ApOstoLicAlieNs? Part 1

 

OK. Here’s the reason Part 1 of the reason for the groovy blog title.1 Peter 1:1a:

Peter refers to himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word apostle basically translates the NT Greek noun apostolos meaning “sent one”, which is in turn derived from the Greek verb apostello (RELAX! it’s not hard to grasp), meaning “to send with a message”. You can go ahead and meditate on the undeniably close link between apostles and prophets as “ones essentially sent with a message”). This apostle is designated as “of Jesus Christ”. Mmmmm. An apostle of Jesus Christ.

Basically, the way I see it, this statement implies a number of things, at least:

1. CALLING:

Peter is called by the Master. How else would he receive a message?

1. BELONGING:

Peter belongs to Jesus. (apostle of Jesus)

1. IDENTITY:

Peter’s identity is defined in relation to his Owner and Master, not based on his gift.

(apostle of Jesus )

1. MISSION:

Peter is sent by Jesus with a message. (apostle of Jesus)

1. MESSAGE:

Peter has no message of his own. (apostle of Jesus)

1. SUBMISSION:

Peter’s mission is subject to Jesus’ mission and authority, hence SUB-mission

(apostle of Jesus)

7.  AUTHORITY:

Peter has apostolic authority as long as he is sent (apostle of Jesus)

1. JESUS:

Peter’s message content is Jesus – it’s who he represents. (apostle of Jesus)

 

I’ll be using Peter’s official apostolic call and mandate as a metaphor for our own general apostolic call and mandate. How can I do that? Are all Christians apostles? No and Yes. Huh?

NO – not in an official, “gift to the church” sense. (1 Cor 12:29a, Eph 4;11 – some).

YES – in a general sense. Jesus said so. (Jn 20:21 – “send” translates the Greek apostello)

 

Good. Go over my list again. Add some more implications of the phrase “an apostle of Jesus Christ”.

For now, this should cover the apostolic bit. Next time, the alien stuff.

JK

Meet our next president

To be honest, I only but heard of this gentlemen yesterday…

We should pray for Mr Mothlanthe.

WHO IS SHO BARAKA?

In May 2010, I had the privilege of meeting and spending 10 days of ministry with Amisho Lewis aka Sho Baraka on a mission trip he and a team undertook in my city, Cape Town, South Africa. In March this year, F.O.E.T.U.S., the music movement I am part of, will host Sho in Cape Town again. Still, the question could be asked:

• WHO IS SHO BARAKA?

In a world full of clones, those select few who choose to pave their own paths disrupt the ebb and flow of a listless society and join the ranks of the misunderstood. One such soul is Amisho Baraka whose compelling back-story sets the stage for a revolutionary in the making.

Born in Canada, Sho doesn’t recall much about his life beyond the States; however, the wealth that accompanied his father’s professional football contract and brought his family to New Orleans is quite vivid. But while he grew up in an affluent neighborhood and lived a kid’s fantasy, he also wrestled with being a minority. Fortunately, he didn’t become aloof from his culture—thanks to his friends who lived in poor areas and his pseudo Panther parents’ who educated him and his siblings about their history. Unfortunately, after moving to California, he also learned firsthand what alcohol, drugs and divorce could do to a family. The fairytale lifestyle came to an end as his parents split and he became accustomed to government assistance. His childhood had undoubtedly taught him to value money, family and all social classes.

But he couldn’t escape what his parents taught him by way of their actions—not to mention the music and cultural scene in L.A. that promoted drugs. Despite being educated and feeling personally responsible to enlighten his peers, high school brought added pressure to indulge in the substances that everyone was using, and he succumbed. Just as drugs had contributed to his family’s downfall, Sho’s dreams of playing football in college were ruined after being benched for missing practice because of substance abuse.
Thankfully, growing up, Sho had not only loved sports, but he also had an affinity for music and creative arts that took him from channeling Langston Hughes to delivering Common-esque raps as a member of a group that would eventually stand before some big names in the industry. After high school, he attended Tuskegee University before transferring to the University of North Texas for their film and television program and more affordable tuition. While there, he got his start as a student director occasionally appearing in music videos. But Sho had not only switched majors, his worldview was changing. His father had resurfaced as a changed man and his older brother who introduced him to Hip Hop music and culture was changing—the common thread: newfound faith. As he sat at an urban faith conference his brother persuaded him to attend, he was rocked by the Gospel and decided to turn his life around.
What followed was a successful stint in Christian Hip Hop, highlighted by his groundbreaking sophomore album Lions and Liars—an exposé on faith, manhood and popular culture. But feeling limited in his ability to address the taboo, experiment with the untraditional and incorporate the secular, Sho has left that market and joined forces with three other like-minded individuals to form High Society—a collective of artists aspiring to change culture from within. Beyond music, he also continues to push the limits of creativity by directing videos through his company Lions and Liars Productions. Sho has also appeared in the feature films Grace Card and October Baby and wrote and directed his first short film Man Up.

Amisho Baraka surrounds himself with creatives, including his wife who depicts life through her vibrant paintings, as he finds inspiration from their artistic expression. A genius in his own right, he hopes to spark societal change and contribute to the creative arts in multiple capacities for years to come. For him, truth has no worthy opponent, creativity has no boundaries and art has no limitations.

http://static.animoto.com/swf/w.swf?w=swf/vp1&e=1327132956&f=A0Ps1tvjxhZZ8aXBh8nGQw&d=63&m=a&r=360p&volume=100&start_res=360p&i=m&options=

Catch SHO BARAKA live in Cape Town at His People, N1 City, 30 March 2012. With featured guest artist: SUZY ROCK. Hosted by F.O.E.T.U.S. in association with JB Media/Black Coffee Records, AMP’D, CVC Media and Raak Wys!

Redeemed Intercultural Interaction

Humanity is made in God’s image.
Every culture carries an expression of his image. Because every culture is fallen, the expression of God’s image in every culture is tainted by SIN, and limited by PREFERENCE. No culture can naturally reflect the fullness of God’s image.

For this reason, every culture must, by Christ, be redeemed from slavery to SIN and released from slavery to PREFERENCE, to become part of the new humanity of the redeemed, the new creation in Christ. This new humanity finds its true identity in Christ. Now Christ becomes the common bond between the redeemed in all cultures. Now the redeemed are called to give honour and PREFERENCE to one another above themselves.

It is therefore impossible for this new humanity to continue to exist as diverse cultures in isolation from each other. To the extent that this redeemed humanity in one culture learns to interact with the redeemed humanity in other cultures, the fullness of God’s image will be experienced by, and expressed through the redeemed. When cultural PREFERENCES are shared between diverse cultures, the joy and beauty of God’s image can be appreciated more fully. When cultural PREFERENCES are acknowledged, celebrated and shared between diverse cultures and seen through the lens of Christ with redeemed eyes, the fullness of the beauty of God’s image can be recovered and reflected.

Live together.
Eat together.
Laugh together.
Pray together.
Sing together.
Work together.
Learn together.
Serve together.
Play together.
Rest together.
Think together.
Prefer together.
See more of God. Together.
Be more of God. Together.

History-Making Sex?

History-Making Sex

1 Corinthians 7NKJV
1 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: tIt is good for a man not to touch a woman.2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.3 tLet the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 tDo not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that tSatan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 7NET
1 Now with regard to the issues you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”t2 But because of immoralities, each man should have relations withthis own wife and each woman withther own husband.3 A husband should give to his wife her sexual rights,tand likewise a wife to her husband.4 It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife.5 Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.sThen resume your relationship,tso that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (NET)History-Making SexWhat is “history-making sex”?
Sex that lines it self up with God’s overarching purpose, His word, Hiswill, His big picture, His big story, His story for this world. Our sex must fit in with, and help to proclaim “His story” to the world!!!

A frame protects, preserves and adorns a picture like marriage does a family. As Christians we believe that our framework for sex and family is different from that of the world; our framework is marriage; But do we really understand God’s purpose for marriage?; It is not enough to simply say that sex belongs in marriage, and then revert to sex in marriage with the same worldly mindset as the unbelievers. 

So what is God’s design for sex in marriage? Marriage and sex is not a heavenly thing. It is an earthly thing (Matt 22:29-30). And this is the first challenge with sex in marriage. It will be conducted in a post-eden world, fallen world, a sinful world. This is our context for sex. And yet, it must be conducted in a godly way. It should be “Sex in the world, but not of this world”, because sex is God’s design. So our sexual activity should form part of His Story. 

What is His story?
The old old story. The story of the Gospel. The story of:
Creation. 
Fall. 
Covenants (made, broken, renewed)
Christ (justice/mercy, truth/love, judgment/forgiveness, giving/receiving, authority/humility, death/life). 
Heaven. 
Sex must tell this story.
Sex and marriage must declare: “THERE’S A GOD IN HEAVEN WHO MEETS MAN’S DEEPEST NEED” (Gen 2:24; Eph 5:30-32). This is the ultimate purpose for sex and marriage.

FIVE (5) IMAGES OF SEX IN MARRIAGE (1 COR 7:1-5)

1. FIRE (don’t start something you can’t stop; fire must burn)
2. SHIELD (protection against sexual immorality and all that stems from it)
3. GIVING (affection and pleasure)
4. AUTHORITY (voluntary, humble submission to each other)
5. WARFARE (a defence against Satan’s attack on marriage)                              
These images of sex in marriage cause our lives to proclaim His Story. These images of sex in marriage turn “love-making” into “history-making sex“

Album Review: The Ambassador – Stop The Funeral

Album Review: The Ambassador – Stop The Funeral (release date: 12 July 2011)

I’ve just finished a review of one of 2011s most highly anticipated releases in Gospel Hip Hop for a radio station, and so I thought I’d post my comments here. The review introduces the artist, summarizes 3 crucial aspects of any rap album, ie: content, flow and music, and concludes with a summary and rating. Check it out:

ARTIST: The Ambassador aka William “Duce” Branch, founding member and primary spokesperson of Gospel Hip Hop pioneers “The Cross Movement”. This is his 4th album. (previous Christology In Layman’s Terms ’99, The Thesis ’05, The Chop Chop ’08)

CONTENT (message):

Still on point classic “Amba”, still Gospel-centred, theologically weighty, BUT a lot more humble, very transparent, authentic, testimonial, loads of allusions to his recent moral failure, demise from the public eye, and subsequent restoration, most clearly described on “Get With Us”, but also “Pop Pop Pop”, “Up/Down”, “Crumbs”, “Talk This Way”, and others.

FLOW (lyrical delivery):

Classic “Amba” – 2, 3 or 4 syllable flows, interlocking rhyme schemes, wordplay, passionate east coast delivery, even over radio-friendly dirty-south beats. Favourite line:

“every man’s a needer like a baker, cos every man’s a sinner every sinner needs a saviour”

MUSIC (style and quality):

• diverse genres (see below), something for everyone, but mainly the current sound of commercial hip-hop, namely “southern bangers”!!!!
• loads of guest features, but mainly vocalists in the hooks, not emcees – except for the last track.

• Arguably only 3 classic “Amba-style” boombap tracks
• Nice hip-hop soul joints and interesting praise and worship tracks near the end.
• Here’s my attempt at genre catagorization:A-M 3:30 (Southern Banger)Get With Us Feat. Sean Simmonds (Southern Banger)Mind Made Up 4:46 (Southern Banger)

  Pop Pop Pop 3:56 (Radio-friendly Banger)

  Up Down 4:03 Feat. Charmaine (Radio-friendly Pop)

  Favor 4:31 Feat. Canton Jones (S. Banger)

  Bring You Out 3:47 Feat. Melissa T (boombap)

  Talk This Way 4:24 (boombap)

  Crumbs 4:51Feat. Jessica Reedy (hiphop soul)

  Trust In You 4:30 Feat. Mali Music (hiphop neo-soul)

  Nothing Like Us 3:48 Feat. Ryan Stevenson & Charmaine Pop/Praise&Worship

  Your Love 3:53 Feat. KJ52 & Michelle Bonilla Pop-Rock/P&W

  Put It Down 4:09 P&W/Banger

  The Reunion Cypha 7:42 Ambassador Feat. God’s Servant, J.A.Z., Shai Linne, C-Lite, Cruz Cordero & DJ Wade-o Classic Boom-bap

My favourite: Crumbs Feat. Jessica Reedy

SUMMARY:

• Sounds like a Reach Records album, possibly because some of their most prolific producers are also employed on this (Cheesebeats, Alex Medina). High quality production, loads and loads of big bangers.
• His biggest commercial sounding offering to date with loads of singing in the hooks (a big departure from the past, signifying his ability to still recognise and communicate with the culture where they’re at – and a great marketing tool!!).
• His most humble offering – typified by content as above, as well as his choice to set aside doctrinal differences and work with Canton Jones from Creflo Dollar’s World Changers church. Very exemplary and encouraging!
• Previous “Amba” projects contained a lot more classic boom-bap, but also a lot more tracks of varying quality – “skipables”!!!!! Hard to skip over ANY song on this one!
• Nicely arranged tracklisting – radio bangers, then boom bap, then praise & worship, then cypha!
• He’ll gain new fans, and hopefully keep his old ones! I’m still here!! All in all, his best release to date in my opinion.

RATING:

8.5/10 (only because I’m tired of the commercial sound, otherwise he may have gotten closer to 10!!!)

Review by Jeremy “JK” Koeries, Cape Town, South Africa

http://www.exilic.co.za

http://www.soundcloud.com/foetus

http://jeremykoeries.wordpress.com

http://www.twitter.com/apOstoLicAlieN

Should I give money to homeless folks or beggars?

I think Shane Claiborne does a great job of answering this and other questions. What do you think?

Should I give money to homeless folks or beggars?
Jesus said give to everyone who asks. That’s a tough command. Sometimes we wonder what Jesus would do in the Calcutta slums or in these heroine-haunted streets where folks ask for change on every corner. What we can say with confidence is that we are to give something to everyone who asks – dignity, attention, time, a listening ear. Sometimes we may give money, sometimes not. But we can always give love. And there are times when giving money can even be a way to insulate ourselves from friendship or the messiness a real relationship might demand. So you can toss a few coins to a beggar or write a check to charity precisely as a way of insulating ourselves from relationships (and still appease our consciences)… but at the end of the day Christ’s call is to relationship and compassion. When Jesus speaks in Matthew 25 about caring for “the least of these”, the action he speaks of is not about distant acts of charity but personal actions of compassion – visiting the prisoners, caring for the sick, welcoming the strangers, sharing food with the hungry. Better than sharing money is sharing life, a meal, a home. Having said that, most Christians need to get taken advantage of more. And we can usually spare some change. Sometimes folks say this question about giving to beggars and panhandlers with suspicion, speculating that homeless folks will just use their money for drugs or alcohol… which happens sometimes. But we don’t always ask what CEOs are doing with our money when we give it to their companies (and the recent events on Wall Street raise some flags about how responsible they are!). In the end, if we cannot take someone to dinner or give them a ride when they ask for money, we might as well give some money. It’s better to err on the side of grace than on the side of suspicion. And we doubt that Jesus is going to reprimand us for giving too much money to addicts… more likely, we will discover we could have been a bit more generous than we were.

Wisdom?

My family and I recently spent some time at Wilgewandel, a family fun farm outside of Oudtshoorn, Southern Cape, South Africa.

Even in the heart of the South African Winter, Wilgewandel is a man-made oasis of beauty, designed for families to enjoy perfect peace and pleasure, but it is set in the midst of the dry, lifeless, wilderness-like surroundings of the Klein Karoo.

I could not help wandering: if man has the wisdom to discover such potential, purpose, and beauty in the midst of such a wilderness, how much more God?

In the midst of your wilderness, is it possible to discover God’s Wisdom? In his wisdom and in his time, He’s making all things beautiful…

Job 28

apOstoLicAlieNs? Part 4

IDENTITY: HUMANITY: TRINITY:
In ancient Jewish worship ceremonies, whatever was sprinkled by the blood of animal sacrifices was IDENTIFIED as special, sacred, holy and useful for God’s purposes. An ordinary earthly instrument or vessel, whether living or lifeless, was transformed into an instrument for heavenly purposes right here on earth. It was still the same instrument on the same planet, but it no longer had the same purpose because it no longer had the same identity. Its identity and purpose was transformed by the sprinkling of the blood.

Our IDENTITY as humans is not rooted in our religion, background, family, clan, tribe, language, upbringing, ethnicity, race, culture, creed, class, socio-economic status, socio-political history, country, nationality, age, appearance, intelligence, co-incidence, or anything else. While these factors shape our existence, and help define us, they are not fundamental to our IDENTITY.

Our IDENTITY as humans is rooted in our being created in the IMAGE OF GOD.

Our IDENTITY as believers is rooted both in the image of God, and the work of the TRINITY.

“1 Pt 1:2: who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood:” NIV

Believers are:
CHOSEN by the Father
SET APART by the Spirit
to OBEY the Son

Believers are:
CHOSEN by the Father
SET APART by the Spirit
to be SPRINKLED with His Blood.

Our purpose as humans is to reflect the image of God on the earth.
For this purpose we have been created.
All humans have the capacity to reflect aspects of God’s image, REGARDLESS OF sin and the realities mentioned above.

Our purpose as believers is to obey the Son of God for eternity.
For this purpose we are sprinkled with his blood.
Believers are called to live out their faith in OBEDIENCE to the One who washed and bought them with his blood, BECAUSE OF sin and the realities mentioned above.

Questions for reflection:
1. Through what lens do I see my own identity?

2. Can I see the image of God in humanity regardless of sin and the social factors mentioned above?

3. Do I as a believer have any goals greater than obeying the Son?

4. How do we reconcile our earthly purpose as humans with our eternal purpose as believers? In other words, how do we fulfill our purpose as “human believers” – both “human” and “believer”, in Ephesus in Christ, In Babylon from Jerusalem, In the temporal for the eternal, In the world not of the world?

5. How do I use my IDENTITY to connect HUMANITY to the TRINITY?