Stage In The Sky

The obvious answer is “Yes.” As others have pointed out, “The gospel is quite clear that there is no distinction between the saved prostitute and the person who grew up in church.” (see Galations 3:28) And yet, if someone does have a problem with accepting them…I think it’s important to understand why. Let’s talk about it. 

Very often, what I’ve observed from some Christians is essentially this sentiment of, “God accepts them, so shut up. It’s not your place to have an opinion on it one way or the other. You’re no better than they are, so don’t get cocky. Everybody’s a sinner! Everybody sins! We’re all the same! You’re nothing special.”  

Here, at Stage in the Sky, we aim to explore those feelings and dig deep as to why anyone would harbor animosity towards the reformed Christians in the first place. Maybe then, we can get over it, let go, and come to accept them?

Before I begin…I know the word “Reformed” is used by different groups to mean different things. (thanks, Mrs. Els!) But for the purpose of this essay, I’m using the layman’s Cambridge definition of the word. Reformed means: “changed and improved because of no longer doing something harmful. Ex. a reformed alcoholic/criminal”  

When it comes to most mainstream rappers, you’d be hard press to find one who hasn’t rapped about street cred, violence, stealing, pursuing money, sex, fame, and materialistic things. Whether it’s “reality raps” or they’re straight up glorifying a wicked and immoral culture…let’s just say Christ isn’t the first thing that comes to mind while listening to their music. Easy! I said “most.” Not all…Kanye fans. 

With porn stars…it’s the pinnacle of sexual immorality. Essentially, if you read about the kind of lifestyles that will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven at 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, these entertainers are “known” for devoting their careers to promoting those very same lifestyles. 

But what if they’ve changed? What if they’ve learned the error of their ways and now they want to spread the Gospels? Jesus Christ welcomes all who come onto him. So, if these people repented and turned their lives around, what kind of Christians would we be to look down on them? Why should we feel anything other than absolute joy and triumph? 

Well… I had to copy and paste this comment from Joe2 I mentioned I’d be discussing the notion of “accepting” reformed rappers and porn stars and this is what he had to say: 

“I vehemently object though when churches may take a reformed Porn star, Gangster rapper, or some athletic jock who banged every girl in sight and places them on some kind of “talk circuit” where they go to different churches trying to convince youth groups of the evils of their former life style. 

I object for two reasons. The message that is heard is, “We’ve had our “fun” and everything turned out OK. Sure there were some bumps along the road, but nevertheless we are here.” Also, they are now financially profiting from their former sins through their “ministry” which churches support through donations and having them speak. So in a sense, sin does pay. And, needless to say, these people get loads of attention while the young, steady Eddie Christian guy in the church is ignored by the young women. It’s just not right to glorify these people, even if they have repented.” 

Joe2’s comment sums up how a lot of us “steady Eddie Christians” feel. Not to mention the many times those same “reformed” Christians have mocked and looked down on us for being steady Eddies. Personally, I’ve been called lame, a stick-in-the-mud and too conservative by even other so-called Christians for adhering to the concept of waiting till marriage to have sex, or not going along with the PRIDE events to show “support”. 

“Well, Rock. How much of a Christian are you if you’re still lingering to those feelings?” 

Let me stop you right there. The point of this essay is to provide understanding. I know there’s a lot of Christians out there who seem like they don’t have a wicked bone in their body. Kudos to them. But some of us still have flaws and weaknesses. A Christian with good intentions, yet lacks a certain level of understanding, this person can do more harm than good, like inadvertently making a person feel like there’s something wrong with them for having rational reasons as to why they feel a certain way. 

When I was about 12-years-old and regularly attended church (Kingdom Hall) with my family, I looked around one day and noticed there were nothing but older people 40+, or kids who still lived with their parents. There weren’t any singles and barely any couples in their 30s. 

Even at that age, my devious mind suspected the young adults were probably out doing whatever they wanted, and deliberately PLANNED to find God only after they got all the fun out of their system. It sounded like an awesome plan. God forgives, doesn’t he? Surely, he’ll forgive the mistakes of our youth. 

So, I asked my mom, “How about this. Let me live life the way I want? And then when I’m old and getting closer to death, I’ll change and commit my life to God? Can’t I do that?” 

She answered, “No, it doesn’t work that way. It’s different for you because unlike the others, you know the truth. You know what God loves and disapproves of, so you can’t claim ignorance.”  

“THEN WHY WOULD YOU TEACH ME THIS!?” …was my first thought.  

I remember being so upset. I thought it was cruel and harsh for my parents to subject me to religion. So many of my peers got to do whatever they wanted, live however they wanted. They got to experience all kinds of things, hang out with friends, do drugs, have sex, fight whoever, cheat whenever, do whatever it takes to win. It’s only bad if you get caught! They can be seen as popular, be accepted, be liked, be loved, and appreciated by their peers because they’re down with the program. 

They could do all of this, while ignoring the Scriptures, carrying around some idealistic version of a God who’s happy with them no matter what they do. And in the end, when it’s all said and done, they can repent later in life, learn the Truth about God, and be saved.  

Meanwhile, if I wanted to be saved, I’d have to refrain from all that “fun”. Do you get the picture? From the age of 12 till death, Rock has to live his life committed to Christ’s teachings if he wants to be saved. But Chad and Tyrone can find God at 45 after bedding down every girl I ever wanted to be with and still get the same reward I’m getting. 

As you can discern from my tone here…there was jealousy in me. In my heart, I wanted to disobey the Scriptures and pretend I knew nothing of God. For a teenager, this was torturous. It was very much the same as my wanting to play football in high school, but my mother wouldn’t let me because she was afraid of me getting hurt…and yet she’d force me to go to the games on Friday night, the very games I wanted to play in. 

That’s what it’s like living in this world. When you have the strength, ability, and desire to play the game and win it…but you refrain from participating because you were ordered not to. And instead, you’re forced to see everyone else playing the game, succeeding, and getting everything you ever wanted… 

I’m mentioning this because a lot of us want to get married and have our own families. But if we’re rejected because we’re striving to live by Christ’s standards, it’s understandable why we’d feel a type of way towards those who had engaged in the hook-up culture, found their spouse this way, got married, and then became reformed Christians. 

“But, Rock. Can’t you just find a good mate in the church or Christian community?”  

Yes! But it’s not a guarantee. Not to mention, even if we’re part of a church community, we’re not there 100% of the time and when we are, our options may be limited. As I mentioned earlier, when I was a teen going to church with my family, there weren’t a lot of young people. Most of the other teens my age were all boys. I’m not saying teenage girls don’t go to church, but we need to be real with the fact that sometimes, we are just out of luck. It was just by coincident that the particular church (Kingdom Hall) I went to, didn’t have a lot (any) girls my age. 

I mentioned that we’re not in these Christian communities 100% of the time, because that other 80-90% of the time is at school or some kind of work environment. There, we find more potential mates. And there, my argument stands. If we’re rejected because we’re living by Christ’s standards, while other self-proclaimed Christians are indulging in all kinds of sinful behavior…it doesn’t seem fair. It’s like they’re breaking the rules, cheating, and taking short-cuts. And because it seems like everyone else doing it, it feels like we’re the foolish ones for following the rules. 

Thus…I felt jealous for a long time. Problem was, I thought it was righteous indignation. I didn’t know it was jealousy until I heard of the “reformed” Christian…like this notion of a “Born Again Virgin.” To an actual Virgin, that phrase is ridiculous. It’s like, “Oh, so you’re practicing celibacy now? Nice! You’re just like me!”

And here’s the kicker…Atheists like to use the argument of, “You’re only doing what the Bible says because you want to go to heaven, or because you’re afraid of burning in hell.” 

But honestly, that logic’s never applied to me. My parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They don’t believe in a hell. It’s a concept called Annihilationism. And while JW’s did believe in an eternal “Paradise on Earth, that didn’t appeal to me either because the thought of spending an eternity in a world where there was nothing but the kind of JWs I grew up with, that sounded like hell to me. 

The point is, until I read the Bible for myself, I didn’t know what the blessings and rewards of following Christ were. And because I didn’t know what those blessings were, I was prone to bitterness, envy, and animosity. I was oblivious to the fact that all this time, I was actually protected and enjoying the blessings of living a Redeemed Life.  

What do I mean? Well…at this point, it’s appropriate to bring up Jesus’s Parable about the “Prodigal Son.”  

The first time I read this…ladies and gentlemen, I really think it speaks to the fact that Redemption is a journey. There are a lot of “hard” lessons in the Bible that aren’t easy to understand. The Prodigal Son was one such lesson, spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ himself. You can read it here at Luke 15:11-32. 

To summarize…The Parable tells the story of a wealthy Father with two Sons. This Father had land, animals, and a lot of servants working for him. The Younger Son asked for his share of the property and took off to explore the world. He lived recklessly, squandering his inheritance, and spending everything.

Then a famine came while he was off in a distant land. The Younger Son was in need and ended up taking a job where he was sent out to the fields to feed the pigs, pigs who were getting fed better than him. One day, he realized how much his father had, and how his servants were fed well and better cared for. He resolved to go back to his father, confess his sins, and repent.  

When this Younger Son returned home, he wasn’t even at the doorsteps when his father spotted him from a distance and ran out to embrace him with tears and affection. In verse 22, it says the Father instructed, “‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” 

Sounds great, right? Well…soon the Older Son was coming and could hear the music and dancing. He learned that the Younger Son had returned and was celebrated and given all those things and he was upset. He refused to go in. So, the Father went out to see what was bothering him.  

The Older Son said in verse 29, “‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” 

And the Father responded with something quite remarkable. He said in verse 31, “‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” 

…the first time I read this Parable, I was disappointed. I was disappointed with Jesus. I completely understood the Older Son’s feelings. Was I wrong to feel as the Older Son felt?  

Not gonna lie, it took years for me to understand this Parable. Instead of lingering to my feelings of disappointment in God and Jesus, I simply trusted that there was a reason why they were right, and I was wrong. Even if the reasons weren’t apparent to me right away. This is what it means to humble your heart. I’m just a human. Who am I to contest with He who created the Heavens and the Earth, a God who’s witnessed human behavior for thousands of years before I was even born. 

The first time I read the Parable, I was probably 29. The 2^nd time I read it, I was about 32-years-old. And by then, I understood. By then, I had come to terms with that jealousy in my heart. And perhaps, it was easier to admit that it was jealousy because by then, I no longer felt it. I no longer had the same desires. 

I understood the Parable of the Prodigal Son because I acknowledged that I was enjoying the benefits of having never left “the Father”. 

When you’re living a life on the straight and narrow, you sometimes take for granted all the blessings that comes along with it. In my 36 years of life, I haven’t had to struggle. I’ve always had a job or the means to support myself. I’ve never been robbed. I don’t have a prison record. I don’t have to pay child support. I don’t have any STDs. I don’t have any addictions. I’m in good shape. Good investments. I’ve never been cheated on (to my knowledge). No divorces. I have great relationship with friends and family. And I own my own home.

I may not make over six figures, but I feel rich! There’s a saying, “Anxiety is picturing your future without God in it.” And ever since I heard that saying, I’ve made it a point to pray and ask God to keep my Faith strong. As long as I believe and put my trust in him…I’m golden.  

There are some fleshly desires that I have to contend with as a human being, such as the desire for companionship and to be loved…things I can’t force others to do against their free-will…but other than that, what the Father has, it’s been mine or it will be mine. 

Contrast that with the Prodigal Son. The title of this essay is whether should we accept Rappers and Reformed Porn stars. It’s really about accepting anyone who used to live worldly lifestyles, but I picked these two professions because it’s much simpler to illustrate the struggles they face. 

Recently, PNB Rock was gunned down at a Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. He’s just one of dozens of rappers who have met violent ends within the past few years. A lot of American’s (myself included) can’t name a single song they wrote, but know they were rappers who got shot. Even 50 Cent has to constantly look over his shoulder, never knowing when someone’s gonna come for him. 

With Pornstars, this SFW link will take you to a list of Ex-Porn Stars who regretted their work. With some, it’s ruined their marriage, their relationship with their parents. And when they’re older and trying to get in other lines of work, it’s difficult to scrub off that stigma of being a sex worker.  

These are examples of the “Younger Sons” from the Parable. The ones who ventured out, rejected the father, and lived recklessly. For that, they are suffering terrible consequences that us Older Sons have been shielded from. The problem is, Satan’s convinced the Younger Sons that those consequences are either worth it or “the new normal”. 

Just recently, Jason Derulo’s baby momma, an Instagram model, went to social media and poured her heart out about how he cheated on her. She talks about wanting a family and complains that “No one aspires to be a baby momma.” 

Not being able having the traditional family you want is one of the consequences Satan’s normalized in today’s modern society. It’s becoming more and more accepted that if you want to be with a rich, famous man, you have to accept that he’s going to cheat on you and be cool with it. When Kevin Samuels was alive, he pushed that idea. And even before he pushed it, it seems to be what a lot of ladies have tacitly embraced. Exhibit A: Jay Fizzle and his 14 Baby Mommas. 

Satan has made it seem like these Prodigal Sons are having “fun,” when really…they are the product of what happens when you ignore that internal trigger in your brain that tells you you’re doing something wrong. You do that enough times, you’ll likely become immune to it. Thus, you will have no shame. Your sense of right and wrong will depend on how you feel, eventually becoming your own god. 

And if everyone’s their own god…can we really be surprised when morally, spiritually, and mentally, so many find themselves like the Prodigal Son who’s squandered and wasted his inheritance and are now forced to tend to the pigs who are better fed and cared for than they are. Is that not what’s happening with those who are slaves to the corporations, social media companies, and their respective industries? 

Lastly…there’s the question that Joe2 broached his comments earlier. Should these reformed Christians who were known for their debauch lifestyles now be spearheading the preaching work as Church leaders? The Apostle Paul immediately comes to mind. He used to persecute Christians and later became one of the leading figures responsible for spreading Christianity the world over. 

Recently, “Use This Gospel” became the number one song on the Christian Billboard music charts. It’s a song rapped by Eminem, Kanye West, and DJ Khaled. I checked out the comments section of that song and it definitely inspired a lot of people to praise God and give glory to Jesus. But still…something seems a bit odd. Jason Whitlock, Shameka Michelle, and Pastor Anthony Walker talked about it on their show a couple of weeks ago. I have it queue up below.  

There’s a saying that “too many Christians want Christ’s teachings to conform to their lifestyle, instead of conforming their lifestyles to Christ’s teachings.”  

Pastor Anthony says in the video that his concern with Gospel “rap” music is, “Are we trying to mirror the culture or are we trying to transform the culture?”  

That’s my biggest concern as well, especially when it comes to propping up the reformed rapper or porn star to be “pastors” and preachers. For those who see no problem with it, I’d like to direct you to 1 Timothy 3: 1-7 that lists the qualifications of a pastor. That’s not to say reformed Christian’s can’t minister to others…it’s that leadership role that concerns me.

You could argue that it would inspire those who are living the most debased of lifestyles, to see someone who was once in their positions now living a redeemed life…and there, I think they’d have a good point. But you don’t need a leadership role to do that. 

In my personal opinion…I’d have greater respect for the reformed Rapper and Porn star if they used their fame and influence to prop up other, more experience, upstanding Christian role models and let them speak on their platforms. I’d have greater respect if they atoned by donating the money they attained by immoral means to the building of churches or giving to the poor.  

Either way…we should definitely rejoice that the anyone who once indulged in those wicked and worldly lifestyles have repented and returned to the Father. I think if anyone’s harboring animosity or jealousy, we should have patience and understanding with them, helping them to see how blessed they truly are.

And remember, we are human. Just as it’s wise to avoid the temptation of going into a strip club, I think it makes all the sense in the world for a Christian to want to avoid the hanging out with the reformed Christians who are prone to talking about their pasts if the Christian’s not strong enough to handle it. 

“What do you mean, Rock?” 

Well…if you’ve never been to the prom and don’t know what it is, would you really feel like you missed out? To this day, there are a lot of Christians who refuse to even hear Atheists arguments for fear of being led astray.  

You could argue that, “if their faith was so strong, they’d have nothing to fear.”  

But “strong” is a comparative word. If I’m stronger than you, it doesn’t mean you’re not strong. I think it’s wise for everyone to acknowledge their strength and weaknesses. Improve them if you want, but it’s not required to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Meaning, one doesn’t need to run Satan’s gauntlet or worldly vices to see how Spiritually strong he is.  

Alright. I’m rambling now. I hope this makes sense. Thanks for reading!