Which is Christian RockNRoll?

Hard metal STRYPER or 

Soft melodious Amy Grant?

There is a raging debate over the issue of Christian rockn

roll. And while men debate the issue God, a long time ago,

laid down the truth. The following are GOD's guidelines of

what is acceptable music before him. After all, music that

truly Christian will conform to the Word of God and the

desire of the Holy Spirit.

[1] The music must not be like the world if it is to be

acceptable unto Jesus.

"Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the

Lord." 2 Corinthians 6:17

Now, it is not the instruments that are sin. There is

nothing wrong with a guitar or a set of drums. It is in

how the instrument is being used and what kind of heart is

using the instrument. What will stand out about a

Christian's use of a guitar is that it is separate and

different from the world. That fleshly and entertainment

quality of it will be gone. They will stand out because of

their separation from the worldly bands! Not just in

lyrics, but in action and deed. They will "prove" they

belong to Jesus by their actions.

"I preached they should repent and turn to God and prove

their repentance by their deeds." Acts 26:20

When some group calls themselves "Christian" and yet copies

the lights, smoke, dress, hair and loudness of the worldly

groups they are merely liars who claim to be Christians.

They are not Christians. For if they are of God they will

be separate in all they do. They will be salt and light.

What the world and the Christian community should be awed

at is the purity with which any group sings with. Their

religion should be pure above all else. A purity that

convicts the world and inspires their brothers and sisters.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless

is this:...to keep oneself from being polluted by the

world." James 1:27

A group that copies the style of the world and yet sings

about Jesus is an abomination in God's sight. The worldly

Christian bands are dead in their sins and transgressions.

They need to have an honest encounter with a Holy table

turning Jesus Christ! They need to have the Holy Spirit

show them they are living Ephesians 2:12,

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

in which you USED to live when you followed the ways of

this world and of the ruler of the air, the spirit who is

now at work in those who are disobedient."

In spite of God's solemn warning these bands still continue

to walk in the pride, entertainment and selfish ambition

that the world walks in. If you don't leave a Christian

concert saying things like...

"Wow, how different that is from worlds concerts."

Then it wasn't a Christian concert.

[2] The musician's heart must be pure and clean.

Let me ask you a question or two. What bands do you listen

to? What kind of person leads your music at church? Do

you listen to music that is pure and radiants that it is

different than the style of music the world listens to? Or

do you merely say to yourself, "But the words are good.

The words talk about Jesus.".

How many justify what they listen to by saying "The words

are good and based on scripture!" Understand this

clearly...scriptural words are not enough! It is not

enough for a band to sing and talk about Jesus. Before you

listen to them you should know if their hearts are clean

and pure.

Even Satan quoted scripture to Jesus. As we read Matthew

4:6 notice how Satan quoted scripture to Jesus. The

scriptures that Satan quoted were not taken out of

context. They were right and true. In fact, the scripture

talks about God's love and protection. Satan is sharing

with Jesus about God's salvation. Just as these Christian

rock bands do. The bands talk about Jesus  but with what

kind of spirit and heart?

"Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand

on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of

God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written:

'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will

lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike

your foot against a stone.'"

Here is Satan quoting Psalm 9:1112 about God's love.

Everything Satan just said was true. Yet is was the devil

sharing those scriptures. It was the pit of hell talking

about God's love. Words mean nothing if the spirit is

unclean!

Open your spiritual eyes and see that Satan has taken these

bands to the "highest point of the temple" in the "holy

city" and is speaking scriptures through them. Do you not

know that scripture says, "test the spirits" and not just

the words of a man?

If the bands to not overwhelmingly meet these two basic

requirements God has set down...then throw the tapes out.

Don't go to their concerts. You will have to judge the

heart and spirits what are playing the music. God and

judge by the power or the Holy Spirit. Throw out all those

tapes where the band or singer is after the things of this

world or are worldly.

Don't go to a concert where the music and musician are

unclean. Let your eyes be only on the faithful in the

land.

"My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may

dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to

me." Psalm 101:6

Only those who are faithful in being separate from the

world should we share our lives with in the Lord. Only

those whose "walk is blameless" should you allow to

"minister" to you. And these bands pride themselves on

being "ministers" to others. Only the bands whose "walk",

that is, dress, actions and styles are unlike the ways of

the world should minister to you.

A holy Christian has no business buying the tapes or listen

to the music of those whose "walk" and hearts are not

"faithful" to the Word and Lord. You cannot have both the

ways of the world and Jesus.

For though they speak of Jesus and purity they are deceived

and deceiving others. You should silence such musicians

and music.

"No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one

who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Every

morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the

land..." Psalm 101:78

How these groups "practice deceit". They are good at

talking about righteousness and purity. They pride

themselves on saying their music talks of Jesus. But by

their actions they deny Jesus. They speak "falsely". And

you should not be listening to them.

"They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny

him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing

anything good." Titus 1:16

By their actions of wearing ear rings in the ears...of

wearing long hair...of wearing leather and the other

costumes the world wears they prove they are not

Christians! By their actions of performing at their

concerts they prove they are like the world. They prove

they are "disobedient" to the Lord. Just look at the long

hair, hair styles and the dress that various musicians

have. They don't even begin to obey the basic, the very

basic, teachings of scripture (1 Corinthians 11:14 & 1

Timothy 1:9). How they entertain, dress and perform with

all the glitter of the world and yet have the pride to

offer a Holy Jesus to people. How easily we are deceived.

Yet these bands and others clamor before God and men that

Jesus ate with drunkards. Yes, indeed, Jesus ate with

drunkards...but without getting drunk! Jesus was salt.

Jesus was pure. Jesus' life convicted others of sin.

Jesus did not deny God by His actions. His words and

action were both pure. Unlike the Christian bands of

today.

Unless there is a deep world shattering repentance on the

part of these "Christian" musicians GOD says that "blackest

darkness" is reserved for them. This issue of Christian

rocknroll is no light weight issue.

The reason we know that "blackest darkness" is reserved for

such bands is that they have told us so. They boast of

it! These musicians tell you that they are trying to to be

like the world in order to draw the world to Jesus. They

brag that their worldliness draws the world. God says that

such groups are "springs without water" and that "blackest

darkness" is reserved for them.

What makes a group worthy of "blackest darkness"? They

qualify for this part of hell because they seek to be like

the world in order to draw people to Jesus.

"These men are springs without water and mists driven by a

storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they

mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the

lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people

who are just escaping from those who live in error. They

promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of

depravity  for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered

him." 2 Peter 2:1719

"By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human

nature" in drawing people to their concerts they become fit

for the darkest part of hell. Can't you just see Paul

entering a town dressed in black leather and chains,

selling T shirts that say "Paul of Tarsus and Some Band"?

Then with lights a blazing, smoke filling the room and him

siking everyone up stop and say, "Come now believe in a

pure unworld like Jesus!". Before long you are going to

hear we can have a Christian STRIPPER for Jesus. After all

her/his words would be good and they would pull in crowds

no one else could. In short, anytime we appeal to the

sinful part of man we become a people fit for the darkest

parts of hell. How many churches are doing that, let alone

to discuss Christian music.

How many say, "But I came to the Lord because or that rock

band." The truth is as Jesus said, they didn't come to the

Lord instead they become "twice as fit for hell", (Matthew

23:15). For how can someone go to a concert that is like

the world and leave prepared for a cross carrying holy life

by the grace of the Holy Spirit? Have we forgotten that

the blind cannot lead the blind? Have we forgotten that

"both" will "fall into a pit"? Are we so dull spiritually

that we allow groups to use the name of good musicians like

Keith Green to justify their impurity? God is very clear

that we are to leave such groups, singers, churches and

ministries.

"Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a

blind man, both will fall into the pit." Matthew 15:14

Remember well that they offer people Jesus. They offer the

good news. They talk of peace and righteousness. They

offer freedom from hell, but cannot deliver. Remember

Peter said...

"They promise them freedom, while they themselves are

slaves of depravity..."

(vs :18)

And if you are genuinely saved it is in spite of them, not

because of them.

When these bands call tracts such as this "persecution" in

Christ, they seem to forget one large detail. Jesus said,

"Blessed are you when men FALSELY accuse you." And,

"Blessed are you when men persecution you because of

RIGHTEOUSNESS sake." To recognize Holiness takes no

justification or arguments. Purity convicts and encourages

all. Wickedness and worldliness takes the justification of

deceitful talk.

To know what music and musicians are acceptable to God all

you have need to do is honestly surrender your life to

God. Something most do not honestly do in spite of their

words to the contrary.

"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to

offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing

to God  this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not

conform any longer to the patter of the this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be

able to test and approve what God's will is  his good,

pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:12

To know what music and musicians are acceptable unto God

all you have need to do is live out Romans 12:12 by the

power of the Holy Spirit.

Look again at Romans 12:1. It says to "offer your bodies

as living sacrifices". So there goes that old worldly

argument that God doesn't care what you look like. God

cares! He does not want his children to look like they

belong to the world. As 2 Corinthians says, "...let us

purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and

spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

Look again at Romans 12:2. "Do not conform to the pattern

of this world." How much clearer can God be?! If you are

part of a Christian band then let everything about you be

different from the pattern of this world. Cut and comb the

hair. Dress like you belong to heaven. Get a pure heart

instead of the deceiptful talk the world practices. Sit

down with doped up kids and call for repentance. Stop

worrying about popularity and getting a hit record. Stop

deceiving yourself. "Don't merely listen to the Word, do

what it says." (James 1:22) You can't be impure with the

pattern of the world and go to heaven.

Look again at Romans 12:2. "Then you will be able to test

and approve what God's will is...". The reason most

Christians and Christian bands cannot tell they are in sin

is that they have not truly given themselves to God

wholeheartedly. Let not these Christian musicians and

bands take you in by their "whitewash". For, be sure of

this...

"For this you can be sure: No immoral or IMPURE or greedy

person  such a man is an idolater  has ANY inheritance in

the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you

with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath

comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be

partners with them."

Ephesians 5:57

Indeed, "do not be partners with them"!

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