Kendrick Lamar Says ‘All Glory to God’ After Winning Grammy’s ‘Best Rap Album’

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Kendrick Lamar Says ‘All Glory to God’ After Winning Grammy’s ‘Best Rap Album’

kendrick lamar (Photo: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni)

Christian Post Report – Kendrick Lamar performs a medley of songs at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California February 15, 2016.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar praised God on Monday for his big Grammy win of “Best Rap Album.”

The 28-year-old artist took the stage at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards to thank God, his wife and his parents after he won the “Best Rap Album” award for his To Pimp a Butterfly record.

“First off all glory to God, that’s for sure,” the rapper told the audience, who responded with a standing ovation.

“My foundation, my root to me being on this stage, Kenneth Duckworth and Paula Duckworth, those who gave me the responsibility of knowing and understanding, accepting the good with the bad […] I’ll always love you for that,” Lamar said when thanking his parents.

“Whitney, I will always love you for supporting me and keeping me motivated, and for being the best person,” the musician said about his wife.

Lamar, who hails from Compton, California, went on to thank his record label, Top Dawg Entertainment, for getting him and other young artists “out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage.”

The singer/songwriter also thanked hip-hop and its trailblazers, including Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube.

Lamar’s heartfelt acceptance speech gained the attention of the Obama administration, with the White House tweeting: “Shoutout to @KendrickLamar and all the artists at the #Grammys working to build a brighter future. #MyBrothersKeeper.”

President Barack Obama said in an interview with People magazine last year that his favorite song of 2015 was Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost” from the To Pimp a Butterfly album.

The “Money Trees” artist also took home awards for Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and for collaborating on Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” song.

Several fans and fellow musicians also commended Lamar for his charged Grammy performance, which included the rapper performing “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright” alongside African-American dancers dressed as prisoners in chains and behind bars.

Lamar concluded his politically-charged performance with a large bonfire on stage.

“Congrats @kendricklamar! Impactful & Strong performance,” journalist Piers Morgan tweeted.

“BLOWN AWAY by @kendricklamar so much Heart.. Extraordinary performance,” Justin Timberlake added.

Along with taking a political stance in his perfomances, Lamar has also addressed his Christian faith, as seen in the introduction to his album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.”

“Lord God, I come to you a sinner, and I humbly repent for my sins. I believe that Jesus is Lord. I believe that you raised Him from the dead. I will ask that Jesus will come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. I receive Jesus to take control of my life that I may live for Him from this day forth. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me with your precious blood. In Jesus’ name, Amen,” Lamar says in the intrduction.

Lamar recently spoke about the Grammy Awards in an interview with the New York Times, saying he would be honored to win any and all of tthe awards because he believes they are important.

“They’re all important, because of the foundation the forefathers laid before me. Nas didn’t get a chance to be in that position. [Tupac.] So to be acknowledged and to actually win, it’s for all of them,” Lamar told the newspaper.

Source : Christian Post

Tamela Mann Says Being Overweight Woman Nearly Kept Her From Breaking Into Gospel Music Industry

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Tamela Mann Says Being Overweight Woman Nearly Kept Her From Breaking Into Gospel Music Industry

David and Tamela Mann (Photo: BET Networks)

Christian Post Report – David and Tamela Mann star with their family in BET’s “It’s a Mann’s World.”

Before Tamela Mann became a Grammy nominated gospel music singer, she struggled to get into the industry because of her weight.

In a question and answer Twitter chat on Thursday, the 49-year-old singer responded to the question: “What are some of the struggles you faced when entering the gospel music genre?”

Mann was candid in her response, saying that her powerhouse voice almost took a backseat to her weight.

“One of the main struggles is my weight! I’ve always been good enough to be heard but not seen,” she revealed.

The vocalist who got her start singing in Kirk Franklin’s choir previously spoke about her weight loss on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” in 2014.

“I’ve lost over 100 pounds. I used to be a 30/32 and now I’m at an 18/20,” she said on the show.

Mann is also an actress, and has starred with her husband, David, in multiple Tyler Perry films and his show “Meet the Browns.” David was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007, and now the couple is working with the American Diabetes Association to help others live a healthier lifestyle.

“For me, I just have to get my mind right, set mind and body. I don’t have issues with diabetes or hypertension, but I don’t want it to happen,” Tamela said in a previous Diabetes Forecast report in April 2014. “But I’m getting older. Sometimes it’s hard.”

Tamela previously told The Christian Post that she wants to share her struggles in order to help other people.

“A lot of things that we go through as individuals and families, everything is just not for you,” Tamela told CP. “It’s a testimony for you to encourage somebody else, to share and tell somebody that they can make it so that we can all have triumph over whatever the situation is that we’re going through.”

When the couple is faced with challenges, they believe it is important to operate in their faith.

The Manns are living proof that dreams can come true, no matter how big they are. They insist that their secret to success is not allowing people to crush their dreams. While Tamela’s weight struggles once served as a roadblock for her to achieve her dreams, she never gave up.

“Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Every no is not detrimental to you,” she told CP. “When you can’t go on, you learn from it. You learn from the mistakes you made and you keep building, you keep working at it.”

The second season of the Manns’ reality show, “It’s A Mann’s World” will air at 10 p.m. ET Feb. 23 on BET.

Source : Christian Post

You Can’t Hide That Cigarette From Him!

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You Can’t Hide That Cigarette From Him!

You Can't Hide That Cigarette From Him!

Christian Post Report – Lots of people nickname the Bible “God’s instruction manual for life” — and for good reason. The most essential truths we need to know find their home in this book. Without the Bible, we wouldn’t be as deeply aware of our need for salvation or even know where to find salvation. Without the Bible, we folks of 2015 would be left to mere speculation about pretty big things like the will of our Creator and his purpose for our lives.

But does God’s written revelation tell us everything we need to know about everything? No, it doesn’t.

Is every situation I might face in this life going to be right there in this black and white “instruction manual”? Most definitely not.

The Scriptures don’t specify whether or not I can do things like drink wine, smoke cigarettes, or watch “The Walking Dead.”

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/should-christians-smoke-drink-and-watch-the-walking-dead-154468/#xPDLFDj6PKJFkpQg.99

Source : Christian Post

Ciara Admits Celibacy Is Tough, but Praying Through It With Russell Wilson

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Ciara Admits Celibacy Is Tough, but Praying Through It With Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson (Photo: Reuters/Danny Moloshok)

Christian Post Report – NFL football player Russell Wilson and singer Ciara arrive at the 58th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, February 15, 2016.

Honoring her public vow of celibacy is anything but easy, says singer Ciara Harris in her relationship with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

Still, the 30-year-old songstress told Cosmopolitan magazine that things are going well.

“We’re hanging in there. I’m not gonna lie,” she told the publication. “I’m human, so it is not easy, especially when I look at him and I think he is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen — that I’ve ever laid my eyes on, to be honest. I’m like, Look the other way!”

During a public conversation at The Rock Church in San Diego, California, last July, Wilson revealed that he and Ciara would not be having sex before marriage after the athlete had a conversation with God. Since they began dating last April, Ciara says the decision not to engage in sex with each other has helped foster a growth within the union.

“He’s such an awesome guy and the cool thing is that every day, we’re growing with each other. We get to have really healthy conversations and focus on each other as people,” she told the magazine. “That is very important to me and him. It’s very valuable.”

The singer also revealed that prayer has helped the couple stay strong.

“We’re just enjoying ourselves and going one day at a time and praying and staying positive,” she said. “Being strong here.”

During the Q&A session with Pastor Miles McPherson at The Rock Church, Wilson described how he presented the idea to his girlfriend.

“I asked her ‘what would you do if we took all that other stuff off the table and did it Jesus’ way, no sex?” Wilson asked the singer. “I knew God had brought me into her life to bless her and for her to bless me and to bless so many people with the impact that she has and I have. We’re not going to be perfect, by any means.

“He’s anointed both of us and He’s calling for us to do something special.”

Last year, Ciara told E! News that she considered her public abstinence a cool and healthy thing.

“I run into different people and they’ll talk to me about their journey and their relationships, so I think that’s been really cool and it’s a healthy thing,” Ciara previously told E! News. “It’s a healthy conversation we all get to have as adults. I’m not sweating it at all.”

Although the entertainers are in the public eye with their relationship, Ciara said other people can relate to their spiritually led decision to wait until marriage before engaging in sexual activity.

“You know, when Russell talked about it, he was being honest. For what it’s worth, I think there are so many people like us,” Ciara told E!. “We get to share real things. We’re real people.”

Source : Christian Post

Historic Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Undergoes 3-Year Restoration by Muslim, Christian Church Leaders

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Historic Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Undergoes 3-Year Restoration by Muslim, Christian Church Leaders

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  • Church of the Nativity(Photo: Reuters/Fadi Arouri/Pool)
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal (3rd R) leads a Christmas midnight mass at the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, December 25, 20Christian Post Report – 15.
  • Church of the Nativity(Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
    • Nigerian pilgrims pray inside the Church of the Nativity during Christmas celebrations in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, December 24, 20Christian Post Report – 15.
  • Church of Nativity(Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
    • A worshipper lights candles as she attends a Christmas service according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, in the church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, January 6, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Church of Nativity(Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
    • Worshipers attend a Christmas service according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, in the Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, January 6, 20Christian Post Report – 16.
  • Church of Nativity(Photo: Reuters/Ammar Awad)
    • The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III (C) attends a Christmas service according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar, in the Church of Nativity in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, January 6, 20Christian Post Report – 16.

     

    Palestinian Muslims are part of an ongoing international effort to renovate the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which scholars believe is the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

    The Associated Press said in a report on Tuesday that the team of Palestinian and international experts are leading the biggest restoration the historical church has received in close to 600 years. The restoration includes the removal of centuries of dust and structural repairs to windows and the rooftop, with workers being careful to preserve artwork and mosaics dating back to the Crusades.

    “For the first time you can see, when you go up, mosaics really magnificent and beautiful and unique in the whole world,” said Ziad al-Bandak, who leads the Palestinian committee in charge of the restoration.

    The church was built in the fourth century by Saint Helena over the location in Bethlehem where the Virgin Mary is believed to have given birth to Jesus.

    The Church of the Nativity has been in need of repairs for some time, and has suffered a number of accidents over the many years — including one in May 20Christian Post Report – 14, where a fire broke out after a candle ignited curtains in the church’s grotto.

    Church officials said that the fire was not arson, however, and added that there was some smoke damage to the walls, as well as reported damage to some icons of Mary and Jesus.

    The AP noted that the holy site is revered by several different denominations withing the Christian Church and Muslim sects, and added that the Palestinian Authority has said it will help the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Churches fund the cost of the restoration.

    The ownership of the church is shared by the above-mentioned Christian denominations, upholding a Christian Post Report – 19th-century agreement that assigned responsibility regarding its upkeep.

    Al-Bandak said the different churches have been “very cooperative” over the restoration process, which is expected to take three years to complete, and noted that the renovations taken place already can be described as “revolutionary.”

    He added that an additional $Christian Post Report – 1Christian Post Report – 1 million will be needed in terms of funding, though PA President Mahmoud Abbas has promised to help play a part in raising the funds.

    “He told me from the beginning: ‘Even if you don’t have all the money to go ahead, start. This is a holy place and money will come,'” al-Bandak revealed.

    He added: “We are very proud of it because when we protect our national heritage, our history, we protect our future.”

    Source : Christian Post