Don’t isolate yourself from the world – but don’t be like it either. (ROE Pt 1)

Rules of Engagement - Part 1

“In the world, but not of it”*. It’s a well-known Christian catch-cry. And it actually sums up really well what Christ-followers should do. We should connect in the world, and engage with people. Be you. And if you want to wear a leather jacket, wear a leather jacket. I can’t afford one, so I wear vinyl. No one can tell. If you want to spend money on fashion… there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. What’s the alternative anyway? Deliberately uncool? A jacket from the 70s? Actually, they’re cool these days. HOWEVER… this we stretch it too far if we apply it to areas of morality, and issues of the heart. Let's think of an artist we all know and love very much...

Kanye West has been rapping a long time. Eight years ago now, he rapped: “They tell you… preach us, teach us, Jesus; Okay, look up now, they done stole your streetness” (in the song "Good Morning"). A few years earlier, he rapped “God show me the way because the devil’s tryna’ bring me down”** and one of the ways he does this is by tempting us to become like the world – in a bad sense. Whenever we stand at crossroads like everyone does, we need to think about Scriptures like 1 John 2:15 etc and Matthew 6:24. I love Kanye, but I don’t wanna see more creative believers go in the same direction, because in the end, it will only lead to hurt and regret. I’m pressing this point (again) because it’s so important.

If being cool means getting drunk on Saturday night before church the next morning, I don’t wanna be cool. If I have to sleep around to be with the “in” crowd... then count me "out". I don’t want so called “streetness”, if I have to stop following Jesus to get it. The truth is though that Christ is out in the streets, and the streets is where you'll find his true followers. In the world. Not off.

As we follow him, in a sense, we redefine what is cool. When it comes to heart attitudes/behaviours……. I’d say, being caring is cool. I’d say, helping people is cool. I'd say showing "love" for thy neighbor – is cool!!! We aren’t meant to be “of the world” in a bad sense, or in the sense of choosing "sin" etc. The big “C” word (compromise) won't help you live out your calling. And of course on the other hand… neither will being deliberately uncool/isolating yourself from the world, just for the sake of it. What purpose does that serve?

Obviously, we need to become good at engaging culture. In. Not off.

We have been sent into the world as believers (see John 17:18), obviously with a purpose. A mission even. And it's impossible to live out this mission "in the world" today without cultural engagement. Simple as that. If you walk into a shop, and someone says “how are you”, whatever you say back is engaging culture. The last thing we want to do is be sloppy in our cultural engagement.

“I look back on my life like what a fool

cos now my life might redefine what is cool

...fresh prince, barely old enough to rule..

Me without God, is Tiger Woods without golf courses

Now I be cooler than popsicles on porches

...fashion game of my life brightened up

It's a dark world folk gotta lighten up” - Blake Young (Hip Hop artist) song is: here.

IN THE WORLD // NOT OF IT

*See John 17:11,14-18    **From the song "Jesus Walks" (like all of us, he has a dream.)

Faith/Arts/Media - 3 Rules of Engagement:

A little while ago, I handed in a university research paper entitled “Faith, Arts and the Media - Rules of Engagement: How Christians should engage with the media and the arts spheres?”

I decided that I couldn't sum up the whole paper in one blog post. (I well exceeded the 8,000 word limit!!!) So here’s three “rules of engagement”, quick-fire:

1. Don’t isolate yourself from the world – but don’t be like it either.

“In the world, but not of it”*. It’s a well-known Christian catch-cry. And it actually sums up really well what Christians should do. We should connect in the world, and engage with people. Be you. Be a little bit cool if you want to. Or uncool, if that's cool for you. Traditionally, Christians have often interpreted the phrase “in the world” to mean we should be connected and engaged with people, and maybe even a little bit trendy. I have no problem with this notion.

What does “not of the world” mean though? Basically, it means don’t do anything stupid, and watch over your heart. It is talking about sin, although overall, it’s more a matter of the heart than anything else. Embellishing on this, the Apostle John says: “Do not love the world or anything in the world.” (1 John 2:15) While it’s not wrong for me to wear a nice pair of shoes, it’s wrong for me to be obsessed with my appearance, to be “vain”. “The world”, refers to the demonic system, where pride, greed, lust, and all sorts of ugly things are the norm. We aren’t supposed to be like that. So yes, don’t sin. But it goes deeper than that. Don’t let bad motives and unhealthy desires come to fruition. Read through Scripture. (I heard a great sermon the other day on 1 Peter 1:22-2:3.) Get with God, and let Him change you little by little. Ultimately, God will show you how to live out the above phrase. And while you do this, remember to ultimately use you're gifts/talents & creative mediums to:

2. Serve the community

In an age where celebrities are basically "idolized" by the media, and in industries where jealousy, lust, greed, envy and selfish-ambition seemingly influences so much of what goes on, those that whole-heartedly take on this characteristic will be a breath of fresh air.

Because we live in a time when the "prince" of the "power of the air" is influencing so many people**, it's more important than ever that "in our relationships with one another", we "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather..."

Please take time to read and study Phillipians 2:3-11. Things worked out ok for Jesus in the end... but ultimately that's because he set about serving people (and God's purposes) first. Jesus example gives us a lot to follow when it comes to working within the media & the arts.

3. Learn from Lecrae

Lecrae is quite likely the most influential hip hop artist today that espouses a biblical-Christian world-view. Even if you're not too keen on Rap/Hip Hop, it's worth knowing a bit about him. (Especially considering hip hop's influence on popular/global culture.)

In his mind, Lecrae is a missionary to the Hip Hop world, but his strategy to achieve this, is to be a great artist. THIS is one of the keys to his success in recent times, and a reason why he's now engaging with more and more people "in the world".

In 2012, he really hit his stride with his approach and as he explained in his own blog, became more focused on creating art to the best of his abilities, and allowing his worldview to naturally influence what he created, as opposed to using it as a means to communicate truth. This approach allowed his 2012 release entitled “Church Clothes” to connect with a lot more people outside of the church than before, and those people are now engaging with his Christian worldview. Lecrae really is "in the world, but not of it."

Compare this line in 2008 from his album "Rebel":

"Lord kill me if I don't preach the gospel"...

...to the following statement made on Facebook earlier this year:

"I know most people want every song to have a very explicit moral message but sometimes that sacrifices the art and beauty and skill of communicating. I'm still fighting to give people what they've come to expect from Albums like "Rebel" while still helping them to understand that trying to force that does a disservice to you, me, and the work God has done on me..." (full post here).

Lecrae has been on quite a journey over the last 12 years artistically, and it’s worth learning from him. I believe we should never be ashamed of Christ, and I am all for personal evangelism/sharing the gospel. However, those who seek to work in the arts & the media in some way, should never feel like we have to force a particular message through our mediums. When the time is right, the time is right. All we are really required to do is walk with God and let things flow from there. This seems to be something Lecrae has come to understand. (And by the way, his new album "Anomaly" is being released September 9^th. Christian outlets and non-Christian outlets are anticipating it, and I certainly am too!)

*This is a combination of two phrases found in John 17:11,14-18.
**See Ephesians 2:2

HOPSIN'S JOURNEY - and Why it Should Matter to You

Hopsin, (aka Marcus Hopson) is known as a hugely talented and charismatic MC. Even though I've never met him, but it seems he's a hard-working intellectual, with a big heart.

Just over a few years ago, a high school kid asked me if I'd heard of Hopsin, and told me that he'd dissed Lil' Wayne and other rappers. I then looked him up, and have followed him ever since. While he's never been one to play the major-label game, he's developed a huge following, mainly through “word of mouth”... or social media. (One of his videos has close to 40 million views [edit: it's now clocked just over that number], his most recent clocked over 1 million views in it's first day online! He's been called the “Black Eminem”, and skills-wise, he deserves the title. He's actually just about to tour with an Australian hip hop artist called 360. That's a tour I'd pay see.

The year before last, (2012), it seems that Hopsin found faith, and found God.

Check here to see an interview with regular outlet “Hard Knock TV”. In this segment (of a four part video) shows he's a deep thinker, who values being “authentic”... more than most people... definitely more than your average rapper. That authenticity has led him to share about his faith journey at times... Watch at least the first 6-7 minutes if possible.

In this video, in my eyes anyway, Hopsin really seems to have encountered God. He seems to have really changed in the way he sees things. I don't think you can “put on” the whole “convicted” thing, even if he did care about winning over the Christian crowd.

For a long time, I've had the view that if someone who has a profile finds Christ, generally they need to come out of the limelight for a while. This is similar what Jesus did with Simon, Andrew, and the rest of the disciples. I'm not saying we should all leave our homes right now and join a commune, but there are times & seasons where we need to get away with Jesus, and get “discipled”, in the same way that the 12 did. They had to get trained, unlearn old habits, learn new ones, and basically learn how to live like Christ. Even though Jesus can appear to us today (and he does), for some reason he seems to use people most of the time to manifest to us (see Acts 9:5 for the former, but also verse 6 and 10-12 etc for the latter).

For Hopsin to find God during the journey he was on.... would have been tough. He's a smart dude, and a song he released soon after his encounter with God is a confronting song. But the journey he's been on since has been rough, as it would be for anyone... just like it has been rough for me.

Last month, he released a track that I think is one of his most powerful yet. Check it out, if you don't mind deep themes wrapped in some R18 language.

This song show's a new level of maturity artistically, both musically and as a video. Spiritually though... it's even more profound. A lot of people have said "this is him walking away from Christianity" etc... really, this is perhaps the biggest set-up of his life... and I have a feeling he knows it. There's so many things that the God-haters will ignore.... here are some random thoughts about this video.

-He's talking to God the whole time. Even when he says "my gut feeling says it's all fake..." he's saying it to God.
-He's challenging God to reveal himself to him. Marcus has met God before. God does things His way - but at the same time, God is seeking us... God won't let him get too far.

-Even in the middle of his wrestling... Hopsin says that when he looks at the earth and sun he can "tell a genius man designed it - it's truly mind blowing, I can't deny it" He's honest enough to share the tension at hand. (See what I mean about authenticity? It's much cooler than being dogmatic - either for or against faith.)

-God can handle being called a "Poltergeist".

-Hopsin's coming to Australia soon. Christians everywhere are praying for him. It's like the rap game... for every "hater", there's at least 4-10 fans. It's the same with judgemental Christians. Jesus (not just the devil) is at work. I'd be surprised if Marcus DOESN'T come across Christian after Christian in the future that love him.

-Those that seek, find. (Matthew 7:7-8 in case you didn't know. Marcus is doing that, so please don't judge him, or anybody who's on a spiritual journey.)

Peace/love.

How to Regain Your Passion for God

Usually, I have a few books on the go at once. I recently finished reading one however that was so impacting, that I wanted to post an excerpt. I've often been a fan of Rick Joyner's writing, particularly of his God-given ability to illuminate the depth and profoundness of simple truths. If you've felt a little bit dry in your faith lately, read on.

From the Forward to “When God Walked the Earth” by Rick Joyner:

“When Napoleon read the Gospel of John near the end of his life, he reportedly said, “Either Jesus is the Son of God or the one who wrote this Gospel is! I know men, and no man could have made up a story like this.” It is true, there has never been a story written or dreamed of like this one. It is simply beyond human genius to have conceived such a marvel and wonder as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, it is not a story. It is true, and it is actually the most verified account in history, with the evidence of it continuing to permeate the entire earth.

The gospel is the account of the history of the greatest miracle of all – the majesty, wonder, and glory of God becoming a man and living among His own creation. God has done many great things throughout history to reveal Himself to His beloved creation, with the purpose of leading mankind and the earth back to reconciliation with Himself, but none can compare to the miracle of God coming and living among us.

The very concept that God Himself became a man and walked among us is so extraordinary and incredible that it is understandable that no one can really grasp it unless God helps them to. Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to the reality of this, regardless of the overwhelming evidence in history that this actually took place. We, therefore, should not fault the skeptics, but pray for them to have eyes to see.

We need to also pray that those who have seen and who have believed would have their eyes opened to see just how marvelous this miracle really is. How can anyone who has seen the love of God, which is manifested through Jesus, not be in perpetual awe and wonder at this love? How could anyone who really sees not constantly be on fire with a passion to make our glorious God known? For some reason, we closed our eyes to this greatest of all truths and started focusing more on this present world...

The true Christian life is the greatest adventure and the highest quest that any human being can experience. Are we living it? Or have we lost our way and sunk back down to the temporary cares of the earthly? Even if you have lost your way and sunk back to the cares of the earthly, you can rise again and soar into the heavenly realm that is your true home.

As we proceed toward the end of the age, this bridge between the heavenly and natural realms will be found by more and more people, and the supernatural will become more and more natural to all who believe in Him. However, our goal is not to just live in the supernatural, but to live in Him.”

Man, my heart warmed as I read this, and the rest of the book. It is a fantastic read, articulating revelation that really impacted me.

Perhaps your are a regular reader of blogs. Make sure you're a book reader too. Books about your craft are important. Leadership books are great, and important for anybody who wants to be an influence. But make it a habit to be found, every now and again, reading a book that stretches you in your relationship with God. In recent times, I have been impacted and challenged by “Chase”, by Jennie Allen (it's about David, and having a heart after God) “Jesus Calling”, by Sarah Young (the best devotional book I've ever read), “Jesus is _____” by Judah Smith (it gave me some much needed heart surgery), the book of Numbers, the gospel of John, and the above book by Rick Joyner.

Basically, I'm a big believer in reading books, which is why I posted this excerpt. Be encouraged in your reading journey, and let it build up and enrich your walk with God.

If there is a book that has recently helped you develop in your relationship with God that you would like to recommend, please post it in the comments section below! Blessings. C

How to not fall off

It has been a while since I heard the term used... but to “fall off” usually means to lose creative energy in your work, to lose your swagger, to lose the “intangible” quality in your work/art/music etc. It's usually accompanied by a loss of passion. Maybe that rapper that “fell off” is really just going through the motions, maintaining the status quo, happy with a big pay cheque at the end of the day. The band that “fell off” has no drive to create anything ground-breaking. Their last album sounds almost exactly like their last five.

As creative people, we should never lose that creative edge to what we do. Whatever we're involved with, we should always be pushing to get better, and striving to improve our game. And for many (if not most), this will involve pushing the envelope, experimenting, and trying new things. (This is one reason I have a lot of respect for Kanye West and his creative endeavours.) Stay close to the Spirit behind what got things started in the first place, and you'll be on your way...

But I want to talk about how not to “fall off” in a couple of other ways. Culturally, as well as ethically, it's easy to fall off, if we don't think (and talk) things through carefully. Some artists have started out with a blaze, and then “fallen off” by compromising the values that they started out with!

The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us to avoid all extremes (Ecc 7:18) (chances are, you know a few Christians who can be a bit “extreme” right?) If you want to follow Christ, (and I hope that you do), then God has called you to relate to the world, connect with the people in it, and to be... what's the word? Ah yes... I suppose “relevant” sums it up. If you want to wear a back-pack while you perform, ok... cool. If you want to wear jeans that are baggy or skinny, or cut-off at the ankle... alrighty then. You can dress as cool/gangster/hip/white or nerdy as you want... if that's what you want to do. Nothing wrong with being “cool”. Or dressing “uncool”, if that's what's “cool”. You get the picture. Nothing wrong with knowing what the latest musical trends are, and letting that influence your sound. At the same time, you want your lifestyle to line up with the limitless freedom that your Lord puts on you. You are FREE to do what ever you want.... as much as it lines up with the commands to love the Lord your God, and to love your neighbour.

Kanye West is a great artist. At this stage of his career, he's on a level that not many people are on... but he is a walking contradiction. And contradictions in our life and our mind are not healthy. Those sorts of things – when left unresolved can lead to things like priests molesting kids in private. (Or artists rudely interupting award show speeches.)

I'm not trying to have a go at Kanye. I love the guy. When half of the world wanted him to die, forcing him to leave his country for a while, I was praying for him. I'd like to meet him while we're on earth, but if I don't get the pleasure, I'm looking forward to catching up in heaven.

As people that love God though, what should we do? What are our options? God wants us to be successful more than we do.... how can we glorify him with what we've got? Jesus really does walk with us. How can we follow Him carefully where he's going?

We've got to think carefully through some things.

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? There are two ways you can fall off. You can fall to the left... but on the other hand, if you lean too far to the right... you've still fallen off!!

To fall to the left:

Form a holy-huddle, a clique that no one can easily move in or out of. Run from all forms of “culture” that are modern, because you don't want to get “stained” by the world. Don't listen to rap. Listen to baroque. Listen to classical. Pretty much, anything that's old. Or if you must be involved with anything that's mildly modern, make sure it's by Christians, for Christians, and nobody in the world can see or hear it, because we're not called to be “of the world”. Oh yeah. And don't be too creative , or push any boundaries. Let's not get too wacky! Just shamelessly copy what's around you, and put the Son of God's name in a coupla' times.

Ouch! That's one way to fall off.... And there is another way... If you lean too far in the other direction, it can be equally painful in the end! Here's how:

Try to be hip, cool, relevant, relatable to everybody in the world, and in the process, lose your moral compass. (Let's call that falling to the right.)

Yes it is true that if you are “in Christ”, He will never ever leave you, but it's still possible to “fall off” into compromise. This might give a short-term boost... but is it really worth it if we gain success, in exchange for the very core of who we really are?

Riding this bike can be... complicated.

But the good news is that God's on your side. If you let Him teach you how to ride your bike, He is faithful to guide you. And like any good Dad, while we're learning how to ride, when we fall off, He'll ALWAYS help us get back up again. Always.

So how do we not fall off?

1. Stay connected to God – He's the coolest guy, on the planet. He never compromises the core of who He is, (He can't lie for example!) He will ALWAYS meet you exactly where you're at. Talk to Him right now.

2. Stay connected to the right people. God will always bring people into your life who can help guide you and give you advice at the right time. There are people that have ridden where you're wanting to go. Find mentors. Find a good Pastor. My suggestion – find a good church where people will encourage you and support you on the journey. (And even help pick you up if you have fallen off.)

Who can you think of that has stayed “relevant” in their particular field, while still being true to who they are?

Want to succeed? One VERY important key.

Bonus blog!! You guys are lucky this month. In an attempt to stay “current”, I wanted to sneak this in today.

Kevin Durant, power forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was officially crowned MVP of the NBA today. I know this is basketball related, but it ties in to the blog topic in a number of ways. If you want to have influence in the world today, then listen for a message in the video below. Check Matthew 23:12 first if you have the time.

I want to encourage you to watch this video right through... watch just a couple of minutes, and unless you've got a strong focus on your “to do list”, I guarantee you'll end up watching all of it. It helped me procrastinate writing an assignment today!

Obviously Kevin's faith in God shines through in this speech, but the biggest thing that struck me is his humility. People of faith, and people of no faith, know him to be a genuinely humble guy. He's a grown into a hero in the NBA and among sports fans worldwide, but even more than that, he's a hero in his home-town. After a lot of hard work and a lot of disappointments, this is the first time he's been awarded the MVP – the most coveted individual award in basketball. Perhaps it's proof that those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Leaven in the hood, or well... 50 Cent's Youtube channel.

Following on from last month, I wanted to continue on the same theme, of “Roaring on the rooftops”, vs “Living like leaven”. If you didn't catch last months blog, I suggest you read it here first. I wanted to start off with a little video that features a hip hop artist called Trip Lee. Even if you're not big into hip hop, it's still worth watching... Trip Lee (definitely a Christ-follower) is interviewed by some dude who's running rapper 50 Cents Youtube channel, connecting the rapper with a whole new audience. Check out the 6 minute interview below.

Given his cultural context, I believe Trip handles this interview beautifully. He's not the only artist who's working to avoid the “Christian rapper” label, Lecrae is another one – he put it simply in an interview (on the same Youtubechannel) “If I'm a Christian rapper, then Lupe Fiasco's a Muslim rapper”. That's it – case closed right there. These artists, and many others, are connecting well with an audience that's wider than the Christian bubble. Even if you dislike hip hop music, there's a lesson in there for you if you're an artist, or if you're involved with the media in some way. Just because you're a disciple of Jesus, doesn't mean that you have to bring a message through everything you do. There's a lot more to the kingdom than transforming all that we do in our life into a gospel tract. Of course the gospel is important, and we should never deny what we believe - but if you know your calling is to bring music to a large audience, or if you know you've got a vision and a message that the world needs to hear, then there's nothing wrong with working not to be pigeon-holed.