According to his web site, Branch has been ministering Christian gospel since 1991. He states that his desire is "to be a model and a messenger of the gospel’s transforming power especially (but not exclusively) among the hip-hop generations."
Branch received a bachelor's degree in Bible from Lancaster Bible College and has a master's degree in theology from the Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS). His master’s thesis, "Theological Implications of Hip-Hop Culture", provided the inspiration for his solo album, The Thesis.
What A Relief
The Ambassador Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But, ahh, what a relief it is to be in Jesus
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But I've seen them meet Elohim and no more tough side
There's an attack on Christ in hip hop
That's like a man in Timberlands getting' dissed by a man in flip-flops
Will it stop, yes but not until we get dropped
It's not wise in my eyes for small guys
To dis Jesus Christ and be some so called "gods"
Your all off sides
your blind to the fact that God the Son takes lives
And one day will make them all rise
Just to judge them, find out what you thought of Him
Did you love, or was He just a dime a dozen
My mic's plugged in to confront the average rap star
Or the rap listener chillin' in you phat car
The facts are no matter what your stats are
Most R&B and rap are tracks that make God pull out the hacksaw
And disconnect them cause they won't respect Him
Once you get Him flexing then I'm jettin' cause then no one can protect them
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But, ahh, what a relief it is to be in Jesus
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But I've seen them meet Elohim and no more tough side
As I drop I've got you stopped like the red octagon
I never said I could rhyme, I only said, "God's the bomb!"
When the mic is mine Jesus will be in it every time
It's hard to keep fans when the Man's up in every line
But that's ok my pay day came when Yahweh visited Calvary
Crushed His son to pay my salary
Bet it, let it be know we're all indebted
One sin overcharged our credit
To the grave we were headed, the spiritual paralytics
Then Christ came to save like the paramedics
Check it---almost naked, with His arms spreader
Still said, "Come on with it the Law, the prophets and the Psalms said it"
And now I get it, a chance to make a record what me set it
Off for Jesus who gets rejected
On the regular I bet you the secular mind makes
You think mankind is on the rise like the crime rate
The wickeder the jam, the more money that it makes
But the more that it takes to break the patty cake
Child like mental state, my pencil breaks
Trying to write lyrics to infiltrate you must be unregenerate
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But, ahh, what a relief it is to be in Jesus
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But I've seen them meet Elohim and no more tough side
I'm no holier than thou pal, I'm not bashin' you
I just want to be frank like a Hebrew National
Get it straight the human race's a death row inmate
One liberates, but He's the one that most men hate
When sin takes or should I say took the world captive
Death came after, then universal disaster
Just before they wrote the final chapter
Out of the blue the best made a move like a true chess master
And absolutely brought sin and death to its knees
By dying on a tree with no leaves, true indeed
Jesus is who He be, the only One that saves men
From the heavenlies but down to earth like the pavement
Cheer this champion, no more dissin' Him
On the count of three start kissin' him
1,2,3 ahhh feel the romance of the Father
Abba, The lover man with more rank than Shabba
Some think death ends the drama, but I'm a
Remind you death is not a period it's just a comma
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But, ahh, what a relief it is to be in Jesus
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
But I've seen them meet Elohim and no more tough side
The Ambassador's song "What A Relief" speaks to the conflict between the pressures of tough-guy culture in hip hop and the peace and salvation that comes from being in Jesus. The lyrics describe the attack on Christ in hip hop and the foolishness in disrespecting Jesus, who is God and takes lives, ultimately rising to judge every person. The song emphasizes that even though tough guys may say they ruff ride, being in Jesus is a relief from the spiritual paralysis that comes from sin and the pressure to fit into a toxic culture. The song also explains how Jesus paid the price for the sin of humanity, and that death is not the end but just a comma.
The song's lyrics are a powerful commentary on the conflict between the tough-guy culture of hip hop and the message of salvation through Jesus. It highlights the foolishness in trying to achieve self-worth and status through life's toughness, when true freedom and peace come from a reliance on Christ. Interestingly, the song also confronts the conflict between secular and religious music, where the former is sometimes seen to glorify wickedness and crime while the latter is seen to glorify God. The song celebrates the will of God to free humanity from the chains of sin.
Line by Line Meaning
You know we live among tough guys who say they ruff ride
The world is full of people who boast about being tough and ruthless
But, ahh, what a relief it is to be in Jesus
Despite the tough exterior of the world, finding strength and comfort in Jesus is a welcome respite
But I've seen them meet Elohim and no more tough side
The tough guys lose their bravado when they encounter God
There's an attack on Christ in hip hop
Hip hop culture often disrespects and undermines the significance of Jesus Christ
That's like a man in Timberlands getting' dissed by a man in flip-flops
It's like an insult coming from someone with less status or authority
Will it stop, yes but not until we get dropped
The disrespect towards Jesus will eventually stop, but not until he returns and settles the score
Then Jesus universally will get props
Once Jesus returns, everyone will acknowledge his greatness and give him the respect he deserves
It's not wise in my eyes for small guys
It is foolish and unwise for people with less power or status to disrespect Jesus
To dis Jesus Christ and be some so called 'gods'
To disrespect Jesus and claim to be better or greater than him is a delusion
Your all off sides
Those who disrespect Jesus are wrong and misguided
your blind to the fact that God the Son takes lives
Those who disrespect Jesus fail to recognize that he has the power to give and take lives
And one day will make them all rise
Jesus will raise everyone from the dead and judge them based on their actions and beliefs
Just to judge them, find out what you thought of Him
Jesus will judge everyone and determine how they viewed and treated him
Did you love, or was He just a dime a dozen
Jesus deserves love and respect, not to be treated like any other person or thing
My mic's plugged in to confront the average rap star
The rapper is using his music to challenge and call out other rappers who disrespect Jesus
Or the rap listener chillin' in you phat car
The rapper is also targeting fans who listen to and support disrespectful rap music
The facts are no matter what your stats are
Regardless of how successful or popular a rapper is, disrespecting Jesus is wrong
Most R&B and rap are tracks that make God pull out the hacksaw
Most R&B and rap music is disrespectful towards God and causes him to remove his blessings
And disconnect them cause they won't respect Him
God will remove his blessings and presence from disrespectful music and artists
Once you get Him flexing then I'm jettin' cause then no one can protect them
Once God starts to intervene and take action against disrespectful behavior, the rapper will step back and let it happen
As I drop I've got you stopped like the red octagon
The rapper is confident and confident in his ability to captivate and hold the attention of his audience
I never said I could rhyme, I only said, 'God's the bomb!'
The focus of the rapper's music is God, rather than his own skills or abilities
When the mic is mine Jesus will be in it every time
The rapper intends to use his music as a platform to share his faith in Jesus
It's hard to keep fans when the Man's up in every line
It's difficult to maintain popularity when the focus of the music is Jesus
But that's ok my pay day came when Yahweh visited Calvary
The rapper's reward and satisfaction comes from his faith in Jesus and his redemption through his sacrifice
Crushed His son to pay my salary
Jesus sacrificed himself to pay for the rapper's sins and shortcomings
Bet it, let it be know we're all indebted
We all owe a debt of gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice on the cross
To the grave we were headed, the spiritual paralytics
Without Jesus, we were all destined for spiritual death and decay
Then Christ came to save like the paramedics
Jesus came to rescue us from spiritual death and save us like emergency medical personnel
Check it---almost naked, with His arms spreader
Jesus was practically naked and humiliated when he was crucified on the cross with his arms outstretched
Still said, 'Come on with it the Law, the prophets and the Psalms said it'
Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and predictions of the Old Testament about his coming and sacrifice
And now I get it, a chance to make a record what me set it
The rapper sees his music as an opportunity to spread the message of Jesus and inspire others to follow him
Off for Jesus who gets rejected
The rapper acknowledges that people often reject or dismiss the message of Jesus
On the regular I bet you the secular mind makes
The secular mindset and worldview often influence and shape our perceptions and beliefs
You think mankind is on the rise like the crime rate
People often believe that humanity is experiencing progress and improvement despite the evidence of ongoing problems and challenges
The wickeder the jam, the more money that it makes
Disrespectful music that is popular often generates more profit and success than music that focuses on positive messages and values
But the more that it takes to break the patty cake
The rapper recognizes that standing up for what you believe in, such as Jesus, requires more effort and courage than simply going along with the crowd
Child like mental state, my pencil breaks
People who disrespect Jesus are often immature and lack perspective
Trying to write lyrics to infiltrate you must be unregenerate
Attempting to produce music that goes against Jesus' teachings and values is a sign of spiritual decay and unregeneracy
I'm no holier than thou pal, I'm not bashin' you
The rapper does not consider himself superior or holier than those who disrespect Jesus, but he is still calling them out
I just want to be frank like a Hebrew National
The rapper desires to be honest and direct like a popular hot dog brand
Get it straight the human race's a death row inmate
Without Jesus, humanity is doomed to spiritual death and destruction
One liberates, but He's the one that most men hate
Jesus is the only one who can save us from spiritual death, but many people reject him and hate him
When sin takes or should I say took the world captive
Sin has a powerful hold over the world and humanity
Death came after, then universal disaster
Sin and death led to universal destruction and chaos
Just before they wrote the final chapter
Right before humanity's total destruction, Jesus came to save and redeem us
Out of the blue the best made a move like a true chess master
Jesus' arrival and sacrifice was unexpected yet strategic and masterful
And absolutely brought sin and death to its knees
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross defeated sin and death and brought them to submission
By dying on a tree with no leaves, true indeed
Jesus died on the cross, a symbol of death and decay, but he was triumphant and victorious
Jesus is who He be, the only One that saves men
Jesus is the savior and redeemer of humanity
From the heavenlies but down to earth like the pavement
Jesus came down from heaven to save us, but he was humble and down-to-earth
Cheer this champion, no more dissin' Him
Jesus deserves to be celebrated and respected, not disrespected
On the count of three start kissin' him
The rapper is calling on people to show their love and respect for Jesus
Ahhh feel the romance of the Father
The love and affection of God towards humanity
Abba, The lover man with more rank than Shabba
God, the loving father, has more authority and power than anyone or anything else in the world
Some think death ends the drama, but I'm a
Some people believe that death marks the end of everything, but the rapper disagrees
Remind you death is not a period it's just a comma
Death is not the end, but a continuation of life in a different form or realm
Contributed by Jasmine T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
The7evensover6ixes
Seek this out sooner.......don't be late next time.