I would like to share with you some theology. I have two very different examples from two very different music genres. The first is taken from arguably the most popular country singer on the planet, Kenny Chesney. The song is called ''Everyone Wants to go to Heaven''. Here are the lyrics.
Preacher told me last Sunday mornin’
Son, you better start livin’ right
You need to quit the women and whiskey
And carrying on all night
Don’t you wanna hear him call your name
When you’re standin’ at the pearly gates
I told the preacher, “Yes I do”
But I hope they don’t call today
I ain’t ready
Everybody wants to go to heaven
Have a mansion high above the clouds
Everybody want to go to heaven
But nobody want to go now
Said preacher maybe you didn’t see me
Throw an extra twenty in the plate
There’s one for everything I did last night
And one to get me through today
Here’s a ten to help you remember
Next time you got the good Lord’s ear
Say I’m comin’ but there ain’t no hurry
I’m havin’ fun down here
Don’t you know that
Everybody wants to go to heaven
Get their wings and fly around
Everybody want to go to heaven
But nobody want to go now
Someday I want to see those streets of gold in my halo
But I wouldn’t mind waiting at least a hundred years or so
Everybody wanna go to heaven
It beats the other place there ain’t no doubt
Everybody wanna go to heaven
But nobody wanna go now
Everybody wanna go to heaven
Hallelujah, let me hear you shout
Everybody wanna go to heaven
But nobody wanna go now
I think I speak for the crowd
I know that this song was never written with theology in mind. It was written to be a fun song with a catchy toon. Still, to me at least, it is thought provoking. There is a lot of ''folk theology'' here with the angels wings and halos and what not. No doubt this is what most of the unsaved folks listening to this song think of heaven. The tragedy here is that there are many ''Christians'' with this same ''theology''! I am sure too that there are many church goers today that love this song and sing it at the top of their lungs with ice cold beer in hand while toasting there fellow drunkards at the local watering hole. ''I wanna to to heaven cause its better then that other place!'' One thing I can say for sure though is that this song may speak for the crowd but it does not speak for me!
Let me share another song with you that has theology a little different then the above! This is a rap or hiphop song written by Shai Linne. The theology here very scriptural and systematic. The lyrics here are beautiful and wonderful and full of truth. What a difference!
My Portion
written by shai linne
Verse 1
It makes sense that I should write this song
It’s been a while now since you turned the light switch on
And so powerfully opened up my eyes to see
Reality, now I’m free (check it out)
Reminisce on my Christ-less days
Evidence- my life and ways
It was like I was forever bent
I lived a life of decadence
Then you sovereignly intervened and I’ve been on your team ever since
I was saved and am being saved- present tense
And will be saved from the deadly pestilence
Your holiness got me worshipping You with reverence
You’re infinite and transcendent- yet with friends
Your love letter, the Old and New Testaments
Also the Christian’s best defense-It speaks of Christ, who was heaven sent
Forgive us for ever being negligent or hesitant to represent His excellence
The world chases after the cars with better tints
Your people long after Your glory- a better glimpse
The Author of my faith, praise Your marvelous grace
The type I can call and embrace when I fall on my face
So I’m lifting up my hands and I’m raising my voice
Even though the world thinks I made the craziest choice
They can laugh all they want, Lord, I do not care
And I don’t want to go to Heaven if God is not there
Hook:
Whom have I in Heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire but You
My flesh and my heart may fail however
The Lord is my portion forever
Verse 2
The penalty for my sin deflected- so glad I’ve been elected
I spread my hands out to my Savior as I genuflected
And then reflected on Christ, the globe spinner
(You) turned this out-of-control sinner into a soul winner
I can’t take credit for it- You’re too holy
I didn’t choose you, Lord, you chose me
The actual situation is ever since my youth
My natural inclination was to resist your truth
I was dead you said “Live!”
Now you’re teaching me to love you for who You are and not just what You give
It’s so divine- to maintain through the pain
It blows my mind how You came the way You came
Not a conquering hero, but a Suffering Servant
Lord, You died for a zero who doesn’t deserve it
You take shady dudes who hate the truth- Give them faith in You
Make them new creations too- All praises due
So praise Him- don’t hesitate from the right to left
Just thank Him and meditate on His life and death
Resurrected and exalted- forever so high
And why He chose me I might never know why
But I’m lifting up my hands and I’m raising my voice
Even though the world thinks I made the craziest choice
They can mock all they want Lord I do not care
And I don’t want to go to Heaven if God is not there.
Hook:
Whom have I in Heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire but you
My flesh and my heart may fail however
The Lord is my portion forever
Bridge:
You could give me the Lex, the coupe, the Beamer, the Benz
The sex, the loot, the Cream or the ends
But next to the truth of Jesus, friends
it’s worth nothing (repeat)
Verse 3
And Lord, don’t let me get caught up in my own tapes
I saw what happened when Noah got drunk off His own grapes
So many ways to stumble- many boastful and loud
The Lord gives grace to the humble and opposes the proud
The Holy Spirit’s a great deposit; my life- He stabilized it
Today the object is to stay in the prayer closet
And when I come out, may they know that the Master lives in me
Through passion for ministry and loving sacrificially
No matter what, Lord, wean me off of the world
Can’t believe I found the costliest pearl (it's crazy)
For the glory of your name I’ve been made your own
By your grace justified through faith alone
That’s why I’m lifting up my hands and I’m raising my voice
Even though the world thinks I made the craziest choice
They can laugh all they want Lord- I do not care
And I don’t want to go to Heaven if God is not there
Hook:
Whom have I in Heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire but You
My flesh and my heart may fail however
The Lord is my portion forever.
I love these lyrics. This is theology (very good theology) put to hiphop music. I used to hate the stuff now I use it often to fill mind with truth. You can read more Shai Linne lyrics at http://www.lyricaltheology.blogspot.com/ .
Kenny may sing that he wants to go to heaven just not now, I however sing as Shai sings, Whom have I in heaven but YOU (my King and my God, my Redeemer and Lord)!
What are you filling your mind with?
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