Welcome to Battles of Faith 00:00:15.42\00:00:17.26 We're your hosts Ivor and Atonte Myers 00:00:17.73\00:00:20.40 Today we're continuing our discussion 00:00:21.09\00:00:23.37 on the entertainment industry, which we compare to a black hole 00:00:23.41\00:00:27.24 A black hole is that place in space where no light can escape 00:00:27.88\00:00:31.46 Today our program is dealing with music 00:00:31.97\00:00:34.97 Particularly rock music and hip-hop music. 00:00:35.01\00:00:37.98 We've entitled this program "Killing Us Softly" 00:00:38.34\00:00:41.23 Listen to this - 00:00:41.49\00:00:42.46 This is taken from the far west and popular culture conference, 00:00:42.47\00:00:46.19 February 1998 00:00:46.22\00:00:47.97 The hip-hop culture has permeated popular culture 00:00:48.51\00:00:52.06 in and unprecedented fashion. 00:00:52.10\00:00:54.03 Because of its enormous cross-over appeal, the hip-hop 00:00:54.07\00:00:57.23 culture is potentially a great unifier of diverse population. 00:00:57.27\00:01:01.57 Although created by black youth on the street, 00:01:02.21\00:01:04.69 Hip-hop's influence has become world wide. 00:01:04.73\00:01:07.18 Approximately 75% of the rap and hip-hop audience is non-black. 00:01:07.80\00:01:13.71 It has gone from the fringes to the suburbs and into 00:01:13.74\00:01:16.97 the corporate board-rooms. 00:01:17.00\00:01:18.17 Indeed McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Nike and other 00:01:18.21\00:01:22.05 corporate giants have capitalized on this phenomenon. 00:01:22.08\00:01:25.89 I don't agree that it's a unifier 00:01:27.42\00:01:29.86 However, what's interesting in this article is that 00:01:30.08\00:01:34.33 approximately 75% of the rap and hip-hop audience is non-black. 00:01:34.36\00:01:38.45 Because I think that when we think of hip-hop music, 00:01:39.05\00:01:42.09 we think of black kids on the street listening to rap music 00:01:42.40\00:01:45.88 and break-dancing and those kinds of things, 00:01:45.91\00:01:48.36 where hip-hop has gone much further than that. 00:01:48.39\00:01:50.81 I would actually say that I do believe that hip-hop 00:01:51.25\00:01:56.23 is a unifier, but just in the wrong way. 00:01:56.26\00:01:58.69 We see that because this music has crossed 00:01:59.18\00:02:03.88 all cultural barriers 00:02:03.91\00:02:05.66 And we have spoken in another program saying that you can go 00:02:05.69\00:02:09.65 to almost any country, even to Iraq and Israel. 00:02:09.68\00:02:15.01 And you will find that rap music has become a part of 00:02:15.58\00:02:19.07 the culture there and it's expressing the feelings 00:02:19.14\00:02:24.02 of the youth in the culture in particular. 00:02:24.06\00:02:27.27 So, yes. It has gone across all boundaries 00:02:27.30\00:02:30.48 And definitely it is unifying people across the world 00:02:31.02\00:02:34.78 Some of our viewers may not have watched some of our previous 00:02:35.41\00:02:38.79 programs and don't know about your testimony. 00:02:38.82\00:02:40.90 But you can talk about this because you actually have 00:02:41.14\00:02:44.21 come out of the hip-hop industry 00:02:44.24\00:02:46.65 That's right. 00:02:46.68\00:02:47.65 And that's why we have entitled 00:02:47.81\00:02:50.34 Many of these talks are actually dealing with the entertainment 00:02:51.86\00:02:55.93 industry in terms of the black hole. 00:02:55.96\00:02:57.67 What it means to have escaped from the black hole. 00:02:57.71\00:03:00.59 In particular hip-hop and rock music. 00:03:00.62\00:03:04.45 As you've said, rock music is melding it's way 00:03:06.18\00:03:12.81 into hip-hop music. The music is becoming 00:03:12.84\00:03:17.65 a phenomenon and it's crossing all boundaries. 00:03:17.69\00:03:21.77 It's so interesting to me. 00:03:23.90\00:03:25.21 I remember the first time I was driving in my car 00:03:25.25\00:03:28.40 I looked over to the right and I saw a corporate business man 00:03:28.44\00:03:31.93 doing the hip-hop beat thing. 00:03:32.52\00:03:34.71 I was like 'Wow! Everyone really is into this!' 00:03:34.75\00:03:37.15 And it was just amazing. 00:03:37.86\00:03:38.83 In the context of what we're talking about 00:03:39.49\00:03:41.99 The black hole, killing us softly... 00:03:42.56\00:03:43.87 There was a song that came out some years back 00:03:44.73\00:03:46.67 called "Killing Me Softly" 00:03:47.52\00:03:49.54 And it was about the words in a particular song 00:03:50.10\00:03:53.52 that were having an effect upon this person's emotions 00:03:53.56\00:03:57.74 and feelings and we found it appropriate to entitle 00:03:57.78\00:04:01.93 this program: "Killing Us Softly" 00:04:01.96\00:04:03.67 Because we want to look to what rap music and rock music does 00:04:04.31\00:04:08.54 to a person's spirit or to a person's character. 00:04:08.57\00:04:11.50 We want to see that it actually is indeed 00:04:11.83\00:04:14.01 killing us in ways that we don't realize. 00:04:14.05\00:04:16.20 That's right. 00:04:16.30\00:04:17.27 We just think we're listening to a heavy beat and some words 00:04:17.29\00:04:21.81 but it's actually doing something to us. 00:04:21.84\00:04:24.18 That's right. Let's take a look in Revelation 00:04:24.22\00:04:26.86 And we invite you, as usual, to get your Bibles 00:04:26.89\00:04:29.23 We're going to open up to Revelation, chapter 18 00:04:29.27\00:04:31.58 and, Atonte, we have been focusing in 00:04:31.61\00:04:33.23 on this text because it shades so much light 00:04:33.27\00:04:36.52 on the battle that we are up against. 00:04:36.55\00:04:39.02 We've entitled this program "Battles of Faith" 00:04:39.06\00:04:41.75 We are talking about what it takes to overcome 00:04:41.79\00:04:45.10 In fact Revelation 12,11 calls us to overcome 00:04:45.13\00:04:47.85 And to overcome by the blood of the lamb. 00:04:47.89\00:04:50.54 We're going to talk about that in a later program. 00:04:50.58\00:04:52.46 But we want to focus in right now 00:04:52.49\00:04:54.44 on the concept of this battle in terms of hip-hop and rock. 00:04:55.33\00:04:59.64 Let's read this verse - 23 of Revelation, chapter 18. 00:04:59.67\00:05:04.04 And the context here is speaking about the fall of Babylon 00:05:04.08\00:05:07.49 Remember that! 00:05:07.52\00:05:08.49 Because Babylon is a key player in last day events. 00:05:08.50\00:05:13.51 Notice what it says here in verse 23. 00:05:13.54\00:05:15.47 We see there that according to the Scripture, 00:05:32.69\00:05:35.31 it is Babylon's sorceries that deceived all the nations. 00:05:36.30\00:05:40.96 We've discussed the word before 00:05:42.47\00:05:44.10 Sorcery is the Greek word "pharmekia" 00:05:44.14\00:05:47.57 And I hope that you'll remember that. 00:05:57.76\00:05:58.92 That understanding is so important 'cause what it does is 00:05:58.96\00:06:01.71 it opens up our understanding. 00:06:01.74\00:06:03.41 Wait a minute! Sorcery is not just Harry Potter 00:06:03.96\00:06:07.18 Even though it is. 00:06:07.21\00:06:08.18 It's not limited to Harry Potter 00:06:08.98\00:06:10.80 It's not limited to reading your horoscope or a palm reader 00:06:10.94\00:06:17.88 But is actually anything that medicates the mind so that 00:06:19.76\00:06:23.32 it will not follow the Will or the Law of God. 00:06:23.35\00:06:25.21 Atonte, when we look at music 00:06:25.82\00:06:29.34 In particular rock, hip-hop and other styles of music 00:06:29.68\00:06:33.76 A lot of these styles of music actually medicate the mind 00:06:33.79\00:06:37.84 so that it will not and can not and don't want to 00:06:38.28\00:06:41.75 follow the Will or the Law of God 00:06:42.23\00:06:44.11 Many people believe that music just doesn't have that power. 00:06:44.90\00:06:47.61 They believe that they're just listening to some lyrics 00:06:48.05\00:06:51.14 And there's a melody and in rock and hip-hop there might be 00:06:51.72\00:06:54.85 a heavy beat behind that 00:06:54.88\00:06:56.34 And that's all it is. It doesn't go any further than that. 00:06:56.38\00:06:59.38 We have just settled that this particular context 00:07:00.12\00:07:02.85 This particular text is speaking about Babylon. 00:07:03.25\00:07:05.46 And if you remember the story of Daniel 00:07:06.03\00:07:08.80 I believe is Daniel, chapter 3 00:07:08.83\00:07:10.88 Where Nebuchadrezzar had set up this golden image 00:07:11.47\00:07:15.22 And he invited all the people to come and worship the image. 00:07:15.82\00:07:19.08 Music played a very important part in that scenario. 00:07:19.47\00:07:23.91 In fact the command went out that said 00:07:24.56\00:07:26.49 The time when you hear the sound 00:07:26.52\00:07:28.45 It goes on to list all these kinds of music's and instruments 00:07:28.49\00:07:32.21 When they heard that sound, they were to bow down to this image 00:07:32.25\00:07:35.94 And as in the type, so in the antitype 00:07:35.97\00:07:41.08 In other words, we will see in the last days 00:07:41.12\00:07:42.62 The Devil will be using music to get people to bow down 00:07:42.66\00:07:47.37 to his image, to his character 00:07:47.40\00:07:52.15 And we see that happen before our eyes 00:07:52.19\00:07:54.18 You were in the hip-hop industry yourself 00:07:54.63\00:07:57.12 You actually were on a TV program, you did concert 00:07:57.42\00:08:00.83 What did it bring up? What surrounded it? 00:08:02.83\00:08:08.94 One of the first things that is evidenced in the hip-hop feeling 00:08:09.27\00:08:14.54 I know this from experience 00:08:14.57\00:08:16.25 is the issue of pride. 00:08:16.28\00:08:17.97 Pride is a necessary thing in the hip-hop culture. 00:08:18.97\00:08:22.79 There's no such thing as being humble 00:08:22.97\00:08:24.84 and being a hip-hop artist 00:08:24.87\00:08:26.13 You mean you can't rap on a stage and be humble? 00:08:26.17\00:08:29.10 No. It's impossible. 00:08:29.13\00:08:30.79 You got to have the head going, you got to show that... 00:08:31.22\00:08:35.39 The whole spirit. 00:08:35.79\00:08:36.76 Even the body movements represent pride 00:08:36.81\00:08:41.26 They just scream "pride" 00:08:42.65\00:08:44.89 So it's impossible. You can't get on stage and just say 00:08:45.85\00:08:48.63 I'm not going to rap. 00:08:49.31\00:08:50.28 I'll just hold the mike and try to be meek, 00:08:50.29\00:08:54.91 It doesn't work. 00:08:55.19\00:08:56.47 So, one of the things that hip-hop calls for and rock music 00:08:56.89\00:09:00.02 It calls for pride. 00:09:00.34\00:09:01.77 And we know that pride is diametrically opposed 00:09:02.26\00:09:04.32 to the character building process of a Christian. 00:09:05.16\00:09:09.84 Something that I see with the hip-hop music or the rap music 00:09:09.90\00:09:14.21 And I've said this in another program 00:09:14.24\00:09:16.06 It has definitely crossed all cultural barriers 00:09:16.61\00:09:21.43 A friend of mine let me know that a lot of people who even 00:09:21.78\00:09:25.24 used to listen to rock music, there's not that many very 00:09:25.28\00:09:28.71 popular rock bands anymore. It's more hip-hop. 00:09:28.74\00:09:31.93 And the rock bands have joined some of the more famous 00:09:31.97\00:09:35.98 hip-hop groups to make songs together, 00:09:36.01\00:09:37.54 just to keep their name out there 00:09:37.57\00:09:39.89 The point that I was trying to make is that most of the hip-hop 00:09:40.36\00:09:44.74 music and the rock music has to be talking about sex, drugs, 00:09:44.77\00:09:49.12 what you're going to do to somebody if they do this to you 00:09:49.15\00:09:52.00 It has nothing to do with the good things that 00:09:52.50\00:09:56.96 are in the world, absolutely nothing. 00:09:57.00\00:09:58.91 It has to be that hardcore things that they talk about 00:09:58.95\00:10:05.41 Or it doesn't sell. It's just not popular. 00:10:05.44\00:10:07.46 That's right. 00:10:07.49\00:10:08.46 Can music really affect the character? 00:10:08.59\00:10:13.53 Again we want to contend that it does affect the character and 00:10:14.58\00:10:16.91 if we are trying to strive to reflect the character of Christ 00:10:16.95\00:10:21.30 we've got to understand that we've got a battle on our hands 00:10:21.33\00:10:25.42 We've got an enemy who wants to subvert that whole process 00:10:26.05\00:10:29.57 who wants to destroy that process of character building 00:10:29.60\00:10:33.09 He's going to use whatever he can to do so. 00:10:33.12\00:10:34.93 When we talk about the word character... 00:10:35.21\00:10:38.73 The word "character" is defined as this: 00:10:39.20\00:10:41.33 Thoughts and feelings combined. 00:10:41.81\00:10:45.14 Thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character 00:10:45.66\00:10:49.99 That's from "Heavenly Pages", page 164 00:10:50.54\00:10:52.75 And not only it makes sense. 00:10:52.78\00:10:53.75 The way we think about it is as a man figured in his heart 00:10:53.76\00:10:56.59 So the way that we think and the way that we feel 00:10:56.97\00:11:01.54 make up our moral character. 00:11:02.15\00:11:04.43 Why is that so interesting, Atonte? 00:11:04.62\00:11:06.39 I have an acquaintance who has also escaped from the black hole 00:11:07.37\00:11:11.65 His name is Peter Gregory. 00:11:12.84\00:11:14.12 He was a break dancer just around the same time 00:11:14.16\00:11:16.82 that my brother and I were involved in the hip-hop industry 00:11:16.86\00:11:20.36 And the Lord led him out in His mighty way as well. 00:11:20.39\00:11:22.34 I heard he gave an illustration once, where he talks about music 00:11:22.93\00:11:28.68 Music is made up of two components. 00:11:30.06\00:11:31.18 You've got the words and you've got the music. 00:11:31.50\00:11:34.26 And, basically, words reflect thoughts 00:11:34.92\00:11:39.05 And the music reflects feelings and emotions. 00:11:39.58\00:11:44.20 And you put those two together, so you've got to understand that 00:11:44.58\00:11:46.91 what we listen to can actually shape and affect our characters. 00:11:46.95\00:11:53.57 And that's true. You look at rock music. 00:11:54.07\00:11:56.21 You look at hip-hop music. 00:11:56.64\00:11:58.23 The spirit behind that music is rebellion. 00:11:58.69\00:12:02.58 I know that, being around at the introduction of hip-hop music 00:12:03.24\00:12:07.43 It was a vehicle of rebellion against the status quo. 00:12:07.46\00:12:12.05 The same thing with the rock music, when it became popular 00:12:12.29\00:12:14.86 in the 50's and in the 60's 00:12:14.89\00:12:17.52 The feelings that this kind of music evoked out of the heart 00:12:17.55\00:12:24.55 were feelings of rebellion. 00:12:24.58\00:12:26.71 And so, you've got these rebellious feelings, you've got 00:12:27.48\00:12:30.18 these rebellious words that go together and what you have is 00:12:30.21\00:12:32.88 character forming issue. 00:12:32.91\00:12:34.17 It's not only with the rock and hip-hop. 00:12:34.21\00:12:36.61 The Devil will use any kind of music he can, in order to 00:12:36.65\00:12:40.41 shape our character. 00:12:41.66\00:12:43.16 You think of even some styles of country music. 00:12:43.69\00:12:46.98 Some times country music can be known as being very depressive 00:12:47.53\00:12:51.35 So, even in country music, there are certain country songs 00:12:53.20\00:12:55.47 that are good, and there are certain that the Devil's 00:12:55.51\00:12:57.75 going to get in there and say 00:12:57.78\00:12:59.39 Just moan and groan and be sad ... My dog died... 00:12:59.43\00:13:04.66 I'm sure they talk about more than that. 00:13:05.13\00:13:06.93 We've got to realize that the enemy we're trying to comment 00:13:07.68\00:13:11.21 ...in any way now... 00:13:11.24\00:13:12.21 I would say that while there is some good country music, 00:13:12.22\00:13:14.86 there is no good rock music, there is no good hip-hop music. 00:13:14.90\00:13:17.78 We know that probably some people probably think 00:13:18.20\00:13:20.28 What about Christian hip-hop? What about Christian rock? 00:13:20.32\00:13:22.58 We're going to hold those... 00:13:22.68\00:13:24.53 We're not going to answer that yet. 00:13:25.98\00:13:26.96 We're going to do that in our next program. 00:13:27.00\00:13:28.54 Now we're going to focus in on secular rock and secular hip-hop 00:13:28.99\00:13:32.95 And see the effects that these things are having 00:13:33.37\00:13:35.38 on our character. 00:13:35.41\00:13:37.48 One of the things that I can see with hip-hop and rock, 00:13:38.55\00:13:42.79 especially in the young women is I don't know 00:13:42.82\00:13:46.52 if it's the beat or it's just the culture of the music, 00:13:46.56\00:13:49.96 but the more they're into it, the less they have on. 00:13:50.88\00:13:54.58 They're talking about sexual things, they're talking about 00:13:56.91\00:13:59.94 rebellious things, and their dress goes with that. 00:14:00.50\00:14:03.84 The women, they don't have a lot of clothes on 00:14:03.97\00:14:06.50 when they're rolling into the hip-hop music. 00:14:06.53\00:14:08.99 Modesty is just nothing. And then for the young men 00:14:09.03\00:14:12.72 They're dressing with the saggy pants and the hats on backwards 00:14:13.31\00:14:17.67 and the oversized shirt and everything is too big 00:14:17.70\00:14:20.08 It just doesn't make a lot of sense. 00:14:20.57\00:14:22.06 That's right. It's a spirit of rebellion. 00:14:22.10\00:14:24.02 When you look, Atonte, not only at the words 00:14:25.60\00:14:28.51 I was born in Jamaica and reggae music is the music of Jamaica 00:14:28.55\00:14:35.21 I remember growing up as a child Not a Christian 00:14:35.26\00:14:38.58 I remember thinking to myself 'This music sounds so sexual' 00:14:40.97\00:14:45.43 Everything about the reggae music is just sexual. 00:14:45.46\00:14:48.74 When you listen to reggae music its rhythm... calypso, reggae 00:14:50.12\00:14:56.77 Those rhythms in a lot of the island music 00:14:56.81\00:15:00.25 is very suggestive sexually. 00:15:00.28\00:15:03.32 And so, music carries emotion. Music is that vehicle through 00:15:03.35\00:15:07.35 which we express our emotions and what we're feeling. 00:15:07.38\00:15:11.03 And this is one of the tests that we need to apply 00:15:11.53\00:15:13.69 when we're considering what kind 00:15:13.73\00:15:16.00 of music do we want to listen to. 00:15:16.04\00:15:17.79 That's right. That's Satan's whole ploy. 00:15:17.83\00:15:21.28 If young people listen to music that suggests sexual things 00:15:21.68\00:15:25.76 planting seeds in their minds, then they'll actually going to 00:15:25.80\00:15:29.85 Want to go and actually play those things out. 00:15:29.88\00:15:31.99 They're not just going to continue to listen to the music 00:15:32.28\00:15:34.11 dance in a sexual way and not actually participate in that act 00:15:34.80\00:15:38.34 That's right. 00:15:38.51\00:15:39.48 1st Samuel 15, in verse 23 the Bible says there 00:15:39.49\00:15:43.19 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" 00:15:43.38\00:15:47.86 And we notice that the word of witchcraft actually means 00:15:48.93\00:15:53.00 to whisper a spell. 00:15:53.03\00:15:54.86 And again I suggest that a lot of this music, 00:15:55.63\00:15:58.35 when this people are speaking, some rap song 00:15:58.38\00:16:02.31 comes out and the guy is speaking in the 1st person 00:16:02.34\00:16:04.73 I do this and I do that and I shoot this guy and I do this 00:16:04.89\00:16:08.08 and I get all these girls and all these different things 00:16:08.12\00:16:11.36 When a person is sitting and listening to this music 00:16:11.39\00:16:14.60 They're listening to it through the ears of the first person, 00:16:15.28\00:16:19.51 I believe that the Devil himself, through those words 00:16:20.79\00:16:23.57 that he inspired 00:16:23.61\00:16:24.89 Is speaking in first person form and he is hypnotizing, Atonte 00:16:25.08\00:16:29.58 He's saying "I" 00:16:30.00\00:16:31.05 You're sitting there, you're listening and you're going 00:16:31.56\00:16:33.73 That's right. I do this. And I want to do that. 00:16:33.76\00:16:35.78 And this is how that form of hypnotism spreads itself 00:16:36.51\00:16:40.85 Thousands... millions of kids listen to this 00:16:40.92\00:16:43.35 And they hear one guy going 00:16:43.58\00:16:44.56 "I do this... "and they're saying 00:16:44.60\00:16:46.05 I want to be like my hero... I want to be like him... 00:16:46.08\00:16:48.50 And what you have happening is witchcraft 00:16:48.53\00:16:50.65 You have people who are being whispered through the enemy 00:16:50.69\00:16:54.18 And say "Don't you want to be like this?" 00:16:54.21\00:16:56.50 "Don't you want to do like this?" 00:16:56.53\00:16:58.14 "Don't you want to act like this?" 00:16:58.18\00:16:59.76 And really what it is - is the working of the Devil. 00:17:00.02\00:17:03.36 People may be thinking out there 00:17:03.72\00:17:05.18 "I wonder why you're so focused on hip-hop?" 00:17:05.22\00:17:07.60 But again, hip-hop music is taking over the world literally. 00:17:07.64\00:17:13.20 When most of the commercials on TV, their background music is 00:17:13.24\00:17:17.46 hip-hop music, like we mentioned 00:17:17.50\00:17:19.12 the beginning: Nike, Coca-Cola, Sprite 00:17:19.15\00:17:21.78 They all use the hip-hop beat to sell their products. 00:17:21.81\00:17:25.12 And so, it's taking over. 00:17:25.36\00:17:27.01 That's right. 00:17:27.04\00:17:28.01 And jumping, now. This is going into the rock realm 00:17:28.02\00:17:30.11 I remember back in 1994, I believe it was, 00:17:30.14\00:17:33.30 There was a popular video that came out 00:17:33.71\00:17:35.95 And it just broke a lot of standards 00:17:36.18\00:17:38.05 It's a video about a young child who was being teased at school 00:17:38.41\00:17:42.83 And one day, he walks into the classroom with a gun 00:17:43.30\00:17:46.53 And he shoots himself in this classroom 00:17:47.56\00:17:49.56 And everybody thought "Wow!" "This video is incredible!" 00:17:49.86\00:17:52.97 And everybody was ranting and raving about the video 00:17:53.40\00:17:55.32 It was shortly after that, Atonte, that 00:17:55.66\00:17:57.53 school shootings began to become more and more constant 00:17:57.83\00:18:02.48 And I don't think anyone has ever stopped to think 00:18:04.12\00:18:06.48 Could it have been that this particular song with its lyrics 00:18:06.72\00:18:10.54 giving the idea of going into school and proving that you 00:18:10.84\00:18:14.84 are somebody, about getting in and taking a gun and doing harm. 00:18:15.64\00:18:20.93 Is it possible that that could have been a player part in 00:18:21.79\00:18:25.65 the beginning of what went on a series of school shootings? 00:18:25.69\00:18:29.52 Definitely. It's definitely connected. 00:18:29.72\00:18:31.74 In this article that I was reading it's talking about 00:18:32.50\00:18:36.11 How much money the hip-hop industry is binging in 00:18:36.14\00:18:39.72 And it says that 00:18:39.75\00:18:40.72 "Today hip and rap is the fastest growing music in the US, 00:18:40.73\00:18:44.92 accounting for more than 10% of the 12.3 billion dollars 00:18:45.25\00:18:50.30 that music sales did. " That was in 1998. 00:18:50.33\00:18:53.71 So I know now that it's even more. 00:18:54.12\00:18:56.28 It takes me back to "the love of money is the root of all evil" 00:18:56.32\00:19:00.57 The entertainment industry is not interested. 00:19:00.60\00:19:02.50 Or, the music industry is not interested in saying 00:19:02.54\00:19:05.41 You know what. Let's regulate this rap music 00:19:05.51\00:19:07.47 Let's clean it up a little bit. Let's not allow somebody curse 00:19:08.24\00:19:12.40 words or don't talk about sex so much or the bad things that 00:19:12.44\00:19:16.57 you're going to do to this person or that person... 00:19:16.60\00:19:18.32 They don't care about that. 00:19:18.35\00:19:19.32 They are going to allow our young people to hear 00:19:19.33\00:19:21.44 and experience anything if it's going to bring in money. 00:19:21.48\00:19:24.53 That's right. 00:19:24.56\00:19:25.68 I have a quote here that I'd like to read. 00:19:25.77\00:19:27.22 It's from the book "Medical Ministry", page 1-11 00:19:27.26\00:19:29.17 And it says this 00:19:29.20\00:19:31.01 That's amazing, because what this is saying here is that 00:20:06.06\00:20:09.79 the Devil has a power 00:20:10.69\00:20:12.61 to imbue his thoughts into our own minds. 00:20:13.40\00:20:17.40 To connect our thoughts together and to make them as one 00:20:17.44\00:20:20.30 There's a word that most people won't probably understand 00:20:20.69\00:20:23.77 The word is "syncopation" 00:20:24.19\00:20:25.81 Syncopation 00:20:26.38\00:20:27.39 Basically the word means "to fuse together" 00:20:27.79\00:20:30.80 OK? 00:20:30.85\00:20:31.82 And when we talk about syncopation 00:20:31.83\00:20:32.99 we're generally talking about what kind of music? 00:20:33.31\00:20:35.35 Rock and hip-hop. 00:20:35.60\00:20:37.13 Because what happens is they take a rhythm and 00:20:37.46\00:20:41.41 they basically cut off the beginning of one part of the 00:20:41.45\00:20:44.57 rhythm, the end of one part of the rhythm and they 00:20:44.60\00:20:49.09 fuse it together, making this fusion through music 00:20:49.12\00:20:53.58 So it's called syncopation 00:20:53.77\00:20:55.38 And I just wonder, Atonte... 00:20:55.60\00:20:57.10 Could it be possible that through this style of music 00:20:57.14\00:21:00.89 which is very effective in bringing about a 00:21:01.17\00:21:05.45 spirit of rebellion, could it be that Satan himself is 00:21:05.49\00:21:09.12 syncopating or fusing together his thoughts with our own. 00:21:09.15\00:21:12.75 Yes 00:21:12.78\00:21:13.75 I think it's very possible and I think it is happening 00:21:13.76\00:21:16.43 There are so many friends that I have 00:21:16.46\00:21:17.99 who are in the hip-hop industry 00:21:18.20\00:21:20.36 and who have been in the hip-hop industry 00:21:20.40\00:21:22.24 and have experienced that lifestyle of rebellion 00:21:22.28\00:21:27.02 I don't wanna have anything to do with Jesus 00:21:27.30\00:21:28.87 If I come to Jesus, then He's going to take away 00:21:29.22\00:21:31.90 all the fun that I'm having right now. 00:21:31.93\00:21:34.03 And this is one of the greatest barriers 00:21:34.42\00:21:36.58 that stop people from coming to God. 00:21:36.61\00:21:38.74 Because that music says that you can do your own thing 00:21:38.99\00:21:42.56 You can live your own way 00:21:42.59\00:21:44.15 And this is a spirit of rebellion 00:21:44.41\00:21:46.23 You're right, Ivor. 00:21:47.21\00:21:48.43 Hip-hop music does produce the spirit of rebellion. 00:21:48.86\00:21:52.69 But, you know, there might be some people out there 00:21:52.95\00:21:55.12 who are thinking 00:21:55.15\00:21:56.12 I want to give this up, but it's to difficult 00:21:56.13\00:21:59.62 It seems to have control over me 00:21:59.65\00:22:01.04 It reminds me of something that happened to me 00:22:01.23\00:22:04.15 when I was a teenager and I was listening to Prince 00:22:04.19\00:22:07.40 And I don't remember where I heard it from, but 00:22:08.16\00:22:11.82 I heard that Prince's music was from the Devil 00:22:11.85\00:22:15.48 And I thought "You know what?" 00:22:15.71\00:22:16.68 "Maybe I will stop listening to this music" 00:22:16.69\00:22:18.11 So I threw the tape away. I threw it away in the garbage. 00:22:18.55\00:22:22.27 And that tape kept resurfacing 00:22:22.51\00:22:25.74 And I know that my parents were not taking the tape 00:22:25.96\00:22:28.95 out of the garbage can. 00:22:28.98\00:22:30.25 I really believe demonic spirits were taking the tape and trying 00:22:30.29\00:22:34.58 to bring it back into my life 00:22:34.61\00:22:36.40 But I can testify that if you really want 00:22:36.44\00:22:38.76 to give this music up and to allow God 00:22:38.79\00:22:39.76 to help you to listen to music that's edifying to Him, 00:22:40.83\00:22:44.24 that will draw you closer to Him, He can give you the Power 00:22:44.27\00:22:47.65 and He can overcome Satan's supernatural power 00:22:47.68\00:22:50.99 that he tries to put upon us. 00:22:51.02\00:22:52.41 That's right! 00:22:52.44\00:22:53.41 The Bible says in Romans, chapter 8 verse 6 00:22:53.42\00:22:56.28 So we're told here that we need to make a decision 00:23:12.31\00:23:15.38 between which mind we want to live in, we want to dwell in. 00:23:15.42\00:23:18.63 Because if we want to exercise the carnal mind 00:23:18.82\00:23:21.87 the Bible says that we're gonna die, the result of this is death 00:23:21.91\00:23:24.47 Not only death in the end, but death now. 00:23:24.86\00:23:26.63 Because what we are pleasuring in the carnal mind 00:23:27.47\00:23:31.99 is nothing but death. 00:23:32.02\00:23:33.57 It robs us of joy and happiness and peace. 00:23:33.82\00:23:36.65 And God has come to give us joy and happiness and peace. 00:23:36.92\00:23:39.81 The Bible says the thief comes to kill, steal and destroy. 00:23:40.09\00:23:43.38 And really when you listen to this music, it's robbing you 00:23:43.61\00:23:45.09 of what is true peace and true joy and true happiness 00:23:45.29\00:23:49.74 That's what the music does. 00:23:49.77\00:23:51.08 I can remember the last time I was at a club 00:23:51.96\00:23:54.86 A club where you dance and party and listen to hip-hop music 00:23:54.90\00:23:58.20 And I remember being there and and desiring and wanting 00:23:58.55\00:24:02.03 happiness and peace but feeling so empty while I was there. 00:24:02.07\00:24:05.52 And I know it was the Holy Spirit, He just spoke 00:24:05.92\00:24:09.23 into my mind and I said 00:24:09.27\00:24:12.57 I know it was God 'cause nothing good comes from me 00:24:12.60\00:24:15.04 But I know it was God and I just said to myself 00:24:15.07\00:24:16.79 "This is the last time I've ever come to this type of place" 00:24:16.83\00:24:20.81 And I remember just walking down the street thinking 00:24:20.84\00:24:23.95 "This is so empty, this is not really what I want" 00:24:23.98\00:24:27.06 It's only Jesus who can bring those things, the music does not 00:24:27.56\00:24:30.55 It brings emptiness and loneliness. 00:24:30.84\00:24:33.03 There was a British occultist by the name of Aleister Crowley 00:24:33.77\00:24:36.28 who lived between 1875 and 1947. 00:24:36.81\00:24:40.95 And he was a rock icon. I mean he wasn't a rock musician 00:24:41.26\00:24:44.36 He was a musician, he was a poet, he was a mystique 00:24:44.77\00:24:46.79 But a lot of rock artists hold him as an icon. 00:24:47.06\00:24:51.64 Probably one of the most profound statements he made 00:24:53.28\00:24:56.69 Which is definitely not a true statement, but profound because 00:24:56.73\00:24:59.45 it has an effect upon a lot of people, is this. 00:24:59.48\00:25:03.41 He said 00:25:03.44\00:25:04.41 Do what thou wilt, shall be the hole of the law. 00:25:05.28\00:25:11.35 And basically what he was saying was 00:25:11.68\00:25:13.47 Whatever you want to do, however you want to live 00:25:13.51\00:25:15.89 that's the way that you should live. 00:25:16.26\00:25:17.61 And when you think about the spirit of the 60's 00:25:17.81\00:25:19.85 And the hippie movement. When you think about hip-hop and 00:25:21.58\00:25:25.31 all these various types of music that encourage rebellion 00:25:25.35\00:25:29.05 That is basically the principle there 00:25:29.08\00:25:30.62 Do what you will shall be the whole of the law 00:25:30.66\00:25:33.10 This is again diametrically opposed to the 00:25:34.97\00:25:38.52 character building that Jesus wants to take us through. 00:25:38.56\00:25:42.31 God says: "I want you to submit yourself to me" 00:25:42.52\00:25:45.73 This law says: "Do what you will shall be the hole of the law" 00:25:45.99\00:25:48.90 I remember when I was coming out of this industry 00:25:49.08\00:25:51.19 And I said to the Lord "Lord please, you need to 00:25:51.40\00:25:53.26 give me the strength to break away from this. 00:25:53.30\00:25:55.13 And it was a struggle 00:25:55.16\00:25:56.55 But, you know what? 00:25:56.87\00:25:57.84 God gave me the power and the strength to do it. 00:25:58.25\00:26:01.77 And cutting that off made my journey out of the black hole 00:26:01.81\00:26:05.23 much, much, much easier much, much, much quicker 00:26:05.54\00:26:08.17 And I praise God for Him giving me the power to do that. 00:26:09.27\00:26:12.14 Praise God for that. 00:26:12.49\00:26:13.84 I know there are people out there who are thinking 00:26:14.07\00:26:16.25 What do we listen to, then? 00:26:16.28\00:26:18.11 Does God like music? God does love music. 00:26:18.63\00:26:22.47 Music started in Heaven. We know that. 00:26:22.62\00:26:24.46 We're gonna talk about that in our next program. 00:26:25.78\00:26:27.82 Let me just share this final text, Atonte. 00:26:28.50\00:26:31.23 It's in Acts 19, verse 19 00:26:31.26\00:26:33.77 Why did they do this? 00:26:48.58\00:26:49.55 They wanted to make a public statement 00:26:49.56\00:26:51.45 That they were giving their lives to Christ 00:26:51.79\00:26:53.02 and they were getting rid of all the magic books 00:26:53.06\00:26:55.07 Well, we may not have magic books today 00:26:55.39\00:26:57.23 But we do have magic CDs 00:26:57.45\00:27:00.70 That music that is turning our hearts and our minds 00:27:01.45\00:27:06.28 away from Christ. 00:27:06.31\00:27:07.28 And we've been in many churches where we said 00:27:07.39\00:27:09.12 You need to go home 00:27:09.43\00:27:11.25 Get those avenues that the Devil has into your home 00:27:11.49\00:27:14.95 Get those books and those movies those videos and those music CDs 00:27:15.52\00:27:19.48 And get them out and burn them. 00:27:19.51\00:27:21.55 Have a bonfire, get rid of them. 00:27:21.58\00:27:23.91 They're no better than the a Quija Board. 00:27:23.95\00:27:25.83 Get rid of them and start fresh with Jesus Christ 00:27:25.87\00:27:29.61 And He will come into your heart 00:27:29.85\00:27:31.10 And He will do a miraculous thing for you. 00:27:31.14\00:27:34.33 Because people who have not actually gotten rid of damages 00:27:34.61\00:27:37.13 and kept them in their home, they eventually go back to them 00:27:37.16\00:27:39.65 They eventually go right back. 00:27:39.68\00:27:40.76 Just like that tape kept resurfacing strangely 00:27:40.80\00:27:43.82 The same way that spirit of rebellion will keep to resurface 00:27:44.10\00:27:47.97 if we don't cut it off 00:27:48.19\00:27:49.37 And the only way we can do that 00:27:49.55\00:27:50.52 is through getting connected with Jesus Christ 00:27:50.70\00:27:52.99 through saying 00:27:53.02\00:27:53.99 'Lord, I want to give my heart and my life to you' 00:27:54.00\00:27:56.44 'I want to get rid of this thing' 00:27:56.72\00:27:58.19 'And I want You to come in and impound me to do it. ' 00:27:58.44\00:28:00.25 On our next program we will be talking about 00:28:01.02\00:28:03.45 what type of music we should listen to 00:28:03.48\00:28:05.60 So, you don't want to miss that program 00:28:05.87\00:28:07.75 Until next time, God bless! 00:28:08.16\00:28:10.11