I had many CDs featuring Christian HipHop and I personally no longer listen to them because I do have a problem with secular HipHop. I occasionally find myself watching MTV Base or checking out certain HipHop blogs because I still struggle in that area.

Anyone who listens to secular HipHop without no concerns about the state of their relationship with God needs to take a seriously good look at what it is they are listening to. A form of music that promotes black on black voilence, degrades women and has a strong focus on material gain (by any means) is not one that we as Christians should associate ourselves with. Nas doesn’t represent Christ, his lyrics are not edifying and they certainly are not profanity free. So why as a child of God would you listen to him? I listened to HipHop whilst I was a Christian because I was knowingly being rebellious. I was convincing myself that it was only music and what harm could it do. Try praying or spending time in worship with God after listening to some brother talk about killing someone or sexing someone…

Christian HipHop is not about saving the lost. It’s about people who have still got an addiction to the music attempting to have an outlet that still incorporates the same sound and feel of HipHop. They want to spit their lyrics and get that attention from the masses that their secular counterparts recieve. To suggest that because a few people have come to Christ through this music it is therefore a necessary part of evangelism, is (with respect) a very weak and flawed premise on which to make an argument.

It’s a compromise for those who still love secular HipHop.

In my personal opinion the evil is not always in the lyrics “words” of the so called Christian hip hop, rap, and rock music but, it is cleverly concealed in the music. By “music” I mean the arrangement of rhythms, tones and harmonics. Instrumental music has a profound effect upon the mind and it greatly influences and manipulates us more than we know.

I watched a program on the documentary channel about Haitian Vodou. These people were chanting KJV Psalms and other Biblical verses to the beat of the drum “music”. The music began to intoxicate them, excite them and their bodies began to convulse and jerk. Their eyes rolled back in their heads as they danced, danced, and danced. Some of them were knocked across the floor by unseen forces and fell unconscious. After the ritual was over, the journalist did an interview with a tourist who had become engaged in the festival. The tourist “lady” said that something had taken possession of her body.

This very same “music” not the lyrics!, not the words! has infiltrated the Church under the banner of Christianity in the form of rap/rock and hip hop.

Revelation 2:7 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches…

In the love of Jesus Christ,
Deb - Atlanta

I just wanted to say that I am not a supporter of “holy” hip hop. My church holds a service for the youth once a month and that is all that they feature. They have a disco ball, dim the Sanctuary lighting, and the teenaged girls “rush” the “altar” where the young “holy” hip hoppers glorify themselves, their flows, and occasionally thank God for making them so talented.

Its really quite disgusting. But some people believe that whatever gets the young into church is good. I strongly disagree.

What is not covered explicitly is covered in principle and example. No one’s “afraid of the Spirit” here. The Spirit has COVERED all we need for life and Godliness in the Bible. Nowhere do I find an admonition to order my walk by “what sits right with my spirit.”

I’m called to TEST the spirits………….ALL spirits……..including my own by Scripture.

1Jo 3:24 ¶ And he that keepeth his commandments (found in the Word) dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

1Jo 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

There is the progression………He that keepeth the commandments of Christ (the Word) is in Christ. The Spirit is the evidence that we are indeed dwelling in Christ and therefore the Word we believed is of God.

But how do we TEST any spirit encountered?? By comparing it to the Word which through faith PLACED us into Christ to begin with.

If the spirit we are testing does NOT comport with the Word of God, then that word CANNOT be the Word which puts one in Christ, therefore the spirit you are testing is false.

Nothing about determining the Truth by searching (with our darkened hearts and fallen nature and finite knowledge) what “sits right” with us.

Want to know the mind of Christ?? Listen to His Words. When challenged He answered with Scripture.

So please don’t throw us into a category with 50 Cent, Biggie, Tupac and other men who hate God because we and I don’t.

So long as you use the form that they use, you’ll spend much time saying that. Which is why you’d do better to abandon it and simply minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ without it. Those who refuse to hear you because you don’t fulfill their desired entertainment format are not trying to hear you because you talk about Jesus.

What you are proposing would be the equivalent of a Christian Charleston stepping party to minister to people about Christ in the 1920’s, but it never happened. Because ministry does not have to conform to the entertainment desires of the world. To do so results in people who claim conversion, but really came to enjoy the party, or BBQ. Nobody has a problem with you helping a kid to read or feeding people who are actually in need, but I’ve been to several of these “events” churches sponsor where they have entertainment and food. Everybody enjoys the entertainment for the entertainment value, eats the food and goes home. The draw and focus is usually not actually about ministry.

Since people love to shop, why not have the moneychangers come in for a service and sell stuff? You could minister after the sales. Jesus never told us to do it, but if you’re about numbers and draw tactics, I’m sure you and Rick Warren could do some work together.

I’m coming close to laughing at the “I’m doing this and that and none of you do a thing” posture.

If you’re so modest, I’m waiting to see it.

Drop all the rap, just offer ministry and see who sticks around. That will let you know who is serious and not just hanging around for the entertainment or dreams of a music deal.

At the Theatre or THE CHURCH? I go to the Theatre to wach a movie. I go to Church for worship and to learn God’s word. Christian Hip Hop would be like a Muslim Rib shack or a Hindu Hamburger Stand.

“Please list your five favorite Television/Cable shows and provide a very brief summary of the premise of each program. (For instance “Will and Grace is a sitcom about a homosexual and his female friend.” Or “‘24′ is a day in the life of Jack Bauer, a Counter Terrorism Unit agent.”

I got one better for you. Name 5 television shows on TV that ‘ARE” all christian outside of “The Begging Network”? SO what’s your point? Bottom line: Hip Hop, country, R&B, Rock and Roll, and other genres has it’s place, and that place is not in the church. God created music and Satan perverted it just like he has done in other things God created.

From the posts i’ve read, it seems we are trying to justify/condemn holy hip hop based on whether or not hip hop is a culture and whether or not music can be used to preach. Why are we doing this? We need to examine the origins of holy hip hop itself. From the various holy hiphop songs i’ve listened to, its evident to me that they are just cleaned up versions of the hip hop that glorifies everything that is evil. By cleaned up I mean abstaining from the use of foul language and scantily dressed women, fancy cars, and all the unnecessary jewelry (although some holy hip hop songs do have the cars and the bling). But does cleaning up these songs justify them? I don’t think so. Otherwise, we could just as well remove the weed-smoking and Rastafari, and insert Jesus in reggae songs.

Hip hop may be a culture (or not), and music can be used to preach (or not) but, holy hip hop is a spinoff of secular hip hop. It is for this reason that I’m against it.

And boasting talking about putting churches in Acts to shame. I don’t know which you’re talking about, but you’re seriously sounding like someone that is embellishing things a bit.

Anything that consumes the minds and actions of people the way this fad has is UNGODLY. It’s not about what we think about Hip Hop and Rap. How does God view it ? After all we are supposed to have the mind of Christ right?

When I see people dancing in the pews like they’re at a Rap concert I don’t see Shekinah Glory showing up or operating in these venues. Man is so consumed with what he likes, what pleases him. That is why Mary Mary and Yolanda (look at my cleavage) Adams have no conscience that requires them to honor God. They simply want to do what they want to do. Mr. Woods you can expend a lot of energy defending this fad but it is time that could be spent promoting that which does honor God. Thanks for not spending too much time on this Melvin.