Cash or Christ?

The music world has very few out there who say they are Christ followers and live it as well. One of my favourite Hip-Hop/Rap artist out there is Lecrae. This Christian rapper started off in a stereotypical black life style, never knowing his father, being raised by a single mother and looking up to the classic rap faces for mentors. However, one day his life changed and was given over to God.
Starting off as a rapper simply only in Jail ministry, he became very liked by the inmates and was encouraged to go bigger. Being taken under the wings of Da T.R.U.T.H and Ambassador Lecrae came out with his first album. This album was filled with theological truth and conviction, as well as his next album "Rebel" that revolutionised his style and was/is considered one of his best.
His following albums, Rehab, Overdose, and his latest Gravity, were ones reaching towards a bigger audience. This past year, 2012, Gravity hit the shelves and stores, winning Lecrae top artist on iTunes top 5 music charts for two weeks. However this newest album is not as theologically evident as his previous ones were, this caused a little bit of an uproar in the Christian community, who really enjoyed his Bucolically truthful words and lyrics. Hearing and seeing this Lecrea has made statements saying that he has not abandoned his faith, rather he feels his calling is more towards the secular, rather then the Christian, listener.
Winning a Grammy this past year, 2012, has also made Lecrae's listeners more diverse. Because of this he has also done singles with secular Hip-Hop artist such as B.O.B in his song "Round of Applause."
Personally I enjoy Lecrae
's songs, however slowly I am becoming skeptical of his mission and calling, I know that I should not judge simply because he is trying to open his music to a broader listening arena. But one cannot help but think is he really doing it all for God, over time his lyrics, which ones were very evident with Biblical and Theological truths, have been dumbed down a bit. Rather then challenging his listeners to question their life and take faith in Christ seriously, he has touched on more social issues, such as drugs, abuse and drinking. All of this is good, but I am afraid one day he will loose the message behind it all.

Bono and Christ?

So today on my facebook feed, this article came up, it was asked what did you think about Bono's response? I was unsure about my response.... what is yours? please comment below,

http://noapologizing.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/u2s-bono-interview-about-christ/

Sinners and Seeds

"On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.^' When he saw them he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, 'Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?^'  And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” 
-Luke 17:11-19 
  
This morning at church this passage was read, and as the speaker was talking about "Thanks" God spoke to me. He showed me something I had never realised about this passage/story, that it was more then just a story of Thanks and one of our faith now. 
In Luke 8 Jesus tells a story about a farmer who sows seeds, how some seeds fall into good soil and some in bad. There are different kinds of soil that the seeds fall into, but you can look that story up yourself. The point I am making is that these two passages are connected. 
You see, the lepers and the seeds are the same, some of the seeds are planted in soil that lets them grow, but they are soon chocked out, 10 lepers were healed, 9 ran off to the priests, 1 stayed and thanked Christ. Now earlier I mentioned that this passage is connected to our faith now, how? 
So many times I have seen people go off and at church act like good little Christians, and hey I am not judging I was guilty of it as well. Once we put on the shirt and tie we become a different person, but as soon as we take it off we dawn a different kind of suit. One that is worldly. 
You see 10 lepers excepted the forgiveness and cleansing of Christ, like so many now see acknowledge of Christ's sacrifice and gift of forgiveness. But only 1 lepers turned back and thanked him, and of that a Samaritan! 
In Biblical times Samaritans and Jews did not mix, they were frowned upon by Jews, just like a "Christian" might look down upon those who are not Christian. But you see it was the Samaritan, who went back turned back, knowing he was cleansed, not just physically but spiritually. 
So many of us say "I am forgiven" or "I believe in God" but you can say that all you want, until your life becomes one that is honouring, and living out for Christ, your "faith" means nothing. I go to school with people who say they are "Christians" but yet I sit there and listen and watch as they go out and get drunk and high, and swear and so on. I am not looking down on them, rather I am saying, "What are you doing? You are missing out on so much." This is not judgement but rather accountability, which we as Christians are called to do, in verse like Luke 17:3. 
And so like the leper we must turn, seeing we are cleansed and give the thanks to him, knowing that doing things for Christ means nothing, if we are not doing them with Christ. 

Worms and Bad Habbits

The other day I was standing at my front window, watching birds peck away at the ground and I saw this one bird. He had found a worm and was trying his best without the ability of arms, to get the worm into his mouth. Tilting his head a certain way he would try and make the worm go down his throat, but it would begin to twist and turn as he was trying to do this, so he would shake his head to counter act the worm's twisting. And as he did this the worms body would be torn and the part that was not in his beak would be flung across the yard. But the bird would hop over to the flung piece and pick it up and try again. I watched repeatedly as he did this, until the worm was all gone.
As I watched God spoke to me, He said "This is how I want you to go after me." He said "like the bird hops after the worm that had been thrown across the lawn, I want you to run after me as the world tries to tear you away from me." After as I thought about this I realised how this is so true.
You know I am not perfect, time after time I have let the world tear me away from Him. Time after time I have let the world's lies turn me away from Christ and let it poison me with its sting. But like the Bird, I hop back to Him. Broken, bruised, hurt, and ashamed.
Know don't get me wrong, I am not saying that this is a free pass to do what every you want and then say "but I am forgiven so it's okay." No I am saying that those things you do, and I am guilty of them to, that habit that you have of being alone in front of the computer screen when no ones looking, or sneaking out to come back with a nasty head ache, those are all not honouring to God... and even though He forgave you and me on the tree, by doing them we slap Him in the face and defile that tree, turning out backs on that forgiveness. But when you find yourself in that place, in front of that computer with your mouse hovering over the X button in case someone comes in, or lifting that bottle to your lips, when you find yourself there... He says "run to me" He says click the X and walk away, put the bottle down and go back home.... We are His children, we have been "beautifully and wonderfully made." And so run to Him... leaving your old life behind.
Hoping

to the worm and pick it up....

Blog Battle for the win, #2 The Future of Carrots and Blind people

There is a saying in one of my favourite movies.... "In the land of the deaf, the blind man is king" never really understood this quote until recently... but one thing remains, what would happen if the blind man was not blind? But you may be asking yourself, "wait how can a blind man not be blind?" let me tell you how!
To begin to understand this one must look into the future of carrotology, a resent sub-science of optical sciences. The science is that if we took the certain chemical that makes carrots enhance eyesight, we would, in theory be able to completely fix the damaged nerves. This theory and science however is still experimental and only works on 10% of test patience, specifically those who have a more orange tone in there skins and prefer the color orange over most, which makes no sense due to the fact that they are blind, but that's what the studies show.
This is a new science, it is one that will change the future and forever make carrots into a medical tool rather then a eating one. Note that when this was announced in 2011 that many children around the world were over joyed that in a couple years they and there future generations would not have to endure eating this vegetable.
so "in the land of the deaf.... the carrot farmer is king"