Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Surprised by Suffering- Listener's Guide Entry
Surprised by Suffering?
Background
Big Juice from Cleveland produced this anthem like beat and I chose for it to be the first actual song on the album due to its energy and adventurous feel. I felt this song was fitting for starting the journey of talking about suffering. Some people questioned if I abandoned by underground boom bap roots on this song and I don’t feel I did. I think it is good for artists to step out of their comfort zone and try new things as long as it fits right.
The theme scripture of this song is 1 Peter 4:12-13:
“Beloved do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
The song was inspired by a book called “Surprised by Suffering” written by R.C. Sproul. Sproul is my favorite author and he handles the topic of suffering exceptionally well in this book. I echo some of the main points he made in the book on my song;
- We should be prepared to suffer. We live in a fallen world and have evil hearts. Therefore it is inevitable that we will go through suffering.
- Jesus suffered more than any of us can ever imagine. If he is our master and had to undergo suffering we should also expect to undergo suffering! We are given the duty and privilege to suffer with Christ (Philippians 3:10)
- God is a sovereign God and sovereign over suffering. Nothing occurs in our lives that is random or chaotic
- 
Suffering tests the genuineness of our faith. Anyone can believe God when things are going well in their life but the true test is when things go wrong. In tough times we run to God for comfort and He delights in ministering to us in times of pain. We can walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear because Christ is with us and goes through the valley with us!
Suffering tests the genuineness of our faith. Anyone can believe God when things are going well in their life but the true test is when things go wrong. In tough times we run to God for comfort and He delights in ministering to us in times of pain. We can walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear because Christ is with us and goes through the valley with us!- Our divine vocation is not ultimately to suffering, but to a hope that triumphs over suffering (a future inheritance with Christ) * I recommend checking out www.ligonier.org for more info on Sproul’s ministry.
On the first verse I urge the listener to not be surprised when trials come. Especially when passages like 1 Thessalonians 3:3-4 tell us we’ve been destined for affliction as Christians. I also remind the listener to have the proper perspective when it comes to suffering and remember that we are called to suffer with joy knowing that suffering produces perseverance, character and hope (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6)
On the second verse I start off by talking about churches that preach the prosperity gospel. The lyrics don’t talk about one specific experience I had at churches with bad doctrine but a combination of experiences that I summed up in the first 8 bars. The following line is key:
“There’s nothing wrong with being extra paid
But we’ll still suffer, let me set the stage”
It is foolishness to treat God like a genie in the bottle and only give more tithes or more sacrifice to God in order to get desired material blessings out of God. It is also foolishness to think that if you tithe a certain amount that you will be exempt from suffering. It’s also erroneous to think that if God does not heal you from your sickness that you did not have enough faith in Him. The bottom line is that we will all suffer and we will all grow old and die someday.
I want to break down some lyrics from the end of this verse that should help you understand them better. In 1998 the basketball player Ray Allen was featured in a movie called “He Got Game”. Ray Allen was the main character in the movie and his name was Jesus Shuttlesworth. If you were unfamiliar with that movie the lines below probably did not make sense but hopefully now they do
“All the godly will suffer while cats stay wilin
We need Jesus, NO Ray Allen
Not Shuttlesworth, but Christ Jesus
Defeated death then flexed, NO wife beater”
On the third verse I bring the message home and ask the listener if their faith would remain if they had to suffer for the sake of His name. This is a question we should all ponder during our walk because one day it may come down to that. I believe it is much easier said than done. However, if we are PREPARED for suffering then when trials or persecution come we will be better able to respond well in these situations. I will use a sports/weight room analogy here. Scientific research has proven that athletes who were on a consistent weight training program prior to getting injured recover quicker from injuries than athletes who were not on a consistent weight training program prior to getting injured. The injury was still painful for the athlete but they were better prepared to bounce back from the injury due to their previous strength training. If we are spiritually training before the trial (injury) comes when things get rugged we will be better prepared to bounce back from the trial. It’s still going to hurt and be tough but we’ll be better equipped in the difficult times. Throughout the whole of Scripture you see stories of characters that walked with God. Many of these men suffered immensely such as Joseph, Job, David, Jeremiah, and Paul. The Bible shows their vulnerabilities and how they went through times of doubt and despair. It also shows how their trials produced great character in these men’s lives. Another key point made in the third verse is that as sinners we are deserving of death. Therefore, anything good we get from God is only grace. Many times when things go wrong we act like God is being unfair and that we deserve much better. Nothing could be further from the truth. When things go wrong we are just getting what we deserve from God. Keeping this in mind will cause us to not be surprised when fiery trials come our way. We’ll be less likely to point the finger at God, and sin in our rebellion and more likely to be thankful that the suffering is conforming us into the image of Christ. This is the last key point I make in this song. Sanctification is a continual process where God is making us more and more like Christ. This can’t happen unless we suffer. You can call them “growing pains” if you’d like but growth is never easy and because we are born with sinful hearts we need heart surgery. Surgery is always a painful procedure. God gradually prunes us from our pleasures in this world to help prepare us for better pleasures in heaven. He is sovereign over our suffering and our suffering is for our own good!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
ReddLettaz New Mixtape
http://www.datpiff.com/Redd-Lettaz-Undarate-Me-Mixtape.245204.html
Check out my man ReddLettaz new mixtape. I'm featured on the cypher track!
Check out my man ReddLettaz new mixtape. I'm featured on the cypher track!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sphere of Hip Hop - Top 10 Albums- May 2011
The Suffering Servant was #9 on the Sphere of Hip-Hop Charts for May. My friend Muze One who just dropped his album "Cold War" was #1.
http://www.sphereofhiphop.com/rap/2011/06/top-10-cd-chart-for-may-2011/
http://www.sphereofhiphop.com/rap/2011/06/top-10-cd-chart-for-may-2011/
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend Sale- All CDs 50% OFF
That's right ladies and gentleman. For the next five days you can get The Suffering Servant for only 5.00 and the What I Believe EP for only 2.50 !! Prices will go back up to normal in a few days so take advantage of the sale!
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| The Suffering Servant |
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| What I Believe EP |
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Cannon Anthem feat. TK
I've been saying the word "Cannon" in my songs for several years now. It's become my trademark to give a loud "Cannon!" at the end of one of my rowdy verses. Anyone who knows me or TK personally knows we say this word all the time as part of our regular vocab. Some people might not be familiar why we say it so much so we made this song to break it down.
Check it out: www.believinstephen.bandcamp.com
Check it out: www.believinstephen.bandcamp.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Timothy Brindle Sale!!!
Lamp Mode is running a sale that ends tomorrow night. They are selling my brother Timothy's album for only $4. Now that's Gametime!!
www.lampmode.com/sale/
www.lampmode.com/sale/
Monday, April 25, 2011
Gametime Anthem
In light of the new Gametime Shirts droppin I thought it would be rowdy to remind people of why I say Gametime so often. I break it down on the song "Gametime Anthem" which I released a few years ago. This is the link to download it for free!
http://www.box.net/shared/vablx909au
http://www.box.net/shared/vablx909au
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Squatting 500 lbs
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| This is me about to squat 500 lbs this past Monday. It's been a goal of mine to squat 500 for a while and I got it weighing in at 211 lbs. (almost 2.5 times bodyweight) |
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Surprised by Suffering - on Sphere of Hip-Hop
http://www.sphereofhiphop.com/rap/2011/03/believin-stephen-surprised-by-suffering-mp3/
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Suicide Video feat. Japhia Life and Leah Smith
Suicide takes the lives of nearly 30,000 Americans every year. An average of one person dies by suicide every 16.2 minutes. On top of that, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-old Americans! Despite all these eye opening statistics not too many rappers choose to talk about this topic. That is why Believin Stephen teamed up with Japhia Life and Leah Smith to bring awareness to this sensitive issue on his single called "Suicide". In this video directed by Insight, Stephen sympathizes with those who wrestle with feeling worthless and suicidal. He vividly paints the picture of his own experience with suicidal thoughts and how God rescued him out of depression. Japhia Life passionately delivers his regret of seeing one of his best friends take his own life. Leah Smith's graceful voice adds a heart --touching hook. Stephen is known for conveying his emotions on his songs but this is the most personal and touching song he has ever released. The song is on his upcoming album "The Suffering Servant" which released on December 14, 2010.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Suffering Servant Release Party
The Suffering Servant Release Party is going down Saturday February 19,2011 at Epiphany Fellowship from 6pm-9pm (doors open at 5:30) More details and a flyer will be coming shortly!!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Books About Suffering
Books About Suffering
Some people have asked me what books were the most helpful in giving me a good understanding on the topic of suffering. Over the past few years I’ve read various material on this topic. This helped fuel a lot of the inspiration and thought behind the lyrics for The Suffering Servant album. I wanted to inform everyone of which books were the most helpful for me on my studies on this particular concept. Here are the ten books that were the most helpful to me. I recommend that you read these ones if you want to study the topic of suffering.How Long, O Lord by D.A. Carson
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor
Surprised by Suffering by R.C. Sproul
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ by John Piper
A Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes
Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward Welch
True Faced by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, John Lynch
If Prison Walls Could Speak by Richard Wurmbrand
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Interview with Anthony Bradley, PhD - Professor of Theology and Ethics
http://bradley.chattablogs.com/archives/2011/01/stephen-brindle.html
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Album Review
Check out this album review by Trailblazin Ministries. They had all positive things to say about The Suffering Servant album. http://www.trailblazinministries.com/music-reviews/believin-stephen-the-suffering-servant
Friday, January 7, 2011
Lyrics ALL UP
Lyrics for every song off The Suffering Servant are now up on the right side of this site. Check them out and feel free to use them for a Bible study or your own personal edification.
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