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Week 4- DIRE WARNING: A Message to Urban Leaders, Parents, and Youth

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:29:31 +0000

EXHORTATION TO LEADERS

I speak to leaders in urban church settings. The first word of exhortation that is necessary to confront amoral philosophy is to first examine ourselves. We need to ask ourselves the hard questions. Are we being overly tolerant of sinful practices and tendencies in our own life? As mentioned earlier, oftentimes leaders don’t rebuke certain sins because we ourselves are clinging to certain hidden sins. As an urban leader (especially if you are under 40 years-old) are you yourself taking part in ungodly forms of media such as sexually explicit or questionable music? Do you enjoy extremely violent or occultist movies? While these things may seem as if nothing to you, they are lessening the ability of the Holy Spirit to have you rebuke certain sins in your people. We as leaders need to examine ourselves for not only these spiritual weights that come through media but also other sins that God wants to rid from our lives.

We also need to be familiar with pop-culture. Why? So that we can know what our people are being fed. This doesn’t mean that we have to watch television hours on end or listen to the radio constantly, but we need to observe and interact with our congregation to understand what is shaping their lives. If we see that a certain worldly teaching or philosophy is gaining traction with our people or with the world at large, we should immediately begin to study it to compare it to the litmus test of Scripture.

I believe that the Apostle Paul was the greatest intellect apart from our Lord Jesus Christ himself. He knew Jewish history, Greek philosophy, and even was educated in Roman law! He was able to understand worldly systems so that he might preach the truth in a way that confronted the errors of his time. This is extremely necessary for African-American church leaders. While it is not always necessary to go to Bible College or Seminary, it is necessary to study the Bible, to understand history and culture. These tools help us to see what God is doing and how we can present the Gospel in an ever-changing world.

Next, there is a need to confront error. This means calling out the teachers and teachings by name. The Apostle Paul called out false teachers numerous times in the New Testament. When we recognize a wrong spiritual, philosophical, or moral teaching we should call it out and explain to our people with Scripture why it is false and dangerous. This does not mean that we become heresy hunters always looking for the next lie. Nor does it mean that our lives and ministries are centered on rebuking error. We are called to proclaim the full counsel of God to the people of God. And if we discover anything that is threatening or damning we are called to guard the flock by dealing with the error.

Finally, leaders who call out error must be prepared to be persecuted. This is the hardest thing about being a faithful witness in this generation. We will be accused of being intolerant, biased, hateful, ignorant, and unloving. And much of this critique may even come from those in our congregations. But we must be ready to stand upon and die for the truth that is proclaimed in the Word of God. And our love for God’s glory and the people of God should be so strong that we are willing rather to suffer than to see them fall into error.

A NEED FOR BOLD MEN OF GOD

In this post-modern world where amoralism is beginning to dominate, I see no greater need than for strong and bold men of God. These men must be a different breed than previous, traditional generations. The church in America is losing its traction of influence in the world. It is very easy to hunker down in our pulpits and teach the “Letter of God’s Word.” The Letter refers to strictly Christian doctrine and dogma. But what we need today are men in whom the Spirit of God can work mightily, men to pray, fast, and preach the whole counsel of God as those truly possessed by God. As British preacher Leonard Ravenhill once said, “These abnormal times call for abnormal men with abnormal methods.” I believe that we are in such a time. There is a need for pastors to stand up against the current stream of evil that is invading our churches and world.

This is something that we attempt to do at the church I founded, Philly Open Air. We are an open-air ministry that preaches and teaches Christ in the streets and neighborhood. The vision for this ministry is to be a continual witness for Christ outside the walls of the building. This current generation is seeing more and more people leaving the church for false religion, amoralism, and “personal” spirituality. As the body of Christ we are called to “Go Out” with the Gospel. At Philly Open Air, we can be seen preaching on the street the very same topics spoken about in this book. God desires men and women who are willing to leave the comfortable confines of a church pew while taking His word out to the masses.

WORDS TO PARENTS

Parents must be careful how they approach their children who seem to be attracted to such music as Lil’ Wayne’s. Two extremes should be avoided. The first extreme to be avoided is to think that it’s just the music of the culture and nothing is explicitly wrong with it. As you have seen by reading this work that is not true. The music your children listen to will have a direct impact on their spiritual lives. The music they listen to should be taken very seriously.

A second extreme that should be avoided is complete condemnation without discussion. Overzealous parents can be so taken aback by the music that their kids listen to that they condemn it without even knowing what it is. This gives the parents the appearance of bias and ignorance. It’s important for a parent to understand, analyze, and biblically evaluate what type of music their children are listening to. This takes time and effort but is necessary to be able to effectively engage your child concerning the dangers of what they are listening to.

Parents need to discuss at length the content and subject matter of their children’s music. In this book I have included the lyrics of Wayne’s music for the purpose of evaluation and examination. This examination helps a person to not only hear but to actually see what it is they are listening to. Words on paper lend a visual impact to the words in a song. In discussing with your child the words of their favorite musicians, ask them questions such as whether they believe these words are pleasing to God. Probe them to discover if they would want their own children listening to such music. It is also good to include hypothetical scenarios by discussing what would happen if everyone followed the instruction of such negative lyrics. Then lovingly warn them that there will be spiritual consequences in continuing to allow demonic influences in their lives. These consequences can range from depression, violent thoughts, insomnia, vulgar language, disregard for authority, and even satanic oppression.

There is a need for parents to examine their own lives for secret sin. If your child sees you clinging to other ungodly forms of media or blatant sin, your witness to them will be diminished. Therefore parents need to prayerfully seek the Lord as they proceed on how to serve their child by examining their music.

There is a final word to parents. Do not let media raise your children. Oftentimes parents don’t make a concerted effort to be apart of their child’s life except when necessary or on occasion. When the parent is not the direct influence on a child’s life something else will be. And most likely it will be the ungodly trappings of music or other media. Even if you can’t spend as much time with your children as you would like, get them connected to sound and solid churches that can provide an atmosphere of care and concern for your child.

WARNING TO YOUTH

To young people my warning and encouragement is this: if you have been fascinated by the music of Lil’ Wayne then you should know by reading this book that his words are completely demonically inspired. And this demonic inspiration has been given to him for the purpose of attacking you and leading you astray. You are the devil’s main target. And many of you (even Christians as well) have opened up the door for demonic activity in your own life.

As I look back at my past life I can see how I began to be influenced by demonic music. At the age of 12, as mentioned earlier, I began to listen to rapper Dr. Dre. Within days I noticed that my language begin to change in the way that I addressed women. I began to refer to girls as “Bs” and “Hoes.” I could not stop even if I wanted to! Therefore, an evidence of demonic influence is that your language becomes vulgar. Another influence of the devil through music is violence. You will be more prone to fight, slander, or accuse others. (I believe that there is a direct link between the rise of teen bullying and suicides to the music that teens are listening to.) I see how in my own life that around that same age of 12 I began to fight more regularly. The music taught me not to be disrespected by anyone. So instead of walking away I would fight. This led to my first major arrest at the age of 17 for aggravated assault. And one of the most evident signs is restlessness. This isn’t just the ability not to sleep, but the inability to rest without doing something evil. The Scripture states in the Book of Proverbs 4:16, “For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.” Demonic influence makes you restless until you do something for the devil. Examples of this pre-sleep need for evil can be a sexual act (even lustful masturbation), drugs or alcohol, an act of revenge, viewing pornography, or even planning evil for the next day. These are signs of demonic influence on your life.

THE POWER OF CHRIST OVER EVIL

The power of Satan through music is very strong and seductive. But that power can be broken and destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ through the Gospel. The Word of God says, “For this purpose was the Son of God manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8).

Jesus as God and Man overcomes all sin and satanic powers through His death and resurrection on the cross. When He died for sin he also died to disarm Satan from spiritually harming believers in Christ. The Book of Colossians 2:13-15 says, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only person who can free you from the demonic power and allure of Lil’ Wayne and other satanic music. There is no other name, religion, psychology, or philosophy that can free you from bondage while giving true spiritual life and a right relationship with God. The very purpose of Christ in coming to this world was that all people might know God and be freed from the power of sin and Satan.

HOW TO BE DELIVERED

Now is the time of deliverance and salvation. Maybe you didn’t know that such music was displeasing to God. Or quite possibly you thought that it was only music. Maybe now you are noticing why you are going through certain difficulties in your life. Or maybe you are a Christian who knows better but are just doing what is popular. Whatever the case, God is calling you to confess this particular sin to Him. Confession means to agree with God that it is sin and not pleasing to Him. God makes the promise to us by saying, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We need to come to God acknowledging that loving this music is sin.

TURN AWAY FROM ALL UNGODLY MUSIC

The second step of deliverance is repentance. This means to turn away from this sin. True repentance is an act of God working in your heart to make you truly remorseful for your sin while completely turning away from it. This means that you get rid of all Lil’ Wayne and similar music CDs from your computer, phone, and home. Repentance should also include committing yourself to not go back to this particular sin.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORDSHIP OF CHRIST IN YOUR LIFE

The third step is acknowledging the rightful Lordship of Jesus Christ over your life. It is only Jesus who can forgive you. Why is it Jesus alone? Jesus alone can forgive because it was only Jesus who paid the full penalty for your sin. Jesus said in Mark 10:45 that He came to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus, as the sinless Son of God, died the death we deserve so that we could live the life that he deserves. Therefore in our acknowledging Christ as Lord of all, He by His power breaks the bondage of sin in our life. It doesn’t matter how bad the sin is. Whether it is sexual sin, disobedience, witchcraft, abuse, lust, false religion, hatred, or murder, Jesus can free you from it.

PUBLIC CONFESSION

And finally it is important to confess Christ publicly. Why is this important? Such music has attracted certain demonic spirits to you. These spirits often come to you through other people. By acknowledging your decision to follow Christ while renouncing past sins, the power of Christ is released in your life to fight off familiar demonic spirits. Observe the reaction of your friends when they hear that you got rid of your Lil’ Wayne music because of Jesus Christ. They will either do the same or they will withdraw from you. While this withdrawal may be emotionally hard, it is necessary. God is working in your life to teach you how to walk with Him in holiness while being set free from the addictions of these spirits. Therefore constant public confession of Christ is often necessary in the beginning stages of deliverance.

A LIFE OF FREEDOM IN CHRIST

There is nothing better than experiencing true freedom that is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ. I myself can testify to this. The music I listened to in my teenage years brought me much heartache and trouble. But the music today, especially that of Lil’ Wayne, has reached the most deplorable and demonic levels imaginable. But God is reaching out to a generation of young urban people. This generation includes Spanish, African-American, White, and Asian races. His desire is to rescue and redeem all peoples for Himself. He is a God of love and desires this generation to be used for His glory, purpose, and pleasure. And that purpose and glory can begin in your own life today by your repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you want to be set free?

THE WORDS OF JESUS

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36)

It is my prayer that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all who read this work. And may the Lord be with this generation of young people to do a mighty work of revival for His own Name’s sake. God bless.

Pastor Jomo K. Johnson of Philly Open Air Church

Week 3- LIL’ WAYNE AS THE GOD OF HIS OWN WORSHIP

trig — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:44:37 +0000

Music as a reflection of worship is meant to be a means of transcendence, unity, and expression, which ultimately points us to the worship of the true God. But what happens when music points us away from the true God? Just as the ancient bathhouse was used for cleansing and sanitation but later received the connotation of uncleanliness, disease, and death through immorality, Lil’ Wayne through his music has begun with greater exertion to do the same. While his fans come to his music to find an experience, they are actually being infected with hedonism and sensuality that will only corrupt every other positive experience they will have. While music lovers come to his music in droves to be awed by his lyrics and delivery, they will soon discover that they are taking part in a degenerate orgy of unrighteousness which will sow the seeds of a crippled future. Those who appreciate Wayne’s bold and colorful expression while seeking to emulate him will eventually realize that this type of eccentric appearance is only a cover-up for a leprous spiritual condition. Read carefully the words from a song recorded for Tha Carter, “I’m Me.”

Un-f***ing-believeable, Lil’ Wayne’s the President

F**k ‘em, f**k ‘em, f**k ‘em, even if they celibate

I know the game is crazy, it’s more crazy than it’s ever been

I’m married to that crazy b**ch, call me Kevin Federlin

It’s obvious that he’ll be Cash Money till the death of him

The ground shall break when they bury him, bury him

I know one day they gotta bury him

Better lock my casket tight baby, so I don’t let the devil in

N*gga, it’s just me and my guitar, yea b**ch I’m heavy metaling

You can get the f**king Led Zepplin

N*ggas is b**ches, b**ches, I think they full of estrogen

And we hold court and take your life for a settlement

Yes, I’m the best! And no, I ain’t positive, I’m definite

I know the game like I’m reffing it

This is The Carter, The Carter 3, the New Testament

And I’m the god and this is what I bless ‘em with

This one verse is filled with overt perversities and subliminal blasphemies. In the second line, Wayne implies “rape” by stating a desire to have sex with women “even if they celibate.” This theme of misogyny is common with Wayne as he has also released another mixtape song entitled, “P**sy Monster” in which he makes a plea to all women to allow him to perform oral sex on them. In the sixth line, he states, “The ground shall break when they bury him, bury him.” This is a subliminal comparison to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible records that when Jesus died, there was a great earthquake. This earthquake bore witness to two divine truths. Firstly, the earth shook as a sign of the great burden it was bearing by witnessing the death of the Son of God. The very creation, in essence, groaned as its Creator was treated so wickedly by unrighteous men. Secondly, the earth shaking was a sign that Christ had utterly destroyed and defeated the kingdom of darkness, now securing Satan’s total doom. But Wayne applies such holy and pure acts to none other than himself. He is declaring his greatness as being on par with that of the holy Christ. In doing so, he belittles the extreme suffering of Christ while diminishing His work to a parody.

In conclusion to this verse Wayne states, “This is The Carter, The Carter 3, the New Testament, and I’m the god and this is what I bless ‘em with.” Here the New Orleans Rapper places his own words on the level of God’s Holy Scripture. The Biblical Scriptures are self-attesting as being “God-Breathed” or literally “God-Inspired” (2 Timothy 3:16). Wayne is comparing himself with the true and living God. He then goes on to say that he is “the god.” Notice how he says “the god” and not “a god”? Wayne makes no room for polytheism! He is a strict monotheist who believes that there is one god. He unfortunately writes his lyrics in such a way to make himself that God.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Later on in Chapter 8, we will talk about the spiritual dynamic of not only Lil’ Wayne’s music but also of the current state of Hip Hop. But now I want to focus on some of the practical applications of someone with a God complex and how it plays out in Wayne’s album Tha Carter 3. When a person puts himself in the position of supreme authority as Wayne does (he stated in an interview for The Carter documentary, “I don’t care what anyone thinks, or about their opinions”) he by definition becomes amoral. Amoralism, also known as moral nihilism, is the belief that nothing is moral or immoral. Someone who is amoral would say that murder, for any reason, cannot be judged as either ethically right or ethically wrong. To this type of person, morality is purely a kind of fantastical or make-believe set of rules and standards which are not real but only human creations.

Wayne’s amoral philosophy and lyrics as expounded on Tha Carter 3 are manifest in two ways that are not common to any previous rapper. The first of these is sexual. A common theme of this album is sexual promiscuity. Sex is discussed repeatedly throughout the album and all of the references are misogynistic, treating women as mere sex objects. Observe the lyrics of his hit song, “Lollipop.”

But man I ain’t never seen an a** like hers

That p**sy in my mouth had me at a loss for words

I told her to back it up like burp burp

And make that a** jump like shczerp shczerp

What Wayne does here is common throughout Tha Carter 3. He combines sexual misogyny with humor. It would be totally offensive for myself or any man (even in today’s society) to walk up to a woman I never met and say, “Ma’am, I’ve never seen a butt like yours. May I put my mouth on you?” It sounds ridiculous even writing those words! But what Wayne is able to do through his music is to combine the grotesque and profane with humor in order to lighten its offensiveness. This is the amoral philosopher, who mocks at that which is offensive because in his mind, something being morally offensive by its very nature must presuppose morality.

The second way in which this amoralism is shown is in the image of Wayne. What Wayne shows by his appearance is that there is no moral standard of appearance. Wayne’s entire upper body, neck, and certain portions of his face are tattooed. He is constantly seen smoking marijuana or sipping from a cup of cough syrup and soda. (This drug, commonly known as “sizurrup,” is a prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine.) There have been at least three rappers in the last twelve years, the most famous of them being Chad Butler also known as “Pimp C,” who have lost their lives by overdose to this drug. Wayne’s manager and childhood friend, Cortez Bryant, spoke about Wayne’s addiction to promethazine in the 2008 documentary The Carter stating, “I don’t understand why all these creative guys have to be addicted to some drug.” Wayne was not only addicted to the drug, but popularized it in a song off Tha Carter 3, “Phone Home.” The song includes the lyrics, “I’m used to promethazine, in two cups, I’m screwed up.” Another song off a popular mixtape titled “Me and My Drank” is dedicated to his use of the drug. In the song he compares the drug, known also known as “Purp,” to a woman.

I’m in the lab no pad no pen just a styrofoam cup so I can pour 4 in

Up in the studio me and my drank

Please let me be and let me do my thang

Thinkin about a certain…certain somebody

satan will see the day that hell freeze over before I let her go

and let one of you b**ch n*ggas get her no no no you

don’t know how to treat her you don’t know that I need her hey…

Wayne, unlike any other rapper of all past generations, has glamorized and popularized a serious drug addiction. Some would say that rap artists have been glorifying marijuana use for decades, but the difference between marijuana and promethazine is that the addiction to the latter has actually been fatal. Wayne has introduced to millions of teenage fans a deadly drug abuse habit that can actually be obtained over the counter at a neighbor drug store.

SUBLIMINAL APPEAL

Something worth noting about Tha Carter 3 is the artwork that was used for the album cover.

The question must be asked: why would Wayne use such an innocent photo of himself to sell possibly the most profane album ever released in the history of rap music? I propose two reasons. Wayne and C.M.R. wanted something that was inoffensive and attractive to children. While it is true that about 35% of all music sales are digital, this means that out of the 2 million records that Wayne sold about 1.3 million people received this hard album cover. What do you think parents said when their teens that purchased this album brought it home? This album cover lessens the seriousness of its content thereby making it more marketable to mass numbers of young people.

I also believe this album cover has a subconscious significance for Wayne as well. Remember that in the first chapter we saw that Wayne has been a child star since the age of 11. It was during that same year that he was sexually abused. The next year at 12 he was almost killed when he accidently shot himself. Wayne lost a portion of his childhood during these events. Similar to Michael Jackson, there are pieces of Wayne’s youth that cannot be recaptured. And when a person has lost certain portions of their youth, they in some ways attempt to relive it. (Recall the Peter Pan syndrome?) This album cover is a plea from Wayne revealing that he desires to regain that which was lost.

INFECTION COMPLETE

Tha Carter 3 sold over a million records its first week. Radio stations around the country had Lil’ Wayne music in constant rotation. Almost every Hip Hop and Mainstream media or magazine was itching to cover the story of the album that what would go on to be the best-selling record of 2008. But just like the American bathhouse connotation, the effects of living in “Wayne’s World” would slowly and seductively become an amoral epidemic. This epidemic would infect an entire generation of urban youth. And while millions of fans were exulting over the eccentric and eclectic rapper, he at the same time was inseminating his followers with his own personal demons of insecurity, amoralism, and depravity.

Week 2- Hip Hop Prophecy 2012

trig — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:14:32 +0000

As the tumultuous year of 2011 ends many Rap and Hip Hop fans are wondering what is in store for the upcoming year of 2012. The success of duo albums such as the Jay Z and Kanye West, “Watch the Throne”, or Eminem and Royce’s “Bad Meets Worse” project, have many wondering if other such collaborations could take place in the new year. There has already been talk about Lil’ Wayne and his Young Money Artist, Drake, working on a joint project. Time will only tell what the industry will attempt to do.

But I, personally would like to make a strong prediction, that I would classify as a prophecy concerning commercial Hip Hop music and the possible deaths of three of its major artists. These artists have been the most blatant in their blasphemies against God the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have rejected strong counsel to turn from their sins and trust in Christ. And they have continued to enjoy the profits of such grievous violations of the Word of God. And therefore, I prophecy that these three artists, Jay Z, Lil’ Wayne, and Lil’ B, will all lose their lives in 2012, unless they confess their blasphemies against God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and repent of these particular sins. If they do not repent, I further predict that 2012 is going to be one the worst and most memorable years for the genre of all time. I believe that the year of 2012 will be eerily worse than that of 1996 and 1997 when the industry lost Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. And unlike those years, I do not know if Hip Hop (in its current form) will be able to recover from these effects.

UNDERSTANDING PROPHECY

Before I go further, I need to explain the word “prophecy” and how I am using it. I recognize that not all my readers come from a Biblical or Christian background and therefore may not understand the definition of the word prophecy. The word prophecy, in the Christian context, is an often misunderstood concept. People usually associate the word with a prediction of the future. This is in part true but not the complete picture. A prophecy is an inspired communication of God to his chosen people concerning his will, plan, or purpose. This communication may include an aspect of foretelling an event or it may not.

We see the role of particular prophets and prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments. As God communicated his will to his chosen people of Israel, God would anoint a man or woman to speak his words. These words served as a warning of sinful consequence, comfort in the midst of trouble, or predictions of things to come. Within the completion of the Bible, God’s entire revelation for the world, humanity, and the end of all things has been revealed. The supreme prophecy of the Scripture is the 2nd coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth to rule and establish his kingdom.

These days we need to be on guard anytime we hear the word prophets. Jesus said many false prophets will arise. (Matthew 24:24) The Scriptures give us some clear and plain signs of a false prophet. The first sign of a false prophet is that they seek to add, take away, or deny the truth as revealed in Scripture. This can happen when someone claims to have another book from God, or denies certain parts of the Bible because it does not fit into their teaching. Because the Bible itself is the completed Revelation of God, there are to be no “so called prophecies” that contradict Scripture. Many men such as Mohamed of Mecca and Mormon Leader Joseph Smith of New York, have claimed to be prophets. But these men were direct opposition to the revealed word of God. An example of a supposed Christian false prophecy was Family Radio Teacher, Harold Camping. If you remember, Camping predicted that Jesus would return in the year 2011. Such a prediction is contrary to Scripture because Jesus himself said; no man knows the day or the hour of his coming. (Mark 13:32)

While the gift of prophecy today is never a ‘new’ revelation – meaning something more than the Bible says, there still is an active gift of prophecy present in the Christian church. The types of these prophecies can be classified as: General Testimony of Jesus (Rev 19:10). This type of prophecy occurs when a believer testifies of Jesus Christ. In essence, the Christian is prophesying. We are giving witness to God’s acts through the death, resurrection, and second coming of Christ. We are sharing what God has done, is doing, and what he will do. Our authority for such prophecy is not ourselves but the inspired Word of God.

The second type of prophecy can be classified as: Edification. This is the gift to speak an inspired utterance in line with Scripture for the sake of edification and comfort of a local church body. The Bible gives reference to this in the book of 1st Corinthians 14:3. Other examples can be found in the book of Acts 11:28 in which a prophecy predicting a famine that would affect the Christian believers in Judea. This prophecy helped the believers to prepare money and food for their fellow Christians in that region. There is finally a Prophecy of Warning. This type of prophecy is done as a testimony to the outside world confronting unbelievers with their sin, threatening of God’s judgment, and calling men to repentance. A Biblical example of this is found in the book of Revelation. In chapter 11 we see two witnesses that prophesy for a period of three and a half years. The prophets have the power similar to that of Old Testament saints, Moses and Elijah. They are able to call down fire from heaven, shut up the rains of heaven, turn water into blood, and bring plagues. But along with these fearful signs are there words of prophecy. We know that from studying the Old Testament that Moses and Elijah were used to condemn their culture and nations of wicked sinfulness.

THIS PARTICULAR PROPHECY OF COMMERCIAL HIP HOP

As a Pastor, I do not claim to hold an office or title as Prophet. But there have been rare occasions in which I have understood the Lord as communicating a message to me. This message must always be validated by Scripture. So therefore, my words should be verified by the Bible and time. In the Scriptures, there are numerous occasions of prophecies concerning the deaths of certain individuals. (The death of Jezebel, Belshazzar, and Hezekiah: 1st Kings 21:23, Daniel 5:30, 2nd Kings 20:2) In the latter case of Hezekiah, he actually sought God for mercy, and had his life spared.

The prophecy that I have previously made is that of warning. Such a prophecy is conditional because it allows the hearers to choose which direction they will follow. It is my hope that all three of these artists, Sean Carter, Dwayne Carter, and Brandon McCartney to turn from their blasphemies against God the Father. Sean Carter has attributed the most holy name of God to himself. Dwayne Carter has stated that he himself is God and his album is the New Testament. He has disturbingly posed as Jesus Christ crucified on one of his mixtape album covers. And Brandon McCartney has also claimed himself to be a god while attributing evil to the name of Christ in his song, “Look Like”. It is also my hope that through this prophecy all Hip Hop Artists will be more mindful of their words and the power that these words contain.

I tremble in sadness as I write these words. I myself know my past sinfulness and recognize that it was only the grace of God that saved me. It is my hope that these men will recognize the sinfulness of their hearts while turning from their blasphemies and lies to completely trust in Christ. It is the Lord Jesus alone, is able to save all those who come to God by him. I further predict that in 2012 God is going to begin to reward degenerate commercial Hip Hop for the sins of the last 30 years. As stated earlier in the book, the earlier roots of Hip Hop were expression of a culture, unity of a community, and transcendence of experience. But this evolved into the dangerous growing amoral philosophy that is beginning to dominate the airwaves today. And this philosophy is targeted at the most vulnerable of souls: our young children. The Lord Jesus made the frightening claim in saying, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:16) The current trend of commercial Hip Hop is now profiting off offending and causing young children, pre-teens, and teens to wickedly sin against God, parents, and civil leaders. There is no other genre of music that is so blatant and egregious in its purpose and intent of malice. And therefore, as a student of Scripture, a Christian, and a Pastor, I predict that 2012 will be the season of God’s visitation upon commercial Hip Hop.

Written By Jomo K. Johnson

From the Book: Deadest Rapper Alive

Week 1 – Gangsta Rape Music: The Dying of the Urban Female

admin — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 04:16:59 +0000

DISCONTENTMENT: PROVERBS 7:11-12

She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.

In these verses we see the evidence of discontentment in the woman. She is not content to stay at home. She is always on the move, always on the go, always wanting to be here or there. Her feet never stay still. The music and images of Wayne are seductive to young women because they create within them a subconscious discontentment that motivates them to seek pleasures outside of themselves. The Scripture states, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt” (Isaiah 57:20).

When a young girl is constantly confronted with deceptive images of pleasure, passion, and popularity, it’s only natural that she will seek to find these things wherever she believes they are. So when the videos of Wayne project smiling and excited women with alcoholic drinks in their hands, dancing, and grasping a man with narcotics in one hand and money in the other, they will be, without proper guidance, enticed to follow the same pattern. Therefore today’s generation of young women is discontent to work hard, stay at home, and attend to their own business. Instead they are motivated to find something greater in a sexual experience, a drug, or an atmosphere in which their body can be adored. The music of Wayne and the images he presents drive young girls to go places and do things that are detrimental to their social, physical, and moral health. And when they have done such things, the guilt of their conscious makes them feel so miserable that they must again seek something to satisfy the insatiable cravings for love and acceptance.

DISOBEDIENCE: VERSE 13

She took hold of him and kissed him.

Being distracted by the world’s allurements and being discontent always leads to disobedience to God’s commands. Verse 13 shows the woman in the passage has a husband, yet she is throwing her arms around a stranger and kissing him. She has made the choice to blatantly sin. In like manner, today’s young girls are making the choice to blatantly sin against God by having sex outside of marriage. Sex out of wedlock is and will always be the leading cause of STDs, abortion, and single-parent homes.

The contributing factor to the sin of urban females is lust – a desire to have something they see. And this lust has been aroused by the philosophy of Wayne which makes pleasure the chief pursuit of life and existence. But as with all sin there is always a consequence. Sin always has a cost. The Scripture makes the declaration, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The Bible uses the interesting term “wages” suggesting that one will receive as a reward the penalty of his actions. God’s divine contract requires that all men receive a wage for the deeds and actions that they commit. And I dare say that the previously mentioned phenomenon amongst young teen girls of abortion, sexual abuse, and violence are the first fruits of those wages.

DECEIVED BY RELIGION: VERSES 14-18

Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love!

There is a unique observation to be made from the woman in this passage. While she is adulterous and deceptive, she also is religious! She informs the man whom she is seducing that, “she just offered her sacrifices to God.” She left the Temple of Prayer and now is in the Streets of Sin!

As previously mentioned, Lil’ Wayne has many tattoos over his entire body. He has a series of skull tattoos, teardrops on his face, and the name of the “Piru Bloods” street gang he claims to represent. But in my opinion there is one tattoo that stands out the most. On his eyelids he has the words, Fear God. In one of his latest songs he mentions having Bibles on his dresser and the Lord being his witness. In the documentary Tha Carter, Wayne can be seen praying with members of his music entourage before going on stage to perform. How can we reconcile these mirages of religion with his amoral philosophy?

I believe the key to such deception is found in verse 14 in which the woman states, “I have paid my vows [religious obligations], therefore…” The key transition of this passage is the word therefore. The woman believes that because she has performed her religious obligation, she now has the right to proceed with adultery. So when Wayne makes reference to God or even positively acknowledges Him while continuing to live in blasphemous rebellion against the Creator, his outward form of religion is merely a cloak that he believes will exempt him from personal accountability to that same God.

The Bible speaks about this phenomenon in the book of Second Timothy in the same chapter we read earlier. It describes these deceptive men in verse 5 as, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5). Wayne has a form of religion, but he denies the true power of religion which is the Lordship of Jesus Christ over one’s personal life.

There are many ways in which this religious deception plays out. When Wayne acknowledges God in one song while declaring himself to be god in another, he is inadvertently misleading his listeners. In essence he gives listeners approbation to sin as long as they give some type of reverence to God. The sting and offensiveness of sin is weakened by the anesthesia of false reverence.

FALSE WORSHIP IN THE CHURCH

As a pastor I am sad to say that the effects of this false worship are actualized more in the church than outside of it. How is it that we can have so many young people in our churches that give honor to God on Sunday but leave the building only to be enamored and enthralled by the music of Wayne? How many of our young women are in the youth choir Sunday morning, but in some man’s car on Saturday night listening to Wayne? This type of façade is facilitated by the idea that if a person gives God some time and honor then they have the right to do as they please.

While I was watching the documentary Tha Carter, there was one scene that troubled me more anything else. This scene was of a visiting church group. They had parked their van near the same location as Wayne’s tour bus. The van contained an all-girl youth group apparently on a summer mission trip. When the girls were told that Wayne’s tour bus was parked just yards away, they became giddy and elated. One of the girls said she hoped that he would come out so that they could talk to him. The teenage girls had the appearance of obvious fans wanting to meet their idol. The female church leader, oblivious to the identity of Lil’ Wayne, asked a nearby cameraman about the rapper: “Is his music explicit?”

Upon seeing this clip I was greatly saddened. I didn’t know what was worse: supposedly committed followers of Christ overjoyed at the possibility of getting an autograph from the greatest moral detriment of the 21st century or the church leader who was ignorant of the impact that he was having on the girls she was called to oversee.

THE FAILURE OF THE URBAN CHURCH LEADERS

Many urban church leaders are to blame for this condition of the church and society. Instead of fervent prayer, diligent study of the culture, and a willingness to confront error with the truth of God’s word, we excuse the sinful trends of society for the sake of tolerance while our children suffer the consequences of our compromise and laziness. Because we desire to be seeker-friendly we don’t address the issues and attack the idols of our society. And possibly because we ourselves are hidden fans of Lil’ Wayne or other types of sinful pleasures and ungodly music, we are unwilling to expose sinful preferences in order that we might keep our own practices hidden.

WOMEN IN DANGER

The young urban female is in danger of losing her very identity of what it means to be a woman. The more objectified a woman becomes the more at risk she is of losing her very womanhood. Take into account the unprecedented numbers of gang rapes that have been perpetrated upon teenage and urban girls in the last five years. In 2009 Richmond, California, witnessed one of the most heinous crimes ever in their history. Investigators say as many as 20 people were involved in or stood by and watched the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl outside a California high school homecoming dance. Even more disturbing was that not one student sought to intervene during the 2½-hour ordeal.

In April of 2010, a 15-year-old went to a house party in the Rower Tower Apartments in Trenton, New Jersey. The 15-year-old, accompanied by her 7-year old step-sister, entered the 13th floor of the building. The little girl wanted to go with her older sister because she was concerned about her whereabouts. During the party, the 15-year-old allowed men to have sex with her for money. Seeing an opportunity to make even more money, she began to take offers to touch her younger sister. This initial molestation quickly turned violent as at least seven men raped the child. After the assault, the abused and bloody little girl put her clothes on and left the building alone. It was only when two women found her outside sobbing that they took her home.

BLACK PRIVILEGE IS BLACK SHAME

In March of 2011, The New York Times reported the gang rape of an 11-year-old Cleveland, Texas, girl by 18 black men ranging in ages from 16 to 28. In a scathing rebuke of the coverage of the story, blogger Steve Sailer asserted that the Times article was overly sensitive to the accused men because of their racial identity. This common practice known as Black Privilege gives either minimal coverage or benefit of the doubt to African-Americans accused in heinous crimes.

The result of this pandemic is felt in all sectors of urban communal life. And even worse are the ill-guided attempts of media and urban leaders to keep reports of such atrocities hidden and minimally covered. This in turn creates a hush-hush atmosphere that prevents blacks from truly dealing with the root causes of such atrocities. Therefore we don’t address or examine artists such as Lil’ Wayne as he contributes and participates in the demoralization of urban women. Continuing to embrace the philosophy of Lil’ Wayne without resistance will only continue to cripple urban society while putting the most vulnerable victims, young women and children, at greater risk.

Full Details for Flavor Fest 12 Revealed

trig — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:21:03 +0000

The details of the 12th annual “Urban Leadership Conference” Flavor Fest at Crossover Church in Tampa, Florida have been fully revealed for October 4th – 7th, 2012! The Fest planning team has been hard at the work the past few months putting together the details of what will be the largest, most important Flavor Fest yet. Our movement is growing by leaps and bounds… and much more than itunes charting and mainstream nods there are dozens and dozens of churches being planted to make disciples in the urban context. Many of us are now taking leading roles in our churches and ministries. How will will steward what God has given us? What will change? What will remain the same? That’s the discussion at FF 12 as this year’s theme is on leadership and discipleship – “Lead… Next is Now”. It’s a new day for the urban, multi-ethnic church… don’t miss this pivotal weekend for our movement. Check out the new website with all the conference details: speakers, workshops, general sessions, artists and more! LEAD today and register your entire ministry team!

Christian Rap Innovator Mr. Del & Dedicated Music Group Announce Contemporary and Hip Hop Gospel Releases

trig — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:18:55 +0000

Memphis, TN — Memphis, TN is affectionately known as the Home of the Blues and The Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll. From the famous Beale Street to the historical Graceland, the city inhabits a constant melting pot of live music from any genre you can imagine. Memphis based Stax Records introduced the world to renowned soul and blues artists Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes and Otis Redding. Gospel roots in Memphis run deep with the legendary Al Green, the late O’landa Draper and Bishop G.E. Patterson; as well as current hit makers Earnest Pugh, and duo Ted and Sheri. Continuing in the tradition of creating and celebrating great gospel music, Dedicated Music Group and label President Mr. Del (Delmar Lawrence) has created the first installment of a series of compilations showcasing Memphis’ finest songwriters, talented vocalists and even some undiscovered musical talents.

Read the rest here

Holy Culture Tribute to DJ Primo

trig — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:15:38 +0000

Carlos Avila aka DJ Primo, the king of Christian chopped & screwed music, is no longer with us. Please pray for his family.

Primo was one of the early DJs on Holy Culture Radio, below are a number of his shows. We pray that you enjoy his legacy and continue to be prayerful for his family and loved ones.

Check out the tribute here

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Jimmy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:21:17 +0000

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Jimmy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:20:45 +0000

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Jimmy — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:19:45 +0000