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

DON'T PUT YOUR OPINION ON TRUTH

Cue Rejects by Lecrae. Let me apologize for the time between blogs. Believe me that wasn’t the plan, but either way here I am.

I got to thinking, and I may be wrong, but that’s where y’all can chime in. I’ve blogged on gays and Lesbians. Controversially I might add. And by now I’m sure most of us know about the folks that protest funerals and other stuff saying “God Hates Fags” at the same time claiming to be Christians. So that’s just a backstory before i post my thoughts here. IF God really hated gay folk, then why are they still around? Why does the creator of the world allow the people that practice homosexuality to breathe? See where I’m going? I’m just trying to understand the logic here. If God, master of all things, creator of the Universe, hated a certain group of people, then one would figure God would have took them out, right? Or is it like God makes them suffer through the bullying and Aids as punishment for being gay? Again I’m just trying to understand.

Now here’s what I do believe. I believe the Bible is right. John 3:16. We know it. We quote it. “For God so LOVED the WORLD, that He gave his only begotten Son, that WHOsoever believeth on Him SHALL not perish but have everlasting life.” And if you are Christian, or claim to be a Christian, then the Bible is your manual. It’s what you live by. You can’t live by what you want to live by from the Bible. If you going to believe the Bible, then believe the Bible for what it says. So to say God hates gay folks would make God and his word a lie. I believe it’s written in Numbers that God is not a man that He should lie, neither the Son of man that he should repent. That’s the word. I do believe the practice of homosexuality is a sin. Because it’s written in the Bible that if a man lies with a man as he lays with a woman it is an abomination. I will not say that I’ve read the Bible as whole, but I read nowhere in the word of God that God hates the folks who practice the sins. If you have read that, please let me know book, chapter, and verse.

We got to stop putting on own personal opinions dictate what God thinks. We got to stop letting our own personal opinions dictate what the Bible says. The word of God is truth all by itself. Preach the Word and let the Word do the work. The truth shall make you free. Opinions don’t make anybody free, opinions causes battles. Opinions cause internet wars. It ain’t worth it. I learned that you can win more people if you present the unfiltered truth, and not your own opinion. You want to save this generation? Tell them the truth. Raw. Keep it real, no pun intended due to the title of this blog site. People can see past bull crap. This generation sees past bull crap. You can’t bull crap this generation like you could in the past. Bring the truth. Unfiltered. Raw. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

Let me end by saying this, I’m glad God doesn’t hate you for your sins. If that was the case, I’d be dead right now. I’m serious. I’m so glad God is a forgiving and merciful God. I’m glad that God does care. And God does love us when the world hates us. I’m glad for God’s grace. I’m glad that if one truly wants to be delivered that they can be. Cast all your cares upon Jesus. He’s truly able so just leave them there. Cast all your cares upon him. Here’s another thing if God truly hated folks for they’re wrong then why in the world did he use Paul and Peter like he did? Please explain that to me? Paul was Saul who was killing Christians. Peter was crazy. God used them majorly. But according to a group of folks that claim to be followers of God, claim God hates folks who practice homosexuality. If God hated them, then Donnie McClurkin would not be where he is right now. He said it himself that he was struggling with the practice of gay. So I’m not out of line when I bring him up. Donnie is profound in the Gospel music industry. Gospel music is, or at least supposed to be, God’s music. So if God hated them, then there’s no way Donnie McClurkin would be where he is right now. Pastoring a church? I thought God hated them. I know the Bible is right, somebody’s wrong.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson aka Big dusty
Twitter and Instagram @Big_Dusty
Facebook.com/bigdusty

Lecrae: Rebel...thumbs up, thumbs down?

2 thumbs way way......UP! This CD is one of the most increbible Rap CD's I've heard in a good while. From song 1 to song 15, just straight up crazy. Is it a must buy, in my humble opinion, yes. Musically, I loved it. Originality is something I look for, especially in Christian music. A lot of Christian rappers think they have to use secular beats to get sales and to get people to listen. I disagree sir. I've always said and always believed that Christian rappers can and should use oringinal beats. If you need a producer, http://www.myspace.com/speedygunz11. Great producer, and he's Christian. Speedy if you're reading, you're welcome. Anyway, back to Rebel, what a CD this was. I already talked about it muscially, now message wise, it was great also. The song Idenity comes to mind. All in all it was a great listen and the messages were inspiring. If you're a Gospel rap fan, heck if you're a rap fan in general, I highly recommend this CD.

This is just my opinion, so if you buy this CD and disagree with all I said...to each his own. Look foward to your comments. If you already have the CD, please share your opinion. Until next time, have a good one.

~Daniel aka Big d