taking back the streets one lick at a time

Tell me where in Christian music are you going to find great lyrics like this, with the talent to back them up? Lecrae is my boy, and his stuff is my favorite for sure. His stuff is getting kids on the streets saved. I know because I’m watching it happen.

I realize I have a rather large audience on this blog. So I urge you, my audience, to support Lecrae and go buy his albums. Support this guy because he is bringing the gospel to the streets in a real way, and taking no money for it.

These are the lyrics to his song “Souled Out”:

Man I consider my life nuthin’
if I could just finish the race
and complete the job the
lord jesus gave me
I live to tell the world his message
Romans 1:16 “I’m not Ashamed”
I Ain’t Ashamed

(Hook)
We Souled Out
Seeking God’s face till we fold out
you want it, we got it
we ain’t tryin’ to hold out
break me, shake me, mold me
I would rather die like Christ
that live unholy

(Verse1)
1 - 1 - 6 a band of misfits
who get sick at the
state of the world
so we hit strips and spit
Christ Jesus,who scooped us out of the dirt and cleaned us
we were slave to sinful ways but Christ freed us
believe us
because of the bible that supercedes us
not to the intellectual thesis
they say we believe in a fools faith
cause kids can grasp it
and salvation is granted, to those who ask it
but even if you don’t know systematic theology
or eschatology
you know Jesus is who you wanna to seek we ought to be
sowing seeds and seeping truth
diciplin’ groups of young soldiers and reeping fruit
aww yeah
this a part of our lifestyle
might sound good on wax
but we livin’ it right now
I wish you would catch me on tapes and CD’s
But never see me in the streets in 3-D
B, Please
We ain’t come here to appease
we came to spit these spiritual soliloquies
why killers squese triggers
and hammers clap
I’m a shove on my bullet truth vest
and hammer back like that

(Hook)

(Verse 2)
Man I do this for the, Way, the truth
the life, Jesus Christ
until my soul take flight
the worlds the same
everyone want to cop a chain, cop a
dame , cop 22’s on the range
want to cop big fortune and fame
and claiming that they the reason that the cops get trained
stop the game
I came here to drop a name
JESUS
The same one that blocked the pain
How many thugs you know hard enough to stop the flames
its like standing on the tracks tyrin to block a train
you got the game messed up stop and change
mind trapped all wrapped up in locks a chains
the same God you pray to before you sleep at night
the same God you direspect when you creep at night
seek the light
ain’t no trin’ to plead for life
talkin’ bout’ I sorry God
He like
Leave my sight
The key to life
is none other than Jesus Christ
If you a slave to your ways
Be free tonight

(Hook)

I spit these bars
not to get no chicks in cars
Not for spinners on the wheels of
expensive cars
Man I do this for the folk who like to lift their arms
pray to God who gave us life
so he can give us all
man I do this for the blocks in tha Hood
the rocks in tha hood
Jesus Chist, Cornestone
gettin’ props in tha hood
folks think we crazed and delerious
cilqued up 40 deep
all saved, all serious Yeah
and if you curious
we got some proof man
we got some answers
we got some truth man
tellin’ folks that God is
wathchin’ you man
Romans 10:9 is all you got to do man
(Hook)

Random Rantings Friday (Wednesday after thanksgiving vacay edition)

Greetings and welcome back to the rantings that are random! There have been some good discussions going on around my blog this last week. I’ll jump in soon. I’ve been busy showing the beautiful Carrie Blom around my home town, and introducing her to my family!

But now that I’m home… on to the randomonium!!

I have over 30 trees on my acre plot of land, well their leaves have now fallen. Now I must rake… this is where all those John Maxwell leadership books come into handy. One of the rules of good leadership? Delegation. Hopefully I can score some delegates! Ha!

Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama are currently at Rick Warren’s church taking on the AIDS problem. Apparently Warren and company are lashing out at the evangelical community for not doing enough to stop AIDS. - My beef with all this is simple- I think the evangelical community is way to caught up in solving “issues” and “causes” instead of furthering the gospel. The gospel “is the power of God unto salvation”, preach the gospel, people stop contracting AIDS and imprisoning young girls and boys. Or go the Evangelical route: Fix the AIDS problem, stop world hunger, free people from slavery, but it still leaves us with a much bigger problem; those freed from that oppression are still going to hell. The gospel is what we are called to preach, leave the causes to Sean Penn.

My trip home was so much fun. I got to show Carrie all around my hometown, and introduce her to millions (I do exaggerate) of friends and family members. Carrie enjoyed the trip quite a bit. In fact the women in my family kidnapped her the day after Thanksgiving for a 10 hour day of shopping. She had a great time. I’m in love with her!

SO IT’S OFFICIAL! Bush’s Iraq strategy is starting to work. Since he started increasing troops and laying down the serious smack down over there, the violence has ceased by 50%. Which is why the Dems are searching for a new attacking point as things are starting to work out over there. Though not sure if they will “work out” completely. I’ve never agreed with how Bush has handled this whole thing, I think it’s been done very poorly. However glad to see something positive is finally happening within his strategy. Even If I’m not a Bush fan.

When I was a kid my mom once bought me a popular rap album so I could have something to relate with the kids in the ghetto around me. She didn’t let me listen to secular music but made this exception to stave off the beatings I was receiving for my rap ignorance. Thanks momma! “Here comes the Hamma!”

Clay Edwards loves Ring pops. yeah Ring Pops, I know! I personally miss Push Pops! those rocked!

Speaking of the ghetto. I love working with kids straight off the streets. I love watching guys come straight out of gangs and getting the privilege to help them walk out their salvation. I’m currently working with a few of these types. My favorite is a guy named Josh. I love watching him read the word for hours, come ask me questions, and I answer him with yet more scripture verses. The other day he came to me freaked out, “Yo Zack yo! what the deal with these Jews man? What the deal with Israel? I’m read’n Isiah and I’m scared cause I ain’t no Jew man. Does that mean God don’t love me yo?” I told him to go read Romans 9-11 and come back to me at the end of the night. He came so excited. “Yo Zack man! This God loves me yo! He promised Israel all that stuff, but I get it to cause of Jesus yo! I’m in him! He let us gentiles in on them promises to make them Israel fools jealous because they rejected him, but he loves them and wants them! This is crazy yo! God so so freak’n smart! I love him yo!” It’s beautiful to watch someone get revelation from the word.

Tomorrow is the fateful Green Bay vs. Dallas game. I’m going over to Corey Russel’s house to watch it with him, Brent Steeno, Dave Sliker, and Joel Sorge. Sorge thought it be a good idea for us to each make our own wings, then bring um. I told him, “I don’t do that”. It’s going to be alot of fun. Go Pack!

Chicken fat leaks for 20 miles and causes 4 accidents in Virgina. Um I think the headline speaks for it self.

I wrote a post, well more like a rant, or a thinking out loud post on my frustration with theological camps, called “Is Christ Divided my thoughts on theology” My purpose I think was misunderstood after some of the comments. As for that matter many of the comments recently are coming from a place of assuming different things about how I think. Which was actually the point of the post. I was pointing a fact that unnecessary divisiveness is drawn up simply because two people are from different theological camps. Why argue over divine election, and separate ourselves because two people see it different? Christ isn’t divided, we are all still under the same blood. Division over such issues are pointless. Discussions about them are helpful however. Division over doctrines that go against what Jesus preached is something to be divided about. Some preach that we should find “our best life now”. That we shouldn’t look to eternity, but go after only what God has for us now. Others preach that God’s grace is so good, it doesn’t matter how you live, he loves us so much that we’ll all go to heaven. He just wants us to be happy and do what we please. Doctrines such as these are worth making division over because they lead people into hell. But attacking each other over the ways we walk out our sanctification isn’t helpful to the body. THOSE discrepancies should be brought forth in the context of love and relationship. Not in public denouncements, or harsh sarcastic talk. Because Jesus didn’t do so. Only did he to the Pharisees who were preaching doctrine not even in scripture. They were preaching things that send people to hell. Not misunderstanding minor interpretations of the scripture.

I’m excited to be home. Excited to be back at the Prayer room (well will be when I go there in a second) I’m excited about my relationship with Carrie, and excited about going to Minnesota to be with her family over the holiday.

blessings to you all- peace

I have this shirt. Random I know.

I’m Home! and jumping back into the fray!

Well folks, after A wonderful holiday vacation, I’m back. It was a great, restful time. Highlights, recaps, and posts to follow. I’m in a car, getting a ride from the lovely Tiffany Upton, heading toward my home. My sister and I are thanlful for her because, lets face it, who likes picking people up from the airport?

Thanks Tiff!

I’ll also be jumping back into all the comments around the blog.

bless you all!

.::zack

The Weakness of Prayer (revised)

I wrote this post a few months ago. However I recently re-wrote it for the Onething website in the Source leadership network portion. I so enjoy writing for the website. Here is the revised post enjoy!!:

The Weakness of Prayer 

For nearly six years now, prayer has been my occupation. For 6-8 hours a day, 6 days a week, I’ve sat in that wonderful prayer room. Some days I’d sit there from the moment I’d wake up until the moment I’d go to bed. Some days I’d opt not show up at all. Prayer is my life’s very source, yet at times it can be the hardest task in creation.

Over the years, people have asked me, “Does it ever get easier?” My answer is simple: most definitely yes, and most definitely no. I know that if one is consistent in prayer, the enjoyment of prayer grows. However, prayer, at its essence, is about weakness. For the human frame, admitting weakness is—and until the Lord returns, will always be—an exhausting task. Prayer causes us to stop whatever job we are doing, whatever problem we’re trying to solve, or whatever independent life we’re trying to live to simply say, “Lord I need your help! I can’t do it on my own!” The reason why prayer brings us to this point is because we can’t do it on our own… ever. He never asked us to. Trying to live life without help from God is to frustrate the grace that Jesus paid for us with his blood (Galatians 2:21).

Jesus tells us how we should pray in Matthew 6:9-13. Not only does he show us how we should pray in words, but more importantly, he is showing us the heart posture necessary in prayer.

In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

—Matthew 6:9-13

In our “pull yourself up by the boot straps” culture that we live in, Jesus is asking us to be weak. Prayer is hard because every time we pray, we have to admit that we can’t pull ourselves up by our own boot straps. We have to admit that no matter how badly we like to think we are the sole providers for ourselves and family, it’s Him, not us, who gives us our daily bread. We have to admit that no matter how strong we think we’ve built up ourselves to withstand temptation, that it’s Him, not us, who keeps us from temptation.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9 the Lord reveals this to Paul: “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Prayer is the first step to boasting in our weakness. Prayer is an act of denouncing our own ability, and proclaiming God’s ability. For it’s not about our weakness being on display, it’s about his strength being seen. Over and over again, we face the mountains that lie between us and the things we are striving for in Him. However, those mountains are not ours to conquer. They are not ours to lay waste. That victory belongs to the only sovereign and wise God who is faithful to keep us strong until the end.

So if it’s as easy admitting we need his help, why then is it so hard to admit our weakness? The answer is the great travesty of shame. We are ashamed to admit that in all of our striving we’ve gained no actual ground in getting closer to God. We’re ashamed to admit that our efforts to be completely sinless have been futile. Which is where shame shows its true face; pride. The message of the Gospel is contrary to these. If we could strive to be righteous, or get close to God, then we wouldn’t have needed Jesus (see Ephesians 2:9).

Instead, we pray. No matter how worthless we feel, no matter how badly we’ve messed up, and no matter how hopeless the situation seems. The more we do this, the more we learn to lean on His strength; thus, His strength is becoming perfected in us. The more we learn to lean, the more we learn to love him. If we learn to love him, then prayer becomes much easier. First, though, we have to get over ourselves and admit our weakness. Once you do that, prayer will become the most enjoyable thing you’ll ever experience.

snow +me = worship

Praise the Lamb! It finally snowed in Kansas City! Being the Phoenix desert rat that I am, snow is still such a foreign yet exciting phenomena.  One thing I’m always mesmerized by is the intricate detail you find in each snow flake. If you look at them up close or especially with a magnifying glass, you can see the brilliant work of art they are. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Watching the snow fall always directs my gaze to heaven.  This God of wonder who sent his son the die for me, put this much effort into a single snow flake. How much more does He put into his plans for me? How much more does He put into his plans for his creation?

I love God because He first loved me. My love for him grows stronger when I see his love, and attention for me. I have courage to run the race when I consider Him who took on the cross.

Snow leads me to this place of wonder. It leads me to this place where i begin to contemplate how good God is to me. How every intricate detail of my life has been so carefully planed and ordained; it gives me hope to rest in his sovereignty.

plus snow is beautiful!

Going home for Thanksgiving!!

I’m so excited to be going home for thanksgiving! I’ll be traveling with my wonderful sister, and my ever amazing girlfriend Carrie, back to Phoenix for turkey in the dessert! I’m so excited to show Carrie around my favorite city, and have her meet my family. Can’t promise I’ll post much while I’m gone but I’ll try to keep up with the comments!

bless you all!

Is Christ Divided? Thoughts on Theology

I would like to start this post  by saying that I love theology. I love how it is a catalyst that drives me deep into the heart of God. However it is only a catalyst, real revelation can only come from the Word of God, by influence of the Holy Spirit.

Often on this blog, and in other contexts I run into a wall in my dialog with people concerning the Word. Consistently I’m being asked what theological camp I’m in, or everything that I say is being viewed assuming I’m coming from a specific theological stance. They wait with their pre-formulated arguments, waiting to debunk what I say based on the theological bandanna I rep. I’ll say I believe in prophecy, suddenly I’m being accused of being a charismatic. I’ll say I believe the millennial Kingdom is to follow the tribulation to come, and suddenly I’m a dispensationalist, pre-triber reading Tim Lahaye on the weekends. I mention God giving us the desires of our hearts, if we delight in him, suddenly I’m declaring a prosperity gospel. When I travel to places I talk to people at different churches. The first thing I’m asked is what my theological affiliation is, so they can then relate to me based on my doctrine , or tear me apart based on my doctrine. It is kinda reminiscent of the ghetto. In the ghetto you watch you shoes when you walk. If you’re gonna lift your head and someone makes eye contact with you, you better flash your street affiliations. So they can know whether to let you pass or drop you like a DMX song.

Here is the deal.

“Is Christ divided?” You say you claim to be Emergant, and another claims to be a Dispensational evangelical, the other a Cessasionalist and another a Calvinist. Do they not all serve Christ? Are we all not under the blood of Christ? Have not we all been born of sin, but now through Christ have life everlasting? Are we all not citizens of the same kingdom and commanded to love each other? (John 15)

I Corinthians 1:10-17:

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.  (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

I don’t follow John Calvin. I don’t follow Mike Bickle. I don’t follow Karl Barth. Was John Calvin Crucified for me? No only Christ, and I refuse to empty that sacrifice of it’s power by solely following the teachings of men. I’m a man after Christ. I’m a man who deserves the fires of hell, but because of his mercy he has raised me up and seated me with Christ in heavenly places. My aim is his heart. My aim is to love him, serve him, and know him in this age and in the coming age. My aim is to tell this testimony of Christ crucified, risen from the dead, and of His kingdom coming to all those who don’t know him.

I love and appreciate scholarship. I love and appreciate all those more wise than me. From them I diligently seek wisdom and counsel. From their books, their notes, their experiences, I am veracious in my gaining insight from them. But at the end of the day when I stand before the Lord, I won’t be able to point at John Piper, or Mike Bickle, or Martin ILoyd Jones. I wont be able to say well I was simply following their instruction. No, the onus will be on me. I alone answer for my heart. I alone answer to my life. I alone answer for how I treat those around me. In this regard I’m a bit selfish. Meaning I’m not going pledge allegiance to some theological camp, then be loyal to their doctrine because that’s the doctrine I’ve chosen. I’m not going to argue with people over who’s doctrine is more truth. It’s unnecessary when the Word is true. Be a student of the Word. Live and die by the Word; it’s Christ. Leave the arguments alone.

I end with this story that I’m telling from memory. Meaning I’d hold the truth of the details to 80%. Karl Barth, a theologian I’m both frustrated by and elated by, depending on the passage he’s discussing. Ended the last days of this life laid on his bed answering questions. Someone asked him, “You’ve searched scripture your whole life and have had many great conclusions. What is the one greatest thing you have learned in all of your wisdom?” Barth responded with a phrase that has now become one of the most quoted phrases in Christendom. He said, “Jesus loves me, this I know. That what my Bible tells me to be so.”

It’s about Jesus.

Thanksgiving… more like Thanks-for-being-a-myth-giving…

Growing up with Native heritage, I’ve always looked at Thanksgiving through a different lens. The way I read history books, not even rare books, just normal history books, the pilgrims were the savages. The natives seem to have been a more civilized society, just not a European one.

I mean in 1609 in Jamestown they are struggling so bad to find food and stay warm that they actually resorted to cannibalism. In case you are in the dark on what cannibalism is, it’s when you eat another person, in this case friends and family members. The colony is decimated by itself and the remnant go under private ownership. The natives show them how to plant corn, and hunt. They stop them from eating each other and teach them how to survive the winters in Virginia. (Which side point, Virginia during the winter isn’t like Minnesota, it’s almost in the south) Out of gratitude they throw a feast for the natives (of whom I just happen to be a direct descendant of.) Thanking them for a bountiful harvest. This of course is a farce. Not to mention they then went after the natives and began trying to kill them off. Thankful indeed.

Thanksgiving stems from the to early colonies, one Jamestown in 1609-10, and Plymouth in 1621, with the ever famous William Bradford as the Governor. Bradford’s own memoirs state that the “Bountiful harvests” of 1621-24 were a farce. He says: ” The colony is plagued with confusion and discontentment. No real work has been done. The little work that has been done has been threated by illicit scavengers within the colony.” Jamestown, well… Colonel Secretary Ralph Hamor Said in 1614 that the colony had no men left to work as they had all eaten each other. Maybe they were thankful for roasted neighbor stew.

I realize most in this nation have more in common with the pilgrims than the natives, and I’m not saying the natives are faultless, but I am saying this:

This thanksgiving, kick the myth!!! Be thankful what you have and don’t deserve like Christ. He has set us free from the fiery gates of Hell that in our sin we so aptly deserve. Unless of course you don’t have Jesus, in which case I would say run to him, you’ll be so thankful.

Anyway that’s my take on it…

Um so I’m on facebook…

So I bit the bullet, gave in, and got a Facebook account. So if you’re on facebook, look me up!

thanks for reading good content coming soon.

.::zack

trying to comprehend futility

As most of you readers know, I over-see the practical goings on around the missions base from 12am-6am. Like keeping an eye on drunk people who stumble into the Prayer Room, making sure the carpet gets shampooed, chairs put in order, make sure people aren’t talking, keeping gangster types from lurking in the parking lot etc.

Every night at 3:40am ish, I witness one of the greatest daily acts of futility. The guy who delivers papers goes to fill the paper machine in front of IHOP. Only he only fills it with 1 paper. To put the 1 paper in, he has to put 50 cents in to  get the bin open. Sometimes the paper from the day before is still in there, sometimes it’s gone.

Either way the whole operation is making little profit. Whether a paper is actually bought or not doesn’t matter. He is still putting in 50 cents a day, emptying the change the next day then using 50 cents from the previous earning to yet again open up the bin.

All I have to say to the paper guy is this: Dude, put a few more in! Throw in 5 papers let the bin make a profit. Till that day comes I watch daily confounded by this futility.