Forgiveness

   Earlier this week, someone came to me and said some things that made me HEATED. I mean, I was ready to disown a person I was so mad. Now, I know to expect persecution for righteousness sake, but when certain things are suggested subtly, and when innocent people are attacked, or I'm told I'm something ungodly by another Christian... I was hot! So, I had been fuming since that conversation.

    Now don't get it wrong - I've never tried to present myself as perfect, as holier-than-thou, or Pharisaical before men. I'm striving toward perfection, but I also believe that there's a standard that a Christian ought to uphold, in word and in deed. Ok, sometimes people fall short, sometimes change is slow to occur; but the standard (holiness) is still the standard.

    But for someone to try to say I'm hypocritical - another Christian at that - it hurt, it offended, it had me ready to come up out of the Spirit on a person.

   But, as I was doing some cleaning around the house today, God reminded me to defeat the devil with forgiveness. By walking in forgiveness truly, the enemy can't try to bind me with offense, bitterness, hate, or any other form of ungodliness. Just as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ walked in forgiveness, even while on the cross ("Father forgive them for they know not what they do"), I too must walk in forgiveness.
    God also brought to my remembrance II Corinthians 10:3-5 (The weapons of our warfare are not carnal...) - basically, I can't defeat carnality with more carnality. That would be like bringing a can a gasoline to a 3-alarm fire. So, I had to also remember Romans 12:21 - Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with  good. So, God reminded me that to overcome the attack from the devil through that person was to fight carnality with spirituality. So, I used forgiveness to defeat the devil.

    Naturally, within our own selves, we want revenge. We want for others to know the pain that they've caused us. But, God is calling for me (and all Christians) to respond supernaturally (above what the natural response may be). So, I forgive. I hold no ought.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you  

(Matthew 6:14)

[Christian] Enablers: Worldly Artists fronting as Gospel Artists, Part 3

Enabler (n) -  one that enables another to achieve an end; especially :one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior.




This has been an issue that's been on my mind for a long time, but two things that happened over the past four days have compelled me to speak on it finally... .


As a Christian, I recognize that I'm engaged in a spiritual battle against the forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:12 -  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, againstspiritual wickedness in high places). I know that I have to stand on God's word, and that I have to pray, be watchful, and so forth.


I'm also aware that I am not to give space for the devil to work; Ephesians 4:27 even says to "neither give place to the devil." But oftentimes saints, in our pursuit to do something "big" for God, end up being enablers for the devil. We enable him to achieve an end, which is to [try to] undermine God and the church (ekklesia). 


For example, the other day, I learned, via EX Ministries, that Christian rapper Lecrae was on the BET Hip-Hop Awards. I don't own a TV, and if I did have one I wouldn't dare watch BET (but I'm not here to talk about BET - that's another blog). But, on the show, they had various rappers do cyphers on the show. I watched what EX Ministries said about it on their blog, and I decided to pull up a clip on Youtube and see it for myself 


I had several problems with this performance, but the main thing that kept ringing through my mind is this thought - how many Christians who normally wouldn't have watched BET/The Hip-Hop Awards tuned in just to see Lecrae. They saw Lecrae, but they also saw and were exposed to artists who were mocking God, using profanity, and spewing forth lyrics that weren't godly at all.





I'm just gonna keep it 100% - these artists (Christian rappers, gospel singers, preachers, and/or any Christian who is somewhat-to-well known) who go on shows like the Hip-Hop Awards, the BET Awards, 106 & Park, Oprah Winfrey, The Mo'Nique Show, Larry King, et al., deceive themselves to believe, and [try to] deceive the body of Christ into believing that God has blessed them to get on such a platform to preach/share the gospel with unbelievers. But in reality, all they're doing is getting church folk to watch worldly entertainment. Honestly, I wouldn't have even gave the Hip-Hop Awards a second thought if I hadn't learned that Lecrae was on the show.
And truthfully, I really can't see how God was glorified in the situation. All I saw on Twitter after the fact (yes, I got on twitter to see the reacters) were tweets along the lines of "You ripped it" or "My man @Lecrae beasted the BET cypher" (not exact quotes, I've paraphrased). Most of the commentary I've seen regarding Lecrae's appearance was along the lines of how talented he was and how secular artists and unbelievers had to give Lecrae his due... where's God in all this shoulder patting?
Don't get me wrong - Lecrae is a very talented artist. I personally own three of his albums - After The Music Stops, Rebel, and Rehab (I wasn't really feeling Rehab - may have to mention why in another blog post). And, I sincerely believe that he thinks he did something big for God. But for real, all he did was get a bunch of church folk to watch worldly programming. He basically got "pimped" by BET and the Hip-Hop community to get additional viewers for their programming.




The second thing that happened that "provoked" me to write about this is learning that Mali Music is now going to be mananged by [secular] artist/producer Akon.
No, that sentence is not a typo or an April Fools joke (it's October). I was on Facebook last night, and a saint mentioned that J Moss said that he wanted to work with Chris Brown (not surprised at all) and that Mali Music signed with Akon (yeah, I was totally caught off guard). So, I went on Google to do some research, and found an article on The Gospel Guru that broke it down for me. Not only is Akon teaming up to manage Mali Music along with Releve Entertainment and Soundwalk Music Group, but Mali Music has been in the studio with Akon, and has co-wrote, produced, and performed on Akon's upcoming [secular] album. Now, maybe Akon converted from Islam to Christianity since I've last heard [anything] about Akon, but really, it isn't likely.


I just took a break from typing to look up Releve Entertainment. I couldn't access their website, but I found the following description on The Merge Summit website:

RELEVÉ ENTERTAINMENT

Relevé Entertainment, founded by Dr. Holly Carter, is an LA-based firm representing urban crossover talent, with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success. Relevé also specializes in artist management, where intersecting involvement in the genres of film, television, and music is the focal point. The company helps guide and develop the careers of Deitrick Haddon, Cece Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, Bishop Greg Davis, Dr. Debra Morton, Myesha Chaney, Johnny B. Williams, Kierra Sheard and Usher.





Wow, and SMH (shaking my head). I'm shaking my head because I'm wondering about the implications of "...with a focus towards packaging and managing family and faith-based products for mainstream success." My thing is this - all the gospel artists listed in the description above, especially Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, Donnie McClurkin, Mali Music, and even Kiki, all talk about how they're ministering when they perform and how they're in it to glorify God and exalt him and all that good Christian talk. Yet, this company is outright saying that they're focused on ensuring the mainstream (read: secular) success of these artists. Yet, they're all being managed by the same people who manage Usher.
I'm feeling some kind of way because I actually enjoy these artists. I've been listening to Deitrick Haddon, CeCe Winans, and Donnie McClurkin since I got saved back in 1997. I was feelin' Kierra Sheard even since she sang on "The Will Of God" on her mother Karen Clark-Sheard's debut solo album Finally Karen. And, when I discovered Mali Music two years ago, his music was like a breath of fresh air from all the worldliness that I was sensing in gospel (that I'm YET seeing in gospel music).
I guess I'll wait and see what's going on (even though I see what's  going on)... I'm seeing that, as time progresses, the amount of music that I purchase decreases. I don't buy secular music (R&B, rap, pock, rock, et cetera), because I want to hear Christ-centered music when I turn on my mp3 player. But, now, it's like I have to group most of this gospel music in that same category. When secular artists, secular producers, secular samples, and secular promotion is all up in this so-called "gospel" music, then why buy the gospel when I'm being exposed to the same carnal mindset and the same demonic spirits as the secular music?



Lord, where are your set-apart musicians???

His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Part II)

"His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I love to sing it to myself, and I love to listen to others sing it (as evidenced by Part I of this blog).

I was in college the first time I [remember] hearing this song. It was such a beautiful and encouraging song. It reminded me that I don't have to worry or fret because, surely, GOD is watching me. This song put me in remembrance of Scriptures such as, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" or "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you". It just reassures me of God's love, protection, and provision for me.


I copied the following from Wikipedia:

Inspiration
The theme of the song is inspired by the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, as referenced by Mrs. Doolittle in Elmira, New York: "Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:26) and "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31).

Civilla Martin, who wrote the lyrics, said this about her inspiration to write the song based in the scriptures outlined above,

Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience.

—Civilla Martin

His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Part I)

Anybody that knows me well knows that "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" is one of my all-time favorite songs. It's probably my favorite, though it's hard to pick sometimes ("Now Behold The Lamb" and "Please Don't Pass Me By" are up there on the list as well).

Earlier today, I was on good ol' Youtube, listening to some of my favorite renditions (and one that was... well, they were doing it unto the Lord, so I can't knock that, right?), and I've decided to post some of my favorite versions.
















And...




Oh yeah - I heard that Kelly Price did a version of my song, but I haven't seen/heard it - does anyone reading this blog know about it?