A message to Christian Rappers

by: G. Craige Lewis - aka The Messenger

This message is from the Lord. It was given to me in response to the opposition we have received from the Christian rap community. We are not coming against Christian rap or any other form of Christian music. We support any music that supports the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. But we do not believe that the Hip Hop culture that exists today is to be glorified, praised, or utilized to reach any sinners or to change the hearts of unbelievers. The Hip Hop Culture in it's origin is demonic and it's foundation is set upon a doctrine that is contrary to the Word of God. Therefore, how can this culture be embraced by Christians? If it's creation was wicked, then it's roots are foul. And therefore, God will not use it to minister the Gospel. (check out Zulu Nation.com to get info on the origin and spiritual side of the Hip Hop Culture. But beware, the spirit behind that website is strong and will spiritual damage your beliefs if you are not Spiritually strong)

We know that a powerful message can be given through rap and we believe it can be very effective in teaching, strengthening and persuading people to Christ. But we cannot embrace the culture of Hip Hop along with the rap. The Hip Hop culture stands against the word of God. It's founders do not believe the bible to be the true Word of God. Therefore, we must reject all claims to Hip Hop as believers because that culture does not promote the truth. Are we gonna rally to turn Hip Hop into a Christian culture? God forbid. If you read the word, you will find that God rejected what man offered to him whenever it was birthed from, or taken from a corrupt source. Achan in the bible hid valuable jewels, thinking that they were good for him and his camp. Jos 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel. But God rejected Israel until Achan was burned to death. Why? Because God did not want what was used for evil to be offered up to him. The same thing happened to King Saul. King Saul took of the spoil of the Amalekites and desired to give it to God because it looked good. It was the best of the best. 1Sa 15:15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. But God rejected King Saul because he didn't want what the people that hated him and served other gods had. It was corrupt because it's origin was evil. God is feeling the same way about Hip Hop. We cannot support this corrupt culture because its very foundation is evil.

Hip Hop was birthed through poverty, and sin. It was not created to uplight God. But it was created to be a voice for those that could not be heard. It was birthed through some guys who desired to rise above their environments and communities by empowering themselves. In turn, Hip Hop has brought much power to the black man. It has given them a voice, a way of life, and money. But what has is done to glorify the true Kingdom of God? Nothing. Christian rap artists, we cannot embrace this demonic move of the enemy to glorify ones self and promote a false religion. I know you want to stay true to your people and where you came from, but understand, that is not what God desires of you. You must change your mindset and understand that it takes the Spirit of God to reach the lost.

Hip Hop has taken the place of the human spirit in our youth of today. Hip Hop gives them their identity, their values, the morals, and their callings. It does not give them what God wants to give them. And we cannot try to hold on to it once we have been transformed into the image of Christ. You see, staying true to your homies, or your people cannot be done if you plan to stay true to the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that if any man chooses to follow him, he must deny himself. Mt 16:24* Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. That means that we must let go of the mentality that kept us in the bondage that we were freed from. Simply put, let go of the culture! Lu 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Yeah, you may have grown up in it, killed for it, or put everything you had into it, but it's not of God, so you must forsake it. God destroyed millions of people that he chose to rescue from bondage, but they would not let go of the culture that they were once enslaved by. The original children of Israel were freed from slavery. But they would not let go of the Egyptian culture! Did God allow them to use the culture of the Egyptians to glorify him? NO. God killed them all to destroy all recollection of their former days. He forbid them to perform or mimic any of the Egyptians actions because he did not want them subject to the spirits of that culture. Joshua 5:5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.
7 And their children, whom he raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them by the way.
8 And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp, till they were whole.
9 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. Wherefore the name of the place is called Gilgal unto this day.

The same is happening with Hip Hop. Staying true to it makes you subject to the spirits of its creators.

Allow God to continue to use you as a Christian rapper for Christ, but never conform to the Hip Hop Culture. When Christ saved you, you were changed into the image that he originally had for you. Therefore, the old man is dead. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. You are no longer a Gangsta, or a thug, so why do you refer to yourself as one? How can you be dead with Christ if you are still promoting the old man's deeds? You are changed if you are in Christ. Ro 12:2* And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It's okay to share your testimony of your transformation, but why would you pay homage to your old man and his culture? Throwing up gang signs, tattoo glorification, dressing and looking like a gang member does not disciple the lost. It only confuses the lost into believing that the change Christ made is only internal, but the flesh should still be in bondage.

Another thing that God has been speaking to me about is the Christian rap movement and how some of it disses the Church of God. In my dealings with many Christian rappers or rap fans, I have seen a new spirit that is rising up through the enemy's influence. Dissing the Church is a very dangerous move to make. In your music or in your everyday conversations, we must not speak negatively about God's church. God is gonna operate through his church, no matter what we think or feel. Many have been hurt by negative experiences through churches, but that does not make the church of God a bad place. Yeah, the church has problems, but the easy way to keep the problems from being solved or dealt with is for us to only talk against eachother and never work together. And God will NEVER change his order. You must submit to the authority of a Pastor before you will be effective in any ministry. A man that cannot follow, will never lead! There are so many people these days talking about what God is showing them, or what God is telling them, but they never follow the order of God. God will not tell you to do anything without confirming it through others. And God will never defy the order of his Kingdom or his church. That's why you see so many people constantly changing what they say was God's will for them. Without the protective covering of your pastor, you are dangerous to God. You are like a child holding a loaded shotgun. You are a spiritual bastard and your ministry will only give birth to bastard followers! I know that sounds harsh, but the word "bastard" means "fatherless" and if you have not submitted to your Pastor, you have no spiritual father! You are not ready to do ministry on any level if you have not submitted to leadership. The church is your homebase for your ministry. So we cannot diss the church in our raps or in our conversations because God is gonna work through the church before he works through you.

Growing up without a father or on the streets alone teaches us to rely on ourselves many times. We get to the point where we are our own covering. We begin to move according to our will instead of the will of God. And we feel that we are hearing God, but actually we don't understand God because following is something that we have never learned. That's why the church is so important to the Kingdom of God. It teaches us how to submit to authority when we never learned it in our upbringing. The spirit of Hip Hop teaches that we are all "gods" meaning that we choose our own destiny's and no one can lead us. But the bible teaches that the order of God is more important than any sacrifices! Remember King Saul, when he offered the sacrifice in place of the priest? 1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. He defied the order of God and was rejected and doomed for it. We must understand that we are in the same position as ministers of the Gospel of Jesus. God is more concerned about 1 sinner being discipled the right way by us, than 1000 being discipled by us and we have no spiritual authority to do it! Can you imagine Jesus growing up knowing he is the Word of God and yet God hasn't released him to ministry? I imagine people where saying, "Jesus, you have all that ministry in you and you have not done anything for the Kingdom." or "Jesus, you got to get busy because you got this gift..." But God had not released him. Jesus waited 30 years to prepare for 3 years of ministry!!!! Wow!! We can't even get some of these modern day Christians to finish new members class before they are already talking about what God has "shown" or "told" them.

God called Paul to the ministry on Demascus road, but immediately following it, God sent him to study and be subject to his leaders for 7 years. We must not think that just because we have the Zeal, we can step out and do ministry for the Kingdom. We have to be assigned to ministry and God will always confirm our callings and gifts though our pastors and churches. So be careful! God wants his order and will never defy it. That's why we cannot talk against the church. What good is it to win souls for Christ and have no where to send them for discipleship? Your first order of ministry is the local church. That's where you will receive your commission to go out and that's where you can continue to bring sinners in.

Glorify God in your music, not the Hip Hop culture. Do not use secular music to reach the lost because it will not do the job. Only the Spirit of God can draw sinners to salvation.