Lecrae cont.

Two of my favorite Lecrae songs are Represent and Don't Waste Your Life

Some of my favorite lyrics from Represent include:





I feel your pain homey, I got the same story
But since you came to Christ you got to bring His name Glory

You've been reborn and you don't have to do the same stuff
You live regenerate, you get the benefit of Christ crucified 





Some of my favorite lyrics from Don't Waste Your Life include:




Paul said if Christ ain't resurrected we've wasted our lives
Well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive
Everyday I'm living tryin' to show the world why
Christ is more than everything you'll every try

We're created for Him

Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser
He made us so we could bless Him
To the world we confess Him

To live is Christ and that's Paul I recall
To die is gain so for Christ we give it all
He's the treasure you'll never find in a mall

'Cause I'm constantly trying to be used to praise the Christ 

Lecrae

A different take on how the Gospel is shared......

Lecrae Moore is the Grammy Award–winning rapper who represents the face of the gospel hip-hop movement. In songs like "Jesus Muzik," "Don't Waste Your Life" (based on the sermon by John Piper), and "Black Rose," Lecrae has developed a hard-hitting, straight-talking style that speaks to the everyday realities of fallen sinners and unfolds the cosmic solution to the problem of evil: Jesus Christ.

Fertilizer Plant Explosion Won't Stop Church Service

Even the fertilizer plant explosion won't stop a church in West, Texas from having it's church service. On the first Sunday after the explosion destroyed part of the small Texas town, pastor John Crowder of First Baptist Church help his congregations church service in the middle of a hayfield. Pastor Crowder stood on a flatbed and spoke to his congregation. 

National Day of Prayer

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May. Yesterday, May 2nd, was National Day of Prayer. National Dat of Prayer invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation. The mission of the National Day of Prayer is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and it was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The National Day of Prayer is transforming our national through the power of prayer.  

This years theme was "All Together, All for Him"  

Brazilian Priest Excommunicated

The Roman Catholic Church has excommunicated Brazilian priest Father Roberto Francisco Daniel. His excommunication was a result of some of his teachings. Most recently he has taught that same-sex marriage is OK. Daniel has also expressed other controversial views. One of the most shocking was when he suggested that adultery is acceptable as long as the person's spouse is aware of it and allows it. Wow.....

Excommunication, or expulsion from the church, bars a believer from participating in the liturgy n a ministerial capacity, however it encourages the guilty party to work towards restoring their relationship with the church. Despite his excommunication, Daniel has not backed down from his controversial views.  

Former Pope Benedict Returns to Live at Vatican

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope in about 600 years to step down and retire at the end of February, is returning to the Vatican. It has been reported that he will return to live at the Vatican. Benedict will live in a converted monastery located behind St. Peter's Basilica, where Pope Francis lives. Benedict will live with his secretary and four lay nuns who will help with his daily needs. There is also a guest room for Benedict's older brother. Benedict has said that he will not interfere in matters with the Vatican, and will only give advice to Pope Francis if he ever asks for it. This is the first time in the history of the Roman Catholic Church that the Vatican will be home to two Popes.  

Tebow remains strong in his faith

Tim Tebow, NFL quarterback who is known for his open displays of his Christian faith both on and off the field, is remaining strong in his faith after the New York Jets cut him on Monday. Tebow tweeted a verse from Proverbs that read, "Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Talking to an ESPN reported, Tebow said, "I felt like it was a learning opportunity for me. There was a lot that I'll take from it. There's a lot that I learned and there are lot of relationships that I've built, so I know that it happened for a reason."

A Homeless Man's Test

A homeless man in Austin, Texas recently did an experiment to see which religion cares the most about the homeless population. A photo shows the man sitting on the ground with pieces of paper labeling different religions. With each label is a bowl (and a hat) in which people can put money. The religions labeled include: Muslim, Atheist, Hindu, Jewish, Spiritual, Buddhist, Agnostic, Pagan, and Christian. When people have walked past him, some will ask about who is winning. The homeless man has been reported saying that Atheists and Christians are the two that give the most. He says that one day Atheists will be "winning" and the next day it is the Christians. Although this is not an accurate test, it is still very interesting.

 

"Not Today"

Producers of "Not Today" are hoping to raise awareness about sex slavery, one of the most critical problems in society today. Today, there are more slaves than at any other time in human history. Roughly 27 million slaves around the world are being exploited for manual and sexual labor against their will. Women and children are the primary victims in this industry, which is estimated to make profits of over $32 billion. The film is a feature film and not a documentary with a story that centers on a 20-year-old American youth, Caden Wells, played by Cody Longo, who is greatly disconnected with the suffering of the world before he randomly decides to travel to Hyderabad, India, with a group of free-spirited friends for a vacation. Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated singer Kari Jobe believes the draw for her to fight human trafficking is because she is a woman and she sees such tremendous suffering as the result of the illegal trade. Her song, "What Love Can Do", is featured in the movie's soundtrack. Along with Kari Jobe, there is an impressive array of ministry partners who have pledged to promote the film. "Our Christian faith compels us to lift our hands up with conviction and stretch our hands across with compassion," said the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference Hispanic Evangelical Association. "'Not Today' moves us to reconcile sanctification with service, faith with action and righteousness with justice. Whether it's creating a firewall against a caste system that does not recognize the image of God in every human being or lifting a clarion call against human trafficking, 'Not Today' is more than a movie. 'Not Today' stands as a clarion call to do justice in the name of Jesus."

Amish Beard-Cutting Attacks

The leader of a dissident Amish sect was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a series of bizarre beard- and hair-cutting attacks on other Ohio Amish. Samuel Mullet Sr., 67, the leader, was sentenced in Federal District Court in Cleveland for coordinating assaults that prosecutors argued were motivated by religious intolerance. Fifteen of his followers, including six women, were given lesser sentences, ranging from one year and one day to seven years. The breakaway Amish were convicted last year of multiple counts of conspiracy and hate crimes, which carry harsher punishment than simple assault. The series of attacks in 2011 spread fear through Amish communities in eastern Ohio. Followers of Samuel Mullet broke into homes, restrained men and women, and forcibly sheared their victims, sometimes with tools used to clip horse manes. For Amish, descendants of 18th-century German-speaking immigrants, long beards and flowing women’s hair represent religious devotion and cultural identity. Prosecutors argued that because of the religious symbolism of the attacks, they were hate crimes.

"The Testament of Mary"

Fiona Shaw, perhaps best known for playing Harry Potter's aunt, is re-imagining the life of the mother of Christ in Irish writer Colm Toibin's New York premiere stage adaptation of his novella "The Testament of Mary," a haunting, provocative work, at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Fiona Shaw is alone onstage – except for the early presence of a real-life vulture – as she tells her version of "The Greatest Story Ever Told," one that often sharply veers from traditional Christianity.

Pope Francis Advisory Council

Pope Francis named eight cardinals from around the globe Saturday to advise him on running the Catholic Church and reforming the Vatican bureaucracy, marking his first month as pope with a major initiative to reflect the universal nature of the church in key governing decisions. The advisory panel includes only one current Vatican official. The rest are cardinals from North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia. It was reported that Pope Francis got the idea to form the advisory body from the pre-conclave meetings where complaints had been made about the fact that there was not an advisory group like this. The cardinals are to help advise him in the governing of the universal church. The advisory group will meet for its first session October 1-3, however, Pope Francis is already in contact with the members of the group. It was also noted that the cardinals are a consultative body, NOT a decision-making one. 

Pope Francis Advisory Council To Reform Church With Permanent Panel Of 8 Cardinals

Jesus>Religion

This video came out a little over a year ago, but I just came across it again. Just two days after this video had been posted on YouTube it had more than 2 million views. Jefferson Bethke, the video's creator, draws on his own experiences and the Bible to argue that "Jesus and religion are on opposite spectrums," when people don't practice what they preach.

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

Rick Warren

Pastor Rick Warren founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Saddleback is a megachurch and at the weekend services there are usually around 20,000 people attending. Pastor Warren is also the author of the bestseller book The Purpose Driven Life. I have attended many services at Saddleback Church, and absolutely love this church family! Some sad news appeared this weekend as word broke that the Warren's youngest son, Matthew, committed suicide. I met Matthew a few times at Saddleback, so for me this news was a HUGE shock. Many people are asking how such a tragedy could happen to such a devout Christian family.

Prays for the Warren family......

KKK

The Ku Klux Klan is America's oldest, most visible and most (in)famous hate group. They consider themselves a Christian organization and base their doctrines upon their own reading of the Bible. Their theology is strongly influenced by Christian Reconstructionism - they hope to "reconstruct" the United States along biblical (primarily Old Testament) lines and to establish a white-dominated theocracy. A cross burning is the most well-known symbol of the Klan. Many Christians consider it sacrilege to burn or otherwise destroy a cross. Klan Christians, however, state that it is not destroying the cross, but "lighting" it, as a symbol of the members' faith. 

Now, why am I talking about the KKK? Well, in Memphis on Saturday there was a KKK Rally. That is right, the KKK STILL exists. I was just as shocked...

White Smoke

Ooooopps. Did it again. I pushed save rather than publish!

White smoke has appeared! YES! There is a new Pope! The cardinals of the Roman Catholic church chose Jorge Maria Bergoglio as the 266th Pope. He took the name Francis, the first Pope to take this name. He is from Buenos Aires and is the first Jesuit priest.  

Black smoke, no pope. White smoke, new pope.

The cardinals of the Catholic Church held their first ballot today to elect a pope. The conclave began 12 days after Benedict XVI renounced the throne. He became the first pope in modern times to do this. As the cardinals enter the Sistine Chapel, they leave the outside world and enter a very private space. The cardinals remain locked in isolation until one of the candidates receives two-thirds of the votes. At that time, that man will emerge from the process as the new spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. 

 Since the cardinals are locked in isolation, their only contact with the outside world (everyone waiting for the word that a new pope has been elected) comes in the form of smoke signals. Black smoke means that no decision has been made on who among them will be the next pontiff. However, if white smoke emerges out of the chimney, than the world knows there is a new pope. 

To create the smoke, the Roman Catholic Church use to burn wet straw with all the paper ballots to give them smoke a dark color, indicating no decision had been made. However, instead of creating black smoke, wet straw creates grey smoke. In the past this has led to some confusion. To help eliminate confusion, chemical compounds are know used to give the smoke its proper color.

According to the Vatican, there are two iron stoves in the Sistine Chapel. The older stove will burn the ballots and the modern one, which is controlled by a computer, will add the chemicals to produce either white or black smoke. With black smoke billowing from the chimney today, the signal is clear--no new pope on the first day of the conclave. 

Tebow

Tim Tebow has always been very open about his faith and as a follower of Jesus Christ, has always expressed his gratitude to his Lord and Savior. Throughout his collegiate career, Tim was known for the Bible verses he wore on his eye blacks during football games. During his first season in the NFL, his constant praying on one knee became trademark term known as “Tebow-ing.”

Since Tebow is so open about his faith, people were shocked to hear that he had canceled a scheduled appearance at First Baptist Church of Dallas. First Baptist is the megachurch of Robert Jeffress, the very controversial pastor whose views on other religions and homosexuality have drawn outrage in the past. Jeffress has said that Muslims practice a religion that came from the depths of hell and “promote pedophillia.” 

Tim Tebow tweeted:  

“While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance. I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!”

Tebow seems to have responded to the uproar with a honest stand against Jeffress and he did so without creating more controversy. This simple gesture is an effective rebuke of intolerance.

Christians in China

Christian missionaries have always seemed to go to China, despite how dangerous it can be if caught. In 2012, the number of persecutions increased, however Christianity in China is thriving. China tried to get rid of religion all together, but after realizing this was impossible, they just created a religious bureaucracy that oversees all sanctioned religious practices. Because of the control and influence the government has on religion and specifically within the state-sanctioned church, many Chinese Christians attend “underground” churches. China’s state-run seminaries also are not turning out enough pastors for China’s growing Christian population. With more persecutions occurring, there becomes an even bigger concern for being a Christian in China. However, according to Christianity Today, Christians are not being persecuted for simply being Christians. In fact, in all the persecution cases there have been certain triggers that prompt authorities to take action. Some of these include directly opposing the Communist Party, engaging in political activity, openly championing human rights, and having foreign involvement. Of the numerous Christians in China who have suffered persecution, more than two-thirds were involved in cases where one or more of these triggers were present. Despite incredible persecution, Chinese Christians have made progress, demonstrating their faith, flexibility, and perseverance.

Christ Pantocrator

Figures in Byzantine art are highly stylized. The goal was to have symbols which clearly represent people, not to portray them as they appear on earth, because the emphasis was on their religious souls. Figures generally look elongated. Since Byzantine art isn't meant to portray natural images, artists didn't create depth or perspective. 

The icon image of Christ Pantocrator is one of the most widely used religious images of Orthodox Christianity. Usually, in Byzantine church art and architecture, an iconic mosaic or fresco of Christ Pantocrator occupies the sapce in the central dome of the church. This iconic image was one of the first images of Christ developed in the Early Christian Church. Christ Pantocrator portrays Christ as both Moral Judge and Lover of Mankind. In his left hand, Christ holds the Gospel. His right hand makes the gesture of teaching or of blessing. This blessing proclaims God’s loving kindness towards us and is showing us that we are forgiven.