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What Would Jay-Z Do?

Philippians 3:10

MATURE • MENTOR • MINISTER • MAINTAIN • INVESTING IN BLACK FUTURES THRU STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Naw, ain't playa-hatin' here.  Just can't help but wonder : where's Sean stand from the Creator's perspective?
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  Luke 9:25 NIV

Photo by Bruce Gilbert of Newsday

In the on-going struggle youth 'n young adults face as they function between the Rock (Christ Jesus) and a hard place (the streets), it would appear that most are more inclined to side with the creature (Jay-Z) than with their Creator (Jesus Christ, Jay-Z's Maker and Judge).  So we thought it would be interesting to imagine Jay-Z in an encounter with Christ as recorded in Mark's Gospel.

The encounter contains some interesting insights on how to respond to successful celebrities.

As Jesus started on his way, a man [ Jay-Z ] ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him.  "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  "Why do you call Me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone.  You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"  "Teacher," he [ Jay-Z ] declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."  Jesus looked at him and loved him.  "One thing you lack," He said.  "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me."  At this [ Jay-Z ] the man's face fell.  He went away sad, because he had great wealth.  Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"  The disciples were amazed at His words.  But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?"  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."  Mark 10:17-27 (NIV) 

Jesus' assessment of the wealthy young cat's true need was devastating and incisive: He saw that the young man, though rich (which in that culture was a symbol of God's favor and certain entrance into the kingdom of God), was in the vise-grip of covetousness.  Accordingly, Jesus prescribed some apparently "rough" stuff by saying in effect, "Which one do you really want?  The kingdom of God  or what you got right now?"  New Testament rich young rulers and present day celebrities (e.g. Jay-Z) got a lot in common and Christ's unflinching directive remains the same.  Notice that Jesus did not trash the rich young ruler's résumé, but did point out where he fell short.  In the same way as Christ's ambassadors we shouldn't so much seek to trash an artist's lyrics as much as to use them as springboards into the heart of the artist to minister to their true need.  We should be tactful and faithfully rep the Lord Jesus, not necessarily rhyming Scripture at 'em to combat 'em, but certainly hope to leave 'em with an idea / concept / question / etc. of what God is truly after in and through his / her life.  Better it is to seek to get into a "trialogue" — a convo between he and I and the Lord (allowing the Lord to do the directing of my end of the convo) — than to just try to run a monologue or even a dialogue. 

In no way do we want to write these brothers / sisters off.  On the contrary, our heart's desire should be that they truly come to know Christ (cf. Romans 10:1).  But we are concerned for those who think because he / she puts a "praise God" track on their album that God's OK with the rest of the material on the CD.  Too many celebrities' spirituality is spurious indeed as it's usually pursued on their terms (with profit margin possibilities in view) and not according to God's terms (as outlined by Jesus to the rich young ruler).  You cannot serve both God and money.  (Matt. 6:24)  For that young cat to have followed Christ would have taken a miracle that only God could have done (in changing the brother's heart).  [ Note Jesus' remarks to the disciples after the encounter.  They must have wondered why Jesus sent the rich young ruler away. ]  I think the same thing's true today: there are too many human explanations for the "I see the Light" conversions we see among celebrities today (e.g., new market segments to go after, near death experiences, fear factors, etc.).  When God's at work in a person's life, there's no mistaking it — although there will certainly be a lot of misunderstanding, because it's His stuff and it's His doing.  It will inevitably be mysterious and baffling and should keep all of us on our toes to see what it is He's doing.  I'll argue that God is doing a lot in the lives of hip-hop artists, but the culture-changing tipping point has yet to come.  In the meantime, keep the trialogues goin' !

 Some things God really ain't all about: 

Billboard spots,
Sound Scan digits,
spectacular stagecraft,
special effects & surprises,
how you rock what you wearin',
or you mentionin' Him at the awards.

 The one thing God really is all about: 

His Heart (His Son) 'n your heart — 'n what's goin' on between the two.
Are you inwardly tellin' Him, "Speak to the hand?" with ya head turned away?

The Lord says:
"These people come near to Me with their mouth
and honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from Me."
Isaiah 29:13 NIV

Check the Script

Ya see,

it's not about me,
it's not about you.
it's all about Christ,
'n can He come thru?

It's about Christ, y'all.

His Story is the Final ( Ultimate ) Reality perpetrators are tryin' to compete with.

"No comp," says Christ.

His Story's got all ya elements covered.
No matter what or how hard they are.
No matter how they came after you.
No matter how hard they hit you...

Christ's been there,
Dealt wit' that
Goes past ya t-shirt
and sees the heart
that tries so hard
to hold its own
against the One
Who holds the throne.

Our own stories find their true meaning when they
find their place in the larger context of His Story.

We ain't playa-hatin'.  Life's 2 short.
Just wanna see Jay-Z come to Christ.

Fact: Jesus Christ died for Sean Carter AND for you 'n waits for the day
when son(s) and sisters will say, "I give up my right to myself to You, Lord."

Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but made Himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled himself and became obedient to death —
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
 and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11 NIV

Would that Sean Carter could doff the old self
'n don the new man created to be like God
in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24

Pray for him.

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