, this album has relevant material that should cause a believer to look inwardly and to get a good view of how he/she is representing the Imago Dei, as well as how other saints and even nonbelievers perceive us.

Topics Covered

The Fall, Adoption by Christ (Identity 1 & 2)
Pride/Self-sufficiency (Gotta Believe)
Sufficiency in Christ (All I need)

Key Tracks

Hollywood, Make War, Thank you

Johnny Bishop - The TRUTH Sessions EP

George Sly — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:58:18 +0000

Album Overview

I was just thinking how I miss good old fashion music some days. I have found myself sitting back wondering where the musicians are in this world. I mean why does one have to seek out dives throughout America to find good ones? Just as I was thinking about this, our God proved again that He always knows our hearts and placed the Truth Sessions EP into my lap. Johnny Bishop, who represents East Wheaton Productions, brings a collaboration of many artists with this ongoing project for youth ministry. I love that so many HHH artist are moving away from self and moving toward doing what is right to honor the Father. More and more you see believers making music with a singular purpose: to bring honor and glory to the Gospel by purposely trying to reach people and not just making tight songs. I love it!

I am not as familiar with Johnny Bishop so this was a nice introduction to his work. It was sound with Bible based teaching, had a nice flow to the musical arrangements, and truly seemed to present the Gospel with a sincere heart for Jesus. What I enjoyed the most is I felt like each track was either live or recorded with a live band. Not totally sure that is the case so don’t quote me, but if so, wow! What a refreshing sound to hear that hip hop sound behind real live music. If you are new to the faith and enjoyed The Roots of the secular world, then Johnny Bishop is going to be your transition artist. I love the collaborations as well. On this FREE CD, hold up, did you hear me? I said FREE CD, you are getting hit with artist like S. Brindle (Believin Stephen), DJ Elder, Cas Metah, Billy Bo, D. Bishop, reSEARCH , and Aaron Paul!

Just take my word; you will love this album as a change of pace listen if you are a true hip hop head. If you are a casual fan, this may be more up your alley as well, since it is musically desirable and lyrically creative. There are tons of devotion done on these tracks and guess what? They even manage to preach the Gospel from time to time. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Idnat Sumthin?!?” But seriously, this is a great pick up for all believers with a heart for rap.

Spiritual Significance

Like I mentioned earlier there is a ton of plain old fashioned Gospel preached on this album. You’re also going to be met with a few challenges here and there to practice what you preach. Tracks like, “Is There Any Love?” ft. Karl Nova, Butta P. & Octavia Harris will have you asking yourself am I walking this out. I think as believers we need to be reminded daily that anything that is done without Love, is worthless. I like the message that relying on God’s love alone and just how integral it is to the faith is handled. I see us missing simple concepts like this as we seek more challenging phases to our working for the Lord. It is vital that we get our foundation set on things like reliance on God’s love as the corner stone of our spiritual building. You are not going to get many deep theological issues that can be debated like the days of the apostles, but you will be enriched and inspired for the Lord on every spin. Just keep in mind that there are different strokes for different folks and we all need to get fed in different ways. Otherwise, we’d all be looking at these artist like, “Whatchu talkin bout Willis?”

Topics Covered

Reliance on God’s Word
Love
Truth
God’s majesty
Being forgiven
Salvation

Key Tracks

There are only 9 tracks but my favorites, if I had to pick three would be: “All I Got” ft. Change & CAS METAH, “Got TRUTH?” ft. BillyBo & D.Bishop (Cuts by DJ Elder), and “Nobody” ft. Believin Stephen.

Evolution - 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

LaRosa Johnson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:17:51 +0000

Artist: 116 Clique (Sho Baraka)
Song: Evolution
Album: 13 Letters

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This devotion is written with several things in mind and on my heart this morning, and I also think it fits in perfectly with what we recently studied in the epistle of James over the past year or so. On the 13 Letters album put out by the 116 Clique and Reach Records there is a song by Sho Baraka titled "Evolution" that speaks of his growth as a Christian and how he has evolved from an unregenerate sinner into one who now seeks after the things of God and His holiness. I really like this song as it is one that I, and the majority of other believers, can relate to; I used to be that (a sinner), now I'm this (a child of God). Searching the Scriptures, I found one passage in particular that fits well with this, and it happens to be from one of Paul's thirteen letters.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NASB) - 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

I'm not going to get deep today, I'm just going to lay it out there like it is. When we were sinners, we were a part of the world's system and doing the world's things. We gave headway to the flesh and very easily allowed ourselves to fulfill its lusts and desires without so much as a second thought. We were gladly living the life we wanted to live and didn't care that we were going to hell; instead, we thought it was going to be a party where we could do whatever we want (oh, how unbiblical is that?!). Once we met Christ and were confronted with the gospel, a choice had to be made: 1) continue on the path that leads to sin and death, or 2) accept Christ's atonement and live a life that is pleasing to Him. For the vast majority reading this right now, including myself, you chose the second option and are now striving to live a life that is pleasing to the Father. Simply put, you have evolved from a wretched sinner on his way to hell into a new creation born of the Spirit of God that now seeks to do the Father's will. Even now, we are still evolving from where we are now through the process of sanctification, as we continually grow in holiness.

That's the way it should be, and as we continue to evolve, we take on more of the character of Christ and do the things that He wants, and less of what we used to do. We find passages like Philippians 4:8 and Romans 12:1-2 that tell us to renew our minds and think on these (godly) things. We also hit up passages like Psalm 119:11 that remind us to keep the Word hidden in our heart so that we don't sin against our heavenly Father. And like in James 1:19, we are "quick to hear" the Word of God and we run with brothers and sisters who like to "study Greek and Hebrew." Our evolution is a positive one and it is the kind of image that God had in mind for us when He saved us from the penalty of death and the grave. We are evolving to be made more like Him, and less like the world.

Unfortunately, there are others who seem to be doing the opposite; they appear to have come a long way in the faith, only to halt their evolutionary process and recess into the ways of the world. So many of them try to justify it as simply "a season" or that God ultimately knows their heart, and so many other excuses to fall back into the ways of the world, and many unrepentantly. When I see brothers and sisters like this, I think back to what Paul said in Romans when he rhetorically asked if we should continue sinning (and sin more) so that the grace of God might abound in a greater capacity. Paul's response? Certainly not! Just because God saved us from our sin, doesn't mean that we should keep doing it, thinking that He's going to get more glory out of atoning for those sins. And also remember that this is all a fleshly ordeal and has nothing to do with God. Like in our study of James, we see that God plays absolutely no part in our falling into sin, but only when we take our eyes off God and give in to the lusts of our flesh. And those sins we have to think out very clearly before we act on it, so it's definitely no spur of the moment deal.

No matter who we are in the body of Christ, God calls us to be holy. In 1 Peter 1:16 it says, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." God wants us to strive for holiness. That's what evolution and spiritual growth is all about, growing in holiness. Growing in holiness means putting to death the evil deeds of the flesh and saturating ourselves with the things of God. Only when we do that will we evolve into what God wants us to be. Remember, we are to be in the world, and not of it; and even while we are in the world, we must take on heaven's mentality.

1 Thessalonians Chapter 1 Overview

LaRosa Johnson — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Having looked at 1 Thessalonians as a whole, we now want to begin to digest things a bit further as we begin to survey each chapter. Today, we're going to focus our attention on the first chapter and get a broad look at how Paul opened his letter to Thessalonica Bible Church. So, if hearts and minds are ready for the study of spiritual truth, let's dive in.

First looking back at our general outline for the entire book, notice that we've broken down this first chapter into two primary divisions. The first verse (1 Thess 1:1) serves as the formal introduction, while the remainder of the chapter (vv. 2-10) have Paul expressing his appreciation for their great example of living out the faith. In looking at this breakdown, it's possible to say that there is really only one section, Paul's thanksgiving, but when you look at it deeper, it can be broken down further. So, let's spend some time walking through the text and surveying the chapter.

The first area of importance comes in verses 1-4 where Paul is able to give thanksgiving to God for the faith, love & hope that this church was able to exhibit. In giving thanksgiving to God, a major part of Paul's thankfulness included a constant remembrance of these believers in his prayers. Whenever Paul had the opportunity to think about Thessalonica Bible Church, he went to the Lord in prayer, thankful that they were able to have a steadfastness in their faith, an abundance in their love, and an undying hope for their Savior's return. All things considered, these believers were in the best possible situation in God's eyes, and it was exciting for Paul to have had such a fruitful ministry during his brief stay there.

Not only was Paul thankful for their faith, love & hope, but he was also grateful for their willingness to follow the example that he & his missionary team were able to put on display (vv. 5, 6). Even though his stay was short, Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, was able to impart biblical truth to this newly founded church in the power of the Holy Spirit; and, because their work was done in the power of the Spirit, it allowed them to model a godly lifestyle before these people. Not only did they get to hear the teaching of the Word of God, but they also got to see it lived out in the lives of these missionaries. Seeing that it was authentic, the members of Thessalonica Bible Church quickly became imitators of the godly example set before them. What's more, they did this even when it wasn't convenient to them, facing persecution and trouble all along the way.

Do you want to know the great thing about Thessalonica Bible Church so quickly becoming imitators of Paul, Silas, and Timothy? It's that they immediately applied the doctrine to their lives and became believers who were unashamed of sharing their faith with others (vv. 7, 8). The Thessalonians took advantage of every opportunity given to them, becoming an example to other churches in the regions of Macedonia and Achaia, even spreading to the ends of the known world. In other words, they were active in evangelism and became a hub for expanding the gospel message; I would even dare say that they weren't only converting people to Christianity, but making disciples also. Looking forward into verse 9, we see Paul also stating the fact that the news of this church's faith had spread so fast & far that it had even reached him in Corinth, as well as the places he had traveled & ministered to. It was to the point that people already knew the gospel message before he got there because of the faithful ministry that had been started in Thessalonica.

Continuing on into the remainder of the chapter (vv. 9, 10), we find out what the definition of a Christian is, as well as what their work assignment is supposed to be. The first thing we see is that believers turn away from their idols and choose to serve a living and true God, the only living and true God. That is the first step, turning away from our old life and committing ourselves to live for Christ. Secondly, a believer is to patiently wait for the return of Jesus Christ (God's Son), who will rescue us from the wrath that is to come. At its very essence, that is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian; a Christian is someone who: 1) puts their faith in God for salvation, 2) loves God and serves Him with their life, and 3) patiently hopes & waits for the return of the Savior.

Even though this chapter is only ten verses long and serves primarily as an introduction and thank you, we can see that there's a lot of doctrine to be extracted, and we will do just that. As a recap, the main things that we take away from this chapter are: 1) Paul's thanksgiving for Thessalonica Bible Church, and 2) the work assignment that every believer is to have, as they emulate the model of the Thessalonians. Next time we'll look at chapter two, and further survey Paul's first epistle. Until then, keep serving our Lord!

1 Thessalonians Overview

LaRosa Johnson — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Now that we've taken an adequate amount of time doing the background work and have set the scene, we are now ready to begin taking a look at Paul's first epistle to the Thessalonians, which is his second epistle overall. But we aren't ready to dive into the verse-by-verse study just yet. First, we want to take time to look at the letter as a whole and become familiar with the overarching themes so that we don't lose our context when we're looking intently at single verses of Scripture. To do that, we're going to start with a broad overview of the epistle, and then we will outline each chapter individually, which will then have us prepared to start the in-depth study of the text. If you haven't already read through 1 Thessalonians in its entirety, I recommend that you do so before continuing with the rest of this devotion. If you have, then let's dive in.

As we read through the text of this epistle, especially the first few chapters, one thing in particular should become evident: Paul is writing a big thank you note. In this epistle, Paul is praising God the Father for the growth of Thessalonica Bible Church[1] and for allowing for this young body of believers to persevere in the midst of persecution. Along with that, another thing that we take notice of is the training ground that Thessalonica proved to be for Timothy after he was sent back to the city to reinforce the doctrine that Paul had taught to them before being kicked out of the city by unbelieving Jews. Those are just a few observations that should be obvious, but there is so much more to this letter.

1 Thessalonians has a lot of information in it, but in general, it can be broken down into two primary focuses: 1) reflection on the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1:1-3:13), and 2) instruction and teaching (1 Thess 4:1-5:28). In the first half of the letter, Paul spends his time reminiscing about these believers and his time with them, while the second half consists of a vast array of doctrinal teaching, all of which is applicable to present day believers. But, we can also break these two focuses down further, into multiple divisions per focus. Let's take a moment to look at the divisions for each of these focuses.

The first focus, Paul's reflection on Thessalonica Bible Church, contains at least three divisions. The first division can be found in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 and details Paul's commendation for the growth of these believers. It's here that he praises them for their faithfulness and growth, even during a time of persecution. Secondly, Paul spends time writing about the founding of the church and the circumstances surrounding that, which can be found in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16. The final section gives details of Timothy's strengthening of the church after his return; this is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13. Much of this portion of Scripture reads like a personal letter to this church, as it is such, but it also provides much detail concerning Paul's time in Thessalonica that we do not get in Luke's account in Acts (Acts 17:1-10). Even though this section is narrative, of sorts, there is still a wealth of application that we will glean from these chapters, so we will be no means rush through them.

The second focus is where Paul answers some of the questions that Timothy brought back with him, as he provides instruction and teaching. This section can be broken down into four divisions. The first division can be found in 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, which consists of direction for the growth of these believers and how they conduct themselves. They are doing well, but Paul encourages them to excel all the more. He then moves on to teach and give revelation concerning the dead in Christ in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, which will serve as a great bit of comfort to them. He follows this with the third division as he speaks on the coming Day of the Lord and the orientation that they should; this can be found in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Paul then ends the letter with instructions for holy living, with a barrage of imperatives in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28. Overall, even with its four divisions, the two overarching themes of this section are the practical exhortation for these believers to continue growing and to look forward to future events. This is likely where we will spend the bulk of our time in studying this epistle, as there is so much doctrine contained within these two chapters.

This provides a very broad overview of the epistle and what we can expect to study. Before we close, I also want to share a general outline that I've put together for our study, which will help guide you along the way as we begin to dive into the depths of Paul's teaching. This will help to keep you properly oriented to the context of the material that we're going to be studying, as well as serve as a means for memorizing the material contained in this epistle. You'll want to bookmark this so that you can constantly refer to it.

General Reflections (1 Thess 1:1-3:13)
1. Chapter One
  1. Greeting (1 Thess 1:1)
  2. Thanksgiving for a Good Example (1 Thess 1:2-10)
2. Chapter Two
  1. Paul's Conduct & Example / Founding the Church (1 Thess 2:1-12)
  2. The Gospel: Received & Opposed (1 Thess 2:13-16)
  3. Longing to Visit the Church (1 Thess 2:17-20)
3. Chapter Three
  1. The Ministry of Timothy (1 Thess 3:1-5)
  2. Timothy's Encouraging Report (1 Thess 3:6-10)
  3. Prayer for the Church (1 Thess 3:11-13)
Instructional Teaching (1 Thess 4:1-5:28)
1. Chapter Four
  1. Sanctification and Purity (1 Thess 4:1-8)
  2. Disciplined Living (1 Thess 4:9-12)
  3. Rapture Doctrine (1 Thess 4:13-18)
2. Chapter Five
  1. The Day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:1-11)
  2. Instructions on Holy Living (1 Thess 5:12-22)
  3. Benediction (1 Thess 5:23-28)

As we close, you can see that there's a lot of material to cover in these five small chapters. Don't get overwhelmed though, because we're going to take our time walking through it and make sure that we walk away with a proper understanding of what it is that the Holy Spirit will have us to learn through this study. Next time, we will continue to focus our lens as we begin a series of five devotions that will give a chapter-by-chapter outline of the epistle. Once we've done that, we will finally be ready for the verse-by-verse teaching. Until then, keep your armor on!

Footnotes

[1] Thessalonica Bible Church is the name that we will use from now on to refer to the group of believers in Thessalonica. This nickname was coined by my pastor, Bob Bolender of Austin Bible Church, who uses such names to refer to the local church where an epistle was written (i.e. Corinth Bible Church for the Corinthian believers).

Big R - Rated R

Prince Woodrow — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:22:57 +0000

Album Overview

Christian Hip-Hop is now Rated R! Big R dropped his new album Rated R with the motif that Christian music as a whole is restricted from the pop culture and the radio. Big R achieves this theme by placing the listener on the set of a movie scene to help relate to the idea of being rated R. Throughout the album you will hear a “movies director’s voice” shouting familiar terms like “action!” or “cut!”

Rated R has a good flow from track to track, for the most part. There are a couple of tracks that have interludes tacked on at the end of the songs that would have been better off as separate tracks. As for the beats on the album, there was only one that I didn’t really like. The rest of the beats were straight bangin’! Both the fast pace and slow pace beats are on point. Big R did a great job of picking a variety of sounds that are pleasing to the listener's ear. The beats do have a southern style to them, so if that’s what you’re looking for then look no more.

There are also a lot of catchy choruses on this album. After my first day listening to the album, I kept singing “Love You Better” and “Re Up;” and my brother was, “like what are you singing!?” Now, although the choruses are good, in a few of the songs it seems as if the bars in the lyrics have very little to do with what the chorus is talking about and vice versa; this didn’t happen in all of the songs though. It could just be me, but it's a little hard to stay focused on the subject of the song when the choruses don't relate. Rated R presents a good deal of topics, but there could have been a bit more expounding on some of them. Some songs were only two verses which made the album feel a little short. Lyrically, my favorite tracks on the album were “I tried,” “Love You Better,” and “On Fire.”

Spiritual Significance

Rated R is not a lyrically theological album, but the topics in the album are theologically sound. Big R’s purpose with the album was to give the listener a glimpse of his relationship with Jesus, which he did by rhyming about real life situations, out of which you can get biblical application. In “What’s it Gon’ Be”, Big R invites the listener to choose who they are going to serve and what they pursue: worldly things or the King of kings? Joshua 24:15 says, “...choose for yourselves today whom you will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

In “I Tried” Big R portrays the harmful effects of people that gossip and how it could hurt the person who trusted you with what they were telling you. Rumors and hearsay are tantalizing, exciting to hear, and make us feel like insiders, but they tear people down. If someone trusts and shares with us private information that they do not want to be passed on, then we must handle it with care. If we don’t initiate gossip, we are still responsible if we pass it on. Don’t circulate rumors, squelch them.

The song “Re Up” talks about being regenerated (Titus 3:5), reconciled (Colossians 1:20), and redeemed (Galatians 3:13) by the blood of the Lamb. Regeneration means spiritual renewal and it’s what God does at the moment of salvation when someone accepts Christ as Savior and Lord. Regeneration begins in the believer’s soul and extends to our actions and the way we treat others. It can be seen as the new life that Christ gives us (Romans 6:4). Our sin makes a huge gap between us and God, and Jesus is the bridge that closes the gap. He has brought us back to God, or reconciled us with God. Jesus cleared away the sin that keeps us from having a right relationship with our Creator. That doesn’t mean that everyone is saved, but the way has been cleared for those who will trust Christ to be saved. Jesus has redeemed those who trust in Him to be saved. He bought us with His life (1 Cor. 6:20).

Topics covered

Christians being Restricted
Gossip
Standing Firm in the Faith
Choosing Jesus over everything else
Showing love towards others
Being on Fire for Christ

Key tracks

What’s it Gon’ Be, I Tried, Where Would I Go, On Fire feat. ReadyWriter & Brinson

1 Thessalonians Introduction: Part 3

LaRosa Johnson — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:04:38 +0000

Continuing where we left off in our introduction to Paul's epistle to the Thessalonians, we want to spend our time today looking at the circumstances that led Paul to pen a letter to this group of believers. To do that, we're going to look at the account that was given to us by one of Paul's traveling companion, Luke the physician, who penned the gospel of the same name, as well as Acts. So, if hearts and minds are prepared for the study of our Lord's Word, let us open our Bibles to Acts 17.

Acts 17:1-10 (NASB) - 1Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. 5But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them. 10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Regarding Paul's missionary visit to Thessalonica, this is all the information that is recorded by Luke in Acts, a sum of ten verses. Interestingly enough, we see that there was quite a bit going on, and it's a shame that we only have this handful of verses to work with because there is so much more to the story. Well, rest assured that we do have more information, and it'll come to us as we engage the text of Paul's epistle, but we will save that for when we get there. The first thing that we need to do is setup the picture so that we can orient ourselves to what is going on and how Paul and his team ended up in Thessalonica. So let's begin there.

If we go back a couple of chapters and look at Acts 15:36ff, we find Paul and Barnabas in Jerusalem after meeting with the apostles who were there. It was here that a council convened to clear up some of the errant doctrine that was being taught by some of the teachers. It was after this meeting, where they received instruction on what should be taught as foundational material, that Paul and Barnabas decided that it would be a good idea for them to visit the cities where they had previously proclaimed the gospel. After getting into a major disagreement over John Mark (i.e. the Mark that penned the gospel) the two decided to part ways and continue their work for the Lord. So, after embarking on his second missionary journey, "he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches" (Acts 15:41).

Skipping ahead a bit, after having several doors closed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 16:6, 7), Paul and his team eventually ended up in Philippi, where they were able to spend some time doing ministry. It was here that they ended up being beaten and thrown into prison after casting a demon out of a girl. This is also the encounter where the Philippian jailer comes to Christ after the earthquake. Shortly thereafter, Paul and his team are set free and urged to get out of town. It's at this point that Paul ends up traveling through Amphipolis and Apollonia before ending up in Thessalonica, which is the event that we have quoted above.

As per his custom, the first thing that Paul did when he entered a new city was to head to the local Jewish synagogue so that he could first proclaim the gospel message to the Jews of that area. He apparently had some success because for three consecutive sabbaths he was there proclaiming the gospel message to the Jews. Paul's message of the cross was powerful and some Jews believed, as well as some of the God-fearing Greeks (proselytes) and prominent women. It was during this time that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy were teaching these new believers the ways of God and how to be properly oriented to their new Christian life.

Now, we know that Paul was in the synagogue for three sabbaths, but we have no indication of how long he was actually in town before trouble started to stir up; but, we at least know that he & his team were there for at least a month's time. Either way, it wasn't long before some of the non-believing Jews became jealous and started to cause a ruckus and cause trouble. Knowing that they were likely staying with a man of the town named Jason, they brought him before the city's authorities proclaiming that the men he was housing were causing issues and commanding the people to live a life contrary to the decrees of Caesar and that there was another king. After getting the crowd stirred up, they eventually received a monetary pledge from Jason promising that Paul's team would leave town and not return. Immediately after being released by the authorities, Jason had Paul's missionary team leave town, sending them on their way to Berea, a nearby city.

That's it, that's all the information that Luke records. But, just from that account alone, we can see why Paul would have felt that it was necessary to write a letter to these new believers. He barely had any time to spend with them and train them up in the ways of the Lord, so he was adamantly concerned for their spiritual well-being, especially considering the stir that the Jews had caused which had forced him to leave town in the first place. As you continue to read on in Acts, you soon find out that it was shortly after this that Paul's team got split up, and they weren't able to meet back up until they had all reached Corinth, which is where Paul penned this epistle.

Haven gone through Acts, we now have enough background information to actually begin our study in 1 Thessalonians. So, next time, we will start with a broad sweeping overview of the epistle, as we take a chapter-by-chapter survey to acclimate ourselves to the letter's content. After we have done that, we will be more than ready to commence our verse-by-verse study. Until then, keep your armor on and be on guard!

13 Letters Curriculum

LaRosa Johnson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Bible? Check. Spiral? Check. [High]lighter? Check. Now dig in! You wanna know Him? You gotta dig in!

Those were the words that were constantly on repeat when I first got my copy of 13 Letters back in 2007. It was one of those albums that remained in heavy rotation and was constantly on repeat as I soaked up the lyrical presentation of Reach Records' biblical survey of the Apostle Paul's epistles. Even to this day, two years later, the album has heavy replay value. It was one of those projects that I felt could play such an impact that I purchased a dozen copies or so just so that I could give them away and bless people with them.

One of the things that had me excited about the 13 Letters project was that I knew what was coming down the pipeline. The label had emphasized that they weren't just going to stop with the album, but their ministry ReachLife was working on a curriculum to accompany the album. Lecrae and the rest of the 116 Clique recognized the uniqueness of this project and knew the far-reaching impact that it could have on believers, turning them into disciples.

Now after spending countless hours and dollars, ReachLife Ministries is pleased to present the 13 Letters Curriculum; a 13 week survey of the Pauline epistle, 1-1-Six style. The purpose of the curriculum is to walk students through each of Paul's letters, showing how they relate to life today and urban culture, as well unpacking general biblical truth.

So, what we're going to set out to do is give you an overview of what you can expect to get from this 13 week study, and to let you know whether or not it lives up to the hype.

Overview of the Curriculum

The 13 Letters Curriculum is a multimedia experience like none other, especially when it comes to the urban and hip-hop communities. It's a Bible study series that not only comes with a study guide, but also has an accompanying music CD (13 Letters compilation) and a series of video lessons on DVD to help bring home the lessons in a practical manner. To quote from the 13 Letters website:

Over 13 weeks, artists such as Lecrae, Tedashii, Sho Baraka, Trip Lee, Flame, and Shai Linne will present a brief survey of each of the Pauline Epistles, while highlighting each of the major themes from each book. Voices from the street will also give their input on these truths. Students will leave this study with a better understanding of each Pauline Epistle as well as how it applies to them in their daily life.

With that, the idea of this curriculum is that an individual will get together a group of people and go through this 13 week study with them. For example, a youth leader at a church would purchase a copy of the curriculum and go through it with his youth group. He would lead the study, have the group listen to the corresponding song, go through the lyrics & commentary, discuss the material, and finally watch the video. They would do this for each of the 13 weeks, and by the time they're done, the students will have a good understanding of the Pauline epistles and how it relates to their lives. The great thing about this curriculum is that it doesn't have to be done in a church setting. Someone could very easily do this in their home with a group of friends or youth from their neighborhood as a means of making disciples in their community. Whatever your sphere of influence, this curriculum fits the bill.

The Setup

The setup is basically as we just described. Whoever is going to lead the study gets a group of students together who will agree and be dedicated to going through the 13 week study. The location can vary, whether it be a church, someone's home, or at a youth center, it doesn't really matter. As long as you have a television and DVD player (or even a computer with a DVD player) then you can have a class.

Since the curriculum is based off the 13 Letters compilation album, the music CD is an integral part of the study. Each song on the album corresponds to one of Paul's epistles, so a leader would play that song for his group as a means of getting things started. Personally, I would even kick off a class with "Dig In" as the theme song and a means of getting everyone hype and focused on the task at hand.

Once the song has been played (i.e. "It's Yours" for the 2 Timothy lesson), that's when the actual study begins, as the class begins to discuss the lyrical content and the corresponding biblical commentary. This is where the teacher and students go through their notebooks and look at the lyrics & commentary that have been highlighted, as well as interjecting any of their own that they think are relevant. This is where much of the meat of the study will come from, as you flip open your Bible, highlight key verses, and discuss the key points from Scripture.

After you're done working through the song, lyrics & commentary, pop in the video and watch a 10-15 minute video that hits on the key themes from each epistle. At this point, your students can take notes as 116 Clique members share their heart concerning these epistles. Also, watch as random individuals are interviewed and share their worldview about the different points being discussed. This is definitely the highlight of the study, as the production quality is top-notch. When the video is done, the leader will dive into the rest of the study armed with a series of discussion questions for the group to go through and discuss.

That's the curriculum in a nutshell and how a typical study would look. Of course, it can be modified and adjusted to suit your audience in order to keep them engaged. The main thing, though, is that this isn't merely for entertainment value, but to teach them the principles and truths from God's Word so that they can be God-fearing disciples who love & serve Jesus Christ.

What Do You Get?

We've talked about the curriculum and what it looks like, but what all do you get with it? Well, that all depends on what package you're getting. There is, of course, the Leader's Kit, which contains all of the course material; but, there is also a basic Student Pack and a Deluxe Student Pack. Below, we detail what is contained in each.

Leader's Kit

3 DVD's packed with 13 weekly video lessons that will give a survey of each Pauline epistle and engage discussion from students on issues facing them in today's culture.
A 116 Clique 13 Letters CD.
A Leaders Guide which includes a lyrical commentary and application questions to help you teach through each book in depth.

Student Pack

A 13 Letters notebook with song lyrics, lyrical commentary on each book, and sections for note taking on each theme. Each Student Notebook also includes a 13 Letters CD inside the cover.
An ESV New Testament Paperback Bible.

Deluxe Student Pack

A 13 Letters notebook with song lyrics, lyrical commentary on each book, and sections for note taking on each theme. Each Student Notebook also includes a 13 Letters CD inside the cover.
A 13 Letters backpack.
A 13 Letters Pen + Highlighter (Check!).
An ESV New Testament Paperback Bible.

Each of these materials can be purchased @ ReachLife's online store (link @ the bottom of this article), with discounts available when purchasing in bulk quantities.

Video Images

Overall Thoughts

What are my thoughts on the 13 Letters Curriculum? Simply put, it's needed, a lot. Over the years in the Christian hip-hop community there has been a good deal of talk about getting people saved and having them grow in Christ, but no one has taken up the mantle to produce resources that are relevant to the culture and community they're trying to reach. In many respects, it has been left up to the local churches to raise up these people, many of which are not equipped to reach an urban culture in their own language. With that, I think that ReachLife Ministries has taken a monumental task and done a phenomenal job of putting together a biblically sound resource that doesn't cut corners in any area.

The videos are high quality and the resources are well thought out. Did I mention that you even get a copy of the 13 Letters CD?! I mean, really, what more can you really ask for? Reach has a heart for raising up disciples and putting out resources like this makes it all the more evident. It shows where their hearts are and that it's much deeper than just releasing hot CDs. The best part is that this 13 Letters Curriculum is only the beginning and there will be plenty more to come in the future.

If you're wondering if this is worth the money, it definitely is. Sure, the Leader's Kit is a bit pricey, but when you take into account all that went into putting it together, it's worth every penny. Also, consider how much you'd pay for something similar from a larger & more well-known Bible publisher; you'd probably pay double or triple that price. So, in that regard, it's a bargain. Plus, the Student Packs are affordable for everyone, especially when you remember that every pack comes with a CD, which you'd easily pay $15 for at your local retailer.

Who Is This For?

Finally, who is this for? I'd say that it's for anyone who is influenced by hip-hop and urban culture. If you're a church with youth who are a part of the urban culture, then this is something that is worth owning and doing at least once a year with the youth. It's also great for families who want to train up their children in the Word and get them grounded in the Scriptures (i.e. I plan on going through this with my eldest son). This is also something that would be extremely valuable for campus ministries on colleges & universities. Even if you have a group of people in your neighborhood who could benefit, it's worth having. Frankly, it's for everyone who is open and willing to learn more about the Pauline epistles, young and old.

If you're a leader, it's worth owning & teaching through it. If you're a student who wants to have it taught to them, then recommend it to someone who can teach it to you. Hey, it's even worth having if you want to go through it by yourself!

Purchase Your Copy

Holiness of God - Leviticus 20:7

LaRosa Johnson — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:59:40 +0000

Artist: shai linne & Timothy Brindle
Song: Holiness of God
Album: Grassroots

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Just for a moment today, I want to touch again on the issue of holiness within the Body of Christ. Previously, we looked at how holiness relates to us in the fact that God calls His people to be holy because He is holy. But the question remains, just how holy is God? If we look through Scripture we find several examples, especially in the Old Testament of just how holy God really is. It is this holiness that we need to keep in mind when we are worshiping the Lord and honoring His name.

So, how holy is God? Let's take a look at some examples from the Old Testament, and then let's bring it back to relate it to us. Now, during the time of Moses, the people chose to not hear from God themselves, but asked for a mediator between the two (Moses), and as a result God established the temple system and had them build the ark of the covenant, which would house the Commandments and other artifacts; this ark was to serve as a physical representation of the presence of God in the lives of the children of Israel. With that in mind, let us continue.

We can start first with the sons of Aaron, Nadab & Abihu; these two, along with the rest of the levitical line were called to be God's holy priests. Well, Nadab & Abihu offered a sacrifice that went against what God had prescribed and they were killed by God because of it. What about Uzzah? David and his people were transporting the ark to another location and during the journey the ark was about to fall over; to keep it from hitting the ground, Uzzah touched it with his hand (which was forbidden because God is holy) and was immediately killed by the Lord. Or what about Uzziah who decided that he wanted to offer up incense to the Lord? He was stricken with leprosy for the rest of his days.

Those are just a few examples, but you can get the idea of just how holy our God is. Without Christ paying the penalty for our sins and being made holy through Him, we are sinful beings that have no right to even begin to enter into the presence of God. We can't be like Uzzah, who thought that he was cleaner than the dusty ground; we have to realize who we are and how unholy we are before a holy God. We also can't get so prideful and think that we can just offer up any old praise to the Lord and think that it will be acceptable to Him, just look at what happened to Nadab, Abihu, and Uzziah. Even though God probably won't strike us down today for those same infractions, He is still the same holy God that we find in the Old Testament and we need to honor Him as such. Just like we are told in 1 Peter 1:15-16, God is holy, and we are to be holy too.

Too often, in this day & age, we play with God, thinking that He is not really as powerful as Scripture says He is. Just remember that God is not mocked, and that we will ultimately reap what we sow. Let us work towards holiness and give God all the honor that He deserves; let us worship Him as God and Father, the Creator of the universe, instead of a homeboy or buddy. Amen? Amen.

66 Books - Matthew 22:29, Psalm 1:2, Isaiah 40:8

LaRosa Johnson — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Artist: B. Morr
Song: 66 Books
Album: Self Denial

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You know, one of the things that I enjoy most about the Bible is that it has been able to stand the test of time and any criticism that has come its way over the course of centuries. No matter what schemes people have come up with to disprove the validity of the Bible, there is always something unearthed that continues to prove the Bible to be true. What's more, I am left in awe when I look at how this canon of Scripture has been preserved and compiled into the 66 books that we currently have today. I absolutely love the Word of God and it is the world's bestselling book, period. Shoot, I can't even tell you how many Bibles I've been through over the course of my Christian life. But this is what we want to look at today, we want to discuss the sufficiency of Scripture, that is this bestseller that has endured throughout time.

There are passages all throughout the Bible that point to its status as the Word of God and it's enduring power, so let's take a look at just a few of them.

Matthew 22:29 (ESV) - But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

Psalm 1:2 (ESV) - but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Isaiah 40:8 (ESV) - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

All of these are very powerful passages, but the point of these is not necessarily to point to the infallibility of Scripture, but to show the kind of delight that we should have in the Bible because of its power. Much like Isaiah 40:8 shows the Bible's staying power, we should also look at passages like 2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which clearly show us the power of Scripture for teaching, doctrine, and correction. The Word is powerful and divine, and time has been the proof of that, but it means nothing if we don't have the right view of it.

For the atheist or agnostic, the power of the Word is nonexistent because they don't have the right view of God and the infallibility of Scripture. Many will look at it as simply a fairy tale full of stories, or an outdated book of morals that was good for the time, or just a good piece of historical writing. A lot of this belief hinges on the fact that they deny the deity of Jesus Christ as the eternal and living Son of God who was resurrected from the grave; if they choose to believe that, then they will have to take a different approach to the rest of Scripture, especially those numerous prophetic passages that pointed to Christ, as well as the epistles that teach us how to conduct ourselves as followers of Christ. This is the kind of idea that is depicted in Matthew 22:29; there are people who spend their whole life studying the Scriptures, yet still don't get it, and they simply cannot understand the power of Scripture. I remember a college professor I had freshman year, and he was one of the most knowledgeable people about the New Testament Scriptures, but the man was an agnostic. Why? Because he couldn't come to grips with the reality of the resurrection and the power of Scripture.

The Christian, who has been redeemed and enlightened to the power of Scriptures, should have a completely different mindset. We should be like the blessed man described in Psalm 1:2 whose delight is in the Word of God and meditates on it day and night. In other words, the believer should have a great appreciation for the Bible and all that is contained in it. Many have said that it is God's love letter to us, and with that in mind, we should be delighted to want to read the precious words that He has preserved for us throughout the course of time. Going back to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we know that this book alone is profitable for doctrine, training, and correction; as a result of that, we should know that we can go to the Word in order to find the "meaning of life" and learn how we should live out our lives so that we can be pleasing in His sight. More than anything else (that's more than our significant other, or television, or anything), the Word should be our delight, and we should be like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) who were diligent to study to make sure all that they were taught was true. Want to be solid in doctrine? It's in the Bible! Want to know the history of man or the purpose to life? It's in the Bible! Want to know how to live your life and raise your children? It's in the Bible! Want a successful marriage? The answer is in the Bible!

Indeed this is the bestseller, and for those that find the power of God in it, it is so much more. If you're a Christian reading this, then you should cherish the words that are found within the pages of your Bible. Dive into the Word and fall in love with it all over again and know that it is God's message left to us. It has been preserved for us, so that we might know Him, and the only way we can know that is by reading it. More than anything else, the Bible is enough and all that we need in this life. Take time today to meditate on these passages and remember the words of Psalm 119:11. These 66 books are so amazing and continue to leave me amazed at just how awesome God is. Amen? Amen!

Cross Movement - Higher Definition

Prince Woodrow — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:37:06 +0000

Album Overview

We live in an age in which there have been many advancements made in technology, one of those being high definition televisions. With a high def TV you get, better color, better resolution, better sound, and just overall you get a better experience and higher quality when watching TV. In our lives, God has called us to live by higher standards (His standards) rather than the world’s standards. He has called us to live by Higher Definition, and that is the name of the 5th album release from The Cross Movement.

Musically, Higher Definition has a wide variety of sounds which makes the album good for replay. This album has some head bangers (“Its Time” and “Jersey and Fitteds”), it has smooth joints (“Lord You Are” and “We”), and everything in between.

I am amazed at how these cats combine their knowledge of the scriptures and their God given talent to lyrically rhyme to spread the gospel and help grow draw closer to Christ! If you are looking for an album with raw lyrics then do not pass this one up! Not only are their lyrics sound in doctrine, but they also have a variety of punch lines that are good candidates for status’ on facebook! Lol.

Spiritual Significance

This album is packed with spiritual significance so let’s get right to it! In the intro track “Civilian Affairs” the believer is compared to a soldier at war. This is a good analogy because soldiers must train and prepare for war to make sure they are ready just like Christians should train and prepare themselves for trials, temptations, witnessing, and ultimately train themselves to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:7-8).

“Lord You Are” talks about the attributes of God and the importance of focusing on who He is and not what He does. Too often people come to Christ because they want a blessing or because they want to be happier. If Christ is to be glorified in his people, their following must be rooted not mainly in his promised gifts or threatened punishments, but in his glorious Person. Indeed, the works of the Lord are great (Psalms 111:2), but the works are great because the Lord is great.

The importance of pursing heavenly treasures and not worldly treasures is addressed in the song “Jersey’s and Fitteds.” People chose to delight in things other than God and receive temporary satisfaction. In John chapter 4 Jesus tells us that if we seek satisfaction in anything other than “the Living Water,” then we will always be thirsty and never be satisfied. It’s important to realize and remember that what is seen is temporary (2 Cor. 4:18) and that it will pass away. In the song, The Ambassador says, “don’t miss out on what God has/and find out you never got treasure you got trash.” Can’t sum it up any better than that!

“Epiphany” talks about our need and call to walk in and shine the light of Christ. Matthew 5:14-16 says “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Nobody lights a lamp just to cover it up! Rather, it is placed somewhere it can be used by all who need it. That’s how it is with the light of Christians. We are to let the light of Christ shine through us to benefit and serve others.

That was just some of the spiritual significance that can be pulled out of this album, go out and purchase Higher definition for the rest!

Topics Covered

Being a soldier for Christ
Walking in the light vs walking in darkness
Seeking Christ for who He is
Refining the ways of the world
Need for Jesus in Hip hop
Modeling your life after other Christians

Key Tracks

Redefined, Lord Your Are, Card Shark, Jersey’s and Fitteds, Epiphany

B. Morr - Search Me

Gary Collins — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:34:05 +0000

Album Overview

Search Me, wow, what a serious and bold question. I've read the Bible and seen the Psalmist pose this question to God. I also made sure that I read over it so fast that it never had a chance to sink in and get into my spirit for me to take action on it. I don't believe I've ever had the courage to ask that question to God because I never wanted to see who I really was. Being totally aware that God already saw everything about me made no difference; I just didn't want to see. I wanted to be content with my current condition and not strive to do any better. I thank God that I was given the opportunity to do this album review!

Lyrically it was a good project. B. Morr did a good job at mixing flows and delivering a few punch lines throughout. He delivered a few change-ups with guest bars performed by B. Doe, Believin' Stephen (who is showing huge growth as an artist), Evangel (one of my favorite emcees), Israel Felix, and Average Joe.

The production was decent; most of it was mellow featuring piano chords and string arrangements, but it was nice. The only song that really got my neck muscles working was "Take Me Out;" the synth arrangement they went with was bananas; loved it. It really didn't seem as if B. Morr's heart was in trying to hook people with hot beats; from what I gathered about the album his focus was lyrical content and conveying a message of repentance and pursuit of holiness.

Spiritual Significance

This album is not one of those that you will just bang your head to all day/night long, although there are some bonafide bangers on there. In my opinion this is an album written for believers because it should provoke introspection. This album is written, constructed, and delivered in a way that self inspection is the only thing you can really do as a believer in Christ.

From the introduction of this album you get a sense that B. Morr's goal has nothing to do with entertainment. Is the album entertaining? Yes, but it is more of an exhortation to holiness and dependence on Christ, as well as turning away from the desires of the flesh. Every song is pumped full of scriptural principles for everyday living. The intro deals with explaining the meaning behind the title Search Me and the narrator points listeners directly to Psalm 139 and notes how the Psalmist's request is not an insult or doubt of God's omniscience; it is a plea for God to reveal to the author the truth of his doings in order for correction that he might be pleasing in God's sight.

Another song that stands out is "Ungrateful." This song asks several very poignant questions aimed straight at the believer's heart. Questions like: Is Christ your true contentment or do we act like Hosea's wife (look at the first two chapters of Hosea if you are unfamiliar with the story)? How do we behave when things don't go our way? In response to this question, B. Morr goes on to say that when we complain about the obstacles in our life we are actually showing our disapproval of God's plan for our life. Ouch! There are so many topics and thoughts posed in this song that you have to hear it to get the full measure of the song's potency.

The last song I want to examine for spiritual significance is "Overseas." This song is dedicated to martyrdom and persecution of the saints in distant lands. This song almost brought me to tears as I was listening to it. It depicts the images of how American Christians take so much for granted like: being able to profess our faith, worshiping publicly, having Bibles, and being able to openly fellowship with other believers. It also highlights how Americans really don't know what persecution or struggle is when we complain about stuff that doesn't matter when our brothers and sisters in foreign lands are being tortured and put to death for the name of Christ. Since that type of persecution is predicted in the Bible the events themselves are not a shock, but it does make me wonder about us here in America. Would we still write rhymes about Christ and boast of the One we serve in the face of such great persecution? I don't know, but I do know we need to have those brothers and sisters in our hearts and make petition to God for their strength and steadfastness in what they believe. Dope song.

If I could rate this album on spiritual significance alone I would give it 5 out of 5 mics. Seriously, it's not the best in terms of production or flat out lyricism, but the content therein is edifying to the body of Christ and focused on drawing us closer to the God we serve.

Topics Covered

Flesh versus the Spirit (A few thoughts)
Repentance (Repentance)
Issues specific to men and women (Guys and Dolls)

Key Tracks

Take Me Out, Overseas, Canons of Douglas, Share My Life

Truth for Life Sermon Archive

LaRosa Johnson — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:25:10 +0000

A few months ago, Dr. John MacArthur and Grace to You opened up their extensive sermon archive so that people could freely download sermon MP3s. This was a tremendous move as it allowed people all over the world to have access to in-depth Bible teaching at no cost.

Well, now there is another Bible teacher who is moving his ministry in the same direction and is choosing to open up his sermon archive. Alistair Begg and Truth for Life have announced that they are opening up Alistair Begg's sermon archive and allowing them to be freely downloaded.

Here is a snippet of their official announcement:

For the past 14 years, our ministry has taken place primarily through daily and weekend radio programs that air on over 1,200 radio outlets. Through the radio broadcasts, millions of people have heard the truth of God’s Word preached and have seen their lives changed.

We now have an exciting opportunity to pursue a new avenue of ministry as an organization. While our commitment to radio as a vehicle to spread God’s Word remains unchanged, we have seen an entire audience interacting with us solely online -- through our e-mails, online broadcasts, podcasts, and downloadable resources. We believe that our current online audience represents only a small portion of the people using the Internet today who would benefit from the teaching we produce, yet who are unlikely to listen to Truth For Life on the radio.

For more information, please visit the link below:
http://www.truthforlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=abt_freedownload

JustMe - "How I Met Your Mother"

LaRosa Johnson — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:39:30 +0000

ILLECT Recordings and JustMe want to share this track in celebration of this special Mother's Day holiday where we all remember our mother.

The first song recorded for JustMe's new album, Before The Twilight, was self-produced. As a matter of fact, "How I Met Your Mother" is the only song on the album not produced by North Carolina native Commissioner Gordon. With that said, it is all the more personal and touching. Like "Latenight Lullaby" from his 2006 release, One Man's Trash, "How I Met Your Mother" is a song sung directly to Justin's son Jake. It is a beautiful story about a man changed by love, in more ways than one. Enjoy!

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JustMe "Before the Twilight" is available now on iTunes
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=78960106

How I Met Your Mother

If you can't take the heat then get out the kiln
The ladies say "oh snap" like Men On Film
And if you don't get that then you're young for real
Because I used to get that for my tongue and grill
I hung and chilled with players, thieves, and rhyme sayers
And impressed the women that dressed in less layers
I rocked Nautica, Polo, not to run solo was the mission
Not realizing for what I'm wishing
Hugging and kissing was all in the plans
My old man said "you don't go back to holding hands"
And I realize now, that's true
But that was way before I even thought about you
And I wasn't really

Frightened, I was doing my thang
Had game, got dames, wanted fame, and I wasn't really
Frightened, had no fear of God in me
I was looking up to ballers and rappers with envy, I was
Frightened of being alone
And living my life without spouse and home, I was
Frightened, and that's real for a brother
Here goes the story how I met your mother

When Tiger Woods was at Stanford getting pampered
Women threw their drawers at me like the Laker-girls hamper
But I wasn't doing their math, changed path
Calculated but debated, could it stay in the past?
It was crazy wasn't it? Cut-up wasn't cutting it
What up? to my cousin when I see him in the streets
Found love hidden written on these super-thin sheets
Not the kind that you sleep in, the kind that you read
It was no small feet like the NBA
For me to say "no" when they ask "please stay"
And I can see now, that's grace
I thank God everytime I look at your face 'cause back then I was

Frightened of being stuck with a girl
That didn't want the same things out of this world, I was
Frightened, Had the fear of God in me
I looked up to no other man with envy, I was
Frightened of being alone
And living my life without spouse and home, I was
Frightened, and that's real for a brother
Here goes the story how I met your mother

She worked at Blockbuster and I felt all flustered
For the first couple months, then I got that number
But, failed to use it for lack of a movement
Or transportation, I should say, anyway
Only the lonely relate 'cause when she phoned it was great
Even though I never gave her the digits
She looked it up at work and it made me smirk
The date was set in a matter of minutes
Flirtation, conversation in an IHOP booth
I could tell she's motivated because I sought truth
And you can tell it's all part of God's plan
To bring the right woman once he's made a man, but I was still

Frightened that she wouldn't believe
Take me the wrong way and be deceived, I was
Frightened that I would mess it up
And have to much pride to be fessing up, I was
Frightened of being alone
And living my life without spouse and home, I was
Frightened, and that's real for a brother
Here goes the story how I met your mother

www.illect.com

1 Thessalonians Introduction: Part 2

LaRosa Johnson — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:00:00 +0000

To begin our study in 1 Thessalonians, it's only appropriate that we begin by getting some background information on the city that we're dealing with. Just like you wouldn't move to a new city without first finding out some pertinent information, you shouldn't begin studying a book of the Bible without first getting yourself oriented to the geography, culture, and people that the author is writing to or about. If you don't have that basic information, it becomes very easy to put your own spin on the text and completely lose the author's original intention for writing said letter. So, with that in mind, let's begin with some basic history and information.

Our study of Thessalonica (Θεσσαλονίκη) begins with some geography. This city is a Macedonian city, located on the Thermaic Gulf (in the northern part of the Aegean Sea). A major port city, Thessalonica, presently known as Thessaloniki or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and is also the capital of Macedonia, the nation's largest region. According to the 2001 census, the city boasts a population of over 360,000. At present, Thessalonica is the second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center of Greece, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe.

The city of Thessalonica was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, a general in Alexander the Great's army; the city was named in honor of his wife, Thessalonikeia, the daughter of Philip II and the half-sister of Alexander. This new city was comprised of many surrounding towns, including ancient Therma. In 167 BC, Macedonia was divided into four districts, and Thessalonica became the capital of the second division (Macedonia), which later became a Roman province, thus making it the center for Roman administration. As a result of their loyalty to Antony and Ocatavian during the second civil war between Caesar and Pompey (42 BC), Thessalonica was privileged with the status of a free city, meaning that it was ruled by its own governing officials under the Roman Empire. This shred of truth is evidenced in Acts 17:6-8 when we find Luke using the term "politarch," which has been found in an inscription on the Vardar Gate and other inscriptions from the area.

We mentioned that Thessalonica was, and still is, a major port city, but they were also a part of the Egnatian Way. The Egnatian Way was an overland route from Italy to the East, and it ran right through the city. This provided the city with a great deal of traffic from travelers, as it was a popular stopping point along the way for merchant both merchant and religious activities. The Egnatian Way would become an integral part of the ministry that would pour forth from this city after the founding of its church by Paul. And, just as a means of making the picture clearer, it was estimated that anywhere between 100,000-200,000 people lived in and around Thessalonica during the first century.

That pretty much covers the geographic and political status of the city, but we don't want to forget about the religious situation that existed, especially during the time that Paul visited and wrote this letter. Thessalonica was a city with a wide variety of religious activity going on. Not only did it house Jewish and Samaritan synagogues, but it was also a place of worship for many other pagan religions. In particular, there is evidence that the cult of Cabiri, the cult of the god Serapis, as well as a cult associated with the goddess Isis. There was also significant worship of Greek gods such as Zeus (who was represented in their coins), Aphrodite, Dionysus, and others. To sum up the Thessalonian religious experience, it was a hodgepodge of beliefs trying to co-exist together, much like we see in America today. It is this religious system that Paul was facing when he entered the city, preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Now that we have an understanding of the geographic, political, and religious background of Thessalonica, we are now ready to move forward in our study. Next time we'll begin looking at the circumstances that surrounded the writing of this letter, including beginning a brief study of Acts 17, which details Paul's time in the city. Until then, read through the epistle in its entirety and keep your armor on. God bless!

Map of Thessalonica

Bibliography

Achtemeier, Paul J., Publishers Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature. Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.

Elwell, Walter A. and Philip Wesley Comfort. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Tyndale reference library. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

Thessaloniki. (2009, May 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 15:12, May 6, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thessaloniki&oldid=288327794

Welcome to the New TM Site

LaRosa Johnson — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:32:47 +0000

Welcome to the new Trailblazin Ministries website. As you've probably noticed, quite a bit has changed since your last visit. We're sporting a brand new design, which I'm really liking, but that's not the biggest change. The biggest change that we've made is changing the backend of our website from Movable Type (a blogging software that we somewhat customized for our purposes) to Drupal (a tried & true content management system [was Joomla for a lil' while]). For most visitors, this doesn't change anything, but it will allow us the flexibility to easily grow and expand in the future.

One cool thing is the forum is now completely integrated as a part of the website, which allows for a single unified login. In the future, we will use this to provide exclusive content to registered users.

A lot of work went into this and I'm very glad that it's done. Overall, I really hope that you enjoy the new look and continue to stay tuned. We should have new devos coming your way, both on Joseph and 1 Thessalonians. I'm finally ready to start writing and George is grinding as he works on his devotions.

So, until then, God bless!

1 Thessalonians Introduction: Part 1

LaRosa Johnson — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

"To the church of the Thessalonians…"

As we embark upon our next expositional book study, I think it’s best that we start slowly and put first things first. Before we dive right into a verse-by-verse study of a new epistle, it’s important that we first lay the ground work for this letter, which includes some fact finding and answering basic questions such as: who? what? where? when? and why? Over the course of the next few studies, that is what we’re going to focus on before we even touch a single verse of Scripture in this epistle.

Why take the time to do all of that? The reason is because a part of doing proper Bible study is to put yourself in the right context, which means getting your isagogics (introductory studies) done first. Before we can start exegeting Scripture, we first have to understand who the author(s) is, who the recipients are, the date of the letter, the culture, and so many other aspects. If we don’t have those facts down first, then we will never be able to look at this book of the Bible through the same lenses that the original recipients used, which will lead us down a path of faulty interpretation. With that in mind, that is why it is essential to know this information beforehand, as it will ultimately lead to having a greater appreciation for the letter and the doctrine contained therein.

Our series of introductory lessons will seek to lay the groundwork for the rest of this study. In doing so, we will begin with a look at the history of Thessalonica and its geography, the city where these believers lived. Once we do that, we’ll then begin to examine Scripture and survey the circumstances surrounding the writing of this letter, including discovering who these recipients are and who exactly wrote this letter. When all of the preliminary questions have been answered, we will take a quick overview of the book as a whole and outline its chapters so that we can have a broad picture. It’s only after we have painted with broad strokes that can we crack open our Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and make the picture clear with finer brush strokes to lay out the details.

So, next time, we will officially begin our study of 1 Thessalonians, starting with a history of Thessalonica. Until then, read through the epistle in its entirety and familiarize yourself with it. Keep your armor on!

UrbanWordz Episode #19 - Slaves for Christ

LaRosa Johnson — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

urbanwordz_20090408.mp3

Episode #19 of the UrbanWordz podcast is on a topic that I've been studying for a while. I've always been interested in the Greek word δουλος, so I wanted to do a study on it; this podcast is the result of that study. We perform a bit of a word study on this word and then investigate what the New Testament Scriptures have to say in regard to being a slave, especially as it relates to us as present day believers. After listening to this episode, I'm sure that you'll be surprised at how this word is translated and, more importantly, used in the New Testament. So, get yourself girded up as you prepare for a lesson in slave talk. It's my prayer that after listening to this, you'll be better equipped to be a slave of Jesus Christ!

PDF Download

Click here to download the PDF outline.

PowerPoint Slideshow

Slaves For Christ

View more presentations from Larosa Johnson.

God's Incorruptible Servant: Joseph, Son of Jacob and Rachel: Part 2 - Genesis 37

George Sly — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Last time, we discussed Joseph's birth and how he was born through his father and mother. Now it is time to get into his story in more detail. In Genesis 37, Jacob has settled back in Canaan with his family, where we find out that he shows Joseph more love than his other sons (Genesis 37:3). This makes sense, right? It is not too far fetched to understand that as parents grow older and still have kids they tend to be softer on their younger children. I don't know about you, but I've met many older men that have numerous children. In each case, older fathers I have met have been very fond of their younger children. I am no psychological expert, but one rationale for older men seemingly becoming better fathers is maybe they have more free-time, more financial resources, and their experience helps them to be more thoughtful, as well as proactive. In Jacob's case, this is a valid point of view; he definitely built his economic resources while working for Laban. Since that time, it seems that he may have also learned many valuable lessons in the process that helped him to become a wise and mature father. I think another good point to note is Jacob's love for Rachel. This is even more important in order to understand why Jacob favored Joseph. She was his first choice to marry and it would make a lot of sense that he favored her children over Leah's. Let's not forget, he was tricked into marrying Leah. So, it would be totally understandable that although he may have been a responsible husband and father, at the same time he held a stronger affection to the family he originally intended to have, which would have been with Rachel.

Another thing I notice here is a younger sibling being rebuked by his older siblings. Even though in the end we know Joseph's dreams were right on, imagine how you would feel if your younger brother told you one day that you would bow to them. On the surface I think most of us may get offended. I know I would have, especially knowing my own little brother. He was coddled more and given much different rearing than I did. My parents were much younger and understandably less mature with me. It was through their experience raising me that led to him being treated much softer than I was. They had time to grow as parents in some ways and changed their behavior a bit by the time he was born. Any older sibling would feel this was unfair and I can only imagine how Joseph's older brothers must have felt seeing Jacob treat him with more love. So, although his brothers obviously are not correct in their treatment of Joseph, let's at least try and understand where they are coming from in order to gain insight into how they came to this state of mind. Jacob initially felt the same way that his sons did about Joseph's dreams. The difference is the reaction of his heart. He holds on to patience and kept the matter in his mind (Genesis 37:11). Later in the story, we see that Jacob recalled this dream. We also see Mary making a similar recollection in the NT during Jesus' ministry (Luke 2:19, 51): "19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often....51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart."

Now, in the second half of the chapter, the brothers' anger about Joseph's dreams truly manifests itself when they seize the chance to get rid of him. He is there to obey Jacob's directive and check on how they were doing with the flocks. It is easy to see from following the story that this anger was not just as simple as Joseph telling them a dream they did not like. These guys had some deep rooted hatred; and, I would even say the story implies a bit of jealousy for their little brother. He received favor from their father. He was given special gifts. This was a 17 year culmination of sibling rivalry being taken to a new degree. Do you remember, from part 1, when we mentioned the rivalry between their mothers and how parents can pass down certain traits to their children? Well, here we see how bad it can get. At first they were going to kill him, but Reuben stepped up and convinced them to throw him in an empty cistern instead. He secretly planned to retrieve him later (Genesis 37:21-22) and return him to safety. That plan was thwarted, though, when an Ishmaelite caravan from Midian came by. The opportunity to get rid of Joseph and make a profit by selling him into slavery was much more appealing to the brothers who were in on the plot. Reuben was obviously not a part of this because we later see him lamenting once he realized Joseph was no longer in the cistern, in verses 29 and 30. They did not even go to Jacob in person. Instead, they decided to send him a message along with the coat he had given Joseph as a gift as their way of convincing him of his death. This is what they did, but God being the sovereign ruler that He is, had it all in His control. Joseph ended up in the house of Potiphar, an officer of Pharoah, captain of the palace guard. So begins the revelation of God's perfect plan for his servant of integrity, Joseph.

B. Morr & Teddy P. - Closer

George Sly — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Album Overview

Man, I am constantly feeling like I fall short and need to dig in for a deeper relationship with the Father. So I love when I get confirmation through the Holy Spirit that I am dwelling with Him. Right now, with the economy and our social gravitation (in its totality) to me-ism, we need God more than ever. In the depth of our very own essence, we as believers should not rest until we are yearning with desire to do nothing but please Him. With a project like B. Morr and Teddy P's Closer, you cannot turn the music off without feeling that kind of urgent longing for God's fellowship. That is the crux of the message on Closer. This album is simple, clear, and such a refreshing message to hear (I did not intend to rhyme there). It's like a lot of old pastors used to say, "He might not get there when you want Him to, but He's always right on time!" What I think you will find is that every track is put in a particular place for a purpose. There is nothing but strong worship for the glory of the Gospel with these two soldiers for Truth doing the work. I am so floored by the absolute guileless approach to honoring our Lord Jesus the Christ.

So, is the flow hot you ask? That's like asking is a junkyard dog mean or does a secular cat value material possessions. Stop it! B. Morr brings some of the most intelligent, imaginative, and giftedly inspired rhymes in HHH on Closer. He is presenting thoughts and evoking feelings that do what I wish more lyrics would do; B. makes you want to take action. I hear him spit a flow then I want to apply it in my life right then and there.

What about the beats, man? By making this purchase, you will edify your soul with songs using a kind of andante style tempo in the beats; and of course with Teddy P. producing them, they are bound to make you go, "Whoa!" I don't want to get too technical on the instrumentals, so I'll just put it like this: mood. What happens on Closer is it puts your mind, body, and heart in a mood to worship. As the music plays you get a feel for just wanting to act out what the album title suggests, and that is to get closer to your Lord, Jesus the Christ.

I am just going to leave you with this little note, go buy Closer today if you do not already own it: http://www.indiekazoo.com/317media

Spiritual Significance

Man, if you really want to know, go to the listener's guide to get it straight from the artist's mouth: http://www.bmorr.com/closer.html. I am rather impressed by the heart of these cats. They have really gone that extra mile to give those who desire it, every avenue possible to develop a deeper relationship with the God of the Bible. If you just want to hear the songs you get that, but if that is not enough there is a listener's guide that goes even further to explain the intent behind the music. They address that the real key to being more intimate is praying and reading His word. The music is there as an aide, perhaps, for those less keen on sitting down and gaining understanding through literature. My prayer is that their intent hits the mark and more believers would spend more time in the word as a result of hearing this project. If we ALL did that daily, then there is not doubt we'd jump leaps and bounds to fulfill the Great Commission.

You will hear so many subjects that help you gain insight into knowing the Father. Subjects like how to abide in Him are tackled. This can seem easy on the surface until you hear B. Morr dig down to the core of understanding that faith without works is dead. He chooses to not be self-deceived (James 1:22). I also love how he handles being adopted into God's family. The mere idea that the God of the universe is willing to allow us a chance to be restored to our original purpose and repent to Him is life changing. He does a comprehensive run-down of what that truly means and who is included. How often do you really stop to think about the people who help sharpen you through your walk with Christ? After you get through a track like "Family," then you will have a new appreciation. Closer addresses praise, it addresses old school hymns, and pure reverence for the Lord. What more can I say?

Topics Covered

Worship
Praise
Assurance
Being regenerated
Family in the Body
Theology of Hymns
Reverence
Vulnerability

Key Tracks

"Praise the Lord", "The Quiet" (love the feel on this one yall!), "Reverence" with B Doe and Evangel.

The Narrow Road - Matthew 7:13-20

LaRosa Johnson — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Artist: Christcentric
Song: The Narrow Road
Album: City of God

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When Jesus tells us that He is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and that no one comes to God except through Him, He is making a very bold proclamation, and it is a hard pill for many to swallow. Even 2000+ years later, people are still intimidated by the exclusively bold claims that were made by Jesus Christ, our promised Messiah. It's not so much the claim that Jesus made that bothers people, but it is the response that it commands within the heart and soul of the person who hears these seemingly hyperbolic claims. For the believer, we understand His claims and take them to heart, which is the reason why we focus on evangelism and telling people about what Jesus has done for us (at least we're supposed to).

When I look at evangelism, it both encourages and disheartens me. Why? It encourages me because we are doing our part in letting people know about a Savior who came to pay the penalty for their sins so that they might not face eternal damnation; on the other hand, it deeply saddens me because I know there are so many people in the world who have a hardened heart and have no desire to repent of their sins and accept Jesus' atonement. In this, you also cannot forget that the world is in a post modern state of mind right now and full of various religions and pseudo-religions that all claim to have the "truth." It is things like this that draw me back to the Word of God and passages like Matthew 7:13-20.

It is in this particular passage in Matthew that we again find Jesus speaking, and this time He is speaking about two gates, one being narrow and the other wide. He makes it strikingly clear that the wide gate is easy to enter into and many people will follow down this path, not even knowing that it will lead to their death. On the other hand, He says that there is another gate that is narrow, which is hard to enter and only few will take this path, but this is the path that will lead to eternal life. So, what is it that makes the narrow gate hard to enter into? Well, if we look elsewhere in Scripture, we find that being a Christian means dying to our own will and desires, which means that we turn away from our sins, in order that we might then live a holy life that is pleasing in God's sight. This requires a complete shift in our paradigm and total submission to Christ and His Holy Spirit, which many people are not willing to do because they are enjoying their life of sin and carnal pleasure.

If we continue on with what Jesus has to say, He goes on to say that we need to also be aware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing. It is here that Jesus says that we need to look at the fruit that these teachers are bearing and see if it is good to eat (meaning sound biblical teaching) or if we should throw it out. Again, this is a call to 2 Timothy 2:15, which requires that we know the Word of God and are able to rightly divide it to know whether it is sound teaching. You see, in this, we have a couple different types of false prophets: 1) we have those who are prophets for other religions (Muhammad, Buddha, etc.) and 2) you have those who are claiming to be Christian but are not teaching sound doctrine or a pure gospel message.

Regardless of what the false teaching is, you can rest assured that it is going to be one that appeases the flesh and our earthly desires and requires little effort on our end, or is one that is based on good works. Either way you go, we still end up trying to base things off of what we have done, not realizing that we are incapable of doing anything good because we are fallen sinful men & women. The Bible tells us that there is a way that seems right to man, but in the end leads to death, and this is exactly what Jesus is talking about. These false teachers sound good to us and our flesh, so we follow along trying to spiritualize ourselves without having to make any dramatic changes in our lives. This is where Jesus and Christianity make a stark contrast; it requires no good works on our end, but simply recognizing that we are sinful man in need of a Savior and believing that Jesus has paid for our sins and putting our faith in Him to justify us. But this then incites a drastic change in our life and behavior (submitting completely to the Holy Spirit), which many people are not willing to do.

The road is narrow that leads to life, and that is through Jesus Christ and Him alone who has paid the penalty for our sins. Any other path will lead to death and damnation. In order to go down the narrow road, we are forced to make the hard decisions and look at Jesus on the cross and ask Him to forgive us our sins and put our faith in Him. This is why it is so important for us to evangelize to people; there are so many people, even those in church, who have not heard or fully understood the true gospel message, and without it they are going to hell. We need to get people to recognize that they are sinners who are in dire need of a Savior. Yes, the road to eternal life is narrow and few will enter in, but it is still up to us to help bring along as many people as we can. One more soul entering heaven is one less soul that would have gone to hell. Amen? Amen.

Braille and Symbolyc One - Cloudnineteen

George Sly — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Album Overview

He says, "Ore-GONE!" I have never heard it pronounced like this before. He says, "So what that I'm corny for being faithful to God's word about marriage because it doesn't matter." (Paraphrasing a bit here) I have never heard anyone speak on God's word on marriage like this before. He says, "I don't blame you, for being so skepticold." I totally agree but never heard anyone spit lyrics on this thought so effectively before. Basically, I had never, in all of my head banging hip hop sessions, listened to Braille & Symbolyic One before. Man, what have I been doing with my life? I have not heard such a fresh spin on musical concepts with such a retro style in all of my life. Cloudnineteen brings some of those flows you got to rewind like 5 times to begin to grasp the meaning of. Crazy sick lyrics! It's like these cats have been freed and are now manipulating the Matrix and we're all still plugged in watching them do Kung Fu. Then there are the instrumentals. Can you say, "Oh no!" I mean your eardrums are met with funky jazzy rhythms behind melody that is unthinkably too incredible and extraordinary to believe human beings came up with them all on their own. I believe that is what God intended. I guess what I am saying is the quality on Cloudnineteen is fantastic enough that you at least will appreciate the effort if this (in some ultra-odd universe) album is not your cup of tea. I doubt that though, because this is real hip hop.

I think these artists bring something to the hip hop table that not too many artists can. If I could create an outdoor food court of sorts, with music metaphorically replacing physical nourishment, then I could not make the grave error to not preserve a spot for Cloudnineteen. There is something on this project for everyone. It includes God's example of marriage and relationships, to our true purpose as His creation, to addressing the non-believer. Anyone who is seeking something unique and flavorful will, in my viewpoint, not go away unsatisfied. I am glad these dudes decided to collaborate. It is obvious they go together like pancakes and syrup, so praise be to God they did not allow schedules or distance (Braille form Oregon; S1 from Texas) to hinder the progress. They also included various other artists like Shawn Lee , Rob Swift, Vursatyl from the Lifesavas, Lightheaded, Tony Cook from the JBs or James Brown band, DJ Idull, Ragen Fykes, Theory Hazit, and Strange Fruit Project. So, ask not what holy hip hop can do for you, ask what you can do for holy hip hop and go to: http://www.myspace.com/symbolycone to buy this album!

Spiritual Significance

Ok, so I am a sucker for deep theological sounding cats like Shai Linne and Lacrae. I will admit to that. So, when I say, "don't sleep artist who bring life stories or examples of how biblical principles play out in everyday situations," to the table, it is because I must concede that it is just as effective. Think about it. How many people in your circle or that you try to reach (assuming you actively evangelize) can always relate to deep bible concepts? If you are me, those people are far and between. Some of the people I know learn in different patterns. I personally will study every angle of something new to me until it is embedded into my brain before trying to apply it live. Others need to see examples they can touch to try and figure it out until it makes sense. Basically, the theory style learner versus the hands-on disciple is what I am speaking on here. I have a hunch that the majority of the listeners to hip hop in general are more hands-on. They need to apply it to a real situation before the deep biblical implications can have an impact. So, grooving to Cloudninteen and getting a good feel for what is being presented is a good key to open the lock of the door-to-discipleship.

So as far as the relevance to being significant spiritually I like the way this album plays out. Everyone is different and I know for sure many will relate to what Braille speaks on each track. He talks about so many everyday issues our youth deal with as well older fans. You may be struggling with relationships with the opposite sex and the way he presents marriage, as the best path is phenomenal. Maybe you are wondering why you can't figure things out and hear God speaking through this album that He can do all things, and then find comfort. Whether it is feeling a shadow of doubt, not being willing to forgive, or love more, especially those who hate you, I feel you will be encouraged and uplifted on this journey through TexaGon.

Topics Covered

Godly relationships between the opposite sexes
Representing strong for God at all times
Realistic view of the Preacher
Father son relationships
Pessimism
Filling empty spaces in our hearts with God's presence
Relationship with God
True understanding of God's nature
Appreciation of women

Key Tracks

"For Life", "Skepticold", "From the Pulpit", "Megaphone Phonics" featuring Vursatyl, Rob Swift, and Tony Cook, "Frankenstein", "Heart of God".

Self Worship - Romans 7:4-5; 1 John 2:16

LaRosa Johnson — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Artist: B. Morr
Song: Self Worship
Album: Self Denial

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I've been there, you've been there, we've all been there. In one way or another, we all have a preeminent desire to want to please ourselves and make ourselves to be like gods. Adam and Eve started the whole process by partaking of the fruit, thinking that they would be just like God having both knowledge of good and evil; this was the first act of wanting to please ourselves above being pleased solely in God, and that has trickled down to the rest of us. Look at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11 and you'll see that man thought they could be unified and reach the heavens. Then there were the Israelites who constantly wanted to make graven images of God and be on their own program. The list goes on and on, and you're included in that list. Everything we want out of life, as unregenerate people, is to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, the eyes, and life itself (1 John 2:16). Today, we'll take a look at this in a few passages of Scripture and see how we can be freed from this thing that holy hip-hopper B. Morr likes to call "Self Worship."

Romans 7:4-5 (NASB) - 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.

1 John 2:16 (NASB) - For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

The two verses that I really want us to focus on are Romans 7:5 and 1 John 2:16. In Romans 7:5, we see that while we are in the flesh that our sinful passions are at work as a result of being aroused by the Law (God's standard of perfection) and its desire to rebel against it. We see this further defined by John in his writing when he gives us a clear indication as to what these sinful passions are: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Furthermore, he states that anyone who practices such things is not of God, but of the world. For many of us, we struggle with this on an almost daily basis; we are faced with challenges that force us to choose whether we will follow the sinful passions that burn within us or if we will be led by the Spirit and walk with our holy God. For the most part, Christians are able to get a grasp on the bigger issues, but we even have to focus on the smaller issues that can subtly slide into our lives and eat away at us like a cancer, undetected until it has already done its damage. 1 Peter 2:11 tells us that we should abstain from these lusts, as they wage war with our soul, which is exactly what we should be doing.

You see, self worship is just that, and it's a hard battle to fight; it is a desire to want to see ourselves pleased, and the flesh tells us that it can only be pleased by fulfilling its sinful desires. This is contrary to Scripture though because we are told that we are to find our fulfillment in God. But as long as we continue to walk in the flesh and not seek after God through prayer and His Word, then we will be slaves to self worship, as we are shown in Romans 7. The only way we are ever going to be freed is through the working of the Holy Spirit within us. Psalm 16:11 tells us that in His presence is fullness of joy; and it is in His presence alone that we can be freed from this self worship. It is in His presence that we take on the mind of Christ (Romans 12:1-2, 1 Corinthians 2:16) and are able to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13). Once we are able to do this, we will then be in the process of denying ourselves and putting our lives in proper perspective, which is to be before the throne of God kneeling before Him and worshiping Him; in essence, all of this should produce within us a worship of Christ and God the Father because He alone is the only One worthy of worship.

Much like the sum total of Timothy Brindle's Killing Sin album, B. Morr seeks to provide the believer with a point of clarity through Scripture by which they can arm themselves to wage war with the flesh, deny themselves and ultimately kill the sin in their lives. That's what Self Denial is all about, as well as the song "Self Worship." This is a daily battle where we must willingly and forcefully take the spotlight off of ourselves and place it solely on Christ, the head of our lives and give Him all of our worship, instead of worshiping ourselves. By no means is walking in self denial easy, but it is a must for any true believer who seeks to find fullness of joy and pleasure in Him. Stay in the Word and in prayer, and you will remain strong. Amen.

John Wells - The Dash

Antoine RJ Wright — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Introduction

For some people, the realization that life will have an ending is a cause to stop, pause, and reflect. For others, the sudden realization that the end of the dash is closer than the beginning causes greater movement towards actions and feelings which can seem like living for the moment, but really amounts to fear of what you've left behind. To the Christian that has matured past the point of music just being an interlude from one event to another, an album like The Dash is a cause to stop and consider the whole story, not just the moment.

John Wells - aka The Tonic of The Cross Movement - presents in The Dash some of these literal moments that we had, have to, and will consider as we live our lives with the effect of our dash being the fingerprint of God that we leave with others.

Now nearing the point of global availability, The Dash represents a call to reflection, as well as the call to move forward maturing. And as the artist has matured along with the project, one can look at it as a snapshot of The Tonic's life - even as his dash was interrupted by a personal matter - a story to be written, then punctuated with the session with our Father at the end.

Album Overview

The Dash is a montage of fast, rhythmic, and reflective tracks which may remind some of early '90s hip-hop in some respects, and something altogether more classic and nouveau at the same time.
Starting with an abrupt interruption of The Tonic praying (Dash In), the musical subjects of tracks 2-5 (The Signature, Can't Count Me Out, Sin Universal, and Really Know Me) speak towards a person ready for the action of teaching and discipling right after leaving that time of finding one's identity with the Father.

The next break in the action (Interlude: Dot-Dot-Dash) is yet another call to realize the time and present while in the mist of the daily grind. No Time and Da Body (Tracks 7 and 8) answer this present time in God-view. The flow continuing through The Greatest to yet another interlude.

The Dr. Visit Interlude answers questions. I'll leave it there.

The flow after the interlude changes. It's one part slower, more layered, and deserve careful listening. On the surface tracks 11 through 15 flow into a call to the Body being mindful to following holiness over carnality. The flow of all of these tracks will probably appeal to the over-30 crowd more than others. There's a detail to the musical accompaniment that's not in the rest of the album.

Track 16 - The Dash - is weird in its placement. You get really hype on Track 15, but then get brought down physically, while you are encouraged to mentally keep it on task to the King. If you will, its a lot like that mid-life crisis of wondering what's next. An outro and prayer ends things on a somber note, brining perspective to the dash of our own lives.

There one hidden track, I AM... Still! Its not what many fans of the original I AM (Cross Movement, House of Representatives) will expect, but its that anthem track still.

Spiritual Significance

"Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little.You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes."Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. (Hosea 1:4-7)

The entire album is about being careful towards not being so content with the now that you don't realize the temporary nature of these times. And at the same time, its a call to not be so caught up with the life to come that you neglect the issues of right now.
We are encouraged to not dismiss the present nature of our current issues, but to mature in our viewpoint to them. Whether that is getting out of our perceptions that sin is a local issue or a universal one (Track 4), or just an understanding that there's a veil that the world needs to be delivered from (Track 15), the call is to maturity in heart, mind and action. To those who have lived through sound discipleship, this will simply sound like the ways of executing Matthew 28:19-20.

Topics Covered

Holiness
Honesty
Persistence
Prayer
Depravity
Discipleship
Living/Speaking Jesus-Centered
Awareness of this Temporary State

Key Tracks

I'd be lying if I said that one track was above another. Each one stands on its own, yet the mosaic has some notables:

Sin Universal (Track 4): lyrics, collaboration
No Time (Track 7): creativity, wordplay
Prayer's Ball (Track 13): creativity, lyrics, 70s feel
The Dash (Track 16): instruments, background vocals, lyrics

God's Incorruptible Servant: Joseph, Son of Jacob and Rachel: Part 1 - Genesis 30

George Sly — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Before we can dig in to Joseph and his character we must understand the circumstances surrounding his birth. He was conceived through a competition between two sisters. Rachel and Leah. We all understand sibling rivalry, right? If not, then I suggest you look up the song, "Sibling Rivalry" on the Simpson's Sing the Blues album released in 1990. Man I'm old. Anyway, with these two daughters of Laban it is understandable since they came from a father who used tricks the way he did. Instead of being upfront about their custom to not marry off the younger daughter before the older daughter, he tricked him into marriage with Leah (Gen 29:16-27). He tried to get over on him again with the flock of goats (Gen 30: 25-43). What he did was try and prevent Jacob from yielding a return on the investment with the flock, but God did not allow that to happen. Laban displayed some questionable character in this situation and blatantly tried to misuse Jacob. A parent's behavior influences their children. As a parent I know how powerful of a tool behavior modeling is. Laban modeled selfish behavior so that was what Rachel and Leah knew. Obviously God used this trickery for His good purpose, but I hope you see my point here.

These factors turned the already potentially volatile relationship, which naturally can occur between wives who share a husband, into a baby race. Not only that, but remember, they were sisters. Rachel, realizing she would not be able to have children gave Jacob her maid, Bilhah (Gen 30:1-8). Bilhah bore Dan and Naphtali. So, Leah responds by giving Jacob her maid, Zilpah. Zilpah then bares Gad and then Asher. So, then what happens next? Well after Rachel convinces Leah to give her Reuben's mandrakes in exchange for a night with Jacob, which produces Issachar. Leah then goes on to give birth to Zebulun then Dinah. Then God does what He does, and answers Rachel's prayers by showing her he had not forgotten her. She then gives birth to Joseph (meaning "May he add") for she said that,

Gen. 30:23-24 (NLT) - "God has removed my disgrace... may the Lord add yet another son to my family."

I think it is interesting to note that Benjamin was born next, which in part was one fulfillment of his name. Now, there is a ton of cultural factors like, marriage customs, maidservants, and old customs of polygamy we're not even going to touch. We'll save that good stuff for another study. This is all about Joseph. In the spirit of Historical Narratives/Biographies, we're going to try and stick to emphasizing his destiny and character. The fact that Joseph was born into this environment is ironic considering who he became and the path in which he took to get there. You would expect any child born in the kind of environment that lends itself to twisting and turning things in your favor despite integrity would fall in line. He did not. Joseph seemed to learn from the mistakes of the 11 siblings before him and chose to live with a high moral character. Perhaps the fact that Jacob loved Rachel more and possibly showed her and her children more attention helped. But never the less, Joseph definitely showed from the time he was born till the day he died, his path was chosen by an unwavering loyalty to God. There is no doubt about that.