Prophets (Musicians) that Changed the World

In continuing with what I started yesterday on media that changed the world, I'd like to showcase a few "prophets" and their "prophetic utterances" that changed the world on a global or local scale.  This list is not exhaustive though and neither does it validate the lifestyles of any one of them that lived ungodly, immoral lifestyles. My focus here is on what their music did, its obvious influence. 

Kirk Franklin - Kirk has been a major influence on not just gospel music but also mainline musicians. His influence has spanned the world. The release of his song "Stomp" caused a shift in the way gospel music was viewed. It became clear that gospel music could infiltrate the "secular".

Infinity (The Olori Oko fame) - Their song changed the musical landscape of Nigeria. Most people started giving serious thought to their videos after these guys released theirs. It was obvious their sound had a supernatural breath as it shattered all kinds of religious and social barriers as people of diverse religious beliefs either played or sang the song "Olori oko si nbowale". Their song and video both won awards in Nigeria.

Bob Marley - His songs caused him to be referred to as a political icon. His music radically changed the worldview of people advancing the gospel of love.  "Marley’s melodies will be as prevalent as those of any songwriter who has ever lived. “No Woman No Cry” will still wipe away the tears from a widow’s face; “Exodus” will still arouse the warrior; “Redemption Song” will still be a rallying cry for emancipation from all tyrannies, physical and spiritual; “Waiting in Vain” will still seduce; and “One Love” will be the international anthem of a coffee-colored humanity living in unity, in a world beyond borders, beyond beliefs, where everyone has learned at last to get together and feel all right."(Bob Marley was a huge user of Marijuana)

The Beatles - This group influenced the culture of an entire generation. Their music also helped to bring down Communism. However the downfall of The Beatles came when they said that even God could not stop them.











Michael Jackson - We are the World, Thriller (which kind of launched the music video industry into prominence), Earth Song, Black and white, etc. Michael Jackson became a global symbol of charity using his songs as a platform for bringing influence.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti - A man whose lyrics put so much pressure on the governments of the day that they had to imprison him. He died, most likely of AIDS.

Music raises the soul of man even higher than the so-called external form of religion…That is why in ancient times the greatest prophets were great musicians.

Movies that Prophesy

If you are like me, you love watching movies (i'm particularly in love with the sci-fi and animation genres). Do you have any particular favourites , one you would watch over and over again? I do. I've seen The Incredibles more than 5 times (and I'd love to see it again). I have a friend who's watched Gladiator so well that he can recite the lines in the movie. If there was to be a Nigerian version, I'd nominate him to take the role Russell Crowe took in the movie.

You may not agree with me but the power of the media is majorly in the inspiration that births it. Prophecy is also largely linked with inspiration. Creativity is another element that is linked with inspiration. I can safely conclude that prophesying, inspiration and creativity are related. I checked a few meanings of the words used in the Old Testament for the word "prophesy" and came up with some interesting results.

1. naba: to prophesy, that is, speak (or sing) by inspiration (in prediction or simple discourse)
   
2. chazah: to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically to have a vision of
   
3. naataph: to ooze, that is, distil gradually; by implication to fall in drops; figuratively to speak by inspiration

Looking at these three words I see the media, particularly the entertainment media (movies, music, video games, etc) clearly represented. 21st century prophets are not just those who can give words of knowledge in the church or see the future but those who, being inspired by God can release the divine into the earth, giving us a clearer better picture of God and His ways.

Now that we understand what prophesying is I'd like to make a list of movies, music, art and fashion that have prophesied to mankind. I'll start today with movies that prophesy.

1. Lord of The Rings (It speaks of the Kingdom of the King and His ultimate return).
   


2. The Matrix (This classic is an allegory of the need for the renewal of the mind because of the fact that the real world is not the seen but the unseen.)


3. Brokeback Mountain (This movie is about a secret romance between two men. It became the voice that lunged homosexuality into prominence. Its message encouraged homosexuals to come out into the open).
   
4. The Harry Potter Movies (These movies made witchcraft and the occult more acceptable)



5. The Passion of the Christ



6. Heroes (A series that particularly speaks to mankind on the different giftings we all possess and how they relate to our personal purpose and the destiny of the planet).
   
   

The Devil's Box

I remember having some neighbours while growing up in the 90s, whose religious beliefs caused them to label the television the devil's box ("apoti esu" in Yoruba language). Because of the content this technology was spewing out, it was labelled an instrument of the devil to pollute the world. Church members were mandated not to have this "demonic" tool in their house and those who were converted to Christ and born into this denomination, took their TVs and either sold them or threw them into dumpsters.

About two decades after, these same believers are using satellite TV to broadcast live programmes that are beneficial to believers and the world at large. What happened? I believe light from the Holy Spirit suddenly dawned on them that it wasn't the technology that had the problem but the use it was put to and content that it released.

The Church has always done this over the years, we tend to throw out the baby with the bath water. It is ony human to fear what we don't understand. We are quick to associate many technological advancements to the devil because of our fear and ignorance. We must know that all creativity originates from God, the Father of lights. This creativity is a tool to advance the will of God in all the nations of the earth. This creativity is the means to reach this new generation!

There's no doubt that the key to any lasting change in any community is linked to influencing the largest demographic. Irrespective of how many older people know God fully and deeply, the reality of God would soon become a mirage to the younger geenration if they don't expereice God for themselves. Let me quote a few lines from Leke Alder's book Conversations of A 21st Century Saint:

"This is dyslexic genration. They respond less and less to words and more and more to images. In the 80s music could sell without video accompaniment. Today, no video, no music sales. The music is the video and the video is the music. No video, no music!

To reach this generation, the medium is as important as the message. The older generation is enarmored by television. This generation is into portable media: the mobile phone, the iPod, Sony Playstation Portable and, so on. They are more of platforms than gadgets in an age of digital convergence.

In essence these are the 3 factors in issue in youth marketing: the technology, the format and the content. The iPod is a technology. Rap is a format. The content is the lyrics.

We tend to be afraid of the technology, demonise the format and condemn the contents, whereas we ought to appropriate the technology, adopt and adapt the format and clean up the content. We must create the content in the same format using the technology of the age fro distribution."

We must wake up to the reality of the fact that to have a large market share, we must create products that the market will find useful and not just products that we like and then try to push down the throats of the populace. It's not in doubt that our message is authentic and relevant but it seems we are the only ones who know that. If I have the cure for AIDS but can't prove to the whole world that it can do what I say it can, do you think anyone would listen to me?

KNOCKED OUT!!!

It's obvious there's a spiritual power-play of sorts going on right now. The devil is out to ruin mankind. All creation is anxiously waiting for God's children to step on the scene and bring deliverance but it seems His children are no where to be found. the truth is the children of the kingdom are not weaklings. We are emissaries sent on a errand with the backing of heaven's armies. We can only take over the kingdoms of this world for God by the display of His power. We've got the power!

I'd like you to read a story a friend of mine emailed to me this morning that underscores this fact.

"Yesterday, I stumbled on a 1984 Interview of Lester Sumrall (An American Minister who died on April 28, 1996, at age 83.) It was a repeat broadcast on TBN International. He was in the Philippines on missionary work and he learnt of a prostitute who was jailed and had "lost her mind"! He said that she was very violent and no one could come near her! She was obviously possessed by a demon! He wanted to walk away, but he felt God wanted him to go and cast out the demon! So finally he summoned courage and went to talk to the doctor in charge.

The doctor was an atheist who didn't believe in Jesus, but since they had tried everything else in vain, he could only counsel Rev. Sumrall to stay off because the woman was dangerous! Sumrall showed him Mark 16 and explained that the last instruction Jesus left for us is to cast out devils! So the doctor agreed and did a funny thing.e started calling his friends and all the media houses to come and see "we are about to cast out a demon!"

Sumrall said there were about 120 people there before he knew what was happening! He wanted to take the lady into a room but the Doctor refused, saying, everything has to be done in the open. He started! The demon dealt severely with the woman. It bit her whenever Sumrall touched her. The demon made the woman shout "I hate you" etc.

However, he eventually ordered the demon to leave the woman and it did! . . . on free live television broadcast in many channels! He said immediately after, the Doctor took him to the Mayor's office! And the Mayor hugged him and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything!" He said yes. We are building a church a few blocks away from here. We have not been able to get our building plan because we refused to bribe! Right there and then, the Mayor sent for the papers and stamped them before him! and gave them to him. And said, "You are the first Protestant to get building permit in this city!"

Then Sumrall said, "One more thing. There is a park just in front of your office. Could you let me hold a meeting there to tell people how this miracle happened?
Mayor said, "For how long?" "6 weeks!" was the reply.

It was approved. And Sumrall did a 6-week crusade in the high brow area, free of charge! He reported that thousands of people gave their lives to Christ.

Today, Sumrall is no more. Jesus has moved up. But there are still disciples. And what Sumrall achieved because of this one miracle, I wonder how many years it would have taken him to achieve without the miracle."

Boko Haram Solution

Our societies are riddled with all kinds of issues and problems that we never have been challenged with before. A few years ago, terrorism was something we watched on DVD series like 24, with Jack Bauer doing all kinds of stunts. Strip clubs were unheard of, only seen in American movies. Homosexuality was completely unheard of and a foreign concept. Unemployement is at an all time high with cyber-crime being the order of the day with many jobless youth (with dreams of financial abundance). On a global scale, there are environmental problems that have defied human solutions. It seems the earth is breaking down under the strain of man's pressure. Problems, on all levels, that are defying known human solutions are confronting us on a daily basis.

Israel faced such a time in their national history, when confronted with hostilities from sworn enemies, Philistia. Goliath, the Philistine champion constantly harrassed the Israelites twice a day for 40 days. Imagine! 40 days of constantly being told you were a wimp, a failure, unable to ever succeed. I wonder why the Israelites didn't just leave the place and go back to reinforce. Did they have to stay there and listen to this bashing of their self-confidence? They say he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day right? I wonder. Well, let's go back to the story.

The people who were empowered to solve the problem (the army), were clueless as to what to do but when someone wanted to take the problem head-on, they were quick to discourage him. The government (King Saul and his officials) and the preceeding generation (David's elder brothers and the army) were clueless as to how to handle the problem that threathened their national security. David, came into limelight because he took care of this single problem for Israel. This long-standing problem was taken care of by someone who did not go to war college or even have any administrive or leadership experience (at least that's what everybody thought). But David had qualifications that others did not acknowledge.

1. On two seperate occassion, he had killed a lion and a bear that attacked his father's sheep. He had handled projects that ensured his father's business did not crash, in the face of those enormousness challenges.
2. He knew God was on his side
3. He knew how to use his sling very well

I watched the local news tonight and listened as a government official re-echoed what "our friend Jona" has been saying, we can't leave everything to the government. What he didn't say is this, they don't know what to do. The government, just as in the days of David, is clueless as to what to do to deal with the

Goliaths threathening our societies. The solutions are in the Davids, men and women who have handled problems at different levels of life and society and dealt with them effectively. Men and women who have run businesses, families, led small groups and so on, successfully. These successes are what qualify them to bring the Goliaths down and bring singing and joy to the society.

Imagine what rewards will be given to the person who can bring a long-lasting solution to the Boko Haram terrorism issue? Or someone who can profer solutions to the endless mass failures of students in W.A.E.C.? Opportunities abound for Davids right now. It's about time we stepped in!