The Way of the Master ministry is very well-known for its evangelizing techniques. One of the main things they start off with is asking people whether or not they think they're a good person. Then they ask this: "Do you think you're good enough to go to Heaven?"
Now, I am not downplaying what The Way of the Master does. If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't even know where to start with witnessing to others about Christ. However can it be possible to focus too much on Heaven and not on the God behind Heaven?
The Bible is totally all about being close and intimate with God. He is holy and sovereign and good. He is also relational, as it is even shown in the three separate persons whom He is composed of. They are all individuals, but all work and commune harmoniously together.
God desires a relationship with us. And it is not because God needs a relationship with us. He doesn't need us, especially after we have sinned and screwed up so many times against Him. However God wants to be with us. That is why He sent His Son to die for us. Nahum 1:2 says, "The LORD is a jealous and avenging God" This does not mean that God is an obsessive, abusive control freak. This is especially the case when you look at the context of this verse. What this verse is saying is that God is jealous for our affection and will do absolutely anything to obtain it. This is almost like a man seeking the affection for another woman as his bride. He will do absolutely anything he can to win her affection: buy her dinner, get her flowers, buy a $3,000 engagement ring, etc. The same goes with God. His jealousy also went as far as sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to provide that way to Him. He did so by His death. He died and bore the wrath of God. He took that vengaence that God should rightly have against us. He took it and through Him we are set free from our sins.
There is more to Christ's selfless sacrifice than just our sins being wiped away. We are now free to seek God no matter where we are. We could be in a church service lifting our hands, or we could be at home eating breakfast in a bathrobe with morning breath and a bedhead. God meets us where we are at. He hangs out with us, He encourages us, He just plain shows affection to us.
Have you ever felt the warm embrace of God? I have. There was one time a few weeks ago when I woke up in the middle of the night really distressed. I was worried about a lot of things concerning money and these next few months. I knew it was wrong and confessed it to God in tears. As I was weeping, I felt God's warm embrace and His peace all around me. I felt warmth like no blanket or heating system has ever given me before. All my muscles relaxed and I felt peace. This was God's peace. I believe He was holding me and hugging me.
So will Heaven be nice? Absolutely. But Heaven won't be nice because of tricked out streets of gold, seeing old friends long gone and not having to deal with the burdens of this sinful world. Heaven will be nice because of Jesus Christ! I'll be able to see Him face to face! I'll be able to walk with Him, talk with Him, ask Him questions, and did I mention WORSHIP HIM?! I'll be seeing that beautiful throne like what John describes in Revelation as Jesus sits upon it. Not only that but I can freely approach that throne without fear of rejection or anything like that because Jesus Christ has redeemed me.
So going to Heaven is not just about comfort. It is about Jesus Christ. If you think Jesus Christ is not in Heaven, then you are not thinking about Heaven.
"Whom have I in Heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My heart and my flesh may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
-Psalm 73:25-26
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wise Quotes from a Wise Man
The other day I found my first journal I started writing in after becoming a Christian. For those of you who don't journal, you should. I'm not talking about blogging, but journaling. Buy a compositional notebook or something, study the Bible, and write out your thoughts about what you read on there. You can just write out your thoughts too during times when you're not reading the Bible and can even write prayers to God. Journals are a very simple and effective way to get your thoughts organized.
But anyway, while I was looking through my first journal, I stumbled across the sermon notes from my first Winter Navigators' Conference in 2006. The man who spoke there was a wise man by the name of Skip Gray. It is amazing because every time when I read these notes over, I can still hear his voice. He spoke in a very slow and methodical way, and did not go on many tangents like I do. My dream in life when I get old and gray is to not sit in a nursing home watching daytime TV all day, but to be a man like him. I encourage you to just stop and think over these quotes and see what they mean to you. I know things are busy, but just take a minute and reflect. Check out some of what he says:
"The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference."
"Slow down and become involved in other people's heartaches and problems."
"Dead Sea Believer--a saved Christian not involved in the lives of other people." (this one is a paraphrase, not a direct quote)
"All of life is sacred."
"Everything in life is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master."
"You need the team more than the team needs you." (talking about fellowship and accountability)
"You cannot live right, but believe wrong."
"We're all amateurs. We're all a work in progress."
"Truth is not to be kept, it is to be shared."
"Unless you let people [come] close enough to handle you, you'll never bring them closer to Christ.''
"Your short term goals depend on your long term goals."
"Faith is only as valid as its object."
"Patience has to do with your view of God. Is God in control of your life?"
"People learn more about the grace of God by watching you and me handle heartache rather than watching us embark in success."
"Have you ever had an argument with someone who wasn't there? You always win, don't you?"
"Do your own thing."
"No, do His thing."
So there it is. I thank God for Skip Gray. I remember one time after the last session people were socializing in the lobby and Skip and one student were sitting and talking by the fireplace. I came back into that room an hour later after doing something and Skip and that student were still sitting there, but about 30 or so students had joined them and were sitting all around him listening to what he had to say. By God's grace and power, I hope I can be like that one day.
Here are some proverbs from the wisest man who ever lived, next to Jesus. I encourage you not to just glaze over them, but to take a minute and just think about each one as you read it.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." -Proverbs 9:10
"The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death." -Proverbs 12:14
"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." -Proverbs 16:31
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." -Proverbs 19:11
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." -Proverbs 24:3-4
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." -Proverbs 24:14
"Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear."
-Proverbs 25:12
"A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth." -Proverbs 29:3
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."
-Proverbs 31:30
I talk a lot on these blogs, but sometimes it's best to let God's Word speak for itself.
God bless,
Steve
But anyway, while I was looking through my first journal, I stumbled across the sermon notes from my first Winter Navigators' Conference in 2006. The man who spoke there was a wise man by the name of Skip Gray. It is amazing because every time when I read these notes over, I can still hear his voice. He spoke in a very slow and methodical way, and did not go on many tangents like I do. My dream in life when I get old and gray is to not sit in a nursing home watching daytime TV all day, but to be a man like him. I encourage you to just stop and think over these quotes and see what they mean to you. I know things are busy, but just take a minute and reflect. Check out some of what he says:
"The opposite of love is not hate. It's indifference."
"Slow down and become involved in other people's heartaches and problems."
"Dead Sea Believer--a saved Christian not involved in the lives of other people." (this one is a paraphrase, not a direct quote)
"All of life is sacred."
"Everything in life is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master."
"You need the team more than the team needs you." (talking about fellowship and accountability)
"You cannot live right, but believe wrong."
"We're all amateurs. We're all a work in progress."
"Truth is not to be kept, it is to be shared."
"Unless you let people [come] close enough to handle you, you'll never bring them closer to Christ.''
"Your short term goals depend on your long term goals."
"Faith is only as valid as its object."
"Patience has to do with your view of God. Is God in control of your life?"
"People learn more about the grace of God by watching you and me handle heartache rather than watching us embark in success."
"Have you ever had an argument with someone who wasn't there? You always win, don't you?"
"Do your own thing."
"No, do His thing."
So there it is. I thank God for Skip Gray. I remember one time after the last session people were socializing in the lobby and Skip and one student were sitting and talking by the fireplace. I came back into that room an hour later after doing something and Skip and that student were still sitting there, but about 30 or so students had joined them and were sitting all around him listening to what he had to say. By God's grace and power, I hope I can be like that one day.
Here are some proverbs from the wisest man who ever lived, next to Jesus. I encourage you not to just glaze over them, but to take a minute and just think about each one as you read it.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." -Proverbs 9:10
"The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death." -Proverbs 12:14
"Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." -Proverbs 16:31
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." -Proverbs 19:11
"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." -Proverbs 24:3-4
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." -Proverbs 24:14
"Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear."
-Proverbs 25:12
"A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth." -Proverbs 29:3
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."
-Proverbs 31:30
I talk a lot on these blogs, but sometimes it's best to let God's Word speak for itself.
God bless,
Steve
Monday, January 18, 2010
Introducin' by Enock of Cross Movement (RIP)
The following is a song is one hip-hop song that absolutely floors me almost everytime I listen to it. From a writer's perspective I am absolutely AMAZED at Enock's talent and use of wording and internal rhyme schemes. Not to mention these lyrics aren't just thrown together for the hopes of making it rhyme and sound cool, but these lyrics FLOW! Also personally while hearing this song, I can't help but worship the powerful, yet loving God of the universe. Check out the attached video to listen to the song (Facebook readers: look out for the link)
Lyrics courtesy of CrossMovementRecords.com
Chorus:
Introducin’
The Lord Jesus The Christ
The Author and Finisher of All Life
Verse 1:
We brings the ruckus when we uplift the gift of salvation
It was He who came through forty-two generations
Logos invasion
to planet Earth through virgin birth
the last Adam had come to reverse
the works of the first
He became a curse to become a cure
the blood poured made sure
that he who enters by the door
will be eternally secured
What shall I render?
surrendered lives are due to Him
in due time the True Vine reconciled humans
to the divine union of the Father
Hearts are altered to the altar
He died for all walks of life
He’s the Lord of all cultures
Perfector, Resurrector, all life is His
Sin-disconnector
Eternal-holder
of the sceptor of righteousness
praise comes from his numberless
fleet
the sovereign King,
all things are placed under His feet
The uncreated, incarnated creator of all creation
is to be celebrated in all occasions (Why is that?)
‘cause He’s the glorious, victorious Victor
with the greatest victory of all history
peep the unveiling mystery
of the Chief Corner-stoner, the atoner
we present to this world the most generous Blood donor!
Verse 2:
Unto us a child was born, a Son was given
to be given into the hands of wicked man
and like a lamb to his shearers the Sin-bearer was terribly beaten
spit upon
crowned with thorns scorned by the heathen
still breathing?
They stripped Him, Cat-of-nine whipped Him
What sin have they found in Him?
for four-hundred Roman soldiers to be poundin’ Him
surroundin’ Him with mockery
Them not havin’ eyes to see
He fulfilled every prophecy to the lower case "T"
at the cross the cost was paid
a door was made
no more barricade
between God and man
Peace was made by the blood of the Lamb
that was shedded
I’ve been reconnected
to the Creator who is the Resurrected
Savior, who is the only accepted Mediator
unlike those that claim to be
The fact still remains to be
the Son of God broke my chains and bore pain for me.
‘cause when no one else did, He died
so I can live, so it’s not I that lives
but Christ that lives
within my quarters
worthy is the captain of the bloodsport
whose blood bought us
His love caught us
when we were in sin at every hand
He broke heavy bands, when he took
a taste test of death for every man
Come and see
we’ve found the One
He’s the bright and Morning Star
‘cause everything revolves around the Son
He’s omnipotent, omniscient, self-sufficient, pre-eminent, co-existent, never distant
the divine Thriller, the Blood-Spiller
the void-Filler
the Peace-be-Stiller
the Sin-in-the-flesh-Killer
The livin’ agua
the never endin’ saga
Aleph and the Tau
Eternal Father
Infinite with all might whose shinin’ bright
with all light
Jesus the Christ
the Author and Finisher of all life!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
God's Healing Touch
This post is one I think will be appropriate because I just came from a service where they were laying hands on people believing that God would heal them. There were no immediate manifestations of healing tonight, but the man who was praying over people was encouraging them to keep the faith in Christ and to keep trusting that He will heal them. That's what this post concerns. By the way, this is another one of those posts that is a reminder to me. It seems to be a common theme lately....
Now before I get into this, I need to make a disclaimer. If you read these following words and think that I am "such an amazing person" and "an inspiration", I humbly say thank you for your encouragement, but I will remind you that the amazingness and inspiration that I have is a blessing from Christ. It is not my talent that I have achieved through hard work, but a blessing from God out of His love and grace for me. So do me a favor after you read this: don't thank me, thank God.
Last summer I needed a breakthrough. I was a few days away from leaving for ministry at a summer camp and I could barely get out of bed. I was getting hot and cold flashes, my mind was racing, I was physically weak and my neck was in such pain that I couldn't even turn my head without wincing. I was getting no more than four hours of sleep a night too.
My neck was hurting since my last physical therapy visit, and I called them for another one but they were all backed up with appointments and couldn't see me until Thursday morning, two days before I was leaving. I went to the doctor about my hot and cold flashes and they told me that I may have lyme disease. For some strange reason though they decided not to test me, but told me to wait until Thursday and if it didn't get any better and then I would come in to get tested. Like I said before, I was leaving for camp on Saturday. I didn't have time to deal with a lyme disease test! I needed a breakthrough!
There was a revival service at a church in Groton with an evangelist named Jason Westerfield. I went to the service Tuesday night and was desperate for God to heal me. I spent the whole night at the altar begging God for a breakthrough. Jason came up to me too and was laying hands on me, praying that God would heal my neck and everything. He told me to move my neck and asked if it was any better. I moved it and winced. It wasn't. I left that night feeling absolutely discouraged.
I carpooled with my friend Dave to the service and I voiced my frustrations to him in the car. "Why wasn't God healing me?" I said to him.
I don't remember what the exact words that Dave said were, but they were something along the lines of "Steve, do you believe God can heal you?"
What Dave was saying to me in the most loving and blunt way he could was that I wasn't trusting God enough to heal me. It was true. I had doubts like crazy. I didn't believe that He could heal me. I wanted to believe, but I couldn't. I went to bed again that night, once more having no more than four hours of sleep as my mind was racing and I had hot and cold flashes all night long.
All day the next day I was lying down at home on the couch in my living room wrestling with my thoughts. Dave called me again to check in on me and asked me if I was going to go back to the church again that night. The revival services were a week-long affair and they were having another one. I told him honestly that I didn't want to. Dave then told me honestly that I should get off my butt and go. I rolled my eyes and said I'd think about it.
As I hung up the phone, I sighed. I realized Dave was right. I looked up to the ceiling and said, "God I'm having a really hard time believing this whole healing thing right now is true."
My eyes went over to my Bible. "I guess I'll start from the beginning..."
I picked up my Bible and placed it in my lap.
"Hi God, I need You."
That night I decided to go to the revival service. It was a real leap of faith for me to even go because I didn't know where the church was, I was really physically weak, and Dave couldn't carpool with me over there because he was caught up in something else and would meet me at the service later. So I drove there using Mapquest directions and made it there okay.
The service that night was really long! It started off with roughly an hour of intense prayer, then it went into worship, which was another hour. Then after that, Jason preached a message for ANOTHER hour and there was MORE worship! When he finished it was getting late and I was getting very weak. I could barely even sit up in the pew anymore. How was I supposed to make it back home? I then prayed silently to God that He needed to heal me tonight, otherwise I wasn't even going to be able to make it home.
Finally, Jason decided to do some prayer for healings. This was it! He had people come up who needed it and then assigned other members of the congregation to lay hands on them. I had two guys come up to me and ask me what my problem was. I told them my whole story about my pains, my weakness and how I absolutely needed a breakthrough. So they laid hands on me and started praying. I was so desperate at this point that I started kneeling on the ground and weeping. As they were praying for me, I was almost convulsing. It was pretty crazy, but like I said, I was desperate. I didn't care about how I looked or anything. The only thing I cared about was God breaking through to heal me.
They asked me to move my neck and everything. I did and it still hurt just as bad as it did before. We all kept praying for God to break through and give me His healing touch. Jason then took a glance at his watch, saw it was late and decided to wrap up the service. I was still weak and in pain, but I felt a little better. The service wrapped up, I said my goodbyes to people and I left.
God gave me just enough strength to get home, go up three stories to my apartment into my room, put on my PJs, collapse on my bed and fall asleep. That night was the first night in a long time where I slept more than four hours. I actually didn't wake up once until roughly 7:00 in the morning. My physical therapy appointment was at 9:00 so I had to get up and going. As I got up I realized that I was a lot better! I didn't feel physically weak at all. My neck still hurt a lot, but I actually felt normal again.
At the physical therapy appointment, I told the therapist what the problem was with my neck and how tense it was. He then did a series of extensive massages on it, which really hurt a lot, but after he finished my neck was 100% better!
God had healed me! I was shocked at God's goodness and provision. It was the first time ever in my life that I had received a healing like that from God. He knew how much I doubted, being an ex-Christian Scientist and all (NOTE: For more information on Christian Science, visit ChristianWay.org), but He still met me where I was at in my doubts and healed me. It was an amazing experience.
I told this story for two reasons. The first one was for me, because I needed a little bit of a reminder of God's healing touch. The second one was of course, for you. I know a lot of people who don't follow Christ for whatever reason, but try to be all "intellectual" about it, and avoid their brokenness by asking me theological questions. Questions are good, don't get me wrong, but sometimes instead of questioning you have to just jump in and trust that God will catch you.
God will too, because He loves His kids.
This was a long post. If you made it here, thank you for reading. Now thank God for His unconditional, never-ending, undeserving affection that He has for you!
Peace,
Steve
Now before I get into this, I need to make a disclaimer. If you read these following words and think that I am "such an amazing person" and "an inspiration", I humbly say thank you for your encouragement, but I will remind you that the amazingness and inspiration that I have is a blessing from Christ. It is not my talent that I have achieved through hard work, but a blessing from God out of His love and grace for me. So do me a favor after you read this: don't thank me, thank God.
Last summer I needed a breakthrough. I was a few days away from leaving for ministry at a summer camp and I could barely get out of bed. I was getting hot and cold flashes, my mind was racing, I was physically weak and my neck was in such pain that I couldn't even turn my head without wincing. I was getting no more than four hours of sleep a night too.
My neck was hurting since my last physical therapy visit, and I called them for another one but they were all backed up with appointments and couldn't see me until Thursday morning, two days before I was leaving. I went to the doctor about my hot and cold flashes and they told me that I may have lyme disease. For some strange reason though they decided not to test me, but told me to wait until Thursday and if it didn't get any better and then I would come in to get tested. Like I said before, I was leaving for camp on Saturday. I didn't have time to deal with a lyme disease test! I needed a breakthrough!
There was a revival service at a church in Groton with an evangelist named Jason Westerfield. I went to the service Tuesday night and was desperate for God to heal me. I spent the whole night at the altar begging God for a breakthrough. Jason came up to me too and was laying hands on me, praying that God would heal my neck and everything. He told me to move my neck and asked if it was any better. I moved it and winced. It wasn't. I left that night feeling absolutely discouraged.
I carpooled with my friend Dave to the service and I voiced my frustrations to him in the car. "Why wasn't God healing me?" I said to him.
I don't remember what the exact words that Dave said were, but they were something along the lines of "Steve, do you believe God can heal you?"
What Dave was saying to me in the most loving and blunt way he could was that I wasn't trusting God enough to heal me. It was true. I had doubts like crazy. I didn't believe that He could heal me. I wanted to believe, but I couldn't. I went to bed again that night, once more having no more than four hours of sleep as my mind was racing and I had hot and cold flashes all night long.
All day the next day I was lying down at home on the couch in my living room wrestling with my thoughts. Dave called me again to check in on me and asked me if I was going to go back to the church again that night. The revival services were a week-long affair and they were having another one. I told him honestly that I didn't want to. Dave then told me honestly that I should get off my butt and go. I rolled my eyes and said I'd think about it.
As I hung up the phone, I sighed. I realized Dave was right. I looked up to the ceiling and said, "God I'm having a really hard time believing this whole healing thing right now is true."
My eyes went over to my Bible. "I guess I'll start from the beginning..."
I picked up my Bible and placed it in my lap.
"Hi God, I need You."
That night I decided to go to the revival service. It was a real leap of faith for me to even go because I didn't know where the church was, I was really physically weak, and Dave couldn't carpool with me over there because he was caught up in something else and would meet me at the service later. So I drove there using Mapquest directions and made it there okay.
The service that night was really long! It started off with roughly an hour of intense prayer, then it went into worship, which was another hour. Then after that, Jason preached a message for ANOTHER hour and there was MORE worship! When he finished it was getting late and I was getting very weak. I could barely even sit up in the pew anymore. How was I supposed to make it back home? I then prayed silently to God that He needed to heal me tonight, otherwise I wasn't even going to be able to make it home.
Finally, Jason decided to do some prayer for healings. This was it! He had people come up who needed it and then assigned other members of the congregation to lay hands on them. I had two guys come up to me and ask me what my problem was. I told them my whole story about my pains, my weakness and how I absolutely needed a breakthrough. So they laid hands on me and started praying. I was so desperate at this point that I started kneeling on the ground and weeping. As they were praying for me, I was almost convulsing. It was pretty crazy, but like I said, I was desperate. I didn't care about how I looked or anything. The only thing I cared about was God breaking through to heal me.
They asked me to move my neck and everything. I did and it still hurt just as bad as it did before. We all kept praying for God to break through and give me His healing touch. Jason then took a glance at his watch, saw it was late and decided to wrap up the service. I was still weak and in pain, but I felt a little better. The service wrapped up, I said my goodbyes to people and I left.
God gave me just enough strength to get home, go up three stories to my apartment into my room, put on my PJs, collapse on my bed and fall asleep. That night was the first night in a long time where I slept more than four hours. I actually didn't wake up once until roughly 7:00 in the morning. My physical therapy appointment was at 9:00 so I had to get up and going. As I got up I realized that I was a lot better! I didn't feel physically weak at all. My neck still hurt a lot, but I actually felt normal again.
At the physical therapy appointment, I told the therapist what the problem was with my neck and how tense it was. He then did a series of extensive massages on it, which really hurt a lot, but after he finished my neck was 100% better!
God had healed me! I was shocked at God's goodness and provision. It was the first time ever in my life that I had received a healing like that from God. He knew how much I doubted, being an ex-Christian Scientist and all (NOTE: For more information on Christian Science, visit ChristianWay.org), but He still met me where I was at in my doubts and healed me. It was an amazing experience.
I told this story for two reasons. The first one was for me, because I needed a little bit of a reminder of God's healing touch. The second one was of course, for you. I know a lot of people who don't follow Christ for whatever reason, but try to be all "intellectual" about it, and avoid their brokenness by asking me theological questions. Questions are good, don't get me wrong, but sometimes instead of questioning you have to just jump in and trust that God will catch you.
God will too, because He loves His kids.
This was a long post. If you made it here, thank you for reading. Now thank God for His unconditional, never-ending, undeserving affection that He has for you!
Peace,
Steve
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Emanuel Lambert, Jr. --- Da' Truth
"In light of a moral discretion in my personal life, I will be taking a sabbatical from my music ministry and teaching upon fulfilling my current commitments to work with my pastor, church and restoration team...I ask your forgiveness as I work towards reconciliation." -Personal Statement from Da Truth on his website.
"It is with tremendous sadness and humble disappointment that Cross Movement Records must inform you regarding the suspension of the promotion and forwarding of the artist, minister, and ministry of Da Truth, a.k.a. Emanuel Lambert Jr., due to recent findings of moral failure in his marriage." -Official Statement from Cross Movement Records
When I first heard about what happened to Da' Truth a few months ago, I was speechless. He was an artist I had a lot of respect for and have looked up to. It also broke my heart because this was the second artist off of Cross Movement Records who fell to this temptation. The first was William Branch a.k.a. The Ambassador, one of the founding members of the Cross Movement. The label also did the same for him. I could only imagine how much that label was struggling.
What broke my heart even more was that as this news came out, so did the details. According to Cross Rhythms, Da' Truth wound up having an affair with gospel artist Tye Tribbett's wife after trying to council and restore their marriage...which was struggling because of the same issue. I hope and PRAY that this isn't true. Tye Tribbett to this day has not made any official statement concerning the issue, so for all I know it could be a rumor.
Da' Truth's new album The Big Picture came out this past year, and I was amazed with how deep the album was. It definitely is his best album to date, both musically and lyrically speaking. After I heard the news about what happened though, for some reason, I couldn't listen to the album anymore. A few weeks ago I picked it up off my shelf and looked at it. I was just disgusted at the fact that for all I knew he could have been in this act of fornication while recording the album. I couldn't listen to it. I immediately put it back on the shelf. I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to listen to the album again.
However as time went on, I was feeling a tug in my heart to just listen to the album again. Finally, today I picked it up off the shelf before leaving for class and put it in the CD player in my car. As I was driving to school I was listening to it. The album was so deep musically and I started feeling God's spirit move in me. Every song turned into a burden to pray for my dear fallen brother; that God would humbly restore and heal the damage he had done. The burden got even heavier when I got to the song, "Tree to Tree", which actually featured Tye Tribbett. Those two were not just co-artists in a song, they were good friends.
When Da' Truth gave thanks in the album booklet, he said this about Tye Tribbett: "Thank you for your unrivaled passion & heart for Christ. You're an inspiration & I'm excited about what God is doing in our friendship." When I first read that, it made me pray harder for them. Oh, I pray that there will be a day when those two artists come out on stage together as brothers, freely forgiving one another for their wrongdoing.
And God will. The amazing thing about the God I serve, the God Tye Tribbett and Emanuel Lambert serve, is that He freely forgives His children for their wrongdoing. He not only does this, but He breaks our chains and cleans us up.
Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (NIV).
As I read that verse, I picture God's loving hands picking up a soapy sponge and cleaning up my messy and soiled body. Oh, how many times have I betrayed and hurt the God who loves me so much, and then over and over, God cleanses me. He not only cleanses me, but He restores me. He picks me up, dusts me off, and lovingly encourages me to keep going. If I won't go, God picks me up and carries me.
My, what a loving God I serve. God can restore. God will restore.
Lord, I pray for Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Lambert and Mr. and Mrs. Tye Tribbett. I pray for a restoration of their marriages and their friendship with one another. I pray that through this it would become stronger. I pray for all parties involved; that they would forgive and support these broken people. Nurse all broken hearts in this situation, Lord. I hope and pray for the day that Da' Truth will be back in music. May it be in Your time, Lord, not his. Thank You, Lord for Your continual love and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
I'm going to close this with the closing lyrics from "Tree to Tree" by Da' Truth and Tye Tribbett. The song is all about imagining what would happen if they could go back in time right before Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to show them what would happen if they did. Here's the excerpt:
"Every temptation’s a tree, and since you ate from that tree,
Sin and death is in you, sin and death is in me.
But hold up, off in the distance I see a whole 'nother Tree,
and the Man that is on it is dying for you and for me.
Why did you eat from the tree?"
God bless,
Steve
Thursday, December 24, 2009
"All to Jesus, I surrender...."
"All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now."
Deep words from a classic hymn. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas remembering the birth of our precious Savior Jesus Christ.
Something I love doing is beatboxing. It's just a lot of fun to be able to try and make the same sounds that you hear out of a turntable or a mixer in your mouth. One of the things I do from time to time to help inspire me in that area is I watch some amazingly talented beatboxers performing on YouTube. Some good ones I know of are Beardyman, Eklips, Rakim, Schlomo, and the beatboxing duo Humanism from Japan. These guys all have a wonderful talent. Look them up if you want.
But let me ask you this....does their talent matter? Does it seriously matter that these guys are some of the hottest beatboxers out there? Does it matter that day in and day out these guys practice their craft, molding it and shaping it; perfecting it? Does any of that stuff matter?
Our life on this planet is short. Like it or not, you're going to die soon. We're all going to die soon. It could be tomorrow or it could be in 60 years, but eventually we all are going to be dead, buried and gone. Our legacies won't last very long either. Probably at the very most a few hundred years if we leave that big of an impact.
Here's an excerpt from a man who was probably the richest person materialistically speaking on the planet. He had everything he wanted and more: big houses, hot women, lots of gold, popularity, and this guy was smart too. He had wisdom that could make any wise man's jaw drop. Probably the wisest guy who ever lived. This is what this guy wrote. You ready?
"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun." -Ecclesiastes 2:11
Meaningless? Really? This man was King Solomon. This man by the world's standards had everything and more and it meant absolutely nothing to him. It left him empty, cold and alone.
Michael Jackson recently passed away this past year. There were millions of people all over the world mourning and weeping over his death. There was a movie put out about him and everyone was saying how revolutionary this guy was to pop music and performance. Yes, I agree he was. He was one talented performer and had an energy to his performance that changed how people viewed pop culture.
But that brings me back to this question....Does it matter?
No, not really. Michael Jackson's legacy will vanish in a few decades at least.
This isn't a "how will people remember you" message at all, because honestly people won't remember you, or me, or anyone. People won't be "ooo-ing" and "aah-ing" over these blog posts in the next few hundred years, I guarantee it.
Do you want to do something that matters? Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Lay down your life before Him. Give Him everything and call Him Lord.
Why? What has Jesus Christ ever done for me? Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas. What is Christmas?
"This is mind blowing, the God of the universe,
Knows every star in the sky to my human hurts.
Made the trees, made the breeze, made the seas,
Emcees like Jay and me.
But let me tell you what amazes me:
That He came as a man who was made to need."
-Lecrae in "Who Is He" by Json
Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ, a man who went on a rescue mission to save mankind. Man rejects God in every way, shape and form. You're a man? You reject God. You don't love Him. Your nature is to hate Him. It's in your blood. It's called sin. It will ultimately kill you if you hold onto it.
God could have rejected man. You know what He did instead? He sent His Son, Jesus Christ humbly as a servant into this world. He lived as a righteous man and blessed a lot of people during His life. He wasn't some big rich man like Solomon. He was actually poor by the world's standards. His first bed was a feeding trough that horses ate out of. His first house was a barn in a small town called Bethlehem. He lived His life humbly and simply as a carpenter by trade. At times, He was homeless and lived constantly on the move. And then one day, He died.
He wasn't a victim at all in His death because He willingly gave up His life going through the most brutal execution method ever invented: crucifixion. What was even worse though was that God the Father turned His back on His Son, the righteous man. Why? Because on that cross Jesus Christ became sin. He became every bad thing we have ever done.
Why did He do this? He did this for us! The God of the universe who is A LOT bigger than us and sees us as worthless specks, especially after we decided to reject Him, was and still is filled with love and compassion for us. This can only be explained by the fact that He chose to be that way. He chose to be with us and to rescue us, not because we're so great and valuable, but because we're not.
He rescued us. We're set free. That's what matters. We are set free when we make Jesus Christ Lord. Beatboxing doesn't matter, fame doesn't matter, sex doesn't matter, drugs don't matter, Christmas presents don't matter, NONE OF THAT MATTERS!
Jesus Christ matters.
Give your life to Him. Please....Don't live your life thinking that "you're fine with the big guy" because you're a "good person" who does "good things". Maybe you do good things. But they don't matter if they're not for Jesus. Please, give your life to Him. He gave His life for you. That is your Christmas present. Now give Jesus Christ His.....you.
Merry Christmas,
Steve
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now."
Deep words from a classic hymn. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas remembering the birth of our precious Savior Jesus Christ.
Something I love doing is beatboxing. It's just a lot of fun to be able to try and make the same sounds that you hear out of a turntable or a mixer in your mouth. One of the things I do from time to time to help inspire me in that area is I watch some amazingly talented beatboxers performing on YouTube. Some good ones I know of are Beardyman, Eklips, Rakim, Schlomo, and the beatboxing duo Humanism from Japan. These guys all have a wonderful talent. Look them up if you want.
But let me ask you this....does their talent matter? Does it seriously matter that these guys are some of the hottest beatboxers out there? Does it matter that day in and day out these guys practice their craft, molding it and shaping it; perfecting it? Does any of that stuff matter?
Our life on this planet is short. Like it or not, you're going to die soon. We're all going to die soon. It could be tomorrow or it could be in 60 years, but eventually we all are going to be dead, buried and gone. Our legacies won't last very long either. Probably at the very most a few hundred years if we leave that big of an impact.
Here's an excerpt from a man who was probably the richest person materialistically speaking on the planet. He had everything he wanted and more: big houses, hot women, lots of gold, popularity, and this guy was smart too. He had wisdom that could make any wise man's jaw drop. Probably the wisest guy who ever lived. This is what this guy wrote. You ready?
"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun." -Ecclesiastes 2:11
Meaningless? Really? This man was King Solomon. This man by the world's standards had everything and more and it meant absolutely nothing to him. It left him empty, cold and alone.
Michael Jackson recently passed away this past year. There were millions of people all over the world mourning and weeping over his death. There was a movie put out about him and everyone was saying how revolutionary this guy was to pop music and performance. Yes, I agree he was. He was one talented performer and had an energy to his performance that changed how people viewed pop culture.
But that brings me back to this question....Does it matter?
No, not really. Michael Jackson's legacy will vanish in a few decades at least.
This isn't a "how will people remember you" message at all, because honestly people won't remember you, or me, or anyone. People won't be "ooo-ing" and "aah-ing" over these blog posts in the next few hundred years, I guarantee it.
Do you want to do something that matters? Surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Lay down your life before Him. Give Him everything and call Him Lord.
Why? What has Jesus Christ ever done for me? Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas. What is Christmas?
"This is mind blowing, the God of the universe,
Knows every star in the sky to my human hurts.
Made the trees, made the breeze, made the seas,
Emcees like Jay and me.
But let me tell you what amazes me:
That He came as a man who was made to need."
-Lecrae in "Who Is He" by Json
Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ, a man who went on a rescue mission to save mankind. Man rejects God in every way, shape and form. You're a man? You reject God. You don't love Him. Your nature is to hate Him. It's in your blood. It's called sin. It will ultimately kill you if you hold onto it.
God could have rejected man. You know what He did instead? He sent His Son, Jesus Christ humbly as a servant into this world. He lived as a righteous man and blessed a lot of people during His life. He wasn't some big rich man like Solomon. He was actually poor by the world's standards. His first bed was a feeding trough that horses ate out of. His first house was a barn in a small town called Bethlehem. He lived His life humbly and simply as a carpenter by trade. At times, He was homeless and lived constantly on the move. And then one day, He died.
He wasn't a victim at all in His death because He willingly gave up His life going through the most brutal execution method ever invented: crucifixion. What was even worse though was that God the Father turned His back on His Son, the righteous man. Why? Because on that cross Jesus Christ became sin. He became every bad thing we have ever done.
Why did He do this? He did this for us! The God of the universe who is A LOT bigger than us and sees us as worthless specks, especially after we decided to reject Him, was and still is filled with love and compassion for us. This can only be explained by the fact that He chose to be that way. He chose to be with us and to rescue us, not because we're so great and valuable, but because we're not.
He rescued us. We're set free. That's what matters. We are set free when we make Jesus Christ Lord. Beatboxing doesn't matter, fame doesn't matter, sex doesn't matter, drugs don't matter, Christmas presents don't matter, NONE OF THAT MATTERS!
Jesus Christ matters.
Give your life to Him. Please....Don't live your life thinking that "you're fine with the big guy" because you're a "good person" who does "good things". Maybe you do good things. But they don't matter if they're not for Jesus. Please, give your life to Him. He gave His life for you. That is your Christmas present. Now give Jesus Christ His.....you.
Merry Christmas,
Steve
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
"Pale Scars"
Pale Scars
to a girl I saw, but never met.
i saw you waiting in line.
you tuck your long hair behind your ear
and your forearm catches my eye,
pale scars etched across from long ago.
what caused you to do this?
was it your boyfriend?
did he make another broken promise?
did you just feel alone?
did daddy yell at you?
saying you’ll never amount to anything?
maybe you locked yourself in your bedroom
and as he roared like a caged lion you escaped,
blocking out the pain with the high of a razor blade.
maybe you didn’t even know what to think.
couldn’t think of the right words to say
so you picked up that blade
you cut deep hoping to strike gold
and you did.
it bled out of the wound you created
but was it worth it?
did you really feel that release?
that freedom?
as tears trickled down your cheeks
they trickled down God’s
The Silent Witness
silent because you silenced Him
His arms won’t be deceptive
He won’t hit you like daddy
He won’t leave you like that boyfriend
He will just love you
He scarred Himself for you
i would say that to you
but i don’t even know you
so i just pray for you.
to a girl I saw, but never met.
i saw you waiting in line.
you tuck your long hair behind your ear
and your forearm catches my eye,
pale scars etched across from long ago.
what caused you to do this?
was it your boyfriend?
did he make another broken promise?
did you just feel alone?
did daddy yell at you?
saying you’ll never amount to anything?
maybe you locked yourself in your bedroom
and as he roared like a caged lion you escaped,
blocking out the pain with the high of a razor blade.
maybe you didn’t even know what to think.
couldn’t think of the right words to say
so you picked up that blade
you cut deep hoping to strike gold
and you did.
it bled out of the wound you created
but was it worth it?
did you really feel that release?
that freedom?
as tears trickled down your cheeks
they trickled down God’s
The Silent Witness
silent because you silenced Him
His arms won’t be deceptive
He won’t hit you like daddy
He won’t leave you like that boyfriend
He will just love you
He scarred Himself for you
i would say that to you
but i don’t even know you
so i just pray for you.
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