Hello, I'm Dwayne.
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And I'm Lance, and
we like to welcome you
00:00:31.73\00:00:33.23
to another episode of
TKS, a True Knowledge of Self,
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where we get to know ourselves
from a biblical perspective.
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Now, in today's episode,
we're going to be dealing
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with the foundational
principle of God's government.
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However, as
we've been discussing
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and contrasting the
principles of hip-hop culture
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with the principles
of Christian culture,
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we want to make note
of where we are thus far.
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We looked at a passage
in scripture 2 Peter 1:4-7.
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And we looked at what we
referred to as Peter's ladder.
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In Peter's ladder there
are approximately eight steps,
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eight rounds, and
they are as follows,
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Faith, Virtue,
Knowledge, Temperance, Patience,
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Godliness, and Brotherly
Kindness and lastly Love.
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What we're going
to refer to often
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as the foundation
of God's government
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and the foundation of
Christian living in lifestyle.
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Now, we're going to start with
a clip in just a brief moment
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because we've been
talking a lot about individuals
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and the thought leaders
and the ideologues in hip-hop
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and how they are representing
the culture to the masses.
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And we mentioned an individual
by the name of KRS-One
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and we're going
to look at a clip
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in which he
outlines the very things
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we've been
discussing and highlighting,
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so, you can see it firsthand.
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This is in reference--
the scene is a tribute
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that was done
to Afrika Bambaataa
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who is referred to as
the godfather of hip-hop.
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And KRS-One is introducing him.
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We mentioned it before, but
we want to show you the clip
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because we want to
hear these things firsthand.
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So let's go to the clip.
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KRS-One.
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Home rap, original rap.
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Some people believe
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that hip-hop and
rap music are the same.
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They are not.
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Rap is something we do.
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Hip-hop...
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is something we live.
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And the living of
hip-hop encourages our community
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to seek peace, love,
unity, and safely having fun.
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These principles
are the cornerstones
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of our
international hip-hop culture.
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I am honored
tonight to pay tribute
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to the godfather of
hip-hop Afrika Bambaataa.
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Afrika Bambaataa
speaks to the streets,
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because he came
from the streets.
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Down with the Black
Spades of the Bronx,
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he rose from sickness,
hatred, ignorance, and poverty
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to become
hip-hop's leading voice
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for health, love,
awareness and wealth.
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Afrika
Bambaataa's work to preserve
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and unify hip-hop
has influenced my work
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with Stop the Violence Movement
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as well as the
Temple of Hip-Hop.
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Our work to
preserve and decriminalize
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hip-hop's
public image continues.
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He is the keeper
of peace and culture.
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I say, "I am hip-hop.
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This man is hip-hop culture.
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This is the story
of Afrika Bambaataa.
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Now, Dwayne,
there's a lot in there
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that can be discussed,
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but we want to just
focus on his declaration
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if you will of
those cornerstones
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of what you called the
international hip-hop culture
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is that peace, love, unity
and safely having fun, right.
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He referred to Bambaataa
as the godfather of hip-hop.
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He referred to him as the keeper
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of peace and culture.
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And so, this is not
something that, you know,
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we're just making
up, this is not something
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that we may be
focusing on too much
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and putting too
much emphasis on.
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This is, these are fundamental
principles of hip-hop.
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And when we look at that,
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notice that the love element
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really is what kind of
holds everything together.
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We're going to talk
more about the other side
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where the knowledge,
wisdom and over standing,
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we'll get into that later.
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But the love is
what they are professing.
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And obviously,
this love will produce
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unity and peace
and all these things,
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but we know that as we
looked at Peter's ladder,
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love is also highlighted.
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That's right.
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And love is also considered
the foundation of Christian
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the true culture,
the Biblical culture.
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But also the question remains,
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because they're
going to say love,
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we're going to say
love, the Bible says love.
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Everybody saying
love and talking about
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peace and love and unity.
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But really, if
we're going to take it,
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you know and
deal with love first.
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What is love?
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And this is a good question
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because we are
living in a society today,
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where a lot of words,
a lot of terminologies
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are absolutely open to
private interpretation.
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An individual can
literally say he loves his wife.
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But if she does not
prepare his food for him
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in a timely
manner, he can beat her.
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But at the same time,
he will still tell her
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that he loves her.
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An individual can say
that they love their brothers.
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But once that
brother does something
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that crosses their temper,
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they can put forth
an act of violence,
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yet say they
still love that person.
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Love is an
incredibly beautiful word
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that is birthed
from the heart of God,
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but at the same
time it is something
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that unfortunately is being used
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in a very perverse manner.
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So, when somebody listens to,
you know, KRS-One and he says,
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"Hey, here are the
cornerstones of hip-hop culture,
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love, peace,
unity, safely having fun."
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Well, these terms
in and of themselves
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are absolutely
innocent and beautiful,
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they're beautiful,
who doesn't want love,
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peace, unity and
to safely have fun.
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The problem is
who interprets that
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as it relates to application.
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How do I apply these principles?
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What really is
love as you're asking?
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So, we have to now see
where the line is drawn
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between open interpretation
verses biblical interpretation.
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So, when we look at
the idea of what is love
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or the question of what is love?
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The answer is very simple,
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and it's found in the
Book of 1 John Chapter 4.
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So, when we go to the
book of I John Chapter 4,
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the Bible tells us
what is love very clearly.
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It doesn't ask the
question in such a manner
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but it definitely tells
us what it is nevertheless.
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It's in 1 John Chapter 4
that it states in verse 8.
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The Bible says, "He that
loveth not knoweth not God,
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for God is love."
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Yes
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Literally God considers
Himself the embodiment of love.
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And therefore the same
way, that God has no beginning,
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love has no beginning.
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Love has existed as
long as God has existed
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which is basically
throughout all eternity.
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And, because of this
fact when an individual
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wants to understand
love, we can't go to humanity,
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because humanity is very fickle.
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There's lots of different
interpretation and applications.
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But I'm thankful that
the Bible lets us know
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that God says in Malachi 3:6.
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"I am the Lord
and I change not."
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So, God is consistent.
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And that's what
we need in our world.
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That's what I believe we
need in our lives, in our homes
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is we need more consistency.
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And God is the
foundation of consistency
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in all aspects of godly virtue.
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We're talking about love
and the answer to the question
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of what is love is God Himself.
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God says, "You want
to know what love is?
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You take a real
close look at me.
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You look at my character."
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In fact, one day Moses, he said,
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"Lord, I beseech
thee, show me Your glory."
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I want to see your glory.
And this is in Exodus 33:18.
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Well, in verse 19
God responds by saying,
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"I'll show you my goodness
and I'll proclaim my name."
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And then in Exodus 34:5-7,
the Bible goes on to say that
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"God came down in
the midst of the cloud
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and stood with him
Moses there and said,
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'The Lord, the Lord God."
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' And then he goes
through this incredible list.
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He says, merciful,
gracious, longsuffering,
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abundant in goodness and truth,
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keeping mercy for thousands,
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forgiving iniquity in
transgression and sin.
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And that will by no
means clearing the guilty,
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visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children
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unto the third
and fourth generation.
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God literally
revealed His character.
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All of these virtues
that we just looked at
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is basically a conglomerate
of this one word called love.
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So, when you think of
love, we have to look at God,
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and God wanted it like that.
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He purposed it to be like
that, because the Lord knew
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that there was
going to be a perversion
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of this beautiful
principle called love.
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So, the answer to
the question is simple.
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What is love? God is love.
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Yes, yes.
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So, that is very, very simple
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and very, very clear
and very, very practical.
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What we have to
do now is kind of,
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you know, flesh that out of way.
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Because we did look
at brotherly kindness
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for example
yesterday and we saw that
00:09:19.79\00:09:21.79
brotherly kindness, it
was literally showing love
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to those around us
to fellow humanity,
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and in fact to the
extent of laying down
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our lives for
our friends, right?
00:09:30.70\00:09:33.74
So, let's take this
principle of God being love,
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the embodiment of love,
the eternal principle of love.
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And you know,
make this practical.
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How then does love
apply to, you know, humanity?
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How are we supposed to
respond to this reality
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that God is love?
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Now, I believe this is
a very powerful question
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especially as we
are doing a contrast
00:09:54.39\00:09:57.39
between hip-hop culture,
00:09:57.43\00:10:00.06
and also looking
at Christian culture,
00:10:00.10\00:10:02.33
and seeing do they blend
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or are they
adverse one to another?
00:10:03.73\00:10:05.07
Yeah
00:10:05.10\00:10:06.43
And, you will see
that, I did a research,
00:10:06.47\00:10:08.30
I literally started
to look up everything
00:10:08.34\00:10:10.91
that has ever been stated
00:10:10.94\00:10:13.27
as relates to hip-hop culture's
interpretation of love.
00:10:13.31\00:10:16.98
I mean, I Googled, I Yahooed,
00:10:17.01\00:10:18.91
I mean we did
all sorts of research
00:10:18.95\00:10:21.25
just to look to see,
00:10:21.28\00:10:22.62
do they have a definite
statement on what love is?
00:10:22.65\00:10:25.02
And what was interesting
is the answer was no.
00:10:25.05\00:10:27.12
There was no statement
that was a definite statement
00:10:27.16\00:10:31.46
made by hip-hop
culture by which it can say,
00:10:31.49\00:10:34.33
"Well, this is what love is."
00:10:34.36\00:10:35.70
Now, that already is problematic
00:10:35.73\00:10:38.37
because you cannot say,
a cornerstone of a movement
00:10:38.40\00:10:42.40
is something called
love, but yet you don't define
00:10:42.44\00:10:44.64
what it is
unless it's deliberate.
00:10:44.67\00:10:47.64
Meaning, I am allowed to
interpret love the way I want,
00:10:47.68\00:10:52.15
you are allowed to
interpret love the way you want.
00:10:52.18\00:10:55.08
And we can both be right
00:10:55.12\00:10:56.58
even though we might
contradict each other.
00:10:56.62\00:10:58.22
Yes. Well,
that's called confusion.
00:10:58.25\00:10:59.62
And the Bible says in 1
Corinthians 14:33, it say,
00:10:59.65\00:11:04.33
"God is not the
author of confusion
00:11:04.36\00:11:06.06
but of peace as
in all churches."
00:11:06.09\00:11:07.86
So, God's desire
is not for confusion,
00:11:07.90\00:11:10.67
there is an
institute of confusion
00:11:10.70\00:11:12.17
that exists
today called Babylon.
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.37
And the Bible makes it clear,
00:11:14.40\00:11:15.74
Babylon was
birthed from Genesis 11,
00:11:15.77\00:11:17.57
a place of confusion
and it is interesting
00:11:17.61\00:11:21.54
that even hip-hop
culture and I'm not saying
00:11:21.58\00:11:23.14
hip-hop culture is Babylon.
00:11:23.18\00:11:24.51
But I am saying
that it is demonstrating
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.75
a characteristic of
Babylon which is confusion
00:11:26.78\00:11:30.52
and not being definite
00:11:30.55\00:11:31.89
on something they
claim is a cornerstone.
00:11:31.92\00:11:34.19
That's problematic.
00:11:34.22\00:11:35.56
Now, God, He says,
listen I'm going to show you
00:11:35.59\00:11:37.49
what love is, and I'm going
to show you as clear as day.
00:11:37.53\00:11:39.86
And then I may even
show you how to apply it.
00:11:39.89\00:11:41.76
And this is
found in the book of,
00:11:41.80\00:11:43.13
the most perhaps
popular Bible verse
00:11:43.16\00:11:45.80
of all of Christianity no matter
00:11:45.83\00:11:48.20
what the denomination
is and that is John 3:16.
00:11:48.24\00:11:51.67
You want to know what love is.
00:11:51.71\00:11:53.04
The Bible tells us
clearly in John 3:16.
00:11:53.07\00:11:55.51
It says, "For God
so loved the world,
00:11:55.54\00:11:59.61
that He gave His
only begotten Son
00:11:59.65\00:12:02.48
that whosoever believeth in Him
00:12:02.52\00:12:04.72
should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
00:12:04.75\00:12:06.99
I mentioned in
a previous episode
00:12:07.02\00:12:08.62
something very important,
because we got to understand
00:12:08.66\00:12:10.56
the magnitude of love.
00:12:10.59\00:12:12.56
God says, "I gave My Son
so that sinners not saints,
00:12:12.59\00:12:17.63
but sinners can
have an opportunity
00:12:17.67\00:12:20.47
to have salvation if they accept
00:12:20.50\00:12:22.20
the atonement that
was given through My Son."
00:12:22.24\00:12:24.64
Well, when you look
at that word begotten,
00:12:24.67\00:12:27.11
in that Greek
language begotten means,
00:12:27.14\00:12:29.48
the only one of its kind.
00:12:29.51\00:12:32.05
In other words, God's
love was so strong for men,
00:12:32.08\00:12:35.58
He was willing to give His best.
00:12:35.62\00:12:38.15
He didn't give His worst,
He didn't give His mediocre,
00:12:38.19\00:12:40.79
He gave His absolute best, His
prized possession if you will.
00:12:40.82\00:12:44.79
And He was willing to say,
00:12:44.83\00:12:46.16
"I'm going to
let go off my best.
00:12:46.19\00:12:47.80
And I'm going to go
ahead and let my best come down
00:12:47.83\00:12:50.67
and die the death
you're supposed to die,
00:12:50.70\00:12:53.34
so, that you can have the
life He was supposed to have."
00:12:53.37\00:12:56.67
It spelled out
real nice in Romans 5:2
00:12:56.71\00:12:58.41
and I want to
bring that one out.
00:12:58.44\00:12:59.77
In Romans the 5th Chapter,
00:12:59.81\00:13:01.68
the Bible
continues to build on this.
00:13:01.71\00:13:03.38
So, when I think of
an application of love,
00:13:03.41\00:13:05.11
I'm looking at it here.
00:13:05.15\00:13:06.48
The Bible says in Romans 5:8.
00:13:06.51\00:13:09.58
"But God commendeth his
love toward us, in that,
00:13:09.62\00:13:14.06
while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us."
00:13:14.09\00:13:17.86
I mean, He was
willing to literally lose out
00:13:17.89\00:13:20.90
and give up His
life for sinners.
00:13:20.93\00:13:24.23
People who were
living a wicked lifestyle,
00:13:24.27\00:13:27.54
knowing that the majority
are not going to accept it,
00:13:27.57\00:13:32.51
yet He was still
willing to do it.
00:13:32.54\00:13:34.38
And the reason why
is because in Luke 15:7.
00:13:34.41\00:13:37.95
It says, "All heaven
rejoices even over one sinner
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.65
that repents."
00:13:40.68\00:13:42.02
So, in the mind
of Christ, He says,
00:13:42.05\00:13:43.39
if even one person
accepts what I've done,
00:13:43.42\00:13:44.75
it was worth it to do it.
00:13:44.79\00:13:46.12
So, when I think of what is
love or an application of love,
00:13:46.15\00:13:48.96
it is in the idea of giving
in the spirit of sacrifice
00:13:48.99\00:13:54.86
for the salvation of individuals
00:13:54.90\00:13:57.73
who don't deserve it.
00:13:57.77\00:13:59.83
So, it's not,
it's not negotiable.
00:13:59.87\00:14:01.60
In other words, God
is not in a situation
00:14:01.64\00:14:04.04
where He is saying, "I am love
00:14:04.07\00:14:05.51
and yet I am not
willing to go this far,
00:14:05.54\00:14:07.84
there's a line, there's
a limitations to my love."
00:14:07.88\00:14:10.11
There are no limitations.
00:14:10.15\00:14:11.78
There are no situations
in which God is going to say,
00:14:11.81\00:14:14.02
I don't love. That's right.
00:14:14.05\00:14:15.38
Because God loves,
there are things as we,
00:14:15.42\00:14:17.82
you know, eventually
going to get to that God hates.
00:14:17.85\00:14:21.12
Oh, yeah.
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.49
There are things that God hates.
00:14:22.52\00:14:23.86
So, a principle, a
character does not mean
00:14:23.89\00:14:26.03
that there aren't things
that are contrary to that,
00:14:26.06\00:14:27.80
that can't co-exist with it.
00:14:27.83\00:14:29.50
And that's something also
00:14:29.53\00:14:30.87
that we're going
to bring out later on,
00:14:30.90\00:14:32.23
there is no yin yang principle
from a biblical perspective.
00:14:32.27\00:14:36.67
There is no coexistence, co,
00:14:36.71\00:14:39.24
you know, eternal existence
00:14:39.27\00:14:40.64
of bad and good,
light and darkness.
00:14:40.68\00:14:43.81
God is light.
00:14:43.85\00:14:45.18
And there is no darkness in Him.
00:14:45.21\00:14:46.92
No darkness, that's it.
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.28
So, there's no
living contradiction.
00:14:48.32\00:14:49.92
Right.
00:14:49.95\00:14:51.29
So, you can't go
on later on and say,
00:14:51.32\00:14:53.05
"Oh well, all of us are
going to constantly have
00:14:53.09\00:14:55.62
this living contradiction
good and bad, evil."
00:14:55.66\00:14:58.03
And that's going to go on for
eternity, that's not the case.
00:14:58.06\00:14:59.86
Now, is there an example
you know, a practical example
00:14:59.89\00:15:02.80
that we can look
at from the Bible
00:15:02.83\00:15:04.17
that kind of
articulate this principle.
00:15:04.20\00:15:06.03
We see that God so
loved that He gave.
00:15:06.07\00:15:08.80
And we say
well, that's you know,
00:15:08.84\00:15:10.17
easy for God to do as God.
00:15:10.21\00:15:12.77
How does that translate to
us, now living in this world?
00:15:12.81\00:15:16.28
Well, I'm going to
make it even more practical
00:15:16.31\00:15:18.05
because I'm going to
connect some of these points
00:15:18.08\00:15:19.61
that we're going to
look at through Scripture.
00:15:19.65\00:15:21.08
And I'm going to connect it
00:15:21.12\00:15:22.45
to some even the
social injustices
00:15:22.48\00:15:24.72
that we see happening today.
00:15:24.75\00:15:26.09
And some of the things happening
00:15:26.12\00:15:27.46
in our world at large
00:15:27.49\00:15:28.82
that really
need to be addressed.
00:15:28.86\00:15:30.19
So, here it is that
when we think of love,
00:15:30.23\00:15:32.76
there's no way, you can get
away from the cross of Calvary.
00:15:32.79\00:15:35.50
Because, this is
literally the clearest picture
00:15:35.53\00:15:37.97
and demonstration of
God's love for humanity.
00:15:38.00\00:15:40.24
Loving people who are unlovable,
00:15:40.27\00:15:42.30
loving people who are
unworthy of that love,
00:15:42.34\00:15:44.54
but that love supersedes
where the person is now,
00:15:44.57\00:15:48.51
but is still
demonstrated toward them
00:15:48.54\00:15:50.51
for what they can be
if that love is received.
00:15:50.55\00:15:53.08
This is something that God
00:15:53.11\00:15:54.45
was trying to
introduce to our minds.
00:15:54.48\00:15:55.82
But then after Christ
left this example for humanity.
00:15:55.85\00:16:00.56
Notice what he
says in 1 John 3:16,
00:16:00.59\00:16:03.19
it's very interesting
text because sometimes we say,
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.76
"Well, thank God,
Jesus laid down His life
00:16:05.79\00:16:07.73
that others may be
saved and appreciate that."
00:16:07.76\00:16:11.20
But I know that
that's not where God,
00:16:11.23\00:16:12.83
what God wants me to do.
00:16:12.87\00:16:14.44
But if you look at 1
John 3:16 the Bible says,
00:16:14.47\00:16:17.41
"Hereby perceive
we the love of God."
00:16:17.44\00:16:20.04
It says, "Because he
laid down his life for us
00:16:20.08\00:16:24.38
and when we ought to lay down
our lives for the brethren."
00:16:24.41\00:16:30.65
So, God actually says,
00:16:30.69\00:16:32.49
"The story of Christ on Calvary
00:16:32.52\00:16:35.16
was not just the story
of what Christ did for us."
00:16:35.19\00:16:39.36
But it actually
was a lesson book
00:16:39.39\00:16:41.63
of what he want's us to be
willing to do for humanity.
00:16:41.66\00:16:45.43
And it's not that we
die for people's sin.
00:16:45.47\00:16:47.97
Christ already did
that, He's the Lamb of God
00:16:48.00\00:16:49.70
that takes away
the sin of the world.
00:16:49.74\00:16:51.07
But now, we must be willing
to go and tell that story
00:16:51.11\00:16:54.48
even if it did mean possibly
the peril of my own life.
00:16:54.51\00:16:58.75
Now, watch this, I'm
gonna show you something here,
00:16:58.78\00:17:01.38
and this is going to
have to be contrasted
00:17:01.42\00:17:03.35
with some things we see
happening in hip-hop culture
00:17:03.39\00:17:05.35
that I have to confess
is absolutely disappointing.
00:17:05.39\00:17:08.06
When you and I consider the
book of 2 Samuel Chapter 12,
00:17:08.09\00:17:11.93
I want you to watch this.
00:17:11.96\00:17:13.29
This is now, taking
this counsel of 1 John 3:16
00:17:13.33\00:17:18.73
where it talks about
we must love to the point
00:17:18.77\00:17:21.24
that we're willing
to lay down our lives
00:17:21.27\00:17:22.74
even for the brethren.
00:17:22.77\00:17:24.11
Well, I want you to
take a look at this.
00:17:24.14\00:17:25.47
In the Book of 2 Samuel,
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.48
we're going to
look at Chapter 12.
00:17:27.51\00:17:29.41
And I want you to see
something the Bible says,
00:17:29.44\00:17:31.58
as we consider verses 1 to 7.
00:17:31.61\00:17:34.52
This is the story of
Nathan going to David.
00:17:34.55\00:17:36.58
David, the king has made
00:17:36.62\00:17:38.99
a horrific and
very sinful decision
00:17:39.02\00:17:41.69
which was to sleep
with another man's wife
00:17:41.72\00:17:44.59
and ultimately
to have him killed.
00:17:44.63\00:17:47.23
So, he committed
adultery and murder.
00:17:47.26\00:17:48.90
Well, Nathan, the
prophet now is inspired by God
00:17:48.93\00:17:52.27
to give a message to David.
00:17:52.30\00:17:54.30
Nathan had to understand,
what I'm about to do.
00:17:54.34\00:17:57.47
If David chose to
be an ungodly king,
00:17:57.51\00:18:01.44
he could literally
have my head for this.
00:18:01.48\00:18:03.08
Nathan had to love David
enough to tell David the truth,
00:18:03.11\00:18:06.61
even though he knew
00:18:06.65\00:18:07.98
this would be at the
peril of my own life.
00:18:08.02\00:18:09.55
And so, the Bible
says a 2 Samuel 12:1-7.
00:18:09.58\00:18:13.86
"And the Lord
sent Nathan unto David.
00:18:13.89\00:18:15.76
And he came unto
him, and said unto him,
00:18:15.79\00:18:17.89
There were two men in one city,
00:18:17.93\00:18:19.33
the one rich,
and the other poor.
00:18:19.36\00:18:21.10
The rich man had
exceeding many flocks and herds:
00:18:21.13\00:18:23.30
But the poor man had nothing,
00:18:23.33\00:18:24.90
save one little ewe lamb,
00:18:24.93\00:18:26.74
which he had
bought and nourished up:
00:18:26.77\00:18:28.50
and it grew up
together with him,
00:18:28.54\00:18:29.94
and with his children,
00:18:29.97\00:18:31.44
it did eat of his own
meat, and drank of his own cup,
00:18:31.47\00:18:34.51
and lay in his bosom, and
was unto him as a daughter.
00:18:34.54\00:18:37.71
And there came a
traveler unto the rich man,
00:18:37.75\00:18:39.75
and he spared to
take of his own flock
00:18:39.78\00:18:41.68
and of his own herd,
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.05
to dress for the wayfaring
man that was come unto him,
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.19
but took the poor man's lamb,
00:18:46.22\00:18:48.29
and dressed it for the
man that was come to him.
00:18:48.32\00:18:51.23
And David's anger was
greatly kindled against the man,
00:18:51.26\00:18:54.26
and he said to
Nathan, As the Lord liveth,
00:18:54.30\00:18:57.73
the man that
hath done this thing
00:18:57.77\00:18:59.37
shall surely die:
00:18:59.40\00:19:00.74
And he shall
restore the lamb four fold,
00:19:00.77\00:19:02.70
because he did this thing,
and because he had no pity.
00:19:02.74\00:19:06.01
And Nathan said to
David, Thou art the man.
00:19:06.04\00:19:11.21
Thus saith the
Lord God of Israel,
00:19:11.25\00:19:13.11
I anointed thee
king over Israel,
00:19:13.15\00:19:15.15
and I delivered thee
out of the hand of Saul,
00:19:15.18\00:19:17.12
And I gave thee
thy master's house,
00:19:17.15\00:19:18.89
and thy master's
wives into thy bosom,
00:19:18.92\00:19:20.76
and gave thee
the house of Israel
00:19:20.79\00:19:22.46
and of the house of Judah,
00:19:22.49\00:19:24.59
and if that had been too little,
00:19:24.63\00:19:26.23
I would moreover have given
unto thee such and such things.
00:19:26.26\00:19:29.70
Wherefore hast thou despised
the commandment of the Lord,
00:19:29.73\00:19:32.87
to do evil in his sight?
00:19:32.90\00:19:34.24
Thou hast killed Uriah
the Hittite with the sword,
00:19:34.27\00:19:36.71
and hast taken his
wife to be thy wife,
00:19:36.74\00:19:38.64
and hast slain
him with the sword
00:19:38.67\00:19:40.51
of the children of Ammon.
00:19:40.54\00:19:42.08
Now therefore the sword shall
never depart from thine house,
00:19:42.11\00:19:46.51
because thou hast despised me,
00:19:46.55\00:19:48.15
and hast taken the wife of Uriah
00:19:48.18\00:19:49.62
the Hittite to be thy wife."
00:19:49.65\00:19:51.79
Nathan had to literally
show David his hypocrisy.
00:19:51.82\00:19:54.59
Nathan had to go to the
king who was anointed by God.
00:19:54.62\00:19:57.39
And he had to go to
him and love him enough,
00:19:57.43\00:19:59.43
to give him God's message.
00:19:59.46\00:20:00.80
And to say,
"David, you are a sinner.
00:20:00.83\00:20:02.90
You have done wrong."
00:20:02.93\00:20:04.27
Now, this could
have cost him his life.
00:20:04.30\00:20:05.90
But love caused him
not to consider that.
00:20:05.93\00:20:08.17
Love moved the fear,
00:20:08.20\00:20:09.90
and caused him
to tell the truth,
00:20:09.94\00:20:11.27
even though it could be
at the peril of his own life.
00:20:11.31\00:20:13.81
Now, here's what's interesting.
00:20:13.84\00:20:15.74
Nathan did not die as a
result of giving this message.
00:20:15.78\00:20:18.41
What happen? David was humbled.
00:20:18.45\00:20:20.12
And David was willing
to receive the message.
00:20:20.15\00:20:22.52
And as David said,
00:20:22.55\00:20:23.89
"Fourfold this man
should be punished."
00:20:23.92\00:20:25.52
Davis household
fourfold was punished.
00:20:25.55\00:20:27.46
And he lost his children.
00:20:27.49\00:20:29.36
But here's what's interesting.
00:20:29.39\00:20:32.26
While this story kind of ends
good as it relates to the one
00:20:32.29\00:20:35.63
who had to bear the
news of pointing out sin
00:20:35.66\00:20:38.33
and calling it
by its right name.
00:20:38.37\00:20:40.80
There's another
story in the Bible
00:20:40.84\00:20:42.17
where it didn't
work out that way.
00:20:42.20\00:20:43.67
And this one is in
Mark the 6th Chapter,
00:20:43.71\00:20:45.47
it's just verses 17 and 18.
00:20:45.51\00:20:47.48
But, this one is now the
story of John the Baptist.
00:20:47.51\00:20:50.31
John the Baptist,
00:20:50.35\00:20:51.68
he knew that the king
was living in a sinful life
00:20:51.71\00:20:55.82
because he took his brother's
wife which is called adultery.
00:20:55.85\00:20:59.35
And John the Baptist
had to love the king enough
00:20:59.39\00:21:03.29
to tell him the truth,
00:21:03.32\00:21:04.83
even if it meant the
peril of his own life.
00:21:04.86\00:21:07.53
And here it is that
John's love was so powerful,
00:21:07.56\00:21:09.73
that he told the king the truth.
00:21:09.76\00:21:11.23
And the story goes like this
00:21:11.27\00:21:12.63
as it relates to
what happened next.
00:21:12.67\00:21:15.14
It says in Mark 6:17, 18.
00:21:15.17\00:21:18.41
It says, "For Herod
himself have sent forth
00:21:18.44\00:21:21.14
and laid hold upon John
00:21:21.18\00:21:22.54
and bound him in
prison for Herodias' sake,
00:21:22.58\00:21:25.15
his brother Philip's
wife: For he had married her.
00:21:25.18\00:21:27.98
For John had said unto Herod,
00:21:28.02\00:21:29.78
it is not lawful for thee
to have thy brother's wife."
00:21:29.82\00:21:33.69
John pointed out to a
king that he was living in sin.
00:21:33.72\00:21:37.99
And it did cost him his life,
00:21:38.03\00:21:39.73
because John the
Baptist was beheaded.
00:21:39.76\00:21:41.83
But that did not stop
John from telling the truth.
00:21:41.86\00:21:44.63
John had to be
able to take a stand
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.60
because that's what love does.
00:21:46.63\00:21:48.90
Love causes you to not
consider your own self.
00:21:48.94\00:21:51.71
Not to consider
your money, your income.
00:21:51.74\00:21:54.21
Not to consider
even your own life.
00:21:54.24\00:21:56.41
You got to love people
enough to tell them the truth,
00:21:56.44\00:21:58.55
because it's not just
the example of Nathan,
00:21:58.58\00:22:00.82
it's not just the
example of John the Baptist,
00:22:00.85\00:22:02.92
it was none other
than the example of Jesus.
00:22:02.95\00:22:05.52
And how do we see this?
00:22:05.55\00:22:06.89
John the 7th Chapter.
00:22:06.92\00:22:08.26
This is an aspect of Jesus
00:22:08.29\00:22:09.62
that a lot of
people don't consider
00:22:09.66\00:22:10.99
but it's the truth anyhow.
00:22:11.03\00:22:12.36
And the Bible
says in John Chapter 7
00:22:12.39\00:22:14.03
when Jesus was
talking with his brothers,
00:22:14.06\00:22:15.80
and they were encouraging
him to go to the feast
00:22:15.83\00:22:17.47
and Jesus answered
by saying in verse 6.
00:22:17.50\00:22:20.37
"Then said Jesus unto
them, my time is not yet come:
00:22:20.40\00:22:23.74
But your time is always ready.
00:22:23.77\00:22:26.21
The world cannot hate you:
00:22:26.24\00:22:28.14
But me it hateth,
because I testify of it,
00:22:28.18\00:22:32.68
that the works
thereof are evil."
00:22:32.71\00:22:35.55
Jesus had a
ministry, not a moment,
00:22:35.58\00:22:39.65
a ministry of pointing out evil.
00:22:39.69\00:22:43.22
Calling people and
telling them what sin was
00:22:43.26\00:22:46.06
and making it plain
00:22:46.09\00:22:48.06
and loving them enough to do it,
00:22:48.10\00:22:49.70
even though He knew
it's gonna put me on cross,
00:22:49.73\00:22:51.67
but this what love is.
00:22:51.70\00:22:53.20
So, love is not emotion,
00:22:53.23\00:22:56.17
love is not something that
can be here and then be gone.
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.84
Love is a
principle. That's right.
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.28
It's an eternal principle.
00:23:00.31\00:23:01.71
Now, we know God is love.
00:23:01.74\00:23:03.61
And we see an example of human
beings living on the earth,
00:23:03.65\00:23:06.51
exhibiting this godly
divine supernatural love.
00:23:06.55\00:23:10.15
The question is, we
know that is not in us,
00:23:10.19\00:23:13.05
it doesn't come naturally.
00:23:13.09\00:23:14.92
So, where does it come
from? How do we get it?
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.93
Well, that love has to come
00:23:17.96\00:23:19.33
from none other
than God Himself.
00:23:19.36\00:23:21.86
And the reason we
know, this is because
00:23:21.90\00:23:23.57
in Romans the 5th Chapter,
here's what the Bible says.
00:23:23.60\00:23:26.77
In Romans Chapter 5,
00:23:26.80\00:23:28.24
I want you to see
what the text says now
00:23:28.27\00:23:29.67
as we consider verses 1 to 5.
00:23:29.70\00:23:32.01
it says, "Therefore
being justified by faith,
00:23:32.04\00:23:35.64
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ:
00:23:35.68\00:23:39.01
By whom also we
have access by faith
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.95
into this grace
wherein we stand.
00:23:41.98\00:23:43.79
And rejoice in
hope of the glory of God
00:23:43.82\00:23:46.19
and not only so, but we
glory in tribulations also:
00:23:46.22\00:23:49.46
knowing that
tribulation work is patience:
00:23:49.49\00:23:51.69
And patience, experience.
00:23:51.73\00:23:53.16
And experience, hope:
00:23:53.19\00:23:54.66
and hope make it not ashame,
00:23:54.70\00:23:56.46
because the love of God
is shed abroad in our hearts
00:23:56.50\00:24:01.67
by the Holy Ghost
which is given unto us."
00:24:01.70\00:24:04.44
I can't love independent of God.
00:24:04.47\00:24:08.28
It's impossible.
00:24:08.31\00:24:09.74
If God is saying, listen,
00:24:09.78\00:24:11.21
"I am love, I am
the embodiment of love.
00:24:11.25\00:24:13.92
If you want to love
you got to come to me,
00:24:13.95\00:24:16.48
because I'm the source of it."
00:24:16.52\00:24:17.85
It's kind of
like somebody saying,
00:24:17.89\00:24:19.22
"I want to, I want to
give somebody an Apple product,
00:24:19.25\00:24:21.72
I want to give
somebody an Android product."
00:24:21.76\00:24:23.63
We're going to have to go
to Apple to get that product.
00:24:23.66\00:24:25.63
You gonna have to go to
00:24:25.66\00:24:27.00
wherever the Android products
are made to get that product.
00:24:27.03\00:24:29.50
You've got to go to the
source, the source supplies you
00:24:29.53\00:24:32.33
and then you're
able to take the supply
00:24:32.37\00:24:34.20
and give it to
whomever you choose.
00:24:34.24\00:24:35.90
So, it is with God, God
says listen, "I am love.
00:24:35.94\00:24:38.77
You can't love outside of me.
00:24:38.81\00:24:41.24
You can act it out.
00:24:41.28\00:24:42.88
You can maybe do
some portions of it.
00:24:42.91\00:24:45.68
But you will sooner or
later find out its limitations."
00:24:45.71\00:24:50.05
So, God makes it clear.
00:24:50.09\00:24:51.49
I am love and the only way
00:24:51.52\00:24:53.39
that you can
have the kind of love
00:24:53.42\00:24:55.06
that I'm talking
about, you got to come to me,
00:24:55.09\00:24:57.39
and through my spirit,
00:24:57.43\00:24:58.76
I'm going to put
it within your heart.
00:24:58.79\00:25:00.56
Right, so, even though
it is going to be put in us,
00:25:00.60\00:25:04.50
we don't look
inside in order to get it.
00:25:04.53\00:25:07.10
We have to go get it from
God and he will put it in us,
00:25:07.14\00:25:09.57
but it's not innately
intrinsically inside of us.
00:25:09.60\00:25:12.27
That's correct.
And that is the point.
00:25:12.31\00:25:14.88
If you and I are
going to tell somebody
00:25:14.91\00:25:16.78
that the
cornerstone of hip-hop culture
00:25:16.81\00:25:20.42
or any culture or any movement,
00:25:20.45\00:25:22.65
and one of those cornerstones
00:25:22.68\00:25:24.02
is this beautiful
foundation of love.
00:25:24.05\00:25:26.45
Then the question is,
well, how do people get this?
00:25:26.49\00:25:28.89
How do they conjure it up?
00:25:28.92\00:25:30.26
Because it is not something
that is natural within us,
00:25:30.29\00:25:32.89
it is not innately within us.
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.36
In fact, we
studied in Jeremiah 17
00:25:35.40\00:25:37.73
that the Bible makes it clear.
00:25:37.77\00:25:39.10
It tells us that our hearts
are deceitful above all things
00:25:39.13\00:25:42.30
and desperately
wicked, who can know it?
00:25:42.34\00:25:44.81
Jeremiah 13:23,
00:25:44.84\00:25:46.47
"Can the
Ethiopian change a skin.
00:25:46.51\00:25:48.28
Can the leopard change a spot?
00:25:48.31\00:25:49.91
Well, how then can you do good
00:25:49.94\00:25:51.78
when you're
accustomed to doing evil."
00:25:51.81\00:25:53.65
So, we have a
nature that is anti-God.
00:25:53.68\00:25:56.85
We naturally do not
want to do what God says.
00:25:56.89\00:26:00.02
We naturally
cannot keep God's law.
00:26:00.06\00:26:02.66
And Romans the 8th
Chapter spells it out,
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.59
"The carnal mind
is at enmity with God
00:26:04.63\00:26:07.26
and cannot
honor Him or His law."
00:26:07.30\00:26:09.70
And enmity means hatred.
00:26:09.73\00:26:11.33
So, what is natural is
that we have a hatred for God.
00:26:11.37\00:26:13.87
So, that means what is natural
that we have a hatred for love.
00:26:13.90\00:26:16.60
We have a
natural hatred for love,
00:26:16.64\00:26:18.87
true love, biblical love.
00:26:18.91\00:26:20.31
But we can take
it, we can pervert it,
00:26:20.34\00:26:22.84
and we can twist it,
00:26:22.88\00:26:24.21
and make it our
own interpretation,
00:26:24.25\00:26:26.01
and then exercise
it the way we want to.
00:26:26.05\00:26:28.18
Right. And that is
always destructive.
00:26:28.22\00:26:31.25
I mean, it's
absolutely always destructive.
00:26:31.29\00:26:32.85
When we take something that
God has created for our good
00:26:32.89\00:26:36.16
and we pervert it, you know,
00:26:36.19\00:26:37.86
change that
which is true into that
00:26:37.89\00:26:39.39
which is not true perversion.
00:26:39.43\00:26:40.96
When we pervert it, it
always leads to destruction.
00:26:41.00\00:26:44.40
It always leads
to breaking down.
00:26:44.43\00:26:46.23
So, if you know, they're looking
00:26:46.27\00:26:48.44
if hip-hop is looking to be
the solution to the disunity.
00:26:48.47\00:26:52.24
That being the
solution to the violence,
00:26:52.27\00:26:53.98
to stop the violence,
00:26:54.01\00:26:55.94
it's completely unable to do so,
00:26:55.98\00:26:58.81
in fact, it
contributes to the violence,
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.98
it contributes to the
degradation of society,
00:27:01.02\00:27:03.79
because it's taking
something that God has made
00:27:03.82\00:27:05.65
and perverting it and
using it only in human power.
00:27:05.69\00:27:09.26
So, I want to encourage you
00:27:09.29\00:27:11.99
to come back for
our next episode,
00:27:12.03\00:27:14.76
because we're going to continue
00:27:14.80\00:27:16.13
to flesh out this
principle of love,
00:27:16.16\00:27:19.17
the foundation
of God's government,
00:27:19.20\00:27:21.40
the foundation of
all truth and reality.
00:27:21.44\00:27:23.97
And you know,
00:27:24.01\00:27:25.97
purportedly the foundation
of hip-hop culture as well.
00:27:26.01\00:27:29.98
We have to see something
00:27:30.01\00:27:32.81
that is going to
actually effect change,
00:27:32.85\00:27:35.02
lasting change, real
change in the human heart.
00:27:35.05\00:27:38.59
If our hearts are not changed,
00:27:38.62\00:27:41.09
then it's going to be
impossible for us to go
00:27:41.12\00:27:43.12
and change the communities
in this world that we live in.
00:27:43.16\00:27:46.33
We know that God has a solution
for all of our problems.
00:27:46.36\00:27:49.46
And I want to remind you
to bring a friend, return,
00:27:49.50\00:27:53.37
and be enriched by what
had God has in store for us
00:27:53.40\00:27:56.81
and remember as
Proverbs 2:6 says,
00:27:56.84\00:28:00.78
"It is the Lord
that gives wisdom.
00:28:00.81\00:28:03.61
And out of his mouth
00:28:03.65\00:28:05.35
comes knowledge
and understanding."
00:28:05.38\00:28:08.08
God bless, and I
hope to see you again.
00:28:08.12\00:28:10.22