Christianity Lived

Can you tell that I really enjoy this artist?  :)  Here’s another one of his almost shockingly candid songs.  This one is based on three actual letters that he received from fans.  These are real stories, and they really happen all the time in the teen world, even if you don’t see it.  I think that some people in the older generation (by older generation, I mean people who are older than us) don’t understand what really goes on in the life of a teen, because a lot of things that the average teen goes through today is not even close to what it was even just 10-15 years ago.  Teens today face more pressure and a lot more violence and pain than they did a decade ago.  So, this song sort of chronicles that.

My arms are sliced up but I’m not embarrassed
It’s the only way I get attention now from my parents
It’s not like they really take the time to be caring
They just use me to watch the baby when they run they errands
My name is ___ I got a friend named Karen
She gave me your CD with the track for Eminem
You wrote a song called #1 fan I listened and
I wanted to know if you can help me like you was helping them
She had something even harder to be mentioning
Like every single day I struggle just with fitting in
Plus the boys won’t give me no attention and
I get teased and made fun of by all my friends and then
See I’m feeling like I’m wishing now that I could end
My life cuz I’m sick and tired of all the time I spend
Trying to figure out how I could be worth anything
Can u help me KJ from your fan

I’m writing this letter
Cause I have to tell ya
I need some help from you
I’m writing this letter
I hope that you get it
I need some help from you

I live with my mom ever since my parents split
And At home I spend my time on the Internet
Looking at porn Im addicted and I’m sick of it
Myspace dot com is mostly where I’m getting it
On top of that there’s videos that I can watch
And I really wanna quit but its like I can’t stop
See I’m scared that I’m just gonna get caught
And when I see a girl all I think is dirty thoughts
And its not that I don’t know that it’s really wrong
But its right there for me every time I’m logging on
I got all your CD’s I really like your songs
Well I downloaded em but anyway moving on
My screen name is KJ-52 is the bomb
I want to do a website KJ rock’s dot com
I really some help cuz I can’t tell my Mom
Oh by the way my real name is ___

I’m writing this letter
Cause I have to tell ya
I need some help from you
I’m writing this letter
I hope that you get it
I need some help from you

I took the time just to write you
We play you every Wednesday at my youth group
I love your music and we all think that you’s cool
But I been struggling ever since I moved to a new school
See everybody thinks that I’m the perfect Christian girl
I had a hard time trying to believe that God is real
I’ve been on mission trips and camps the whole deal
My dad had cancer tho I prayed that God would heal
But he died anyway so it’s hard to feel
Like he cares about me so was it God’s will
To take away my dad I really got a raw deal
Sometimes I just want to swallow all my mom’s pills
When I pray I really doubt it
I’ve lost my way or maybe I’ve never found it
I been smoking and drinking nobody knows about it
By the way my name is ___ don’t mispronounce it…

If I could write to every kid that’s out there
Every kid that’s hurting feels like nobody cares
I would tell them that God can wipe away tear
And he’s right near and I would say it quite clear
Your here for a reason you’re not a mistake
You are a special creation that God himself made
To the victims of abuse to every girl that was raped
You can live you can be free from your pain
And find strength and no longer be ashamed
You can find peace and hope In Jesus name
You aint gotta live with this hurt every day
Christ came to give you life in a much better way
To every kid right now that’s full of hate
And bitterness I’d tell em just to give it all away
To the one that came to take all the blame
That’s what I’d write here’s what I’d say

Here’s a song that’ll really make you stop and think.  It reminds us about what exactly Jesus went through, from a human view.  I’ve noticed that, a lot of times, we see Christ’s sacrifice as something short of everything, because He was God, right?  So how could He feel pain or doubt?  This song really brings it into perspective.

 A little bit about KJ-52.  He’s a white Christian rapper from Florida.  Here’s his website, if you’re interested:  http://www.kj52.com/

 Here’s the song:  5 Minutes (In the Garden)

I got 5 minutes 5 minutes left
Five minutes till the soldiers till they bring me to my death
So very close just to breathe my last breath
As I’m here in the garden I felt the heave of my chest
My disciples are asleep and they rest
And they can’t seem to see just what be coming next
Through the trees the soldiers speed from the west
Getting closer and closer for me to arrest
I see blood drops like beads in my sweat
They run down like a crown right down on my head
I’m laid on the ground face down like I’m dead
Crying out to you Father let me pass what’s ahead
They pound the nails in my hands the hands and my legs
As the time runs outs then I hang and I bled
They are coming down I understand what you said
So with 4 minutes left this is now what I did saying..

Not my will but let your will be done

I got 3 minutes 3 minutes left
3 minutes till the soldiers bring me to my death
I can hear them loud and clear closer then I guessed
While Judas is coming down with the crowd and the rest
They don’t even understand right now what this is
They don’t know who I am what I have just to give
For ever man every girl every child every kid
See my death has been planned so many can come to live
See I know that I got just a few minutes then
Then they’ll come and they’ll grab me its the beginning of the end
See I wont make a sound see I won’t even defend
Myself to the crowd now I’ll go just with them
Cuz I came for this now I came for they sin
I came to lay my life down then I’ll take it up again
2 minutes I’ll be bound and I’ll face what’s ahead
With the words from my mouth came out then I said

I got 1 minute 1 minute left
1 minute till the soldiers gone bring me to my death
I can hear all there voices its like a 100 feet ahead
I can see all the torches now I know what is next
I’ll be beat and tortured then struck on my head
Forced to carry the cross and I’ll be lead
Up a hill to be killed then I’m left now for dead
But now it’s not my will Father I want yours now instead
And so I pray won’t you please let this cup pass from me
See I want what you want that’s all I want for me
Now I was just betrayed for some fast money
But the ones that you gave they could never snatch from me
Now my life that I gave see I gave it all away
And I’ll be buried in a grave but I’ll come back Sunday
I was born in a cave but I’ll come back one day
But the time’s now up they coming now for me

I love music.  Not so much instrumental, though I do enjoy it (I’m in band, after all).  But I love lyrics more.  I know a lot of people who, upon hearing a song for the first time, are attracted to it because of the rythym or the beat or something similar.  For me, it’s all about the lyrics.  The lyrics are the song’s essence, its purpose.  So, I’ll be posting a lot–and I do mean A LOT–of song lyrics here.  Here’s another one of my favourites:  In Christ Alone.

 In Christ alone
My hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease.
My Comforter, my All in all.
Here in the love of Christ, I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Til on that cross, as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied,
For every sin on Him was laid.
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground, his body lay
Light of the World by darkness slain.
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again.
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His, and He is mine,
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me.
From life’s first cry, to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hands,
Till He returns, or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ, I’ll stand.
Till He returns, or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ, I’ll stand.