Category Archives: Music

Christian, Entertainment, Music, news

Rebuttal to the Religion/Bondage Debate

I read a comment that seems all too familiar these days about how religion is a form of slavery, some system designed to keep us down, etc. I read it on Facebook so I addressed it on Facebook. But I felt it necessary to share this on Christian Music Pusher:

The funny thing is people think they’re free because they don’t believe in God…no religion…no system… No slavery. But you’re still under control of a system. Only this the system of life trials, fleshly desires and death. You’re still practicing a religion of sorts. All religion is is a set of beliefs. You either believe in God or you believe in something else. But then there’s that old devil, who would rather you believe in anything but God. So in your supposed “freedom”, the devil is ultimately who you’ve chosen to believe in, the religion you’ve chosen and the slavery you’ve accepted– who’s end is death…twice. But he won’t tell you that. Is that freedom? Christians aren’t people who have considered themselves “holier than thou” or better than anyone else. Rather Christians are people who have accepted that they are NOT HOLY ENOUGH and in humility have submitted to God through the One who submitted Himself to death and suffering on a cross, that those who would only submit can now truly be free from the system of life trials, fleshly desires and death. Yes there are trials, but God will be with you. Yes there  temptations, but God will help you out and forgive you when you fail. Yes death will come, but life with God will continue. And that brings a real peace. Sounds like a system, a bondage, a religion worth submitting to. I don’t know what you’ve heard, or who’s mislead you, but serving God IS freedom. True religion, that is God approved rather than man-made, isn’t just some feel-good medicine to help people afraid of life and death. There’s plenty of drugs and self-help books for that. This is real and proven. But as Black Sheep says, the choice is yours. Believe it or not.

Consider this applicable verse…
Romans 6:16-23 KJV

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.  I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.  For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.  What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.  But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Appropriate for this topic, listen to one of my fave joints by Flame below.

Get churched!

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Christian, Entertainment, Music, news

Church Girl Rockin! Angie Rose – “NYC Cypha” Official Music Video (@iamangierose @jahrockn)

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I’m always on a search for a dope female emcee. Lauryn Hill spoiled me and set the bar high. She’s far removed from her epic debut and only studio solo album, but her influence is creating some legitimate talent. Introducing Angie Rose! I found this posted on instagram and I’m very interested in what else she has to say. How about you?

I’m hoping to do a blog feature on Lyrical Church Girls soon. Stay tuned for that. Because every church boy needs a church girl. 😀

In the meantime, check this out below and get churched!!!

Angie Rose – “NYC Cypha”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xtbdUYcv6Q&sns=em

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Entertainment, Music, news

The Truth and Excuse of Hypocrisy

http://bible.com/1/rom.3.3-4.kjv For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Bible.com/app

I’m sure everybody has in some way spoke on this topic. The topic of hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is when one professes one thing and does another. By virtue of this very situation, you’ve heard someone say how they’ve either denounced Christianity or denounced God altogether because they experienced something that completely contradicted what this religious person or group stood for. Just watch the news for various examples. Or perhaps you are that person affected by hypocrisy. Many times these experiences are quite traumatic and the results are spiritually tragic.

I want to look at two points on this discussion.

I understand that whatever you went through was horrible. Furthermore the very fact that this was done by people who claim to be godly compounds the hurt even more. It shouldn’t happen because they are believers in God! How could they?! The nerve!

But let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Hypocrisy can be an excuse when we forget that humans are in this world. God is perfect. God’s law is perfect. As pointed out in the above scripture, does a few humans that fail to uphold God’s law and fail to serve Him correctly diminish His power? Does it remove His existence? Does it absolve you of any responsibility to serve Him? I would say no.

Therefore the question I would ask is do you truly think that a few evil acting Christians mean all Christians are evil? Secondly, does one evil Christian make God evil? Do you honestly believe that?

Of course not!

If you saw somebody fail to follow the Weight Watchers system and stay overweight, would you simply write off the system as a successful way to lose weight? If an employee breaks a rule in the office, does this make you less obligated to follow the rules? Would you be justified by your boss? Probably not. We use this logic in racial stereotypes and is this any less illogical?

So then when does hypocrisy become simply an excuse rather than a logical and valid reason to reject the Lord?

The second point I’d like to make is that those who have named the name of Jesus are charged with the task of maintaining the reputation of the church through their actions. Realizing the effect of living hypocritically, we must strive to trust and obey. God will judge you for helping to mislead one away from the Lord.

Consider…
Romans 2:21-24 ASV

thou therefore that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou rob temples? thou who gloriest in the law, through thy transgression of the law dishonorest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, even as it is written.

You kinda make God look bad when your actions contradict your professed faith. It’s no wonder people come to develop the views they have about church, organized religion and Christianity.

In summary, don’t let the hypocritical behavior of a few Christians be the reason you reject the promises, peace and saving grace of the gospel. God will deal with them, but He will also deal with you. God’s Word doesn’t change no matter what the world does. And don’t be the hypocritical Christian that leads someone astray or keeps them from coming to Jesus. You will be rewarded according to your deeds and Jesus will deny you.

Blessings in your Christian walk and your journey to find God.

For your listening pleasure check out Blanca and this joint from her solo debut called Different Drum.

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Christian, Entertainment, Music, news

Lord, Lord: The Part We Never Discuss

Matthew 7:21-23 KJV

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.    Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?    And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luke 6:46-49 KJV

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?    Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:    He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.    But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. 

This is one of the hardest teachings Jesus ever shared. The reason is that this does not hit the atheists and the “evil” people of the world; however this hits the believers in God. This very teaching highlights the fact that you can believe and act on behalf of God and still be separated from God. This is the part that nobody talks about.

Jesus was speaking to all, but was really calling out the Pharisees. These were the religious giants of the day. They knew their law. They did things of God and in God’s name…yet God was not pleased with them. He even said that they would die in their sins.

Now grant it, they refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ which possesses one lesson on its own. Jesus was very clear that He is THE WAY AND THE TRUTH. He is the door. This too is a hard teaching because there are plenty of spiritual and God fearing people… But will God be pleased with them in the end?

But Jesus was also referring to anyone who does things in God’s name. Anyone who says “Lord Lord”.

So who are we talking about? And what are they doing wrong?

Jesus said that the ones who will enter heaven are the ones who do His Father’s will. This conversely means that those that do not do His will cannot enter in. He further refers to them as workers of iniquity. In the other passage, Jesus clarifies by saying they do not do the things that He says. Disobedience. They hear the commands but do not do them. Yet they call out “Lord Lord”. He goes on to liken them to a house on a shaky foundation.

These are people that are claiming to be godly. These are people that DO godly things. Yet there is something that God has commanded that they have yet to obey. Perhaps they never obeyed the gospel the way He commanded it. Perhaps they don’t worship the way God commands. Perhaps they are hypocrites. Perhaps they preach in error. James writes he that stumbles in one area is guilty in the whole law. Wow.

The remedy is to examine God’s law against the life we lead, the doctrine we follow, the place we worship, the things we practice…etc.

The other remedy is to truly produce fruit for the kingdom. As Jesus says, you will know them by their fruit.

The one thing we do not want to hear is “I never knew you”. This suggests you were never His. Consider a runner jumping into an ongoing race from the audience, passing up everybody and crossing the finish line first. However, he gets nothing because he never officially entered the race.

Enter the race by God’s regulations. Peter gave those instructions in Acts 2 at Pentecost. Stay in the race so as to not be disqualified.

Let us believers have this conversation. Let’s discuss the fact that belief alone does not save. For even the demons believe and tremble. Let us exhort and admonish…because we, like God, are not willing that any should perish.

Blessings in your Christian walk.

Check out this soul hop track from Stephen the Levite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV7h2aIV8Cg&sns=em

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