The Christian rapper, wait..wait! The rapper, who “happens to be Christian,” (whew, almost messed that one up) known as Lecrae, should now be addressed as Dr. Lecrae. Dr. Lecrae (not to be confused with Dr. Dre), who is known for his rap music that appeals to worldly-minded professing Christians, recently received his honorary doctorate from Canada Christian College.
The School’s president, Dr, Charles McVety, stated, “Lecrae’s talents are amazing, as are his achievements. But even more important is his outreach to troubled youth.”
And “amazing” they are. According to the school’s website,
Over 6,000 men and women have made the right choice and graduated from Canada Christian College. Great leaders such as Franklin Graham, John Hagee, T.D. Jakes, Grant Jeffrey and Myles Munroe have honourary degrees from Canada Christian College.
Lecrae, who believes that “being a Christian is unfruitful when attempting to reach the lost,” and says, “you’ll be far more effective as a positive person” touts himself as a Reformed believer. Now, keep in mind, this is the same “positive person” that was just out there fanning the flames of discord, causing divisions by race-baiting against Dr. James White, someone who is about the furthest thing from racist as one can be. While recently denouncing the label, “Christian Rapper,” in favor of “Rapper, who happens to be a Christian,” he has led many youth into the dark-side by partnering with and promoting secular artists such as Pete Rock, Rapsody, and Kendrick Lamar, whose lyrics contain language foul enough to cause your ears to bleed.
At a speech Lecrae gave to students at Liberty University, he talks about how important it is to break down the wall between secular and sacred. He says,
We’ve taken things and we’ve deemed them as evil, when it’s really just the hearts of men that have made these things seem like they’re evil…How are you going to have a redeemed heart and enter into that field and redeem and rehabilitate the culture around you? … And so, how does it look? Well, this is what Genesis tells you. He says, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’ Have families. Build churches; build schools…So, redeem things. If you want to really practice this, you have to engage people, engage culture. You have to love people, love culture. And you have to rehabilitate.
This dominionist theology is typical of the people who LeCrae regularly aligns himself with, such as Lou Giglio, Judah Smith, and Francis Chan.
The kind of music that Lecrae creates and promotes is the epitome of worldly. It mimics a style of music, known as “gangsta rap” that evolved out of drug-ridden ghettos, often as a means of marketing. Lecrae’s music is designed in such a manner that it meets the wicked soul’s desire for a lifestyle of sin and rebellion while spackling it in a Christian theme such that it gives a faux impression of sanctity. In other words, it’s one foot in the world, one foot in the church. Is it any wonder why foul-mouth women-hating secular rappers like Jay-Z are attracted to Lecrae’s music? Does Lecrae believe Jay-Z is attracted to the theology in his music? No, they are attracted to the worldliness of the music he produces.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15
We are not called to break down divides between sacred and secular, we are called to be set apart from the world. We are called to preach the Gospel, and call the world to repentance.
But Canada Christian College sees the same talents and achievements in Lecrae that they see in T.D. Jakes, Myles Munroe, and John Hagee?
Maybe they’re right.
[Contributed by Pulpit & Pen]
