The Shack (Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity) Order Printed Copy
- Author: William Paul Young
- Size: 1.24MB | 224 pages
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About the Book
"The Shack" follows a man named Mack who receives a letter from God inviting him to a cabin where he encounters the Holy Trinity. There, he confronts his deep pain and struggles with forgiveness as he comes to terms with the tragic loss of his daughter. Through this experience, Mack learns about the healing power of love, forgiveness, and faith.
Lecrae Moore
Lecrae Devaughn Moore, or simply Lecrae, is an American Christian rapper, songwriter, and record producer who performs both as a solo artist and as the leader of a group named â116 Cliqueâ. He had a troubled beginning in life but all that changed after he found his faith at 19. Heavily influenced by 2Pac Shakur, and motivated by his new found faith, he ventured into a musical career. He and his friend Ben Washer set up their own independent record label âReach Recordsâ and through it, he released his debut album âReal Talkâ in 2004. In the following years, he brought out six more studio albums, three mix tapes, and two EPs as a solo artist and three studio albums, one remix album, and one EP with his group. He has received six âGMA Dove Awardsâ, two Grammys, two âBET Awardsâ and more. Lecrae is very active in the community and in 2005, he established âReachLife Ministriesâ, the mission of which was to âbridge the gap between biblical truth and the urban contextâ. He is a vocal supporter of the preservation of responsibility and believes that fatherhood should be considered as a value to be installed among men in the United States. He has authored several op-ed articles on race relations in the modern-day America which were published by âBillboardâ.
Childhood & Early Life
Lecrae Devaughn Moore was born on October 9, 1979, in Houston, Texas, USA. His father had always been absent from his life and later became a drug addict. He was raised by his poor but hardworking mother and grandmother. He attended services with them at their local church but the initial response to religion was indifferent at best. Growing up, he lived in San Diego, Denver, and Dallas.
He suffered sexual molestation at the hands of a female baby sitter when he was eight, and according to Lecrae, it left a long-term negative impact on his views on sexuality. In a life full of abuse and violence, hip hop provided him with a refuge.
Besides 2Pac who he admired for his rapping skills, he also looked up to his uncle who introduced him to a life of crime. He began doing drugs at 16 and soon started dealing as well. He kept a Bible with him that his grandmother had given him as a good luck charm.
The turning point in his life came when he was arrested for drug possession. The officer let him go upon Lecraeâs promising that he would read and follow the Bible. He thus started visiting the church again. Upon an invitation from a friend, he also started attending Bible studies.
He was once involved in an accident where he wrecked his car but he himself came out unscathed. This incident further strengthened his belief in Christ and he devoted his life fully to his faith. He returned to his college, the âUniversity of North Texasâ and volunteered and sang at a juvenile detention centre.
Career
Six years after his conversion, Lecrae Moore released the album âReal Talkâ (2004) through âReach Recordsâ, a label he had founded with his friend Ben Washer. It reached #29 spot on the âBillboard Gospel Albumâ chart after being re-released in 2005 by âCross Movement Recordsâ.
In 2005, he formed â116 Cliqueâ with other artists who had signed with âReach Recordsâ. The group owes its name to the Bible Verse âRomans 1:16â. They debuted with âThe Compilation Albumâ in the same year. They have since released three more albums, âThe Compilation Album: Chopped & Screwedâ (remix, 2006), â13 Lettersâ (2007), and âMan Upâ (2011), and one EP, âAmpedâ (2007).
He was nominated for a âStellar Awardâ for the âRap/Hip-Hop/Gospel CD of the Yearâ for his second solo album âAfter the Music Stopsâ (2006). In 2008, he put out his third studio album âRebelâ.
In his fourth studio album, âRehabâ (2010), Lecrae talks about freedom from inhibiting addictions and habits. Both Lecrae and his album received accolades in the 2010 âRapzilla.com staff picksâ, being hailed as the âArtist of the Yearâ and the âAlbum of the Yearâ, respectively.
His fifth studio album, âRehab: The Overdoseâ (2011) was a direct follow-up to âRehabâ, both being highly conceptual works. While âRehabâ was about the victory over addiction, âRehab: The Overdoseâ focused on attaining "grace, love, peace and hope" in Jesus. He won his first two Doves because of this album, one for the âRap/Hip Hop Album of the Yearâ and the other for the âRap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Yearâ for the track, âHallelujahâ.
âGravityâ, released on September 4, 2012, was his sixth studio album and had 15 songs with a total runtime of 57 minutes. It peaked on the âRap Albumsâ, âChristian Albumsâ, âGospel Albumsâ, and âIndependent Albumsâ charts.
Lecrae released his first mixtape âChurch Clothesâ on May 10, 2012, through digital download for free. It was followed by âChurch Clothes 2â (November 7, 2013), and âChurch Clothes 3â (January 15, 2016). He has also released two Extended Plays till date, the EP version of âChurch Clothesâ, and âGravity: The Remix EPâ, both released in 2012.
He has collaborated with the likes of Trip Lee, Tedashii, Canon, Mali Music, and Ty Dolla Sign. âColumbia Recordsâ signed him in May 2016, in a contract between them and his label. His most recent work, a track named âHammer Timeâ, which is a collaborative effort with 1k Phew, was released on June 23, 2017.
On May 3, 2016, he published his memoir titled âUnashamedâ through âBroadman & Holman Publishersâ. It debuted at #19 spot on the âNew York Times Best Sellersâ list.
Philanthropic Works
In 2011, Lecrae, through â116 Cliqueâ and the âReachLife Ministriesâ, instigated the campaign âMan Upâ, focused on providing guidance to young urban males on fatherhood and Biblical manhood. In March 2015, ReachLife was deactivated and â116 Cliqueâ shifted its attention to contribute to âPeace Preparatory Academyâ, a Christian school in Atlanta.
In May 2013, he worked alongside several other celebrities on a media initiative named âThis is Fatherhoodâ. Jay Z, Barack Obama, Joshua DuBois, Lecrae himself, and others have appeared in the initiativeâs promotional public service announcement videos.
Major Works
In a career marked by successful artistic ventures and awards, Lecraeâs greatest musical achievement is unarguably his seventh and the latest studio album âAnomalyâ, released on September 9, 2014. It was the first album in history to debut at #1 on both âBillboard 200â and âTop Gospel Albumsâ charts. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA.
Awards & Achievements
Lecrae Moore received a Grammy in 2013 for the âBest Gospel Albumâ for his sixth studio album âGravityâ. He won his second Grammy in 2015 for the âBest Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Songâ for the track âMessengersâ which also featured the Christian pop band âFor King & Countryâ.
He was named the best gospel artist at the â2015 BET Awardsâ. In 2017, he was the recipient of the âBET Best Gospel/ Inspirational Awardâ for the song âCanât Stop Me Now (Destination)â.
On March 14, 2016, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate from âCanada Christian Collegeâ.
Personal Life & Legacy
Lecrae Moore met his wife Darragh at a Bible study when they were both teenagers. They have three children together, two sons and a daughter. The family resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2002, he was informed by his then girlfriend that she was pregnant with his child. The couple had an abortion, a decision which he has regretted since. The incident was the subject of the song âGood, Bad, Uglyâ from âAnomalyâ.
Trivia
Lecrae portrayed the character Dr. Darnall Malmquist in the 2014 independent film âBelieve Meâ.
the spiritual gift of a closed door
Sometimes God makes us wait for doors to open in ministry because unwanted waiting is some of the best preparation for ministry. By the fall of 2008, I already knew I wanted to be a pastor. It was my senior year at Wake Forest University. I had wondered whether I might be a high school teacher, so I had tried a couple of education classes. Thinking I might go into ministry, though, I also signed up for one memorable course in the divinity school, on the apostle Paul and his letters. The course was taught by a universalist lesbian. On the last day of class, she handed back our final papers and told me she thought I should consider Christian ministry. It was almost enough to convince me not to. No, very much despite my experience in the divinity school, I still wanted to be pastor, largely because I had watched teenagersâ eyes light up, again and again, while we read about Jesus in the Gospel of John together. I came to faith through the ministry of Young Life, and then volunteered with the ministry throughout college. I spent much of my free time at East Forsyth High School, watching JV soccer games, playing ping pong, and telling 14- and 15-year-olds what God had done for me. I never felt more alive than when I was watching God use something in his word to set the filaments of their minds on fire. After that one class, I stayed plenty clear of the divinity school, and decided to major in business with a minor in ancient Greek (probably the only one in my class to do that). When I graduated in 2008, I knew I needed more training to learn how to handle the Bible faithfully, so I went straight to Bethlehem College & Seminary, where I graduated in 2012. Now ten years later, Iâm still not a pastor. Humility in Ministry Now, to say Iâm not yet a pastor is not  to say that God hasnât opened real doors for ministry. He clearly has. This article itself is but one sweet and unexpected evidence. But Iâm not yet leading in the ways I thought I would be by now, which has given me a chance to reflect on why that might be. Why might God give me an ambition to lead, and bring solid confirmation of character and ability, and yet withhold certain opportunities to lead? Because sometimes unwanted waiting is some of the best preparation for ministry. âHow many men have been given too much authority, too soon, and fallen headlong into the hands of hell?â When the apostle Paul laid out what kind of man a pastor must be, he wrote, âAn overseer, as Godâs steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant  . . .â (Titus 1:7). Does arrogance feel spiritually dangerous, even ruinous, to you? Paul said the same to young Timothy: âHe must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devilâ (1 Timothy 3:6). Is anything more dangerous to a ministry â or to a soul â than unchecked pride? How many men have been given too much authority, too soon, and fallen headlong into the hands of hell? The priceless gift of unwanted waiting in ministry is humility. A ministry without humility may seem to flourish for a time, but (as weâve witnessed again and again) it ultimately harms those it claims to serve. Pride slowly erodes a ministry until it suddenly collapses on all involved. How kind of God, then, to save churches, families, and souls, by making some men wait until they can kneel low enough to lead well? Cheerful in the Shadows One of the best ways we can steward a season of waiting to shepherd is to learn to be a model sheep. Pastors worth following, after all, are always examples worth imitating. âShepherd the flock of God that is among you,â the apostle Peter writes, âexercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock â (1 Peter 5:2â3). So what kind of example are you becoming? Bobby Jamieson offers this counsel to aspiring leaders like me along these lines: What good deeds do you do that are seen by few or none? When did you last volunteer for a menial task? Which title means more to you, âbrother,â which you are, or âpastor,â which you hope to be? Is being a servant your idea of greatness? One of the best things an aspiring pastor can do is serve outside the spotlight. Give elderly members rides to church. Serve in the nursery. Teach children Sunday school. Volunteer to serve food at, and clean up after, the wedding reception of a couple of church members you barely know. Everybody wants to be a servant until they get treated like one. Pastors not only are servants; they get treated like servants. Prepare yourself now for both the work and its reception by serving others. The best preparation for the spiritual trials of the spotlight is serving cheerfully in the shadows. ( The Path to Being a Pastor , 134) âOne of the best ways we can steward a season of waiting to shepherd is to learn to be a model sheep.â How are you stewarding the shadows? If we could see how well these days were preparing us for the darker days of ministry ahead, weâd treasure the quiet, hidden work God is doing in and through us while we wait. Keep the Room Clean As I traveled with John Piper during the years I was his ministry assistant, I heard him tell some version of one particular story many times. Each time, the scene captivated and humbled me. A significant reason I chose to come to Bethlehem College & Seminary was to sit under and learn from him. His preaching class was all I hoped for, and more. As you might imagine, he came each day brimming with some fresh insight from his devotions, eager to wrestle with us over something God had said. He had (and has) a relentless appetite for uncovering reality in Scripture and pressing it into human hearts, especially his own. Those hours were intense and refreshing, serious and exciting. I came away wanting to see all he could see in Godâs word. So, having had him as a teacher, and having admired him as a teacher, and having wanted to be a teacher like him, I leaned in all the more when he would tell this particular story. When I was in seminary, I said to John McClure, the head of the youth department at Lake Avenue Congregational Church, âIâm available, and Iâll do whatever you want me to do.â And he said, âWell, we need a seventh-grade boys Sunday school teacher this year.â I said, âCount me in.â I poured my life into those boys. There were about nine of them. . . . Four hours every Saturday afternoon I worked on my lesson. And at the end of that year, I said, âNow what do you want me to do, the same thing?â He said, âNo, now we need a ninth-grade teacher.â So I said, âOkay,â and I jumped over a class and taught ninth grade. Midway through that year, the Galilean Sunday School Class of young married couples said, âWe would like you to teach our class if they can do without you teaching the youth.â This is the way itâs gone my whole life. My dad said, âKeep the room clean where you are, son, and heâll open the door when the next oneâs ready.â I would pay to watch those nine 12-year-old boys under the waterfall of a young Piperâs love for Jesus. The story sticks with and sobers me because of how much someone as gifted as he is poured into just a few kids week after week. Hours of thinking, praying, and preparing for a tiny crowd of preteens (who could probably care less how much time he spent). I can picture what those lessons were like â John, with all he had, trying hard to creatively capture their wandering attention with the beauty and worth of God. Am I that faithful in the quiet, secret ministries God has given me? The story inspires me, though, because it reminds me that greater fruitfulness and responsibility in ministry often grow out of faithfulness in secret places. Are You Faithful in Little? While I traced the threads of humility, leadership, and waiting in Scripture, it dawned on me that, in one sense, our entire lives are one brief season of training for an eternity of ministry. Listen to how Jesus explains the parable of the talents: It will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. . . . Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, âMaster, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.â His master said to him, âWell done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.â (Matthew 25:14â21) At the end of the age, heâll say, âYou have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.â Not , âYou have been faithful over a little, and I have nothing else for you to do,â but, âYou have been faithful over a little in this life, and I have so much more for you to do in the next.â Even the largest, most well-known ministries are small and brief next to all Jesus will one day entrust to us â if weâre faithful with the talents we have. So, while you wait for some door to open, be as faithful as you can be with whatever work, however seemingly small, God has entrusted to you for now.