I heard people like pictures on posts and they don't read as much if there aren't, so here's some eye candy ... then read the rest!
So, it's been a while for me (Jack) to post and it's about time to do it again. My spiritual life has been awakened over the past ~1 year by finding Christian rapper after Christian rapper who have lyrics that double as theological teaching. They are absolutely phenomenal. Here's a quote from a song called "Back to the Cross", that has been hitting me over and over:
Blood flows from the hands used to perform miracles,
blood drips from his brow, treated like a criminal,
scourged him and whipped him, hurled him and kicked him,
later made him carry the very thing that would lift him,
high above the people that he came and died for,
how quickly we forget the way they treated our Lord,
slapped in the face by the man he created,
'shhhhhhhhhhh', silence still brewing hatred,
still he remained all humble it seems,
difficult to view him as the King of all Kings,
never raised a finger to the people that would judge him,
all the while be denied by people that have loved him,
every blow heard a groan, every kick heard a moan, every sin was atoned,
they knew it when they rolled the stone,
yes He is back at home, every King has a throne,
every Christian has a cross, you got to carry your own ... I'm going back!
I like rap, so I'll address the topic first with that caveat; but also want to stress that the lyrics are worth wrestling with even if you don't normally like the style. A corollary from my life; old hymn style music grates on me, but the lyrics in old hymns is so fantastic that I still delve in for growth and find myself loving them. Similarly, I find the lyrics from these guys phenomenal, their knowledge in Christ is astounding and they run hard for Christ in a way I currently can only envy (an indictment on me no doubt). There isn't enough length in a standard post to sniff the volume of their music, but I'll give you thoughts and names if you care to look them up and listen (most every song can be first "listened" to on youtube).
A group called the 116 Clique (after Romans 1:16). 5 guys who are phenomenal, Lecrae (most well known), Trip Lee, Sho Baraka, Tedashii and Flame. Made and album called "13 Letters", regarding the 13 letters that Paul wrote, going through one book per song. It's fantastic; two of my favorites are Philippians and Titus ("To Live is Christ" and "Sound" respectively). Each artist has their own albums also, which are fantastic. I should mention, a guy named Dillon Chase also puts out some albums, I'm less familiar with him, but the quote given above was from his song and I have bought his album and love it too.
www.reachrecords.com to learn more about the 116 clique type guys.
A couple songs to check out: "Don't Waste Your Life" by Lecrae. "Make War" by Tedashii (you will find John Piper's teaching heavily influencing all of them). "Joyful Noise" by Flame.
Another guy who packs unbelievable knowledge in his songs; Shai Linne. Shai Linne has a song called "Spurgeon", go figure it's about Charles Spurgeon and details his life. He's got one called "High Priest" that works as a historical fiction about a High Priest going through the prescribed steps for him when offering sacrifices before going into the Holiest of Holies. It's great. Check out "Greatest Story Ever Told", it's the story of the bible from Genesis through Christ, the fall through the redemption; marvelous.
Finally, a guy I have been floored with recently; Timothy Brindle. He's less musical (in my opinion), but the easiest to understand and phenomenal with his lyrics. He hits hard on sin; his latest album called "Killing Sin" is unheard of in it's detailing of what sin is to God and what man's position is in relation to God. He rails hard against pornography amongst other sins, while humbly talking about his own struggles and how Christ has worked so powerfully in his life. Several songs that cut to my heart with respect to sin: "The Sinfulness of Sin", "The Humility of Christ", "Step Into the Light". He also hits hard on weak Christianity, "Faulty Doctrine" is an indictment against watered down, feel good Christianity. "Vanity" uses Ecclesiastes and King Solomon to shed light on our culture. "The Excellency of Christ", marvelous, "Blessings of Obedience", fantastic. He's like a bizarro Puritan.
God has used these guys to really work in my life. I'd encourage anyone who's curious to take time and wrestle with their lyrics (you can find them online if they're hard to hear, or ask me and I'll find them). I could go on and on about other songs that I love, and if you want any other recommendations feel free to ask. Christ has powerfully worked in my life through these guys and if it can serve anyone else, I'd be glad to have someone else to share my joy with!
Jack, pre-interview.
So is this not the nerdiest picture ever? Yes, we have to wear our hats for graduation. Twenty dollars spent and we wear it twice. Once for this picture and once for graduation. Yippee. The only redeeming point to all this is that in 25 days, after 2 long, but interesting and productive years, I will be graduating from nursing school. This has long been awaited and while I'm so nervous to actually get out there and be a "real" nurse, I'm ready as well. I am thankful the Lord has given me a passion for something in my life. I finally feel direction.
