"You are what you eat!" so declares the nutritionist. A prudent person will take serious heed to the warning. I believe the same thing holds true when one eats spiritually.
God's Word gives us the full measured diet and teaches us to avoid the things that could cause spiritual disease and obesity.
(1 Th 4:3-5 NKJV) "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; {4} that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, {5} not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;"
(1 Th 5:22 NKJV) "Abstain from every form of evil."
(1 Pet 2:11 NKJV) "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,"
(Phil 3:18-19 NKJV) "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: {19} whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things."
There are still some honest, sincere, Christian musicians and recording artists and I know that some will be linked by association with the demonic artists posing as "Christians" because of this and other articles. This is unfortunate, yet it must not prevent me or anyone else from exposing the great error in "Christian" music today. I can only say to those who are sincere, "Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."" (2 Cor 6:17 NKJV)
At the risk of appearing legalistic I have written this article for several reasons. First, I hope to appeal to the dead senses of many that are bound with chains of apostasy because of satanically inspired music. I would also hope that this article would serve as a warning to those who are unaware of the sometimes hidden dangers in the music of the great apostasy and thereby condone or otherwise give their approval to it. Finally, I believe sincere people who have unwittingly engaged in this music who, upon knowing the facts, will disengage themselves.
It would lessen the effect of what I have to offer if I spend equal time declaring all the glorious liberties God has given to His children through music. Music is a vital part of our lives and we would probably be whistling or humming to ourselves even if we were stranded on a deserted island. This does not mean we can take liberties with all music as if it was neutral and somehow becomes pure in the hands of the pure. Many claim to have left their old past and it's demonic ways (Eph.2:1-3), have become a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), yet want to hang on to their old music, only with new lyrics. I will not spend a great deal of time explaining what is the obvious here, namely, we should cut ourselves loose from all our old bondage's, not redefine them and call them "Christian" liberties. Suffice it to say that if one comes into Christianity requiring and maybe even demanding that God not take away their bondage, instead furnishing them with a Christian substitute, they have set themselves up for the Great Apostasy.
A great danger exists today in the fact that most of the professing church has plunged into a great apostasy. I believe that most all music is merging into one harmonious blend for the antichrist. Little disparity exists today between so-called "Christian" music and the music of the World System. It appears Satan has thrown out his bait of unholy blend and caught himself a nice stringer of "Christian" artists and thereby snared the millions who listen to them. He has also reeled in most of the Christian music business to the fringes of the demonic and beyond. I personally believe it is the final great apostasy that will bring the deceived masses under antichrist rule. Consider the following scriptures:
(2 Th 2:3 NKJV) "Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"
(1 Tim 4:1-2 NKJV) "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, {2} speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,"
(2 Tim 3:1-7 NKJV) "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: {2} For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, {4} traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, {5} having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! {6} For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, {7} always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
It is for this reason that I write this article concerning the music of the great apostasy and hope I might be able to reach souls that have not yet become hardened to the exhortations.
The music of the Great Apostasy masquerades as some sort of mystical revelation God has given to a special few who are advanced enough spiritually to receive it. Likewise the liberty to indulge in it has also come by a special gnosis that is unavailable to biblical, committed Christians. Apparently, you have to look and behave as a social misfit in order to receive this special knowledge. The problem with these notions is the same problem the early Gnostics had; namely, there is no biblical foundation for using music or any other means to pervert Christianity. No matter how popular that music or musicians may become, none have the right to invent doctrine based on extra-biblical knowledge and foist it on an unsuspecting generation of youth. Any minister, church leader, parent, or responsible person in the Body of Christ who allows such a thing will be judged severely by God some day. I do hold the leadership in professing Christianity hugely responsible for the disastrous invasion of apostate music into the church. Can you imagine the pastor getting up one Sunday morning and announcing that a guest speaker would be coming in a few weeks?
The above example was compiled from the music and lives of some of the most popular "Christian" music recording artists, and it is much worse than that. Can you imagine the horror of many church members if such a thing were to occur, yet it happens daily in a greater degree of wickedness and there is hardly a word mentioned from the leaders of the professing Christian society. How can this be you may ask? Recognize this: the church is not a building, it is the Body of Christ. Every day and night millions of professing Christians put a CD or Cassette tape into their car or home stereo and feed their souls on demonic music thinly disguised as Christian music. Who would accept a minister in their pulpit who was as wicked as these musicians?
In this article I will expose the infiltration by Satan into professing Christianity through the medium of music. Many will howl with glee when I point out the errors of "Christian" Rock and Contemporary "Christian" Music. These same people will themselves invite cigarette-smoking, beer-drinking, pot-smoking, pill-taking, fornicating, adulterous, wife-abusing, honky-tonk-attending, Southern "Gospel" groups into their church sanctuaries to "whoop it up for the Lord." As a result, I will deal with Southern "Gospel" music first. There cannot be total fairness if we single out one particular style of music for a diatribe while accepting another style equally as guilty. God does not just hate rock music sin; He hates southern music sin as well.
Southern "Gospel" Music
Though there are some sincere, dedicated Christians who are involved in this style of music it has gradually become more and more blended with the music of the World System. SG music has gone through a gradual transition until today it has spirits of the World System woven into it. Where did this current style of SG music come from? This is a question that I will be asking at the beginning of each section since all the offending artists declare that their music came from God. There is no doubt that Southern "Gospel" music came from the Honky Tonk music commonly referred to as Country and Western Music now simply called Country Music. When it arrived on the scene, SG music was roundly denounced as "demonic music from hell." Although the music itself does not present the degree of outward demonic influence as CR ("Christian" Rock) and CCM (Contemporary "Christian" Music), its subtle demonic influence is just as powerful. One is caught off guard by the pleasing appearance and seemingly innocent lyrics of the artists, yet the contamination of satanic influence has pervaded and perverted an entire generation of professing Christians.
SG appeals mostly to the emotional system as does CR, CCM, and secular music. A great number of the lyrics have false doctrine intertwined. A friend of mine (he may disown me when he reads this article) who is the writer of many top songs, a Dove and Grammy Award winner, told me a story one day. He said he was discussing the false doctrine that was in many SG lyrics with a legendary SG singer/songwriter. The legendary artist declared he could write a song with false doctrine in it that could be recorded. My friend dared him to do so and the result was a number one song. It surprised them both, but no one should be surprised today.
SG has the same effect that modern country music has on the emotional system. No wonder SG artists are crossing over to Country Music and vise versa. I remember a conversation I was privy to between two pastors I was acquainted with concerning a song written by the same legendary artist in the previous story. One pastor said to the other, "I just love that song. It reminds me of the old honky tonks I used to hang out in, the jukebox, the dance floor -" and etc. Both of these pastors went on to commit incest and one was a flagrant adulterer. It doesn't take much intelligence to understand that SG music does not draw one closer to God, but to the World System.
The effect of SG music is that it contaminates the spirit by seducing the emotional system. The same demonic spirits that influence Country Music inspire many SG artists. Many CR and CCM artists listen to blasphemous, antichrist; secular groups and many SG artists listen to Country music. For this reason a unity has developed between these two music businesses that further blurs the line of distinction. Instead of being two polar opposites with diametrically opposed messages, they have now come together as one. SG music doesn't mention anything in its lyrics that would convict its Country Music listeners of Sin, and Country Music doesn't mention anything that would convict its "Christian" listeners of Christianity.
Many Country Music stars give God the credit for helping them achieve their fame. Recent Country Awards winners stepped up to the podium to receive their awards and with a straight face gave God the glory for their wickedness. Barbara Mandrell declared that God gave her permission to write and sing her adulterous songs. Gary Chapman, Dove Award winner and husband of Amy Grant, also a Dove Award winner, is the host of TNN, a popular Country music television program. He frequently joins in with the Country artists who perform on his program. Not only will you see Mr. Chapman performing with these "Depression, Drunkenness, Adultery-merchants," but you will see many SG, and even some CCM artists, joining in as well.
Ricky Scaggs, popular Country Music artist, recently pioneered a religious movement called "Silent Witness" the name of which flies in the face of God's word and this statement by Jesus. (Mark 8:38 NKJV) ""For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.""
Scaggs can be seen in a CCM artist Carman video with "Christian" line dancers in the background. His "Silent Witness" movement is one of the most damnable presentations of hypocrisy and apostasy in recent times. It defies all sense of biblical reasoning, yet it was marketed to every "Christian" bookstore I visited. I heard no major challenge to it from the leaders of professing "Christianity." Instead of exposing it for the poison that it was, I heard Paul Crouch, of TBN, declare with Ricky Scaggs standing near him; "Never trust anyone who doesn't like a little Country Music."
TBN is a whole other story I plan to cover in a future article. Suffice it to point out in this piece that TBN is one of, if not the, major promoter of the current Great Apostasy. Its putrid offerings of false doctrine and availability to false ministers are well documented. People who give their money to it hasten the arrival of the antichrist and sponsor his deception.
The Laverne Trip story is a perfect source for people who wonder what goes on behind the scenes in some S.G. music groups. When I traveled with Grand Old Opry stars before I was saved we frequently performed in the same concerts with S. G. artists. Some of these artists fornicated with members of secular bands, came up to us asking for drugs, got drunk, spewed out filthy language, and otherwise behaved as if they were in the same bondage we were in. When they hit the stage through, it was all professional "Christianity" with full-blown excitement. People professed to receive salvation under the spell of this demonic offering!
Of course, not all or even most SG artists could be characterized as Laverne Tripp describes himself before his salvation, yet the music itself now has a cult following. Huge crowds attend concerts that seldom attend church services yet profess themselves to be Christians.
I remember listening to two waitresses discussing "church" in a restaurant. I always thought the first waitress to be a lost soul because of her cigarette smoking, flirtatious manner and off color remarks. Here she was "witnessing" to a second waitress who was a lost soul. She asked the second waitress why she didn't go to church, at the same time blowing cigarette smoke all over her and me. The second waitress replied she had to work all the time, even on Sunday. The first waitress then invited her to a SG concert, which I believe she decided to attend. When the second waitress absorbed the output of this concert I wonder what she thought. Did she come to the conclusion there was no line of demarcation between the world and the church? She watched SG artists perform who also perform on TNN. She listened to the same artists in the concert proclaim Jesus as Lord that she will be able to see in a secular venue condoning and promoting ungodliness through country music. Some witness, huh?
Praise and Worship Music
Again, I must begin this section by saying that there are sincere people involved in modern Praise and Worship music. Some of them are very conscious of the spirit of flesh and refuse to allow it in their music, yet there are many others who have presented a perversion that is strange fire before the throne of God. Praise and worship music, (PW) has become a hugely popular and profitable business due in a great degree to such people who come mainly from the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements.
Where did this music come from? It's origins are in the jazz, pop, and disco/dance music. I have even heard some PW that resembles Southern "Gospel Music, although it is difficult to work up a sweat with steel guitars plucking in the background. The trouble with this type of music today is that it has taken praise and worship out of the domain of spiritual, spontaneous, endeavors and placed it into the realm of unfettered emotions. Of course, anything that touches the emotional system and can be marketed inevitably becomes commercialized. Modern PW music has gradually shifted worshippers from the time honored and biblically correct reverential fear of God into the paradigm of a hip-hop, cavalier, sensual, sort of worship. It resembles the demonic cult and occult worship more than it resembles historical biblical worship. God expressly forbids in His word His people to worship Him as the idolatrous nations worshipped their gods and idols.
(Lev 10:1-3 NKJV) "Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. {2} So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. {3} And Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' " So Aaron held his peace."
One of the most popular PW leaders can be seen one day leading a mob of hysterical "worshippers" in a worship concert, then a few days later he is singing in a secular event sponsored by Budweiser Beer Company.
Defenders of modern PW music often quote the scripture where David danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14). They forget the scriptures where Israel
Danced around the golden calf (Exodus 32). God commended David and condemned Israel; the only difference was the object of worship.
In modern PW music there is a heavy influence of "spiritual cheerleaders" who pump and prime the crowd like an aerobics instructor, whipping them into a frenzy. The music adds to the excitement as incredibly talented musicians run off rifts overcharging the emotional system until the people shout and teeter on the brink of going berserk and some do go berserk. The degree to which the emotions are aroused in modern PW is strikingly similar to what I have seen in cultic worship services. After the frenzy there is a calm and the music becomes hypnotizing as slow rhythms wash over the soul while the worship leader talks in a calm, soothing voice. Again, I have seen the same sort of thing in Hindu meetings.
Emotion itself is no offence to God as evidenced by His acceptance of David's dance. What entices and fans the emotional flames can be a very big problem. If one needs a forty piece worship band complete with a choir, a full rehearsed production with light show, smoke and video imagery, just to worship God with all my heart with the same degree David did, am I not spiritual deceased?
The ark of God coming into the camp inspired David. The ark was a type of Christ. Anything that distracts from the person of Christ is a detriment to true worship, and that's the only type God accepts.
(John 4:23-24 NKJV) ""But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. {24} "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.""
Contemporary "Christian" Music
I am convinced that there are sincere, dedicated Christians in Contemporary "Christian" music, which to me includes Christian Rock, but I believe many in CR are blind to the effects it has on Christian young people. Other individuals in CR have ulterior motives for what they do and they do not care if it is right or wrong. CCM and CR are the most outwardly obvious perversions of God's gift of music to the church. The digression of this music into profit and vain honor has turned it into a "stepping stone" for groups who use it to hone their skills to eventually reach secular fame. There is no doubt it is profit driven since secular people have bought into it whose motivation could not be to present the Christ they refuse to serve. There also seems to be an obsessive desire to be accepted by the secular world and rebellious youth, as if this is the pennacle of success. There are more self-aggrandizing motivations that may come out later in this article.
Where did this music come from? Of course, the standard response from its promoters and performers, such as David Thompson of "Bride," is that it came from God, that Satan could not possibly have created it. If that is so, then where did the vile and hideous secular music come from? If the horrendous music of the world also came from God, how come He gave it to the world system to pervert before He let the church have it? If it is so good, then why isn't it winning the lost when secular bands play it?
I would like to ask you if you believe that one day a Christian received a revelation from God that brought CCM and CR into existence with no other influence? Did it come as a Divine inspiration, something out of nothing, created in the musicians mind by God? Or do you believe the music came from secular groups who received it from Satan? It is no mystery how rock started. Secular musicians declare it has always been the devil's music. Although music itself is neutral, it can be perverted for evil as secular rock musicians have demonstrated, or used as God intended for good. If one declares they received CR music and most CCM from God, then nothing in the world would sound like it.
The world, through Satan, invented music that appeals to its lusts and entices people to commit wickedness. CR musicians have taken this perversion of music and added the title "Christian" and declared it came from God. One of the most dangerous things you can do is attribute evil to God. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is an unforgivable sin. Read how such a sin is committed.
(Mat 12:31-33 NKJV) ""Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. {32} "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. {33} "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit."
The Pharisee's declared that the works of Jesus came by the devil. Jesus said they were in danger because they attributed His good fruit to a bad tree. Isn't it dangerous to attribute bad fruit to a good tree as well?
CCM's descent into man-centered, deceitful music and the rise of "Christian" Rock music is hotly defended by its promoters, listeners and performers. In the future on this site I will post some responses to rebuttals I have made concerning their defenses of this errant music.
Their number one defense is to declare that Jesus uses CCM and CR to save souls and that they are ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have no doubt whatsoever that there have been many false salvations at CCM and CR concerts. By using the same arguments the same case can be made for homosexual "Christianity." The fact that more and more homosexuals are infiltrating "Christian" music is well known. One Pastor remarked concerning the use of homosexuals in music ministry, "It is a shame not to use these very gifted people whom God has blessed."
I know of a homosexual tent evangelist who has scores of people "healed" and "saved" under his every service. Five of his keyboard players have died of aids. By using the same arguments CR and CCM promoters and performers use this man can also defend his "ministry" as being from God and does do that very thing.
People are "healed" during secular rock concerts and during cult meetings. Is this also of God? John Denver believed he was born again during an EST session and wrote it into the lyrics of his hit song "Rocky Mountain High."
Upon inspecting the fruit of the "saved" people you will find that they promote and believe in a licentious life style. To many of these individuals, "saved" is saying the sinners prayer then OSAS (Once Saved, Always Saved) kicks in. OSAS is God's "Holy Hell Insurance Policy" that allows you to commit all manner of sin without the consequences of judgement.
Suppose one is "saved" at a homosexual church service, says the sinners prayer, starts reading his bible and attending church faithfully, but does not change his lifestyle, are he saved by the blood of Jesus? Not so! Neither are the people saved in demonic CR concerts truly saved. Satan will not oppose someone like this and they will have no trouble exchanging their music, the old for the new. In fact, according to a great number of CR musicians, they don't have to change it, just add the CR stuff.
Jesus said to the Pharisee's concerning their salvation efforts.
(Mat 23:15 NKJV) ""Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
The Holy Spirit convicts the lost and brings them to Christ. I would not want to be judged for attributing foul methods to Him. God adds daily to the church, we compel them to come in by lifting up Jesus. Rock music lifts up the devil through sensuality and seduction of the emotional system.
There are always other obsessive attachments in people associated with having their emotional systems manipulated in the violent way rock music affects it. Such an emotional system has been desensitized and must have fierce blows dealt it before it can respond. CR musicians cannot feel the presence of God in a normal move of His Spirit. They have to have the pounding rhythms and excitement. Many become obsessed with various sports, television drama and violence, hobbies and etc. For decades now professing Christian males have left the Sunday morning church service to eat lunch and head for the television to gorge on sports. Now we are seeing Sunday night church services cancelled on Super Bowl Sunday. A large screen is set up in the sanctuary or fellowship hall and advertisements are placed in the newspaper to come watch the football game. One CCM group sings about God's house, where there is a great big yard, where they can play football. Is this the example of salvation promoters of CCM and CR would have us to believe is true salvation? When the standards that measure true Christianity become reduced to a level any spiritual pigmy can reach, there is no doubt that conversions can be had for a song, a rock song.
I know a man who was lost and resisted all attempts to reach him for Christ. One day he called me up and told me he got saved and wanted to come and visit me. I said, okay, but something in his voice told me there was a possibility that it was not what it appeared to be. I told my wife, jokingly, he would probably try to sell me on Amway. When he arrived I realized he brought a friend. After a few niceties he turned the conversation over to the man who came with him. The man tried to interest me in a secret program and I immediately asked him if they were into Amway. After hedging a bit he finally admitted they were.
It seems this man who had resisted Christ all those years had attended an Amway meeting and got "saved." Now that he saw the light, he wanted to spend the rest of his life reading his bible, praying, attending Amway meetings, and getting rich by enticing others to become involved. God doesn't need a soap company to work His plan and He doesn't need rock music.
The Music of the Great Apostasy
It is sad that professing Christians have allowed the Great Apostasy to influence them to reduce the level of Christian commitment to a point equal to the addictions of the flesh. It requires nothing to become addicted to money, sports, television and music, since that is the level flesh resides at continually. Such a level does not require a spiritual commitment to God that involves one's whole life surrendered to His Lordship.
When He saved me, I gave up my musical ambitions and all the past evil associations. I instantly recognized the "Christian" versions of worldly bondage. A chain is a chain and a prison is a prison no matter what title you place on them. There is no such thing in God's word as Christian evil and you cannot Christianize evil by covering it with scriptures and religious euphemisms. Can you imagine a "Christian" pedophile? Or a "Christian" prostitute? Or "Christian" beer, cocaine or maybe orgies?
By misusing and misinterpretation of the scriptures one could make all the above detestable practices "Christian" versions acceptable to God. In fact, my teenage daughter told me one of the local youth leaders informed her that fornication, lying, cheating, and even rape was condoned in the bible. He not only listens to CCM, CR and secular rock music but performs it as well.
Our society has been brought to the point where many believe they need music like they need water, food and air. Music is pounding in malls, stores and other businesses, thumping in cars going down the street, in homes continually and even in places out in nature where you expect to hear birds singing. I've been in very scenic setting enjoying the atmosphere free from so much noise only to hear a boom box or a Walkman cranking out obnoxious music.
The world systems influence has grown unabated by the church's influence to the point it has abandoned its mores and other tangible qualities. At the same time the church society has lost its savor through an apostate paradigm shift in priorities and values. The result is that in our world today there is an upside-down turn over in the things that really matter.
In the world system, what was right is now wrong and what was wrong is now right. What was least important is now of primary importance and vice versa. What was once unacceptable is now common place and trendy. On the other hand, the acceptable things have become unacceptable and old fashioned. The same things have happened in the church world.
Professing Christianity is now following a course shaped by the fashion and trends of the world system. This error is set up by the fear of being unacceptable to the worldlings and has evolved into the desire to be unified with the world system in all points, all this while retaining God's approval. This sets the professing church up for an unholy marriage with the World System. There are only two beaus contending for the church's hand in marriage. One of them will have her no matter what and that would be Satan. The other one, Jesus, will only have her if she is a spotless virgin.
There are some serious questions that need to be asked in response to the continual insistence by the promoters of apostate CCM and CR music who declare they are "called" of God, used by God to "preach" the "gospel" and that their music is the means God has ordained. By searching the scriptures you cannot find one instance from any of the people in God's word using foul means to win the lost. God tells us to be fishers of men. You must use the right bait for the type of fish you are trying to catch. No one uses plastic worms to catch catfish or bass plugs to catch trout. I want to catch the kind of souls God wants me to catch. In order to do that I have to use the bait He provided which is Jesus Christ. With that in mind let me pose the following questions.
There is overwhelming evidence that apostate CCM and CR music has the effect of turning a good kid who listens to it into a bad kid.
My questions are:
1. If it can't keep someone saved, how can it possibly possess the power to convert someone deep in the bondage of sin? Shouldn't there be a warning label of the CD's, "Only For The Damned, May Cause Spiritual Damage To The Redeemed" (Good title for a CR song)?
2. In other words, if such music has the power to reach and deliver someone bound with strong chains of darkness, it should have a tremendous positive effect on the redeemed. In fact, it has a tremendously negative effect on saved young people, which is evidence that it is an impossible vehicle to reach the lost. Anything that doesn't have the power to keep you saved certainly cannot save you in the first place.
3. Where is the scriptural evidence that God ever condone someone using like substance to deliver someone from bondage? If CCM and CR is a valid tool of redemption, the by all indications the story of the man at the Gadarenes should have read as follows:
"And seeing Jesus afar off, who was naked and berserk, disheveled hair,
cutting Himself, shrieking and howling as a demon, the man at the Gadarenes
immediately rushed toward Him, recognizing Him as the Savior. After he was
delivered, he was not clothed and in his right mind, but continued to live in the
Tombs as a madman."
CCM and CR proponents overestimate the power of their music and underestimate the power of Christ. By CR's standards, the man as the Gadarenes should have continued as he was, only adding salvation to his life, witnessing to other demon-possessed people that he had found true deliverance.
Jesus said, (John 12:32 NKJV) ""And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."" In what way, manner, or method, does CR lift up Jesus. The very nature of the phrase, "lifted up" means to make highly visible (Strongs Concordance: 5312. hupsoo, hoop-so'-o; from G5311; to elevate (lit. or fig.):--exalt, lift up.). CR blurs the image of Christ. Seldom is His name mentioned and even that is not lifting Him up. How then can CR be drawing people to Jesus since there is no evidence it is lifting up Jesus? God's word declares that Jesus was, "the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person," (Heb 1:3 NKJV). There is no scriptural evidence that Jesus ever portrayed the qualities, tendencies, mannerisms, nature, or anything else of His enemy the devil when He lived on this earth. He was no less on the outside than He was on the inside. This is certainly not the presentation of Christ CR promotes.
Isn't it a fact that the professing church's plunge into deep apostasy a major reason, if not the major reason, that the world has become so wicked today? If CR promoters concur, then would they also agree that a reversal of this grave error be the answer for the lost, tormented, bound and dying world? If one agrees on those two points, then how can they disagree with someone such as I who declares that the church should turn back to God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength? I hereby declare that professing Christians who come in the rags of bondage, with the language of bondage, with the mannerisms of bondage, cannot set anyone free, rather, they condone and promote the great apostasy. Some one once said, "Only the free can set people free."
In summation, the world needs to see what they can be, not what they are, coming to deliver the gospel to them. A fireman does not set himself on fire to save a person trapped in a burning building. How can Christians wrap themselves in the bondage of the world to win the lost?
God does not use failure to deliver failure. He does not use sickness to heal. He does not use death to deliver from death. Neither does He use hell to expose hell and present heaven.
When God reached out to my tormented soul, there was a pastor's son playing in our band on Saturday night and in his Dad's church Sunday morning. His Christianity did not impress me. The only Christian I was impressed by was the little, old, lady in a health food store. Her love, compassion, obvious peace and genuine concern for me touched me deeply.
I met ministers in the nightclubs, deacons and their wives, and other professing Christians who never impressed me at all. Most sinners today are unimpressed by hypocrites trying to act lost to win the lost. With the exception of some demonic folks, the people most sinners are impressed with are true Christians who witness to them, not sheep coming to them in wolves clothing.