AN EXAMPLE, GOOD OR BAD, IS BEING SET BY YOU

You really can't be mad if the next generation follows your example. Good or bad, what you do is being watched and learned by the next generation. Even when you think you're getting away with it, you're being watched by the next generation. You know that saying, "Actions speak louder than words?" Best believe your actions are being watched also. From the day you're out the womb to the rest of your life, you watching the next generation. We never stop learning. I'm almost 28 and I'm still learning watching the next generation. Good and bad.

That's why you always gotta be careful of what you do and say. Because somebody's watching. That's why you always hear this excuse, "Hey, I didn't know anybody was here or watching." Can't always pass the blame on the media. Music gets blamed for stuff that it has nothing to do with. Don't get me wrong, music is influential, but you can't just put all the blame on the music that's not your style for what's wrong with a particular generation. That's where the next generation gets it from of not taking the blame for stuff because they see our generation and older generations passing the blame for stuff that we clearly brought on ourselves. 

I hear all the time that this generation, "don't care about anything or anyone." Well I ask, do you show that you care or do you give the shoulder shrug and eye roll if they want to show you something they find interesting. How many times has a kid came to you and say, "Hey look at this!" and you groan and roll your eyes? And you have the audacity the unmitigated gall to pass the blame on the media for the fact that the kids don't care when you show that you don't care?

When I was coming up, we had bracelets that had the letters W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do). Basically telling us to follow the example of Jesus. I was told to wear this and always look at it and think about that before I did anything. Didn't last long but that was the thinking behind that. Let us not be ignorant to the fact that Jesus is the only example we're following. Those that say they following Jesus has an example to set to. Those that say put God first has an example to set to. Like back in school in math class there was always an example of how to solve a problem. What example are you setting to the problems you face? Think about it, the next generation is watching. Or are you just going to pass the blame again.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

ELIMINATE THE HATE...NOT FOR WHAT YOU MAY THINK

Warning: If you're a fan of G. Craig Lewis and Ex Ministries, you might as well leave the blog now. You will not agree with this blog. If you preach against rap music, you might as well leave the blog now, because you won't agree with this blog. If you don't believe in delivering the gospel through rap, you might as well leave the blog now because you won't agree with this blog. Ok, you've been warned.

The LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bi-Sexual Transsexual) community uses the term sometimes, "Eliminate the hate" in regards to their rights. I'm going to take a switch with that term. If you've been reading my blogs for some time, you know that I'm a fan of gospel rap. I believe it can be used to spread the gospel. The Gospel is not changing it's just the delivery of the Gospel. I look at it like this. Some preachers you don't like to listen to. Some like Bishop T.D. Jakes, and some like Joel Osteen. Both are preaching the Gospel, but the delivery is different. Some like Rod Parsley, and some like Billy Graham. Both are preaching the Gospel, but the delivery is different.

Now to the point. Some like the Canton Spirituals, and some like Lecrae. Both spreading the gospel but the delivery is different. It's not for everybody. Me advocating Gospel rap is not going to change your opinion on the genre. But if you don't like the genre, don't hate on the individual doing what he do to spread the Gospel. It's not for you. Paul said it like this, "When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law."

For some particular reason, when something comes along that's different, it's wrong. It's satanic. It's the devil. It's a sin. The Bible talks about nothing being new under the sun. Going back in history when TV's first came out, they were considered a sin. When movie theaters came out, a sin. When Jazz was big, it was being preached against, and in some places still being preached against. Why? It's different. We are scared of different. So naturally so spiritual. Naturally, the LGBT sees disagreement as hatred. Spiritually, when you disagree with ones thoughts, or opinion, it turns into a rift or hatred.

We need to stop hating one another over petty little things like disagreements. The Bible talks about we got to love everybody to go to heaven. Stop hating people that are different from you. That's called being prejudiced. Disagreement shouldn't mean hatred. I don't hate my family members because I disagree with them. I don't hate some preachers cause they say things I don't agree with. When disagreement turns into hatred, that's when it comes a time to check yourself. Don't let your misconceived notions on anything, turn into hatred.

One argument on Gospel rap I hear, is that, "Gospel music should lead your to worship not to twerk." My response, twerking is something that was already in you to do. I think if some music leads you to twerk, it's something you got to do some self checking on yourself. Twerking came from the strip club, did it not? If twerking is what you do, don't blame hip-hop, blame the visual the videos give off. Not all hip hop gives the visual of sex sex sex. Don't blame what people of done to hip-hop and put that on everybody. Now again, if you hate gospel rap, what I'm saying is not going to change your outlook on it. I hate quartet music. I don't like it at all. It's not for me. But I respect anybody that spreads the gospel. I'm not in the quartet audience. I'm in the gospel rap audience. Should that mean we hate each other? No.

Let me put this out there, just because it's has the label hip-hop does not mean twerking is involved. Ok? Strip clubs has been out before hip-hop. Music was talking about sex before hip-hop. Hip-hop gets blamed for stuff that was happening before the genre even started. Lest we forget some of our favorite Gospel artists does not have the cleanest record out there. Kirk Franklin, he put his stuff out there so there's no reason for me to bring that up. James Cleveland? I'm not making this stuff up, you can look it up. Donnie McClurkin. Tye Tribbett? My point is, it's not the genre that's the problem. Da Truth said it like this on TBN, "It's nothing wrong with hip-hop culture. It's something wrong with the heart that's corrupt."

And that's really all I have to say about that. All and all, let's stop allowing the devil to make on disagreements lead to hatred. Stop giving the Devil more power than he actually has. You may not be a fan of Gospel rap, I'm the minority in my house hold when it comes to the genre, but I respectfully disagree with them and continue to do my thing. Some of the dislike for it is fair. But I feel it's no different than raising the roof in church or saying, "Ain't no party like a holy ghost party cause a holy ghost party don't stop." I don't see it as we're bringing the world into the church, I see it as an evolution of delivery.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson