Jesus, Your Ticket to Heaven

By:  Angela Lee Price

With the opening in theatres of the newly released feature film "Son of God," and the hit History Channel sequel, "The Bible," last year and subsequent DVD sales, it appears more people are paying the price to see Jesus. Will all this movie interest about the historical Jesus inspire some seekers to move from merely seeing Jesus on the big screen to confessing Him as Lord and Savior of their lives? It remains to be seen. What is true is that the number one reason new Christians give for confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is “I want to go to heaven when I die.” And one of the reasons Jesus died on the cross at Calvary was so they could get there. More than a ticket to the movies, Jesus Christ is your ticket to heaven! He is the answer to the pressing problem in our lives.

We don’t have a skin problem. We have a sin problem. We are...

S – Selfish

I – Incorrigible

N – Negative

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23.
Jesus saves us from the...
1. Penalty of Sin (Romans 6:23)
2. Power of Sin (Romans 3:23)
3. and soon from the Presence of Sin (John 3:16)
How can you be saved and go to heaven?

I'm glad you asked. Here is some "alphabet soup," the A-B-C's of salvation:

A - Ask Jesus to forgive your sins.

"If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart God has raised Him from the dead you shall be saved." Romans 10:9
B - Believe that Jesus is God and that he died on the Cross to take the punishment for your sins.
"God demonstrated his love for us in this, while we were sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
C - Call on Jesus to save you.
"For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13, Acts 4:12, John 3:3.
Get This Ticket to Heaven

We have given away many tickets and gifts on the Jesus Saves Social Network. All of them pale in comparison to this ticket to heaven, the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It is priceless! Pray this prayer!

A Prayer of Salvation

"Dear God, I know that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead. Because I have sinned and need forgiveness, I am willing to change the direction of my life by acknowledging Jesus as my Savior and Lord and by turning away from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life and hope. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Holla If You Hear Me
If you need help in finding a good church home, or if you would like additional information mailed to you on how to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, holla at me at jesussaves1@insightbb.com, or join the Jesus Saves Social Network.

Tags: heaven, life, salvation

The Gravity of Gospel Hip Hop

The Gravity of Gospel Hip Hop

By: Min. Angela Lee Price

Embracing contemporary gospel music may not be the answer for every church congregation, but it can be a way to keep young people from slipping into what secular hip hop mogul Jay-Z calls “the wild.” Jay-Z won a Grammy in February 2013 for "No Church In The Wild", his collaboration with Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean and The-Dream, a song that prophetically and pathetically describes the state of postmodern America. He says society has gotten so bad that people have been reduced to nothing, to a mob. In the hook, he rhetorically asks, "What’s a mob to a King? What’s a king to a God? What’s a God to a non-believer who don’t believe in anything?" In a violent and troubled time, Jay-Z is asking where is the church? He is being facetious because to him the answer is clear. The church is nonexistent. It is ineffective. There is no church in the wild. To a great degree he is right. In a time when people show no respect for God nor for human life, the church has become ineffective, a social gathering place. Even Bishop T.D. Jakes, one of the most well-known preachers on the planet said recently that he's tired of the "Hollywood Spirit" in the church.

I am so glad God is raising up a new generation of young men and women in this postmodern age who are not afraid to stand up against forces that speak against the church. God is gifting young people to speak truth to power with integrity, authority, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. While the church has its issues, the Bible declares that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. The 21^st century church has to stand up and begin to embrace our best and brightest young representatives, artists like Da Truth, and LeCrae, who has not only given a strong Christian retort to "No Church In the Wild" in his song, "Sacrifice," but also won a Grammy this year himself. LeCrae won a Grammy for “Best Gospel Album” for his groundbreaking "Gravity" CD. In winning the award, LeCrae made history becoming the first gospel hip hop artist to win a Grammy. LeCrae has proven that gospel hip hop can no longer be taken lightly. With gifted artists such as LeCrae giving a contemporary defense for the faith with integrity, Gospel hip hop has become an undeniable force in the gospel music industry.

---

Local Artist Cynthia Williams to Perform at Grace at The Race on May 1st

This gifted woman of God, Cynthia Williams stopped by WLOU radio station Friday, February 28th for interview with Mr. P. Cynthia will be the local vocalist on the Grace at The Race mega worship experience on May 1st featuring Kirk Franklin, Amy Grant, and Tamela Mann. Cynthia's song, "Completely Yours" features the one and only Fred Hammond. Cynthia is a member at St. Stephen Church. We are excited for the favor God is showing her to work with Fred Hammond and to open for Kirk Franklin. Listen for Cynthia Williams' song, "Completely Yours" on PraizePower 1359 WLOU and the new Praize 104.7, stronger so you can listen longer!



Negro Spirituals Come Full Circle

Postmodern Spirituals

The Negro spiritual has come full circle and is making a comeback. Jazz Saxophonist Tyrone Burkett has stylized a new classification of music called Postmodern Spirituals. Defined as "freedom music for the 21st century," it is the blending across time and space jazz, and soul with traditional and contemporary gospel to produce a modern-day version of the nineteenth century Negro spiritual. The St. Albans Congregational Church, Jamaica, New York hosted a non-traditional Easter service on Saturday, April 7, 2012, the day before Easter featuring postmodern spiritual music. Saturday nights are typically when most 21st century churches, particularly those with multiple weekend worship services, hold non-traditional services. The following event description was posted on The St. Albans Facebook page:

CELEBRATE EASTER WITHOUT THE FANCY CLOTHES! Come and be inspired by this very special Jazz Vespers Communion Service. On the day before Easter, this non-traditional worship experience will bring together music and message in celebration of the risen Savior. Postmodern Spirituals: New Freedom Songs. The postmodern spiritual is the re-imagined Negro spiritual as transformed through the lenses of jazz, gospel, and soul music that proceeded from those early songs of freedom. This music tells the story of the use of jazz language, harmonic sophistication, and improvisation that is juxtaposed with simple folk themes as melodies. Like the Negro spirituals, it has lyrically vivid imagery that is performed with the fervor of gospel and the smoothness of soul music. (http://www.facebook.com/events/130091790449778/)

Burkett grew up in New York studying John Coltrane, and Grover Washington Jr., while serving as a musician in the holiness church. About his new art form, Burkett states,

Coming up I was equally influenced by jazz and gospel during the same period of my life, remarked Tyrone. "No one was writing anything from that place, so I decided to try it myself. I had heard gospel influences in the jazz of Horace Silver, Charles Mingus and others. And I could hear the essence of the Negro spiritual prominently in John Coltrane’s music. So I took what was organic and natural to me – Coltrane, jazz fusion, 70s soul music traditional & contemporary gospel, spirituals and had them all converge naturally, without forcing the issue.

Another example of postmodern spirituals is the 2006 book and CD entitled My Soul Is A Witness, The Message of the Spirituals in Word and Song by Marsha Hansen, the sister-in-law of Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

Marsha Hansen is a concert vocalist and inspirational speaker. She teaches and sings African American sacred music for audiences in church settings throughout the country. She has served as a U.S. Naval Officer ad holds degrees in theology and human relations. On the music recording that accompanies this book, she has teamed with numerous family and friends, including her daughter, Jordan Hansen, and brother-in-law Keith Richards, who appears courtesy of Virgin Records. Also on the album are Blondie Chaplin of the Beech Boys and Rolling Stones, and George Receli, drummer for Bob Dylan. My Soul is a Witness is written by a Christian perspective and great insight into the historical and theological underpinnings of African American spirituals.

Songs on the recording include:

This Little Light of Mine, Been in the Storm So Long, Hush, Hush, Stan' Still Jordan, I want Jesus to Walk with Me, Rock in Jerusalem, I Got a Robe, et s Break Bread Together, My Soul is a Witness, Oh, Peter, Go Ring Dem Bells, Sweet Little Jesus Boy, Were You There, De Gospel Train, and I Believe This is Jesus.